Is N.H. breakfast at dawn of 2020 run?
Ex-AG Holder heads for Granite State
Former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder is headed to New Hampshire for the political hot breakfast that is a first stop for many presidential hopefuls — but political observers in both parties say he’d be a long shot.
Holder, who served as attorney general for six of former President Barack Obama’s eight years in office, will be the featured speaker at Saint Anselm College’s “Politics & Eggs” breakfast today. Both Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton broke bread there in 2015 ahead of New Hampshire’s first-in-the-nation 2016 primary, and more recently Ohio Gov. John Kasich — a potential Trump challenger in 2020 — put in an appearance there.
Holder’s appearance is a sign that he’s considering throwing his hat in the ring for the 2020 presidential race, Boston University political science professor Thomas Whalen said.
“Where there’s smoke, there’s fire,” Whalen said.
But other observers said Holder will be hardpressed to energize a Democratic party that is still looking for a front-runner. Democratic operative Scott Ferson said Holder would be too easily portrayed by President Trump as a proxy for Obama in 2020, and that Democrats shouldn’t look backward.
“I’m a big believer in the more the merrier for this ... but I don’t know if that’s where the party needs to be — it’s not an economic vision, that’s where Trump won and that’s where we need to be,” Ferson said. Holder “can’t just be a nostalgic view of how much people miss Obama — that’s what he represents.”
Whalen said Holder’s previous experience could cut both ways.
“He’s on great terms with former President Obama, who could give him a lot of help. But the Democratic Party is being pulled left and center by the Bernie (Sanders) crowd. They probably don’t want a moderate like Holder,” Whalen said.
Republican consultant Ford O’Connell said the lack of a Democratic front-runner could draw in several dozen candidates — which would mean potential candidates with strong name recognition, like Vermont Sen. Sanders or former Vice President Joe Biden, would only need a small majority to win in a crowded field.
“It’s hard to see how he breaks through without a direct endorsement from Obama,” O’Connell said. “Right now I look at him as a second-tier candidate, I haven’t heard him say anything platform-wise. He’s not even registering in the polls.”