HOW TO THINK ABOUT IT
To B or not to B. The three most-discussed candidates who are not yet running? Biden, Beto and Bloomberg — any of whom could instantly shake up the race. Former Vice President Joe Biden (pictured below) leads in all the polls — he has the name recognition and a store of goodwill from the Obama years, but he’d be 78 by Inauguration Day (older than Trump) and has some baggage from his years in the Senate such as his handling of Anita Hill’s allegations against Justice Clarence Thomas. Beto O’Rourke, a former Texas congressman who recently lost his Senate race to incumbent Ted Cruz, has drawn Obama comparisons — including after rallying thousands of supporters in El Paso last week to counter Trump’s appearance there. Meanwhile, former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg could run as a far richer billionaire than Trump, but his Republican past may turn off fired-up progressive voters.
Pick a lane. Sanders’ entry into the race is huge given his near-upset of Clinton in 2016 and his enduring fan base, 225,000 of whom pitched in a staggering $6 million within the first 24 hours of his new candidacy. The Democratic Socialist is seizing the left lane again — but it's a lot more crowded than it was four years ago. Most of the top candidates have adopted his policies like Medicare for all, and the Green New Deal that many now support is far more radical than anything Sanders proposed in 2016. His entry most hurts Warren, another liberal lion with a long track record. Meanwhile, Klobuchar is winning a lot of attention right now for fighting for the moderate lane. In her CNN town hall on Monday, she rejected the notion of free four-year college, for example, trying to set herself up as the "eat your vegetables" realist in the field who can win rural areas that went for Trump. Her lane will have a lot more competition soon depending on who else throws a hat into the ring. Keep an eye on current and former governors — no one with gubernatorial experience has entered the fray yet — like John Hickenlooper (Colorado), Steve Bullock (Montana) and Terry McAuliffe (Virginia).
You’ve come a long way. Women have run for president before and come very, very close to the White House, but we've never had so many — and Warren, Klobuchar, Gillibrand, Gabbard and Harris all bring vastly different strengths and a range of positions to the presidential field. That’ll mean talking points often branded as women’s issues may take center stage instead of being delegated to a single candidate.
Lurking between the reeds. Some candidates have gotten more press than others, but with 56 percent of Democrats saying they haven’t made their minds up, some lesser-known contenders may have time to step into the spotlight before the first debate. That’s good news for candidate Andrew Yang, a former tech executive and entrepreneur who’s running on a platform centered on universal basic income, and for South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg, who would be the youngest president ever and the first openly gay one. Also keep an eye out for Marianne Williamson, who ran an unsuccessful 2014 bid for Congress and is the spiritual guide to none other than Oprah Winfrey (who’s ruled out running herself).
Watch on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on YouTube:
