The 2020 Presidential race

More than twice as many college students voted in 2018 as in 2014 and there are almost twice as many Democrats as Republicans among them. Republicans are now doing everything they can to make it harder for college students to vote. Yes, Republicans are seeking to rig the next Presidential election. Their party is far more important to them than our democracy and the integrity of our elections.

The student vote is surging. So are efforts to suppress it.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/polit...-it/ar-AAJh789

I'd like to think at least a few of these retiring Republicans have a tiny bit of backbone and a tiny bit of a conscience and they've simply grown weary of having to spend every day trying to defend the indefensible words and actions of Donald Trump.

Greg Walden to retire in latest sign of GOP doubts about retaking House
The Oregon Congressman is the 19th House Republican to announce his retirement this cycle.

https://www.politico.com/news/2019/1...-retire-059814

Democratic voters in New Hampshire say Bernie Sanders is the most progressive candidate and the most likable candidate. They also believe Joe Biden has the best chance of being elected in 2020 – but Biden is only their third choice. Go figure!

Sanders takes lead in new poll of New Hampshire

https://thehill.com/homenews/campaig...-new-hampshire

Another one bites the dust.

Beto O'Rourke is Dropping out of the Presidential race
The former Texas congressman, who energized Democrats in a Senate race last year, began his White House run to great fanfare but failed to build significant support.

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/01/u...drops-out.html

Will Harris be the next candidate to withdraw from the 2020 Presidential race? She doesn't even have much support in her home state of California.

Kamala Harris closes campaign offices and fires staff in New Hampshire

https://www-m.cnn.com/2019/11/01/pol...ces/index.html

Four states will hold primary elections or caucuses in February. Biden is leading in Nevada and North Carolina. Warren is leading in Iowa and New Hampshire. Fourteen states will hold primaries on March 3. Biden is leading in Texas and Warren is leading in California and Massachusetts. Biden is viewed as the candidate with the best chance of defeating Donald Trump. The Democratic Presidential nominee will be selected by delegates at the National Convention July 13-16 in Milwaukee.

https://www.realclearpolitics.com/ep...tion-6730.html

Biden, Sanders and Warren top 3 national polls

https://www.politico.com/news/2019/1...0-polls-064604

A United States President withholds Congressionally-approved military aid and pressures a foreign government to investigate a political opponent. That is wrong. It is an abuse of power, a violation of the oath of office and an impeachable offense. However, the mindless, blindly loyal Trump supporters who watch Fox News, a.k.a. the Trump Cheerleading Channel, are being told every day that Trump has done nothing wrong. They're being lied to and they're being manipulated, just as they were lied to and manipulated by Fox News during the ongoing Mueller investigation. The pro-Trump media coverage is "dangerous," says GOP candidate Joe Walsh. Indeed it is – but not nearly as dangerous as Trump himself.

Republican Presidential candidate Joe Walsh says Fox News and conservative radio are lying to Americans

https://www.cnn.com/2019/11/03/media...ces/index.html

There is no truth to the rumor that Perry will bill the event as Madea's Presidential Debate.

November 20 Democratic Presidential debate to be held at Tyler Perry Studios in Atlanta

https://www.essence.com/news/democra...perry-studios/

Trump's biggest support comes from non-college-educated white men – in other words, men who aren't very smart. This new poll shows Biden would beat him by 17 points in a head-to-head matchup. Sanders would win by 17 points, Warren by 15 points, Harris by 11 points and Buttigieg by 11 points. Of course Trump denounces polls as "fake," "rigged" and "lousy" – unless they're in his favor.

A year from Election Day, Democratic Presidential contenders extend their leads over Donald Trump: Poll

https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/year...nd-leads/story

Bloomberg – who was a Democrat and then a Republican and then an independent and now a Democrat – believes Biden is too unsteady and Warren and Sanders are too liberal. Bloomberg is starting to see himself, a wealthy 77-year-old white Democrat, as the best candidate to challenge Trump, a wealthy 73-year-old white Republican.

Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg opens door to 2020 Democratic run for President

https://abcnews.go.com/Business/wire...paign-66833947

Hillary Clinton outspent Donald Trump by almost $320 million in 2016 and won the popular vote but lost in the Electoral College. In other words, Michael, "whatever it takes" is going to require a lot more than just money.

Source: Michael Bloomberg ready to spend 'whatever it takes' to become President

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/elect...ent/ar-BBWtjJE

As of today, Michael Bloomberg has a net worth of $52.3 billion and is the eighth-wealthiest person in the United States. (Amazon founder/CEO Jeff Bezos is worth $112 billion and is the wealthiest person not only in the US but in the entire world.) Some of the Democratic Presidential candidates like the idea of Bloomberg entering the race. Some, but not all.

'You have to earn votes and not buy them': Some 2020
Democrats wary of Michael Bloomberg's potential bid

https://www.cnn.com/2019/11/10/polit...act/index.html

King, who has been a member of Congress since 1993, becomes the 16th rat to desert the sinking ship.....er, umm, I mean the 16th House Republican to announce he won't run for re-election in 2020.

GOP Representative Peter King announces retirement

https://www-m.cnn.com/2019/11/11/pol...ess/index.html

"Eight years of Donald Trump will forever and fundamentally change the character of this country," Biden said today, calling Trump "a giant impediment to the United States moving forward." Hey, at least Trump excels at something.

Biden holds narrow lead in new 2020 poll
With fewer than 100 days to go until New Hampshire's
first-in-the-nation primary, the former VP has an edge.

https://www.cnn.com/2019/11/11/polit...oll/index.html

Sanford acknowledged his candidacy was "a long shot." Now it's just plain shot.

Mark Sanford suspends Presidential campaign

https://www-m.cnn.com/2019/11/12/pol...bid/index.html

Since Mark Sanford is no longer running, perhaps Deval Patrick will want to use the same campaign slogan: "Who?"

Former Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick tells Democrats he will run in 2020 Presidential race

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/elect...ace/ar-BBWI9wk

If I were running for President – and you can all be glad I'm not – I would run ads touting my own accomplishments, not ads attacking my opponents. I believe voters are turned off by attack ads. A former New York City Mayor apparently disagrees.

Michael Bloomberg plans to spend $100 million on anti-Trump ads in key states

https://www.cnn.com/2019/11/15/polit...ads/index.html

The first state to hold Democratic caucuses in 2020 will be Iowa, on February 3. Iowa will send 49 delegates to the Democratic National Convention, which will take place July 13-16 in Milwaukee – and look who's now in first place in the polls:

Pete Buttigieg surges to first place in Iowa, new poll shows

https://www-m.cnn.com/2019/11/16/pol...ieg/index.html

Obama is urging Democratic Presidential candidates to focus on health care, immigration policies and other issues voters care about. He also said he would work his tail off – I assume he meant that figuratively, not literally – to ensure the Democratic nominee wins in 2020.

Obama warns 2020 candidates about getting out of step with voters: Be 'rooted in reality'

https://www-m.cnn.com/2019/11/15/pol...ity/index.html

In 2016, Democrats encouraged black, Asian and Latino immigrants to become naturalizated citizens. In 2019, they need to encourage these new citizens to register to vote. Doy!

Study: New citizens could swing battleground states in 2020
A progressive group shines a spotlight on a potentially potent
voting bloc but activists say Democrats are failing to mobilize it.

https://www.politico.com/news/2019/1...-states-071571