One reason for the gigantic Democratic field for 2020 is there’s no roadblock in the form of an incumbent from their party, nor an inevitable, unbeatable frontrunner for the nomination — unless you count Bernie or Biden.
Obviously, plenty of contenders don’t. So, there are aspirants from populous blue states like California and New York, contested swing states like Ohio and Minnesota, red states like Texas and Indiana, and a purpling state like Colorado.
The wannabes also offer a demographic portrait of America, unlike the pallid, superannuated, male whiteness of the Republicans. There are African Americans, a Hispanic, men and women, gay and straight, young and old, crazily left and moderately left, a small-town mayor, a craft brewer, a self-help author, members of House and Senate, and former governors.
Another reason for the crowd scene is the fatally flawed Trump. It is assumed that over half of the electorate will happily vote for anyone but him since over half unhappily voted for Hillary despite her voluminous baggage. That’s one reason many candidates who never before dreamed they had a chance now believe they are presidential timber.
Trump ran and almost won the popular vote despite being manifestly unfit for the job by education, experience, temperament, and moral turpitude. If this ill-disciplined, amateurish, creep could win, why not me, seems like an inescapable conclusion for any ambitious professional politician to leap to.
There’s also the fact that Trump created a new model for candidates by running on the cheap. Yes, he raised a few millions or billions from fat cats like Sheldon Adelson in exchange for moving the American embassy to Jerusalem or handing out gigantic tax breaks, but he also exploited free media by turning a presidential campaign into a daily game show.
Of course, his opponents may not be willing to stoop to cultivating voter outrage and attracting cameras by means of non-stop craziness, fraud, bluster and slander. And none are likely to have a cable news network dedicated solely to echoing and amplifying their myths.
Still, there’s a lot of upside for those running against Trump. No matter what they say, it won’t be as likely to fail a fact-checking test as his every syllable. Worries about old age go away if you are running against the oldest man ever elected and can appear to be less a victim of senile dementia than the incumbent.
Even more interesting, though so far unremarked, is the likelihood that any objection to a woman candidate for president should vanish as well. True, he beat Hillary, but she failed to exploit the obvious contrast with Trump. No, not experience. Temperament.
Woman have constantly been quietly dismissed as being unfit for high office, as for combat, because they are not steely-eyed, stoic, tough, dispassionate, and cool under fire like the imaginary elite warrior of the campaign trail.
By contrast, the little ladies are tarred with the sexist stereotype of being too emotional, sensitive, frail, flighty, timid for the rough and tumble of politics. Worst of all, for a part of every month they are likely to go cuckoo.
Well, good news for Amy, Elizabeth, Kirsten, Kamala, Tulsi, and Marianne, Trump has eliminated the hormonal argument forever. The evidence on daily display suggests he’s been having a deranging period for the last forty or fifty years. No harridan or harpy of myth has ever been as volatile, angry, temperamental, moody, emotional and irrational as Trump.
If the female candidates aren’t getting ready to run scary TV ads to pound home the point, their media advisors are guilty of malpractice. They write themselves. Cue the scary music and black and white slo-mo of Trump waving his arms, lurching from side to side, ranting, scowling, with extreme close-up of his fleshy, sweaty, eye-rolling, shouting, terrifying face. The calming voice-over is like a lullaby or bedtime story from mom.
“Is your president suffering from strange mood swings, uncontrolled outbursts, dark moods, cruel words to loved ones, alternating moments of despair and blame., doubt and boastfulness, threats and wheedling? Are you worried he can’t be trusted with the lives of small children, senior citizens, nuclear weapons, the economy, the fate of the planet?
“He can’t help it, he’s a man, a pale forked animal at the mercy of his hormones. Isn’t it time to let a tough but nurturing, reliable, rational woman take charge? They took care of you all your life. They are doctors. lawyers, judges, prosecutors, teachers, CEOs, warriors, sisters, mothers, matriarchs and widows who manage the money they inherit when their frail, short-lived husbands die.
For a safer, happier, healthier, saner America, all we are saying is give estrogen a chance.”