Posted on 05/14/2019 8:21:43 AM PDT by Kaslin
How many does this make now? Somewhere in the range of 130? It’s easy to lose track, given how many Democrats have tossed their hats in the ring, but now they have even more company. Montana Governor Steve Bullock jumped into the race today. His main claim to fame seems to be electability because he was able to win in a fairly red state as a Democrat. (NBC News)
If Democrats care as much about electability in 2020 as they tell pollsters they do, then Steve Bullock has a case to make, even with 21 other candidates in the race.
The Montana governor declared his bid for the Democratic presidential nomination in a video Tuesday, highlighting the fact that he’s the only candidate in the race to have won in a red state.
“We need to defeat Donald Trump in 2020 and defeat the corrupt system that lets campaign money drown out the people’s voice, so we can finally make good on the promise of a fair shot for everyone,” Bullock said in a statement.
Bullock has been giving signals that this was coming for some time now. Back in 2017 he set up a PAC to raise money for political activities outside of his home state and raised a couple of million dollars for his travels to early voting primary states. Two weeks ago he released a statement saying that he would make up his mind about announcing a presidential run. At this point, it sounds like he was already pretty sure he was jumping in.
Bullock faces several immediate hurdles in his effort to win the nomination. The most obvious is the fact that he waited so long to get in. A lot of the big donor money has already been sucked out of the system by the roughly two dozen other Democrats who announced before him, not to mention all of the top level experienced staffers who are no longer available to hire.
The second issue he faces is a daunting lack of name recognition. Even if you follow political news regularly, there’s a good chance you couldn’t have named the Governor of Montana unless you actually live in Montana. Now he has to find a way to boost his profile while competing with at least fifteen other hopefuls in the bottom tier. I’m sure CNN will give him a town hall and he’ll make the rounds of the usual talk shows, but unless he suddenly spikes in the polls those invitations will dry up rather quickly.
But Bullock’s biggest problem may be precisely the attribute he claims is his strong suit. He’s widely regarded as a moderate or centrist Democrat. (And let’s be honest… that’s the only way a Democrat wins in Montana.) He ticks all the right boxes for Democrats in terms of abortion, gay marriage, net neutrality, and immigration. But at the same time, he’s been a backer of coal mining, dinging him on the climate change front. He’s also not exactly a gun control nut, either. He’s got a history of working with Republicans in the state legislature to get things done, which is great for Montana, but it’s not going to impress the hard left wing of the party.
That might leave Bullock running firmly in the centrist, establishment lane of the primary race. And that puts him head-to-head with Joe Biden. Good luck with that fight, Steve.
So, how many have thrown their hat in so far? I’ve lost count.
That might leave Bullock running firmly in the centrist, establishment lane of the primary race. And that puts him head-to-head with Joe Biden. Good luck with that fight, Steve.
—
A backup in that lane in case Biden flames out?
So who are the Democrats left with if and when Biden tanks who has a prayer of not losing the general election by a landslide? The closest thing to another "centrist" in the race is Klobuchar, and she isn't getting any traction now and is unlikely to do so in the future. They need someone with a modicum of name recognition to fill this niche - though I doubt Bullock will be any more successful at it than Klobuchar.
I think they have lost count too. Anyway, here's a photo of all the announced Democrat contenders lined up waiting to see Al Sharpton.
Just entertainment until Michelle shows up.
All these mental Lilliputians running for president can’t be a coincidence. It must be part of a greater financial or political strategy.
Meet all the Democratic candidates in the crowded 2020 race
With 22 confirmed candidates, one exploratory committee, and
multiple maybes, the Democratic field for the 2020 presidential
nomination is crowded.
There is no such thing as a moderate Dem. To them, a “centrist” falls somewhere between Marx and Stalin.
If they want to lower the bar still further, there’s always Chelsea!
He is term limited out after 2020 and would like another government job. He would be a longshot to take on Steve Daines, the GOP incumbent up in 2020 for the U.S. Senate. Daines was elected with an 18% margin in 2014.
The other U.S. Senator, John Tester is not up until 2024 and it is no sure thing that he would retire to make room for his fellow rat.
So there is really no downside of Bullock jumping into the ring at this point.
The next Democrat candidate who declares will win lots of votes if he challenges the others to a Viking fight to the death. Winner gets the nomination.
I think it’s 22 now. The clowns definitely need a bus now.
Never mind the Bullocks, here’s the Sexless Pistols...
WHO?!
...
We need to defeat Donald Trump in 2020 and defeat the corrupt system that lets campaign money drown out the peoples voice, so we can finally make good on the promise of a fair shot for everyone, Bullock said in a statement.,p>How original. NOT!
There are three possibilities, which could be working in any combination.
1) They all want to practice running for President, so that they would be better at it in 2024.
2) They all want to game the Presidential candidate finance laws, using the running for the office to obtain funds which they can later use for other things.
3) Each one honestly thinks s/v/x/th/he is the True Savior of America from Trump (TSAT), sent by Allah/the Goddess/the Force to return America to Obama’s Golden Renaissance Era (OGRE).
The more the better—just confuses things.
“I think its 22 now. The clowns definitely need a bus now.”
No, they need a badly modified homemade stretch limo, all need to get in it, have it driven by a half blind semi-drunk driver who’s unfamiliar with it, and go for a ride on the Dragon here in east TN. Cheers.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.