March 29, 2024

Democratic candidate race overcrowded

From Alexander F. Pikelis

Creston

The explosive proliferation of declared and potential candidates for the Democratic presidential nomination seems much like the crowded 1824 presidential race wherein a wry sage declared the field as a collection of “Neverbees, Cantbees, Shouldntbees, Mightbees, Wouldabeens and Hasbeens.”

That description is rather apt today and should force us all to pause for serious reflection.

After all, look at what we wound up with after an initially huge Republican field in 2016. History always has a disconcerting way of repeating itself, often times less than positively.

Therefore, any hope for direct, overwhelming change must be quickly secured early in the race by pragmatic consolidation; otherwise the Democratic party will woefully find itself defeated despite a “Shoulda-been” opportunity (although it wouldn’t be the first time either).