BY SEAN BUFF | STAFF WRITER
It’s that time again, the fight that occurs every four years. That fight being for the highest office in the United States, the Office of the Presidency. Forty-five men have held this position as the result of ninety separate presidential elections. At this time, the American people must ask themselves, “Should we keep our current president, or is it time to elect a new one?” As of right now, President Donald Trump is campaigning to keep his position in the highest office of the United States. According to ballotpedia.org, President Trump is the only Republican at this time who has filed to run for re-election.
On the other side of the political spectrum, Democrats are gearing up for war. One of the goals of the Democratic Party is to regain the Executive Branch in 2020. So far, multiple well-known Democratic politicians have filed for election to run for President, according to ballotpedia.org. The Democratic primaries coming up will closely resemble the Republican primaries in 2016. Many Democratic Senators have decided to run for President, including Senator Cory Booker from New Jersey, Senator Kamala Harris from California, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand from New York, and Senator Elizabeth Warren from Massachusetts. Also, on the Democratic ticket are various congressional, state, and local representatives. On the independent side, former CEO of Starbucks, Howard Schultz, has filed with the Federal Elections Commission to run for president. In a speech, he claimed to be running as an independent centrist, according to Fox News.
There happens to be many Democrats who are rumored to make a presidential run but have not declared so yet. Former Presidential Candidate, Hillary Clinton, has tossed the idea of running for President a third time but has not made it official. Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders and Former Vice President Joe Biden are seen by many Democrats across the country as potential candidates, but neither has commented whether or not they will run for president. Former Texas Congressman and Candidate for U.S. Senate, Beto O’Rourke, is another person Democrats across the country see as a possible presidential candidate. However, he has not mentioned anything hinting at him running.
In regard to party platform, the Democrats are advocates for Medicare-For-All, Immigration, and defeating President Trump, according to the New York Times. There is the question of which candidates would shift to the left of the political spectrum and which ones would try to be more moderate to appeal to a larger voter base. According to the New York Times, the answer to this question depends on what each candidate believes is the best approach to defeating President Trump and at the same time, reaching a larger voter base.
The New York Times states, that another factor to consider in the 2020 Presidential Election is the energizing of voters on the left during the 2018 midterm elections. The takeaway from the 2018 midterm elections is that many Americans who voted embrace leftist ideas such as, Medicare-For-All, are unsatisfied with President Trump since Republicans lost the House of Representatives. However, Republicans were able to keep the Senate. Many Americans wonder if this is a sign that they are unhappy with President Trump. It is uncertain that this is true, since the political party that holds the Executive Branch loses congressional seats and/or chambers of Congress.
Another question that comes up is: Will that energizing feeling that voters on the left had carry on in 2020? This is also uncertain but, recent events such as, the partial government shutdown could change this uncertainty. Events that have yet to happen could alter this as well. Even though incumbents have a great chance of keeping their political power, the 2020 election results are still uncertain at this time, given the current political climate in the United States.
The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors. They do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of Liberty Den University or its members.