Mirsky’s List: Strongest Candidates - President 2020: Debate Prep

Exeter, New Hampshire – This is Attorney David Mirsky reporting from the front lines of the 2020 Presidential race, giving you my unique New Hampshire view of the Presidential #Election2020 scene. The next round of televised Democratic Presidential Debates will appear on CNN on the evenings of Tuesday, July 30, and Wednesday, July 31, 2019. That’s this week, Tuesday and Wednesday nights. Don’t miss the live action! There promises to be plenty of conflict and drama.

My latest list of those I see as the strongest Presidential Candidates for 2020 is up on our Exeter, New Hampshire refrigerator. I have tweaked it a few times since my last report, because, as the famous Country Joe McDonald once said, in America, the most revolutionary thing you can do is change your mind. (You may remember that Mr. McDonald was the charismatic lead singer of Country Joe and the Fish, who led the “Fish Cheer” at Woodstock in 1969, a cheer we all could use in America right now.)

ALSO READ:

• Mirsky: Robert Mueller's Report - Attention Must Be Paid
• Mirsky's List-Strongest Candidates-President 2020: Booker Unites
• Mirsky: Strongest Candidates for President in 2020 – Cory Booker
• Mirsky's List - Strongest Candidates - President 2020: Beto Rises
• Mirsky: Strongest Candidates-President 2020 – Kirsten Gillibrand
• Mirsky: Can The Democratic Party Survive Its Own Debates?
• Mirsky: Strongest Candidates-President 2020: June 2019 Edition
• Mirsky: Strongest Candidates for President 2020: Beto O'Rourke
• Mirsky: Strongest Candidates-President 2020-Sen. Elizabeth Warren

Many of the players on my list are the same. Some have changes positions dramatically. Some have left, possibly to return at a later date. I have added one or two new exciting names. Here is my list: as of today:

1. Cory Booker, US Senator from New Jersey, and former Mayor of Newark New Jersey. The television news pundits are announcing that Cory Booker is preparing to do something outstanding during his next debate appearance. We are all waiting to see this. Cory Booker receives the Number One slot here specifically because of his performance here in Exeter at a house party on Saturday, July 13, 2019. (For a description of that event, please check out my earlier post indicating Booker as one of the “Strongest Candidates” for 2020. I am specifically not basing my rankings on the various polls out there, because most voters in New Hampshire are undecided at the moment, so the polls mean nothing.

2. Bernie Sanders, US Senator from Vermont and Winner of the 2016 New Hampshire Presidential Primary. I have placed Bernie Sanders at this high spot on my list because he has clearly not lost any intellectual or physical vitality since 2016, and his ideas pervade the Democratic Party in 2019 America (though Sanders himself has resisted joining the Democratic Party). Bernie Sanders is also appreciated because he has been able to elevate himself above the “food fight” between Kamala Harris and Joe Biden. I recall fondly that the distinguished war hero and 2008 Republican Presidential Nominee, the late Senator John McCain of Arizona, once pointed out that the way to win these presidential primary contests is to stay out of the food fights.

3. Beto O’Rourke, former US Representative from El Paso, Texas, who garnered over 4 million votes in his recent contest for US Senate in conservative Texas. Beto O’Rourke is hard-working, charismatic, has a persistent and vigorous campaign staff here in New Hampshire, and is a forward-thinking Generation-Xer who has recent and deep experience in campaigning against a strong, virulent political opponent, that was Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, whom people in New Hampshire know best as being a devoted fan of the movie, “The Princess Bride”, which he famously discussed during the last presidential campaign, in a charming news segment on WMUR-TV, immediately following the attempts of Mr. Cruz to shut down the US Government. Beto O’Rourke of Texas is a real candidate with a real chance to win this. (See my previous Exeter Patch articles on Beto O'Rourke.)

4. Mayor Bill de Blasio of New York City. Bill de Blasio is a towering individual in many ways. De Blasio does not care about the debate rules, which he will violate with impunity if necessary. (Contrast this with former Vice President Joe Biden, who is very respectful of the rules.) New York City, an exceedingly difficult and complex city which de Blasio runs with relative ease, has a population of over 8.6 million people. That is one huge city. Compare and contrast New York City with South Bend, Indiana, the city of Mayor Pete Buttigieg. Just do that.

