Top Twenty of 2020 Democratic Primary

The road to the White House runs straight through Georgia. The chair of the Georgia Democratic Party, Senator Nikema Williams has a new mantra.  She is right. Tonight, begins a two night debate with the top twenty Democratic 2020 candidates.  Partly thanks to the national groundwork laid by Stacey Abrams’s gubernatorial campaign and her potential entry into the National contest, Georgia will remain on everyone’s mind this election season. 

However, Georgia progressives be prepared.  Our primaries have been particularly tame and limited in contestants.  This overfull roster of progressive and not-so-progressive candidates could be a recipe for the worst infighting of our generation. Let us not lose votes by mishandling this process.  I still have faith we can do it right!

If we want to win in 2020 we need to use the circumstances we find ourselves in as a benefit.  Let’s get excited about the 2020 – 20!  If there are 20 plus candidates in the race, they each bring a different base voter to the democratic fold.  It is the diversity of the Democratic Party that makes the Grand Old Party look and feel un-American.  We can embrace that diversity while not allowing it to divide us if each candidate is responsible. 

Each of the debate’s 2020-20 have a specific set of responsibilities this election cycle.  First, focus on their base by speaking unapologetically to their base’s issues.  By narrowing in on specific issues rather than middle of the ground rhetoric, the candidates will make their base feel supported.  A narrow focus on specific issues will also help educate and remind Americans that there are other points of view to consider.  With 20 candidates, every American should feel like someone in the Democratic Party hears them.

The most important of the two responsibilities, is each candidate’s duty to bring their base to the fold to vote for the ultimate nominee WITH ENTHUSIASM.  To do that, each of the 2020-20 must include in their standard message a guaranteed pledge of support. 

Second and the most important of the two responsibilities, is each candidate’s duty to bring their base to the fold to vote for the ultimate nominee WITH ENTHUSIASM.  To do that, each of the 2020-20 must include in their standard message a guaranteed pledge of support.  Honest and thorough debate is highly encouraged.  However, candidates should not focus on the rightness or wrongness of other candidates’ positions.  Rather, the 2020-20 should focus solely on how each topic, policy, and position effects their base specifically and what their plans are to address any issues. 

It is okay that the democratic candidates represent a wide spectrum of thoughts and policies.  That does not make any candidate good or evil.  It is simply a spectrum of ideas.  Let us embrace the wide spectrum of identity politics that makes us a diverse party.  Diversity is good as long as we ultimately come together for the greater good.  We do not have time this election to exclude any group as it is hypocritical and counter-productive to the very core of progress. (See my thoughts on the white man caucus in the party).

Spoiler alert, there is a 1 in 20 something chance your guy or gal and their priorities will not win. Start working on getting over it now.  If we unnecessarily beat up the other democratic candidates during the primary, we essentially do Trump’s job for him.  We can’t afford to turn off undecided voters to our candidates and our policies. Focus on the base but don’t forget the middle.  

Spoiler alert, there is a 1 in 20 something chance your guy or gal, and their priorities, will not win. Start working on getting over it now.

This election is as much about beating Trump as it is setting the “we go high” bar for the entire Country.  We do that by keeping the focus on policy and not personal attacks. Educate voters by first pointing to the policy and then pointing to a SOLUTION.  Candidates who do not have clear solutions should just keep scrolling. 

A year-long policy based 2020-20 debate will be the foundation for what the current Democratic Party stands for. To beat Trump, we must stand for something more than anti-trump.  Let us not forget, the likely no-contest Republican primary leaves lots of spare time for the GOP to help muddy the blue waters of the Democratic Primary one tweet at a time.

I propose … one year out from the 2020 election we have a unity rally all around the country. November 2019 every democratic candidate brings their base to a week of celebration. In this unprecedented event, the candidates don’t talk about themselves.  Together they should jointly talk about why the Democratic Party is the only party open to a diverse array of ideas and policies. Candidates and potential voters can party, protest, and/or pray during this week.  But they will not campaign against each other, they will only campaign FOR America.  (Invite Beyonce to ensure maximum participation.)