In a few weeks, the Democrats will start debating. It raises the same question many of us asked about the GOP in 2016: how many is too many people on the stage?
The USA Today editorial this weekend points out that Democrats may be looking to follow the plan that elected and nominated Mr. Trump:
In 2016, when Donald Trump suddenly caught fire as a Republican primary candidate and then squeaked out an Electoral College victory, it was, by some accounts, as much of a shock to the candidate as anyone else.Trump’s former personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, told Congress this year the reason the reality TV star ran for president was as a means to a very different end: “to make his brand great” and to create the “greatest infomercial in political history.”Now, though they would be loath to admit it, a bevy of Democrats are taking a page from Trump’s political playbook. About two dozen are seeking the party’s 2020 presidential nomination, making the Democratic field look like the crowd of climbers lined up to ascend Mount Everest.Undoubtedly, many of the long shots imagine that political lightning could strike twice: If Trump, who had no experience in government or the military, could get himself elected, then why can’t someone more qualified — like me?
I understand the editorial’s point, but there are a couple of differences between this crowd of 2020 and Trump 2016.
First, Trump touched real nerves in 2016, from illegal immigration to your job moving overseas. What Democrat is touching a nerve outside the very liberal base of the party? Impeachment nerve? Late term abortion nerve?
Second, this is an inexperienced field on the Democrat side. The 2016 GOP field included successful governors like Jeb Bush and Scott Walker or well spoken young conservatives like Marco Rubio or Ted Cruz.
Can the Democrats copy the Trump playbook? I don’t think so, because their playbook is not touching nerves outside those who hate Trump.
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