Democratic Party Presidential Candidates for 2020

[Cristalle]

The running list:

Declared:
Andrew Yang, Author and Entrepreneur
Julian Castro, former Obama HUD director
Elizabeth Warren, MA Senator
Tulsi Gabbard, HI Representative
Kamala Harris, CA Senator
John Delaney, MD Rep
Pete Buttigieg, South Bend, IN Mayor
Marianne Williamson, Author & Spiritual Adviser
Cory Booker, NJ Senator
Amy Klobuchar, MN Senator
Bernie Sanders, VT Senator
Beto O'Rourke, Former TX Rep from El Paso
Wayne Messam, Miramar, FL Mayor
Joe Biden, Obama VP
Michael Bennet, CO Senator
Steve Bullock, MT Governor
Tom Steyer, Billionaire businessman
Michael Bloomberg, Former NYC mayor & Billionaire businessman
Deval Patrick, former MA Governor

Not yet declared but reportedly interested:
Terry McAuliffe, Former VA Governor
Joseph Sanberg, Aspiration Financial founder


Confirmed not running:
Richard Ojeda, WV State Senator
Eric Garcetti, Los Angeles, CA Mayor
Eric Holder, Obama AG
Sherrod Brown, OH Senator
Eric Swalwell, CA Representative
Mike Gravel, Former AK Senator
John Hickenlooper, Former CO Governor
Jay Inslee, WA Governor
Seth Moulton, MA Representative
Kirsten Gillibrand, NY Senator
Bill de Blasio, NYC Mayor
Tim Ryan, OH Representative

This is just a centralized thread so we can keep track of who is in and out.

 

[Beebo Brink]

This is an embarrassment of riches! I would enthusiastically vote for several of these candidates in the general election. But damn, the primary is going to be brutal. How to choose....

 

[GoblinCampFollower]

I will definitely vote for whoever wins the nomination. I mostly just hope that a winner is chosen smoothly, which is probably wishful thinking.

 

[Katheryne Helendale]

Pretty much guaranteed to announce:
Bernie Sanders, VT Senator

Dear God, please no. I'm still thoroughly convinced it was the Bernie-or-Busters that cost the DNC the 2016 Presidential election.

 

[Essence Lumin]

Tulsi Gabbard - she is an interesting person. Not entirely sure about her though.

 

[Katheryne Helendale]

Tulsi Gabbard - she is an interesting person. Not entirely sure about her though.

I've heard good things about her. Will have to do some digging into her record, though.

 

[Cristalle]

If you have the time to watch, these videos are great to learn about Tulsi and her point of view:

 

[Cristalle]

Dear God, please no. I'm still thoroughly convinced it was the Bernie-or-Busters that cost the DNC the 2016 Presidential election.

The mainstream media did more to hurt Hillary Clinton than anyone else. They slathered Donald Trump with free airtime, and pretty much only gave her negative coverage. And she hurt herself in a number of ways that I'm not going to rehash.

Don't blame Bernie supporters, they turned out more than the PUMAs did in 2008.

 

[Brian]

Tulsi Gabbard has a history that looks like she supports whatever seems to be popular opinions for the moment.
You'll have a hard time convincing LGBT communities that her support for civil rights is sincere rather than looking to match what she thinks is popular opinion. Proudly voting for Jill Stein while serving as a Democrat is not someone who will have people flocking behind her. That alone kills it. She will be a lightning rod for party division because she painted that target on herself.

 

[Cristalle]

Tulsi Gabbard has a history that looks like she supports whatever seems to be popular opinions for the moment.
You'll have a hard time convincing LGBT communities that her support for civil rights is sincere rather than looking to match what she thinks is popular opinion. Proudly voting for Jill Stein while serving as a Democrat is not someone who will have people flocking behind her. That alone kills it. She will be a lightning rod for party division because she painted that target on herself.

Citation that she voted for Stein. The guy interviewing her voted for Stein, but she reportedly voted for Hillary Clinton. As for the LGBT issues: her record - authoring and cosponsoring bills benefiting the LGBT community should speak for itself, but I already know that there are diehards that don't give a damn about those facts. It's easier to hate and smear.

