by Tom KandoI’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
11 comments:
No argument or disagreement here. Trump must go and I truly believe Joe Biden is the one to do it. Simply put, he has the broadest possible appeal and that is the imperative. I ordered my Biden bumper sticker 3 days ago and I appreciate, living here in Placer County, that there may be some live rounds headed in my direction.
Hey Tom this was really a good entry in your blog! Maybe your best.
Great info! Put on Facebook please.
Again. FAB INFO AND ANALYSIS. NEEDS WIDER DISTRIBUTION.
Tom, I sure hope you are right that Uncle Joe is the nominee. And I speak as a Trump supporter.
1) Have you noticed all of Joe’s mispronunciations and slurred words this week? Can you imagine what will happen to his image after a long season of primary debates when more people become aware of this? If you haven't heard them, you need to watch Fox more and listen to Rush.
2) Are you aware of the financial scandals with his son Hunter’s hedge funds and natural gas holdings in Ukraine, Joe's helping procure a billion dollar investment from Chinese investors in Hunter’s hedge fund? Hunter’s affair with his dead brother Beau’s wife while he was still married to his first wife? Joe’s niece’s drug addiction? All of this is known on the right, but very few on the left are aware of it. But it will be exploited.
I’m sure after 35+ years in politics there are more scandals to come! Biden family and financial scandals can be made to chip away at any Trump family and financial scandals.
3) Me Too! Me Too! Me Too! Joe’s proclivities can be made to offset any of the Don’s proclivities.
4) And the very best of all!! Joe’s old age, old style campaigning, and lack of vigor are a turnoff to the young. As a result, their enthusiasm and turnout at the polls will be suppressed. (Maybe Bernie can lead a crusade; Joe can’t)
Four More Years! Four More Years! KAG! KAG! Bet on it Tom!
Biden’s speech at the Pittsburgh rally was fine. Scandals? Inappropriate behavior towards women? His age and energy? I see no problems at this time.
As Yogi Berra said, it’s hard to predict, especially the future.
Sadly I agree with you, Tom. Sad because, despite our flirtation with equality, this country has too many racists, sexists and homophobes. Strangely, age-ism doesn't seem to be a problem, judging by the way millenniald feel about Bernie. Maybe this is the time to elect magnificently Boring Biden and a strong female running-mate who can ease some of the weight off his shoulders if ALZ begins to interfere.
I am energized by you pointing out Mayor Pete's level of experience (meaning he is highly qualified to hold the position of President of the USA) and his minimal likelihood of actually being elected because he was born with a homosexual genetic makeup. Alas, can we count on the Millennials to demonstrate that people born other than white heterosexual male can be smart, capable people? I don't think the current batch of white heterosexual males are demonstrating any superiority! Oh except Bernie, maybe.
It makes me both angry and exhausted that we have three highly qualified female candidates, but all we can talk about are the elderly men. Holding onto your position of power within a structure that is tailor-made for you (I'm looking at your Biden and Bernie)is not a true qualification of anything more than those men's ability to keep the status quo going. Even Bernie, who let's face it, is just a charismatic old hippie who gives people either a good feeling or sets their hair on fire, is a figurehead who would be utterly ineffective as a president. Warren, Klobuchar, and Harris are all as competent, if not more so, than any of the men. If you don't support any of these female candidates, ask yourself why and acknowledge that you do not trust women.
I am grateful for the numerous comments.
I agree with anonymous #1 that the ideal ticket would consist of a two-gender team, in whatever order.
To anonymous #2: I don’t think we are talking about “superiority.” I certainly have no use for that concept, when evaluating this list of candidates in terms of eligibility. I suppose I did rank people in terms of “qualification.” That was based on some of their speeches and interviews, but always very tentative. There is zero correlation between “qualification” (God forbid “superiority”) on the one and gender/race/sexual preference on the other.
To anonymous #3: Again, if you look at my rankings: the correlation between gender and qualification actually FAVORS women: The average qualification score for men is 8.16, whereas women get 8.5. This suggests that I trust women more than I trust men.
And so it begins..."Dem Presidential candidate Joe Biden reportedly had to correct himself over the weekend after telling donors Margaret Thatcher (deceased) is concerned about the US under President Trump".
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