Say It Ain't So: 129 People Have Already Filed To Run For President In 2020
There are way too many signs that the 2020 election is already beginning.
Consider:
-Here's a crazy stat: 129 people have already filed to run for president in 2020, as of Friday afternoon. In fairness, in 2016, more than 1,700 filed. But...
-One of them is President Trump. He's not only already set up a reelection committee earlier maybe than anyone in history, but his campaign released the first ad of the 2020 cycle. Remarkably, it's touting what he's accomplished — in his first 100 days (!).There's already been a flap about stations not running it because of a falsehood in it.
Trump's election may have been a threshold moment in presidential politics, opening the door for anyone to run or at least think about it, who might not have before. Becoming president is no longer about the ascendancy of current officerholders or lifelong public servants. That experience is no longer a prerequisite. Now, wealth, power and celebrity not only have a door open for access, but for the possibility of themselves being in charge. It's atypical for Washington and more like what's seen in Hollywood or major financial centers, like New York or London.
It's, in part, the evolution of decades of disengagement from the American public, more interested in celebrity than the policy-wonk world of Washington. Presidential elections have become treated like reality shows, giving presidential candidates outsize attention compared to the actual power they have, while lower-level, closer-to-home elections and civic engagement get far less attention from voters and the media. The consequences of that are not yet known, but already what's emerged is activists dominating.
Read more: http://kut.org/post/say-it-aint-so-129-people-have-already-filed-run-president-2020
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