Mirsky: Strongest Candidates for President 2020: Tables Turning?

We are finally past the November 2018 midterm elections, and have fortunately discovered that no, Vladimir Putin and Mark Zuckerberg do not control the United States Electoral Process. Part of the “mystique” of our current leadership in the White House has been the illusion that anything and everything can be controlled by telling a constant stream of lies to the American people, and by the bullying of one’s political opponents. Thankfully, with the results of the mid-term elections, we now know that if the general public is angry and dissatisfied with what is going on in Washington, D.C., the general American voting public will act, by voting out the occupying party, and those votes will count.

But we cannot be complacent about the viability of democracy and freedom in America. These things are currently under attack. We can have more assurance of votes counting and rights and order being maintained, if we have leadership at the top that truly values the idea of following the rules, especially the rule of LAW, which is something we all need.

Just imagine where you would be in your life without the Rule of Law. It is a frightening prospect.

I haven’t updated my list of the strongest candidates for President in 2020, from the Exeter, New Hampshire perspective, since June of this year. I think my prior list was pretty good at that point. (You can check it out here on Exeter.Patch.com). However, enough time has passed that my list just needs some going over.

So here is my latest list, my November 2020 list of the strongest candidates for President of the United States in the 2020 Election, more specifically, in the 2020 New Hampshire Primary. My list of the strongest presidential candidates for 2020 is not like the other lists you will read in the general political media, because I am basing my list on evidence and perceptions I have come across as a result of being a fairly politically active person in New Hampshire:

DEMOCRATS

1. Eric Garcetti, Mayor of Los Angeles. Eric Garcetti got to the Number One position on my current list because he is the only candidate who was recommended to me by a serious, important, respected member of the New Hampshire political community. Los Angeles is a huge, extremely diverse, extremely powerful city, with a population of approximately 4 million people. Compare that to Arkansas, which has only about 3 million people, so I don’t see the fact that Mr. Garcetti is a mayor as any kind of handicap. Eric Garcetti is highly educated, bold, and, as I’ve said, has already made an impression at the highest levels of New Hampshire politics. Stay tuned.

2. Elizabeth Warren, U.S. Senator from Massachusetts, and previously from Oklahoma.

Senator Elizabeth Warren is a very very tough person who stands up for the rights of the middle class and women, minorities, and everyone. Senator Warren understands the intricate details of our financial system, which was her field of expertise as a Harvard Law School professor. Elizabeth Warren’s best credential is that she has engaged in combat with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on the floor of the U.S. Senate, and is known as a person to be reckoned with. Elizabeth Warren has faced strong attacks from the Republican Party, including the President, because she is a formidable opponent who cannot be ignored. My sense from being here in New Hampshire is that Elizabeth Warren was a first choice candidate for many Democratic activists for the 2016 Presidential Election.

3. Joe Biden, former U.S. Vice President and former U.S. Senator from Delaware. It looks to me that at the highest levels of Democratic politics in the United States, Joe Biden has already been chosen as the next Democratic Nominee for President in 2020. Joe Biden’s greatest strengths are 1) he really understands the lives of real Americans; 2) he knows how to do the job and won’t take any guff from his opponents; and 3) he is a gifted speaker who makes a strong emotional connection with voters.

4. Oprah Winfrey, U.S. talk show host and business leader. I am including the immensely popular and effective talk show host and business leader, Oprah Winrey, because she is a serious person, a seriously accomplished person, and because she participated in the Get Out the Vote efforts for the November mid-term elections this year. Oprah Winfrey was a powerful enough figure in U.S. politics to assist President Barack Obama’s election in 2008. More importantly, Oprah Winfrey is a person who is trusted by a large cross-section of the American voting public. Oprah Winfrey has a powerful voice.

5. Kamala Harris, U.S. Senator from California. Kamala Harris is mentioned on most lists for strong candidates for President in 2020. I believe this is because Kamala Harris is a strong and effective presence in the U.S. Senate. She is a Kennedy Democrat. Younger people will need to read up on Robert Kennedy, Ted Kennedy, and President John F. Kennedy, to understand what I am talking about. It’s high praise.

6. Amy Klobuchar, U.S. Senator from Minnesota. Senator Amy Klobuchar is a serious national leader who places an emphasis on supporting and promoting the rights and interests of American veterans. Senator Klobuchar would be a no-nonsense type of candidate, which is an aspect that I believe has become very important in the last two years.

REPUBLICANS

1. Donald Trump, President of the United States. I am going to refrain from making too much comment about our current President as we all know what he is about. In terms of the 2020 Republican Party U.S. Presidential nominating process, I will just point out that Republicans as a group are distinctly unlikely to vote against their own sitting President in a Presidential Primary, as they tend to go with the most powerful person in the Party. In 2020, however, it appears that our current President will face a serious challenge. See John Kasich, below.

2. John Kasich, Governor of Ohio. John Kasich will be leaving the governor’s office in Ohio next year, as Ohio places term limits on their governor. Governor Kasich did well in the New Hampshire Primary in 2016, and is a formidable politician in every respect. He is a genuine Conservative, yet also is a no-nonsense individual who enjoys deep respect among important Republican leaders nationwide and also here in New Hampshire. I have to say, I think he has already started his campaign, but you can’t be sure about these things as there are practical reasons for holding back on such a commitment until a later date. In my opinion, Democrats should be concerned about John Kasich, because he is in a position to become the most exciting story of 2020 U.S. Presidential election: a potentially effective challenger to a sitting Republican U.S. President.