Choice of the Heart
There are twenty-three candidates running for the Democratic Party’s Presidential nomination: twenty-three. That’s a full football team with an extra punter/kicker!!
Opportunity or Dilemma
Democrats are faced with an opportunity, and a dilemma.
The opportunity is that there is a wide variety of choices: young (37) to old (77 – Sanders even older than Biden); black, white, Asian, Pacific Islander; men and women; gay and straight; Governors, Congressmen, Senators, Entrepreneurs, and a self-help book author. Republicans may see all of them as “lefty’s,” somewhere from moderate to the “S-word” (socialists), but Democratic voters hear a great deal of differences among the proposals offered.
The dilemma: could Democrats get into the same trap that Republicans fell for in 2016. With so many candidates, will one gather a large minority vote that ends up dominating the scene. Donald Trump won 44 primaries or caucuses, but he failed to win a majority of any election count in February or March. In those first thirty-two elections, Trump only broke over 40% ten times. It wasn’t until April, when most other candidates dropped out, that Trump actually start “winning” a majority of the votes.
Trump had a solid minority (somewhere around 38%, similar to his approval ratings today) and the rest of the Republican voters split among the other eleven candidates. Could Democrats be faced with a similar dilemma, and nominate a candidate with a strong but small base (doesn’t that sound like Bernie Sanders)?
Or will Democrats follow a more traditional path, coalescing around four or five candidates who then will battle it out for the nomination?
There are candidates who are uplifting, intelligent, and exciting. But there is the ongoing question that every Democrat needs to contemplate. Whatever candidate Democrats choose, that candidate needs to defeat Donald Trump. And that puts the Party in a difficult choice, the choice between the head and the heart.
The Progressives
Pete Buttigieg did a town hall meeting hosted by MSNBC’s Chris Matthews Monday night. Of course, a town hall audience is a friendly one, but in this fragmented Democratic environment, tough questions are asked by the spectators, and even by the host. Buttigieg handled each question, and questioner, with grace and intelligence. He didn’t avoid any, and didn’t “spin” the answers to another subject either. He put forth his plans, clearly and eloquently. He is a strong, passionate, progressive Democrat.
“Mayor Pete” is the leader of South Bend, Indiana, a middle sized town best known as the home of the University of Notre Dame. He is young, only thirty-seven, and he is veteran, having served in Afghanistan. His academic background: Harvard and Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar, is impeccable. He is also gay, married to his husband Chasten.
I have also heard town halls with Kamela Harris, Cory Booker, Elizabeth Warren, and Kristen Gillibrand. All of them have tremendous minds, terrific ideas, and articulate their views clearly. They are all from the more Progressive (that’s MY END) part of the Party. All of them and Pete, seem to be prepared to be President; all of them seems ready to lead. And any of them would be better than Donald Trump.
The Moderates
I’ve also heard Senator Michael Bennett interviewed multiple times, and Governor’s Inslee of Washington and Hickenlooper of Colorado. Bennett and Hickenlooper are from the more moderate part of the Party, both emphasizing the need to work to reunite the nation. Inslee has staked his candidacy on environmental concerns, but hasn’t moved from that niche to a more general candidacy. If the Democratic goal is to reach towards the more moderate Republican voters repelled by Trump, these guys would serve that role well. And any of them would be better than Trump.
The “B’s”
I haven’t mentioned the three “B’s;” Bernie, Beto and Biden.
Bernie Sanders is not my candidate. I have two main complaints with the Independent Senator from Vermont. First; while his goals are appealing, I constantly feel that Bernie promises “the moon,” without dealing with the practicalities of how to get it done. I know that politicians do that, but Bernie seems worse than most. His answer for achieving his plans: we need a “revolution” to replace the Congress. It’s quite an idea, but seems “pie in the sky” to me.
My second contention with Bernie is his determination to remain outside the Party, except to use the Party machinery to gain a Presidential nomination. It wouldn’t alter my view, but I would be a lot more comfortable if Senator Sanders was the Democrat from Vermont.
Beto O’Rourke is young and dynamic. My problem with Beto is that he speaks oratorically, and often doesn’t answer the questions that are asked. Beto always gets back to his campaign “line,” and it seems that he doesn’t have clearly articulated plans. From what I’ve seen so far, Beto O’Rourke is not my candidate either.
But either one of them, would be better than Trump.
And then there is the former Vice President, Joe Biden. Biden is a traditional Democratic moderate, and brings a world of experience in government to his campaign. He has the advantage of eight years with President Obama, in what was clearly a strong administrative role (not a “Dan Quayle” Vice Presidency.) Biden appeals to the middle, and, at least today, looks to be the best bet to defeat Donald Trump.
And of course, he would be better than Trump.
The Choice
So there is the dilemma. Should Democrats go “with their heads;” and chose a more moderate candidate who can appeal to the middle Republican voter, the suburban “soccer mom” repelled by Trump’s personality and the Republican vendetta against women’s rights. Biden is the prime example, though Bennett, Hickenlooper, and maybe O’Rourke fit this “safe” model to win the election.
Or do Democrats go “with their hearts;” and choose a nominee that represents the heart of the Party, the progressive (liberal) values that the younger, more active center of the Party believes. Warren, Harris, and Buttigieg seem to be leading in that category. That election model will require the Party to reach out to the young progressives to show up on election day, and won’t depend as much on the disenchanted Republican vote.
My heart: a young progressive from Indiana who could lift the country, bringing it back to the dignity of the Obama years, and heal the wounds left by Trump.
My head: if you’re going to the middle, than the middle is Biden. Please Joe, it’s a “big f**kin deal,” don’t screw it up.
