Beto O'Rourke: O'Rourke is 46 (9/26/72). He was a three-term congressman from Texas; in November 2018 he lost his campaign to replace Texas Senator Ted Cruz.
O'Rourke is a centrist Democrat better known for his fundraising and public speaking talents than for his legislative accomplishments. If any Democratic candidate can be labelled "charismatic," it's probably Beto. Key question: Can Beto O'Rourke convince national Dems that he's a serious candidate?
Bernie Sanders: Sanders is 77 (9/8/41). He's the junior Senator from Vermont (2007) and the longest serving Independent in Congressional history -- he became Vermont's representative-at-large in 1991.
In 2016, Sanders opposed Hillary Clinton in the Democratic presidential contest and narrowly lost (winning 46 percent of pledged delegates). Sanders believes U.S. Democracy is broken and needs radical change: "I don't believe that the men and women who defended American democracy fought to create a situation where billionaires own the political process" Key question: Can Bernie Sanders rekindle the enthusiasm he generated in 2016?
Elizabeth Warren: Elizabeth Warren is 69 (6/6/49). She's the senior Senator from Massachusetts (2013). Before entering politics, Warren was a professor at Harvard Law School (specializing in bankruptcy and consumer protection).
Warren believes "the system is rigged" against the 99 percent: "[Washington politicians] work for the rich and the powerful and not the rest of us. It's throughout the system... It is corruption and it is eating away at our democracy and every fiber of our lives." Key question: Can Elizabeth Warren resonate with voters outside the liberal coasts?
There are several ways to parse these ten candidates: Joe Biden, Bernie Sanders, and Elizabeth Warren are the best known. Beto O'Rourke is the most charismatic but Cory Booker and Kamala Harris have "star power;" all three are gifted orators.
Ultimately, the Democratic contest may come down to which candidate has the best message. At the moment, Sherrod Brown has focussed on the "dignity of work," quoting Martin Luther King Junior: "We are all created equal, and all workers deserve to share in the great wealth and prosperity they create for this country." (Message number two would be "the system is broken" shared by Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren.)
Another way to view the contest is to ask: Which Democratic candidate has the best chance to heal the country? Who could repair the damage that Trump has done? From this perspective, Amy Klobuchar might be the best candidate because of her record working across party lines.
It will be an interesting contest. The Democrats are blessed with several very strong candidates.
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