[jonplackett]

I’m British so not that knowledgeable about us politics beyond the big players.

How well known is Murphy? I’d never heard of him until I saw this video but he seems very impressive and much more electable than Biden or harris.

[anigbrowl]

About as well known as a politically active Lord would be in the UK. The general public probably doesn't recognize his name, anyone interested in politics does.

[ImJamal]

Murphy isn't well known.

[alabastervlog]

He's getting more well known pretty fast, over all this. His explainer videos of what's going on and why it's so dangerous are often kinda boring and basic if you're a politics nerd–but that's great, because we don't need to be told, it's the folks who aren't politics nerds who need to be educated on this stuff.

[ImJamal]

This happens in politics all the time. In a couple weeks nobody remembers the politican or anything they said or did.

[zzzeek]

he's a US Senator. Senators are very important here

[jonplackett]

Yeah I get that he’s a senator! I mean how much in the public eye is he. Would a random person know who he is?

We have hundreds of Members of Parliament here in the UK, but probably only 10 that most people could name.

I wondered how big his public profile is.

[jraines]

Most Senators are not well known nationally (sadly) unless they’ve either:

- done a non-negligible Presidential campaign

- been born from a famous family

- the press either love them or love to hate them

- have a leadership position and/or are conspicuously ancient

Relentless self-promotors are a superset of 3, the ones who succeed

Unfortunately being sensible, cooperative, or good with policy isn’t on the list

It can occasionally work for state Governors

[poink]

I think Bernie Sanders is the only current senator I'd expect a random American to know. Murphy might make the top 5 highest profile senators but you wouldn't know him if you don't pay attention to politics at all.

[busyant]

> How well known is Murphy?

He's the senator from the state I live in, so I know him and think he's excellent.

> much more electable than Biden or harris.

He represents a northeast blue state. It's difficult for those types of Democrats to carry non-coastal states in a presidential election, no matter how good they may be.

I suspect Bill Clinton tacked rightward to carry some southern states in 1992 and 1996, which led to his election.

Christ, Al Gore (2000 election) couldn't even carry his home state of Tennessee, so you can see how difficult it is to elect a Democrat to the presidency.

John Kerry (Dem from a northeast blue state) got smoked by George Bush in 2004.

I'm still trying to understand how Obama won twice, but I think it boils down to the fact that he invigorated the African-American vote in some key southern states.

tldr: Chris Murphy is great--unfortunately, he's the kind of Democratic presidential candidate who'd probably lose outside of the coastal states.

* edit: I would have been 'happy' with either outcome in the 2008 and 2012 presidential elections. McCain and Romney are/were decent and serious people. In fact, Romney was roundly mocked by the Dems in 2012 for saying that Russia was the US's greatest external threat. In retrospect ...