The 2020 campaign doesn’t get started until about April 2020, an eternity away in politics. So much can – and since it’s 2019 now – will happen, that predicting now who the candidates might be seems pointless. Instead, Democrats and the left should focus on toppling Trump. There is no chance of a progressive agenda happening while Trump is in power. However, if he is forced from office or impeached, then the Republican Party falls with him. That means Democrats could easily take back the Senate as well as the presidency.
Republicans will defend 22 Senate seats in 2020, Democrats only 12. If Trump goes down in flames, so will the Republican Senate. IMO, Trump / Russia corruption is so pervasive that numerous Republican politicians will be more concerned about staying out of prison than staying in office. The NRA has already suffered severe collateral damage from all this, thanks to Maria Butina being arrested. Fundraising is way down at the NRA. And there will be many more arrests.
A 2020 campaign that is preceded by numerous Republican politicians and Trump cohorts doing perp walks will be very different from a camapign where Trump is the Republican candidate. There are already at least 17 investigations against Trump. Democrats take back the House today and presumably will wallpaper D.C. with subpoenas and launch more investigations. Imagine that. There will be actual oversight, and no more compromised craven poodles in the House.
There’s no way Trump survives this. Yes, he will scream and foul the floor. But he will fall. Then Democrats can think about who the presidential candidate should be.
2020 Democratic candidates
Biden, Warren, Beto, Bernie are the big names. However, there will almost certainly be sleeper candidates who pop out of nowhere, like Washington Governor Jay Inslee. He says he’s running, and climate change will be his first priority. Maybe he’s really running for head of EPA. Works for me!
Adam Schiff will head the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. He is relentless in opposing Trump and on the Russia investigation. He’s about to become really well-known. Will he run for president? Who knows? However, he’d make a great Attorney General.
There will be much jockeying for position after Trump falls. But first, let’s make sure Trump falls.