Burke: A look at the Democratic horses approaching the gate
Published 1:30 am Monday, April 8, 2019
By Tom Burke
Herald columnist
Currently thirteen Democrats and one independent have announced their candidacies for president. Also, there’s a small herd of hopefuls apparently running but not announced; and the herd could swell to a sizable flock, or not. (I’d like to yell “Freeze” — like that old kids’ game —just to get ‘em to stop milling about so we can get an accurate count.)
But despite the crowd’s size it appears there are only a few real candidates; then there’s some auditioning for VP; some living/visiting Washington or Colorado (states where certain smokable/edible herbs are legal); and some in it for vanity or whatever.
So here’s my quick preview of who’s where:
Those with a real chance: Sens. Elizabeth Warren, Kamala Harris and Amy Klobuchar;
Those who could win a primary but have no real chance in the general: Sens. Kristen Gillibrand, Bernie Sanders, Cory Booker; and former Gov. John Hickenlooper;
Those looking for a VP offer: former HUD Secretary Julian Castro, Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, and Gov. Jay Inslee;
And those with the same chance as a cellophane cat being chased by an asbestos dog; in hell: Howard Schultz, JohnDelaney, Marriane Williamson, Steve Bullock, Michael Bennet and Andrew Yang.
Then there are four wild cards winning media attention, raising serious money, and talking presidential: former Rep. Robert Francis “Beto” O’Rourke, Mayor Pete Buttigieg, former Georgia Rep. Stacy Abrams, and former VP Joe Biden.
Let’s deal the wild cards first:
O’Rourke: (Beto? Cute nickname, wonder if he focus-grouped it?) A media darling, lost in Texas, mega fundraiser, telegenic JFK wanna-be. One term in the House. So far all show and no go. Doesn’t talk specifics, just how he “feels.” Watch to see if the real pros outclass him. It takes more than hopping on tables to win. Millennials embrace him. But millennials don’t vote.
Buttigieg: “Mayor Pete.” South Bend, Indiana, economic miracle-maker. Afghanistan war vet, Harvard, Rhodes scholar, polished speaker with facts. Someone who’d have Trump for lunch in a debate. Oh yeah, he’s gay, which won’t help him with Christian evangelicals, but they weren’t voting Dem anyway. Everyone knows God wants Trump for president.
Biden: No. 1 on everyone’s hit parade, if he runs. Says he’s the most qualified and is. If he runs. If he isn’t too old. If he isn’t too white. If he isn’t too old school. If he didn’t hug girls.
Abrams: Impressive show in the Georgia governor’s race. Equally impressive State of the Union rebuttal. Inspirational back story, legislative pro, all business, has infrastructure. Could she be a VP candidate? You bet, big time. Will she run? She ain’t say’n.
Now, those “for real:”
Warren: “Pocahontas” is so yesterday; she’s a capitalist not a socialist; has solid policy and a real backstory; actual successes including a doctorate-level law degree, tenured at Harvard, U.S. Senate, and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. She’s got the facts down cold; is no shrinking violet behind a mic; and has a way to provide free childcare and salary bumps for teachers, financed by a 2 percent tax on those worth more than $50 million (who can, honestly, afford it). Makes some of the others look like dilettantes.
Harris: Another all-American-inspiring backstory; successes as California AG and U.S. senator; serious policy stands; and tough as nails (ask Brett Cavanaugh). Would outclass Trump on a debate stage.
Klobuchar: Mid-West “nice” with an iron fist? Another smart, successful woman; real policy proposals (Medicare and college tuition); not a pie-in-the-sky progressive/socialist and actually got bunches of bills passed in the Senate. An across-the-aisle doer.
The Dems-who-could-win-a-primary (Gillibrand, Hickenlooper, Bernie, Booker) have adherents, but probably not enough national support. They sound great, make dream-like Progressive policy proposals, but could they carry a purple state?
The VP wanna-bees — Castro, Gabbard, and Inslee — are good for bringing what’s “missing” to a slate: geography, gender, or race, so they’ll keep auditioning as will the primary losers.
All the others will be entertaining and tout policies, but may not meet the threshold to be in the debates. If no debate: game over.
Clearly, it’s way too early to start handicapping the race. But I was getting so depressed writing about Trump’s fails, I needed respite.
So writing about our new leaders gives me hope.
And, to our favorite trolls in the comments section, no “what-about-ism,” please refrain from touting Trump’s successes [yeah, sure, right, you bet, he’s already building his wall!] and his 2020 chances for somewhere else and ‘until after the Mueller report is released in full. That, gentle reader, is gonna be a game changer. All 400-plus pages of it. Plus appendices. One way or another.
‘Cause if it’s a nothingburger, Trump will declare “victory,” until he gets hammered by SDNY, New York state and the House. If it’s what we fear (I really don’t want another crook as my president, a habitual liar is enough) maybe God was wrong and it’s Mike Pence he wanted as Pres. Sure wish God would make up his mind and give us a sign.
Tom Burke’s email address is t.burke.column@gmail.com.
