As we draw closer to the primary elections in February, the Democrats’ window of opportunity to find a single candidate to unite the party is getting slimmer, along with their chances of defeating Trump for the presidency. At this moment, the Democratic Party’s single biggest threat is their inability to consolidate their choices to oppose Donald Trump in the 2020 elections.
The Democrats have created a group which is far too distributed. Much the way democrats split over Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders, a similar circumstance will arise concerning the 2020 election. If Joe Biden wins the primary election, he may survive a competition from Trump. But, he would definitely not survive an election where his votes are split with Sanders.
The constant changes in polls alone show just how distributed the votes are. Biden, who was initially the clear front runner, has been consistently fallen back in the polls. Since then, Elizabeth Warren and Sanders have been close behind and quickly closing the gap.
During the Democratic debates, it is heard from every single candidate that the biggest concern should be defeating Trump for the presidency. However, before the idea of defeating Trump can even be considered, it is imperative that the Democrats find a single candidate to make a run for the presidency. Candidates should be focused on the short-term issue, uniting the party, which must be done within the next few months, rather than presidential elections, which remain a year away.
The 2016 election serves as a prime example of how important it is for the Democrats to consolidate the race. In 2016, with the only major frontrunners being Sanders and Clinton, it still was not enough to defeat Trump in the presidential race.
So, with five candidates close in the primaries and others considering throwing their hats in the ring, how can the Democrats possibly expect to defeat Trump in 2020?
The issue of unseating Trump, at least at this time, has very little to do with the details of the candidates’ policies, and far more to do with embodying the broader values and concerns of democrats in the US. At this time, the Democrats are about to head down a road all too familiar, only see the same results.
Considering the fact that the primaries will take place in February, the opportunity to consolidate the party under one candidate is quickly coming to an end. With less than four months left until the elections, it very well may already be too late. Uniting the party under one candidate will require a massive change in mindset – a change in mindset that has taken far longer than four months in the past.
However, the one key factor that could keep the Democrats in the race could be the impeachment hearings. If the hearings go in the Democrats’ favor, and Trump loses the conservative voters outside of his ever-loyal base, there is still a chance to defeat him. However, it will take a tremendous amount of effort and finances to succeed.
The race for the presidency is already off to a poor start for the Democrats. If they remain divided and indecisive on a candidate, their efforts to unseat Trump may be in vain.
By Luke Gobel, Staff Writer
gobellz17@bonaventure.edu
