by Tom Kando
I’m
a “list” kind of guy. OCD, some people might say. So today I’ll share with you my analysis of
the so-far 21 democrats running for
President of the US (See:“Phase Two Begins for 2020 Democratic
Field,” Sacramento Bee,
April 27, 2019: 7A).
Each candidate gets a score for qualification and one for electability. These are based on what I have picked up about these candidates over the past few weeks, plus some of their demographic characteristics.
Table
One: 21 Democratic Presidential Candidates, Alphabetically
Candidate
|
Credentials
|
How qualified?*
|
Electa-bility*
|
Age
|
gender
|
Race
|
1. Joe Biden
|
Former
Vice President
|
10
|
8.5
|
76
|
M
|
W
|
2.
Cory Booker
|
Senator
from N. J.
|
8.5
|
7
|
50
|
M
|
B
|
3.
Pete Buttigieg
|
Mayor
of South Bend, Ind
|
10
|
5
|
37
|
M;
gay
|
W
|
4.Julian
Castro
|
Former
HUD Secretary
|
8.5
|
7
|
44
|
M
|
Hispanic
|
5.
John Delaney
|
Former
House Rep. from Maryland
|
8.5
|
7.5
|
56
|
M
|
W
|
6.
Tulsi Gabbard
|
House
Rep. from Hi.
|
8.5
|
6.5
|
38
|
W
|
Samoan
|
7.
Kirsten Gillibrand
|
Senator
from N. Y.
|
8.5
|
7
|
52
|
W
|
W
|
8.
Mike Gravel
|
Former
Senator from Alaska
|
5
|
3
|
88
|
M
|
W
|
9. Kamala Harris
|
Senator
from California
|
9
|
7.5
|
54
|
W
|
B
|
10.
John Hickenlooper
|
Former
Colo. governor
|
8.5
|
7.5
|
67
|
M
|
W
|
11.
Jay Inslee
|
Governor
of Wash.
|
8.5
|
7.5
|
68
|
M
|
W
|
12. Amy Klobuchar
|
Senator
from Minnesota
|
9
|
7.5
|
58
|
W
|
W
|
13.
Wayne Messam
|
Mayor
of Miramar, Fla
|
7.5
|
7
|
44
|
M
|
B
|
14.Seth
Moulton
|
House
Rep. From Mass
|
7.5
|
7.5
|
40
|
M
|
W
|
15.
Beto O’Rourke
|
Former
House Rep. from Texas
|
7.5
|
7.5
|
46
|
M
|
W
|
16.Tim
Ryan
|
House
Re. from Ohio
|
7.5
|
7.5
|
45
|
M
|
W
|
17. Bernie Sanders
|
Senator
from Vermont
|
9
|
8
|
77
|
M
|
W
|
18.
Eric Swalwell
|
House
Rep. from Cal.
|
8.5
|
7.5
|
38
|
M
|
W
|
19. Elizabeth Warren
|
Senator
from Mass
|
8.5
|
7.5
|
69
|
W
|
W
|
20.Marianne Williamson
|
Author
|
7.5
|
7
|
66
|
W
|
W
|
21.
Andrew Yang
|
Entrepreneur
|
7.5
|
7
|
44
|
M
|
Chinese-Am.
|
*
ten-point scale
Table
Two: Distribution by Demographic Characteristics
Gender
|
Race
|
Age
|
15
men
6
women
|
15
white
6
non-white
|
3
under 40
6
between 40 and 50
9
between 70 and 80
1
above 80
|
Table
Three: Ranking by Qualification
10
|
9
|
8.5
|
7.5
|
5
|
Biden
Buttigieg
|
Harris
Klobuchar
Sanders
|
Booker
Castro
Delaney
Gabbard
Gillibrand
Hickenlooper
Inslee
Swalwell
Warren
|
Messam
Moulton
O’Rourke
Ryan
Williamson
Yang
|
Gravel
|
Table
Four: Ranking by Electability
Candidate
|
Score
|
Handicaps
|
Advantages
|
Biden
|
8.5
|
Age
|
Recognition
|
Sanders
|
8
|
Age
|
|
Delaney
Harris
Hickenlooper
Inslee
Klobuchar
Moulton
O’Rourke
Ryan
Swalwell
Warren
|
7.5
|
Race,
gender
Gender
Age
Gender
|
Recognition
|
Booker
Gillibrand
Messam
Castro
Williamson
Yang
|
7
|
Race
Gender
Race
Race
Gender
Race
|
|
Gabbard
|
6.5
|
Race,
Gender, Religion
|
|
Buttigieg
|
5
|
Age,
Sexual Preference
|
|
Gravel
|
3
|
Age
|
Conclusion:
Biden is currently leading the pack. I am fine with that, and I’ll tell you why:
We have had two years of travesty, two years of a farcical, weirdo president, two years of circus show and drama. The best the Left has come up with are “collusion,” “obstruction,” “impeachment,” “Muller,” and “scandal.” It’s been one big party, with nothing accomplished.
We need more NORMALCY, more boredom. We need a normal, serious, hardworking, good and, yes, more boring person in the white house. A president who’ll work hard on mundane tasks like infrastructure, health insurance, and economic justice. We need that more than another “colorful character.” I love Sanders and Buttigieg, I like O”Rourke and Warren, etc. They are all fine, idealistic people. But today, I am more inclined towards the boring, the mundane, the hard-worker, the problem-solver, the pragmatist. Remember Obama, Clinton, Eisenhower, FDR? Hopefully Biden.
Of course, my rankings by
qualification and electability are highly subjective. The only thing I am
confident of is that any one of these candidates would be better than Donald
Trump. Also, several of them are fairly
obscure - at least to me, and I had to Google them. For whatever it’s worth,
all of this is going to change quite a bit in the coming months. Who would have
predicted the victories of Obama or Trump a year-and-a-half beforehand? Anyway,
I hope that you are amused, and not too aggravated. I welcome disagreements.
© Tom Kando 2019;All Rights Reserved
