President Trump’s campaign announced Sunday that they raised more than $30 million in donations in the first quarter of 2019, putting his war chest north of $40 million altogether. This puts Trump at an astounding advantage this far ahead of the election cycle, potentially making it difficult for any Democrat to compete.
Money doesn’t mean everything when it comes to running a successful campaign (just ask Jeb Bush), but you can’t downplay its importance. And considering that the majority of that $30 million was raised off of an average contribution of $34, you can draw a direct line from the fundraising to the enthusiasm on the ground. With all due recognition that it’s extremely early, we could be looking at a true-blue landslide in 2020.
Making things difficult for the Democrats right now? The overcrowded, near-ridiculous size of the primary field. The top two fundraisers so far on the DNC side of things are Bernie Sanders and Kamala Harris. Put their war chests together, and it’s still not where Trump is sitting right now. If this primary season stretches into late spring of next year and the left hasn’t narrowed the field to two or three candidates, the winner is going to go into the general election at a distinct disadvantage. And that’s looking like a considerable possibility.
Want another hint about how far ahead of the game Trump is? The New York Times says: “Barack Obama’s 2012 campaign, the last time a president sought re-election, held less than $2 million in the bank at this point in the election cycle.”
Experts are beginning to notice.
This weekend, Goldman Sachs released a comprehensive report on where they see the 2020 election heading, and it’s more good news for the president. The investment firm acknowledged that the election is likely to be a tight one, but they credit Trump with “the advantage of first-term incumbency and relatively strong economic performance.”
“President Trump is more likely to win a second term than the eventual Democratic candidate is to defeat him,” the bankers predicted.
Yes, it’s early. But still, there are clear signs of trouble in the Democratic Party.
For one thing, aside from the as-yet-undeclared Joe Biden, Bernie Sanders is running away with the polls. If Sanders winds up duplicating his 2016 performance, he could easily walk away with the nomination. And if that happens, Trump is almost guaranteed to win a second term. For all the hype about Sanders, this country isn’t going to recklessly elect a socialist to be our next president. It just isn’t going to happen – not next year, not in the foreseeable future.
Biden would be a stronger challenge, but does he have what it takes? Does he have that elusive “it” factor that could win an election? His numerous runs for the White House indicate that he does not, and we’ve seen nothing to suggest that he’s a stronger candidate today than he was back then. He’s got more name recognition, of course, but anyone who wins the nomination is going to have that going for them. He’s got the Obama rub, that’s about all.
So did Hillary.
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