The definitive ranking of 2020 Democrats

[Bayard]

Because Donald Trump is, well, Donald Trump, a lot of attention has been paid to his hostile takeover of the Republican Party -- and how he continues to consolidate that power.

What that focus on how Trump killed the old -- and by that we mean the 2012 -- version of the Republican Party misses is how much the Democratic Party has evolved -- and is evolving -- in its own way.
Like Republicans, that change sped up -- rapidly -- in 2016. It was led by an unlikely figure -- Democratic socialist Sen. Bernie Sanders. To say Sanders was lightly regarded when he started running against former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is to do a disservice to the term "lightly regarded.


https://www.cnn.com/2018/08/16/politics/2020-democrats-biden/index.html

Joe Biden, far and away, still in First Place.

[BannonsLiver]

1. Cue the whining about Biden in 3...2...1.

[dalton99a]

2. 2018 comes before 2020

[Sophia4]

3. At least three, Biden, Warren and Sanders are already over 70.

Kamala Harris looks likely to me.

I like Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders best, but they are both already over 70.

I'm 75, and I don't have the energy I had ten years ago.

[Totally Tunsie]

4. Elizabeth Warren turns 70 in June, 2019. n/t

[maxsolomon]

5. So, 71 in November 2020.

I'm still on the Harris train.

[Totally Tunsie]

7. If you'll notice, I was responding to the comment that

EW is "already over 70", which is untrue. She is, therefore, almost two years younger than Hillary Clinton, who was easily embraced as our presidential nominee.

Schiff/Booker - 2020

[maxsolomon]

10. I noticed.

Age while running is my concern.

At least Warren's younger than Biden and Sanders, but she'll be older than Clinton was in 2016. To me, she lacks fire as a speaker; she's professorial in tone. Schiff is only marginally better. I'd love either of them as VEEP.

Charisma is essential in a candidate - Trump, as much as we hate his fucking guts, has it, at least in the minds of his idiot voters. JFK, Bill Clinton, and Obama had it leaking out of their ears.

Which current Dem has it?

[DavidDvorkin]

6. What makes their opinion definitive?

[BlueStater]

8. Nothing. Absolutely nothing.

Chris Cillizza wrote that he thinks Don Jr. could run for office someday. I don't put much prudence in his opinions.

If the future of this country is really decided by a 74-year-old white guy vs. a 78 or 79-year-old white guy, just kill me now.

[Hortensis]

9. "Definitive" in August 2018?

[Duppers]

11. Things can change a lot by next year.

I cannot predict anyone as a candidate yet. Possibly there's a younger candidate who may become outstanding.

[Bettie]

12. Midterms are FAR more important at this point

2020 will be next on the agenda, but not today.

So much can happen between now and the beginning of next year.