If Biden stumbles, don't be surprised if Bullock or one of the lesser-known moderate candidates rises on the leader board.
Montana Gov. Steve Bullock in Des Moines in August 2018. By Henry Olsen Henry Olsen Columnist focusing on politics, populism, and American conservative thought Email Bio Follow Columnist May 14 at 2:45 PM Montana Gov. Steve Bullock is the latest entrant in the now 22-person Democratic presidential candidate field. While he touts his ability to win a state that President Trump carried by 20 points, that’s not likely to be persuasive enough to the voters to fuel Bullock’s rise.
The problem each of these candidates face is that former vice president Joe Biden stands in their way. Polls show that nearly half of Democratic voters say they are moderate, and these people are the ones who presumably would be most receptive to the pack’s “liberal enough” appeal. But this group is Biden’s base. The same polls show Biden dominating among moderate voters, receiving between 38 percent to 58 percent of their support.
Fortunately for them, there’s a decent chance that could happen. More progressive candidates have every reason to go after Biden, as their voters already prefer someone more aggressive and uncompromising. Candidates such as Sens. Bernie Sanders , Elizabeth Warren and Kamala D. Harris are all competing to be the progressive champion, and would benefit from being seen as the person best able to take Biden down. Responding to their attacks would be tricky for him.
This means that one of these candidates could easily become this cycle’s breakout star, like John Edwards in 2004 or Rick Santorum in 2012 for the GOP. Both Edwards and Santorum labored for a time prior to primary season in relative obscurity, rarely if ever reaching double digits in the polls.
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