The DNC seems even more confident in their 2020 bid for the Presidental election than they ever did going up against Donald Trump. As it stands, Democratic insiders believe now as many as 30 candidates will make a run for the primaries.
And they’re really not thrilled with the crop of candidates in consideration.
With a few wins under their belt in smaller, local, government elections it seems that they feel the American people are behind them — they seemingly believe that We The People think Trump’s doing a bad job (pst… he’s not).
Except for the strategists behind the curtain say that no one really stands out.
“You have a bunch of Celine Dions but there’s no Beatles,” said Phil Singer, a Democratic strategist who served as press secretary on Hillary Clinton’s 2008 presidential run.
Though I would add that these are the same people who probably convinced Clinton and the DNC and their voter base that everything was fine in 2016 and look where that got them.
As reported by Amie Parnes for The Hill:
The fortunes of potential candidates can change quickly. Sen. Al Franken(D-Minn.), for example, was regarded just a few weeks ago as a potential dark horse candidate in 2020, but that changed instantly when sexual misconduct charges surfaced against him.
Here’s how they see the field stacking up right now.
1. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.)
Advisers to the senator are telegraphing that Sanders is eyeing a 2020 run — and his network is already ready to go, with supporters convinced that he was the candidate who would have beaten President Trump in 2016.
“His people have never gone away,” said Democratic strategist Brad Bannon. “And he has a loyal core following out there that will be with him come hell or high water.”
2. Joe Biden
The former vice president’s book tour has kept him in the spotlight at a time when Democrats are nostalgic for the Obama years.
While playing it coy about his 2020 plans, Biden has consistently been talking about Democratic values and how the party can win back frustrated blue-collar workers who voted for Trump.
3. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.)
Many Democrats say women are having a moment — so why not nominate a woman who is wildly popular with the Democratic base?
Every strategist and political observer interviewed by The Hill mentioned Warren consistently as a top contender for 2020. Democratic strategist Jamal Simmons was one of them; he said the recent wave of sexual harassment allegations makes it more likely that a woman wins the 2020 nomination.
Two things not in Warren’s favor: There’s no love lost for her in Obama World, and she’d be 71 by the time 2020 rolls around.
4. Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.)
When Democrats talk about “fresh blood” in the party, many point to Harris, the freshman senator who has proven time and again since arriving in the upper chamber that she’s not afraid to speak her mind.
Harris gained national attention when she was twice shushed by Republican senators during Senate Intelligence Committee hearings.
Still, Harris has yet to be tested in the national spotlight, and she’ll have to convince the party faithful that she has what it takes to win.
5. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio)
When Hillary Clinton was looking for a running mate, there was a growing consensus in the party that she should pick the Ohio senator.
Besides the fact that he represents a key swing state, political observers think Brown is a Democrat who would appeal to both centrists and progressives.
6. Deval Patrick
The former Massachusetts governor caught the attention of some top Democratic donors after news reports surfaced this summer that Obama allies like Valerie Jarrett and David Simas were encouraging him to run.
The report was seen by some as a “blatantly overt” attempt to lay the groundwork for Patrick, one fundraiser told The Hill in September.
“A lot of people in our world see Deval as the one who will carry the Obama legacy.”