Election 2020 (so far)

My take on where the race for the presidency is at the moment might not be a whole lot different from that of some others, but it's been a while since I discussed the matter so I'm going to give it a go. Since I last touched on this topic the democratic field has narrowed significantly. As of right now, the main candidates include Bernie Sanders, Joe Biden, Pete Buttigieg, Elizabeth Warren, Amy Klobuchar, Mike Bloomberg, Tom Steyer, and interestingly enough, Tulsi Gabbard has remained fighting to keep her campaign alive despite having not been on the debate stage in quite some time. The order in which I listed the candidates was significant, since it's where I consider their chances to be. Given Biden's poor performance lately, one might be inclined to wonder why I placed him so high, and I'll get to that. In fact, I'll be going over my thoughts on each of the candidates. Let's start off with Sanders. Many are starting to see him as the front runner, since he's been doing quite well. Once again, I wouldn't have any problem if he were to be the nominee. He has a long history of experience and a very consistent track record with his progressive stances which makes it no surprise as to why his popularity has remained strong. For a time, I'll admit I had written him off to a degree. The reason for that is that it seemed as though his novelty had faded. While his message is very consistent, I thought that might be precisely his problem. While I agree with his stances on the wealthy, the pharmaceutical industry, and honestly most of his other positions, I had suspected that he had become something of a broken record when it comes to his platform. Sure enough, that's not the case and his campaign is quite strong. Some have called him divisive and while I would disagree that the man himself is divisive, it is definitely arguable that some of his supporters are. I guess that's where my main problem comes from. I know many of his supporters personally, and they seem to be of a mindset that we don't need moderates and any one else that doesn't fit their viewpoint. To be perfectly clear, I don't think this constitutes a majority by any means, but I do believe it's enough that it could be damaging. While I have hopes for Bernie, I fear that the very same ambitious idealism that has made him so popular, could be the pivotal factor in his downfall. Moving on to Biden. The reason I haven't counted him out just yet is because there is a key factor that many seem to disregard, and that is the fact that the moderate vote is currently very fractured. Many have balked when the point is brought up that if Mayor Pete, Amy Klobuchar, and Bloomberg were to drop out, the moderate vote could be consolidated under Biden and he could very well sweep Sanders out of the nomination. The same thing could very well occur with Pete or Amy, but the reason I went with Biden with this possible scenario is the very simple fact that he has very high name recognition and much more experience. I wouldn't have any problem if Biden were to be the nominee either. I would be comfortable voting for him but will admit that I do have my concerns. While his gaffs certainly aren't as hostile as Trumps, they are definitely plentiful and this has led many to make speculations of senility. Nonetheless, he's still a strong contender in my mind, that is unless he both loses South Carolina and tanks on Super Tuesday. If that comes to pass, then I will probably write him off, but until then, he's still in the running as far as I can see. Next we've got Pete Buttigieg. "Mayor Pete" as he's affectionately known by to some, has potential in spades. He's a Rhodes Scholar, a veteran, speaks 7 languages, is particularly eloquent and makes a strong case for himself in terms of being a more moderate nominee. However, the problem with him is that potential is just that; potential. While some may say that Klobuchar was a bit mean spirited in pointing out his lack of political experience, the simple truth is that she was correct. He lacks a lot of experience and that's the most concerning thing about him as far as I can see. The fact that he takes money from wealthy donors is also troubling however I'm willing to recognize the reality that this is just something some have to do in order to keep a campaign afloat. Nonetheless, it's still concerning. I would also be comfortable voting for Pete, however now we're getting into the territory where I just prefer the candidate over the alternative (Trump). Elizabeth Warren was at a time considered a very real possibility but it seems that she's been having some trouble staying in the headlines and that is worrying. She's essentially the alternative to Bernie in terms of more progressive candidates and the main appeal to her is that she seems to have a bit more thought out plans. That's not a criticism towards Bernie, it's just an observation from watching the debates. Still, her campaign seems to be faltering. I would be comfortable voting for her as well, however I do have an underlying fear that bringing her kind of reasoned logic into a fight with Trumps bombast wouldn't really play out well. After all, he's proven time and time again that he can fight the truth with his own bastardized version of reality quite effectively, though this fear also goes for the other candidates as well. Amy Klobuchar is definitely a strong candidate and I feel a bit bad for underestimating her. She makes a case for being able to flip the Midwest and as a Midwesterner myself, I really want to believe her. She's tough, rational, and experienced which I would argue is the root of her appeal. I don't think she'll stick around terribly much longer, but nor do I think she will be the next to drop out. Oh boy, now we get to move on to Mike Bloomberg. I'll admit that before this race I knew little more about the wealthy former mayor of New York, other than what I just said. I knew his name, I knew he had a large media company, I knew he was mayor of NYC, and I knew he was very wealthy. I also heard something about the controversial stop and frisk ordeal and will admit that I wasn't a huge fan. I understand that he wanted to cut back on crime, but it seems that he attempted to do so in the worst possible way. I won't pretend to understand the nuances of running a massive metropolitan area such as New York, but still it seems that I'm not alone in my impression that he could have handled a few things better. Then there's the whole aspect of it very much looking like he is attempting to buy the nomination. That's a very ugly assertion to make, but I would argue that there's merit to it. It seems quite unfair that he hasn't had to jump through all of the hoops that all the other candidates have, but hey, I guess money really does talk. I always want to be objective so I'll admit that he's got some redeeming qualities. He's definitely experienced, seems somewhat competent, at least much more so than Trump, and his wealth is essentially a double edged sword; it is a source of criticism but it is also how he's able to easily keep his campaign afloat and it's also the reason I would have no worries about the man being able to maintain it well throughout the general. Still my concerns outweigh anything else and I will say right now that I hope he doesn't get the nomination. If he were to get it, it would basically be 2016 all over again for me. I would walk into the voting booth, hold my nose, and check his name. I wouldn't be happy about it, but I would still do my civic duty. Now for the last two: Tom Steyer and Tulsi Gabbard. These are the two candidates whom I truly believe should drop out immediately. At this point Tulsi Gabbard is just wasting her time, and Tom Steyer has only been on the debate stages because he has the money in order to get him there. As of the current moment, I don't believe either of them are making significant enough contributions to the discussion to warrant remaining in the race. It may sound mean spirited but we are at the point in the race where the field needs to be narrowed and these candidates are just dead weight. I guess I would still vote for either of them if by some miracle they were able to snag the nomination but right now it seems they've both got a snowballs chance in hell. Out of all the candidates that seem to have a real chance, I will admit I would be pretty satisfied voting for most of them. I'm excited yet wary, especially considering the opposition. The downfall of whoever the nominee may be, will definitely have to do with ideological purism. That's a prediction that I'm willing to make. Trump supporters, conservatives, Republicans, basically anyone who plans on voting for Trump has thoroughly proven that they aren't picky. While Trump has faced a tiny bit of opposition from his own party (former Libertarian VP nominee Bill Weld is still running I believe) that is virtually a non factor in my mind. The right wing machine is in full swing behind the president. They have effectively said that this is the hill they are very willing to die on and they will fight tooth and nail to keep him in the White House. I believe that if the Democrats want to win, the left needs to relax with the purity tests. I would hate nothing more than for the nominee to be brought down by their own party, although I recognize that at this stage it is still important to vet all possibilities thoroughly. Still, vetting and mudslinging are two very distinct things. I'm paying close attention to this race, because the results could mean my country shifting course in a better direction, or continuing down the path of it's own destruction. If you don't think that's what is at stake, you are very, very wrong.