Later today, Reagan's former Secretary of the Navy, Jim Webb will announce the suspension/end of his campaign for the Democratic nominee for POTUS. His poll numbers did not receive the bump from the Democratic Debate that he was hoping for.
So it’s perhaps no surprise that three months after entering the Democratic presidential race, with his support hovering around 1%, (as of yesterday) he’s considering exiting and waging a third-party run.
Yes, originally, he planned to run as an Independent, but that is looking less likely as time progresses. Sources told MSNBC that this announcement is imminent.
Citing frustration with Party leadership and what he sees a corrupt political class, Webb will announce at the National Press Club this afternoon that he is withdrawing from any consideration of being the Democratic Party's nominee.
The former Virginia senator will vow to remain a voice in politics and will pledge that he's not going away, but will not declare an independent presidential bid during his press conference on Tuesday. Instead, he will say he is weighing his options.
The Democratic National Committee declined to say whether Webb would be invited to appear in future party debates until he had made his announcement, but it seems highly unlikely either party would want to be involved.
Webb has run a low-key campaign and has little organizational infrastructure. As a Democratic candidate, Webb would face a number of deadlines to get on the ballot in key states beginning in coming weeks. But if he were to run as an independent, Webb would not hit his first filing deadlines until next summer, according to expert Richard Winger of Ballot Access News.
Webb squandered the minimal time he was given at the debate by complaining about the format, which he felt gave Sanders and Clinton an unfair advantage. His cantankerous style failed to help his poll numbers.