5. Tulsi Gabbard, US Representative from Hawaii, is the first Samoan-American and first Hindu Member of the US Congress. She has served this country as a member of the National Guard in our Armed Forces in Iraq. Tulsi Gabbard has some unusual ideas about foreign policy that should be explained. But I have listed Tulsi Gabbard at the Number Five spot because she has campaign signs posted around town here in Exeter, New Hampshire, which most of the other Presidential Candidates do not. (Check out the Tulsi Gabbard sign pictured above.) The campaign signs matter, because they raise visibility, and they show a real campaign, on the ground, with real support.

6. Kirsten Gillibrand, US Senator from the State of New York. Kirsten Gillibrand remains on my list because she made a strong impression as a powerful presence and highly intelligent candidate in her recent visit to Portsmouth. (See my previous article presenting Senator Gillibrand as one of the “Strongest Candidates” for 2020.) Gillibrand has a focus on “draining” Mr. Trump from his newly refurbished “Swamp” and on providing universal access to affordable health care, which is a goal of many of the candidates, following in the best traditions of former US President Barack Obama and current presidential candidate Bernie Sanders, who spoke on this issue often during the 2016 Presidential Election.

7. Elizabeth Warren, US Senator from Massachusetts. I have written previously about Elizabeth Warren here on Exeter Patch. (See my article on Elizabeth Warrant in the “Strongest Candidate” series.) Elizabeth Warren is clearly brilliant and tough. Robert Kennedy’s grandson, Joe Kennedy III, has endorsed Elizabeth Warren, having previously served as one of her students at Harvard Law School. As Mr. Kennedy relates, Elizabeth Warren was a very very tough and incisive law professor. Warren understands Donald Trump. Actually, I doubt there is anything Elizabeth Warren does not understand. Pay attention to how well Elizabeth Warren does in the Iowa Caucuses, which occur a few days before the New Hampshire Primary. If she does well there, she could win this thing.

8. Joe Biden, former US Vice President, former longtime US Senator from Delaware, with one of the most likeable, engaging personalities in American Politics. You know him, you love him, but in these next debates he needs to run overtime on his answers, and he needs to cut off a few of his opponents and one or two of the reporters asking the questions. Because this election from the standpoint of the Democrats must be a situation of “No More Mister Nice Guy.” Joe Biden can do this.

9. Kamala Harris, US Senator from California. Kamala Harris does not need to worry about not appearing tough. She is definitely tough. We need to learn more about what she would do as President. I believe she would be the opposite of our current president, in that Kamala Harris would enhance the perception of America throughout the world, by showing America to be a decent, compassionate, and intelligent place.

10. Andrew Yang, businessman and futurist. Mr. Yang is an intellectual leader who wants to address the problems that have arisen with the modernization and robotization of our economy. I haven’t yet been able to attend one of his events but I am aware of his unique approach, and I am aware that former Portsmouth mayor and New Hampshire gubernatorial candidate Steve Marchand has been very involved in Andrew Yang’s campaign, which should give Yang a boost in terms of both enthusiasm and local New Hampshire political savvy.

11. Bruce Springsteen, Boss. Yes, Bruce has made my list. Just tell me one reason why Bruce Springsteen would not be a better United States President than our current President, Donald Trump. You can’t. You know you can’t.

12. Mayor Pete Buttigieg, Mayor of South Bend, Indiana. When I have left Mr. Buttigieg off of my list, I have received complaints from prominent New Hampshire politicos. So here he is. Mayor Pete has a strong presence, and a commanding voice, a promising, calm, positive Midwestern demeanor. Mayor Pete is a successful fundraiser, and appears to have been especially successful in raising campaign contributions in Hollywood. I would not count him out in any way.

And so, with that, I encourage you to watch the Democratic Debates this week, Tuesday and Wednesday nights (July 30 and 31, 2019), on CNN.