Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.) says in an interview airing Friday that Hillary Clinton “has a clear field” to the Democratic presidential nomination, but the party lacks an “all-star” challenger like President Obama.
“Right now we have Hillary Clinton. And that’s it,” Reid says.
“There’s not another Barack Obama out there. There are no all-stars out there,” he says, based on a transcript of the interview set to air Friday on “The Rundown with José Díaz-Balart.”The comments from Reid would appear to serve as a response to a Telemundo anchor who asked if there is any concern about a lack of debate among Democratic candidates. (The GOP field is much larger and growing.)
Clinton has big name recognition and is considered the heavy favorite for the nomination, despite a bid from Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and a likely bid from former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley (D).
Reid recounted in the epilogue to his autobiography, The Good Fight, how in early 2007 he encouraged Obama, then a freshman senator from Illinois, that “if you want to be president, you can be president now.”
The Senate minority leader told MSNBC last year he thought it was “an extremely healthy process” for Obama and Clinton to challenge each other for the Democratic nomination in the 2008 campaign.
“Think how wonderful that primary was. Two all-stars. Two people that will be in the political hall of fame no matter what happens in the future, and they were involved in a primary,” Reid said in his most recent interview.
Reid says he is “glad” Clinton has a clear field this time around, though.
“I am not a big fan of primaries,” Reid said last month, “I don’t think they help, especially when you’re someone as noted as Hillary.”
“I love Bernie Sanders,” Reid said when asked about his colleague’s place in the White House race. “Every place he goes he develops conversation. That doesn’t hurt Hillary at all.”
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