 

[Brian]

Citation that she voted for Stein. The guy interviewing her voted for Stein, but she reportedly voted for Hillary Clinton. As for the LGBT issues: her record - authoring and cosponsoring bills benefiting the LGBT community should speak for itself, but I already know that there are diehards that don't give a damn about those facts. It's easier to hate and smear.

You are most likely correct. I went by a memory of hearsay on who she voted for.
As for her LGBT issues, her past statements were harsh. You can search for history yourself, but even wiki lists this one -

"To try to act as if there is a difference between 'civil unions' and same-sex marriage is dishonest, cowardly and extremely disrespectful to the people of Hawaii who have already made overwhelmingly clear our position on this issue... As Democrats we should be representing the views of the people, not a small number of homosexual extremists."

I'm not going to guess exactly where her head is but I have seen enough resentment among activists to know it would be a rough ride.

 

[Cristalle]

You are most likely correct. I went by a memory of hearsay on who she voted for.
As for her LGBT issues, her past statements were harsh. You can search for history yourself, but even wiki lists this one -

I'm not going to guess exactly where her head is but I have seen enough resentment among activists to know it would be a rough ride.

I saw it and it was harsh, but I also saw how she turned completely around on the issue. Her legislative track record is solid.

 

[Han Held]

Bernie needs to be involved and still has a very positive part to play.

But not as president, not this time around.

 

[GoblinCampFollower]

Don't blame Bernie supporters, they turned out more than the PUMAs did in 2008.

I think this fact alone refutes most of the mud the Clinton Campaign threw at Bernie and his supporters. No need to expand upon it further.

Bernie needs to be involved and still has a very positive part to play.

But not as president, not this time around.

I really would love for him to campaign a lot, just not as a candidate. He's surprisingly respected among moderates despite being a socialist...

 

[Brian]

Don't blame Bernie supporters, they turned out more than the PUMAs did in 2008.

She didn't blame Bernie supporters for anything. She commented about the Bernie or Bust crowd. Anyone that didn't support the nominee in either election can own their actions. There is no one or the other contest.

I think this fact alone refutes most of the mud the Clinton Campaign threw at Bernie and his supporters. No need to expand upon it further.

If that need isn't there, you probably shouldn't have wrote it. I'm sure the Clinton Campaign regrets painting him as some untrustworthy war hawk of a corrupt establishment.

 

[Katheryne Helendale]

Former HUD Secretary Julian Castro just threw his hat into the DNC Presidential Nomination ring:

Former HUD secretary Julián Castro joins 2020 Democratic presidential field | Washington Post

Wouldn't it be poetic justice if, given Trump's campaign against Hispanics, if a Latino became our next President? The heads of all these Build The Wall types would freaking explode!

 

[danielravennest]

This is an embarrassment of riches! I would enthusiastically vote for several of these candidates in the general election. But damn, the primary is going to be brutal. How to choose....

The ranks will be thinned as some of them fail to gather endorsements and campaign funds, and as reporters look into their backgrounds and find skeletons.

 

[Essence Lumin]

The ranks will be thinned as some of them fail to gather endorsements and campaign funds, and as reporters look into their backgrounds and find skeletons.

That's how it works of course. Remember the 17 (all awful) republicans running against the orange one?

 

[Cristalle]

I had forgotten Andrew Yang, author and entrepreneur, who is running on a platform including Universal Basic Income.

 

[Kara Spengler]

This is an embarrassment of riches! I would enthusiastically vote for several of these candidates in the general election. But damn, the primary is going to be brutal. How to choose....

Yes, my ideal was we would have one strong progressive option but it looks like there will be more than one. I really do not know who I would choose though. Both Bernie and Warren would likely be the top 2 vote getters out of the progressive field but we will see who enters.

Bernie did one thing last time that I liked. Much flak is given him for staying in but I see it as him letting ALL of his supporters vote for him. People were emotionally invested, they needed to be able to cast some sort of vote for him as part of the grieving process. Anyway, DC is the last primary (quite a change since I used to live in the first one, NH) so usually by the time it gets to us whoever I had supported is likely out of the game.