So...even though we haven't gotten to the mid terms yet, president candidates are always on my mind, and we're starting to see a field of potential candidates, good and bad, who may run in 2020. Today I'm gonna discuss this field and what I think of some names being thrown around.
Bernie Sanders - Obviously, this is my #1 choice. He's old, he's gonna be 79, but that isn't gonna stop me from voting for him. However, he's going to need a STRONG running mate to be a good ticket, because obviously, he has a high risk of dying in office and will leave office at the age of 83 or 87. He has the ideas, he is popular, and I think he can win. There are some remaining Clinton holdouts and centrists who hate his guts, but still, I don't think they'll swing the election away from him.
Elizabeth Warren - It's unclear whether she will run, I mean she was highly desired by many in 2016, and much of Sanders core of support came from the demographic that supported her, but she's a solid #2 choice for me. Some progressives will criticize her for not speaking out against the democrats enough, holding her tongue on Keystone XL, etc., but honestly, I think she's left enough to represent a significant shift in American politics to the left, while potentially winning over some of the alienated Clintonites. She's kind of a compromise candidate that's still favorable to the progressive wing of the party. If she runs I just hope she doesn't turn into another Obama, talking a big game while running to the center in practice. Still, she is someone I would vote for.
Andrew Yang - Yang is an interesting candidate to me. He's an entrepreneur, which is normally a bit of a turnoff to me, and he's inexperienced, but he supports universal basic income, which, if you guys recall, is a huge policy that I am supportive of, if not it being the most sought after policy of mine. This in itself is enough to let me give him a look. However, he wants to fund his UBI with a VAT, which is regressive and hurts the people he's trying to help, and his plan doesn't mesh well with social security, causing a coverage gap for some over 65. Honestly, I would like this guy to revamp his plans and gain some political experience. I think he would be best used as a potential VP for Bernie Sanders. This would groom him and position him for a 2028 run, putting him in a much stronger position. For now, I'll consider him a protest vote if the neoliberal wing of the party wins and I'm not happy with their platform, similar to how I voted for Jill Stein, but I'd honestly like someone with more experience as a primary option.
Joe Biden - He's probably one of the favorites of the neoliberal wing of the party. He's a strong new democrat with a long political career. While he would likely be a decent president, he just isn't what I want. If he wins, the GOP will just gain strength again and the democrats will fall apart again. He's too old timey for me, if that makes sense. He still thinks the world is what it was when he was growing up and doesn't understand how things have changed. He also has a habit of shooting his mouth off and making gaffes which alienate people. And, this is troublesome to me, but he opposed basic income on the grounds of "dignity of work". I'm sorry, but I don't buy into that dignity of work crap, work is a necessary evil to make things we need, it shouldn't represent what life is supposed to be. As such I'm not really big in Biden as a candidate and may consider a green vote again if he is the nominee.
Kamala Harris - She's a favorite of the neoliberal wing. She's a minority woman and they won't want you to forget it (you know how the neoliberal wing is big on symbolic victories). On policy she's mixed. She has some decent ideas, is socially liberal, even supports medicare for all, but honestly, she is a character of much contention among the left. It seems like despite being progressive on paper she has little follow through, and as such may try to woo progressives with promises she does not intend on keeping. I MIGHT support her if she makes a strong enough case for herself, but I'm kind of iffy at this time. Many people compare her to Obama, very inspirational and sounds good, but is kind of a loser in practice.
Cory Booker - More neoliberal than Kamala Harris, with none of the progressive pretense. Seems to be a big representative of the pharmaceutical industry, which is big in his home state of new jersey, which makes him not really a prime candidate for "medicare for all." I don't like the guy. Running him is a good way to get me to protest vote again.
Tammy Duckworth - Tammy Duckworth is a woman with a story. She fought in Iraq, she lost her leg, and she sacrificed for her country. She refers to draft dodger Trump as "cadet bone spurs" and this kind of thing will go over very well for much of the public. She does some good things on policy like wanting to audit the Pentagon and supporting stricter gun control, but she's kind of an unknown on economics, and as you guys know, that's kind of my number one thing here. That said I see her as a bit of an unknown. The neoliberal establishment is pushing her but I'm a bit of a skeptic as to her being a good candidate here.
There are probably others I did not mention, but these are the names I currently see showing up in discussions online. Some of these candidates I could get behind. Bernie Sanders is obviously the best but his advanced age is a weakness at this point. Warren is also solid but tends to sometimes fail progressive "purity tests." I would still vote for her though. Andrew Yang is interesting but he kinda needs some experience with policy before I feel comfortable with him. I'd support him but kind of in the way I supported Stein...voting purely on ideas and ideology rather than actual pragmatic concerns. Joe Biden is a strong candidate, but he's a bit of a centrist and I would not be inclined to vote for her. Harris talks a big game, but has little follow through making her an untrustworthy alternative for progressives. Cory Booker is a straight up neoliberal I would not support. Finally, Tammy Duckworth is an interesting person but seems to say little on economics and this would not be a preferred choice. Stacking these guys up against Clinton, I would say most of them are an improvement. I'd be kind of leery of the more centrist/neoliberal of the group like Booker and Biden, and would likely consider another third party vote if they ran, but I see some names I could support. Of course, a lot could change in a few years. Especially if the dems pull dirty tricks again. For reference at this point in 2014 I would've actually been open to Clinton, even if Sanders and Warren were already my #1 and 2 choices. That changed primarily because of Clinton's campaign and the democratic ground game. It all depends how things go.
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