As more candidates enter the race to be the Democratic Nominee in 2020, I’ve noticed choruses of friends expressing their concern the primary will be an angry, negative bloodbath. These concerns are valid and shouldn’t be ignored, but it should be noted that the first contest is still just about a year away (February 3rd, 2020). We still have plenty of time as voters to hold our candidates to a higher standard of campaigning, where the attacks aren’t visceral or personal, but instead critical of the policies within their records.
But that does mean candidates will face criticism. And given the projected field will be 15+ candidates, the ones with the greatest name recognition and longest records likely will face the brunt of criticism at this stage. Sure, you may feel certain candidates are taking a disproportionate amount of criticism, but take a moment to reflect on why:
- Your candidate may be old news (or too old period!);
- They may be a recognizable name in a field of new faces and spark long held opinions;
- They may appear out of place in the new direction of the Democratic Party;
- Your candidate’s supporters might be too angry online that they alienate people;
Maybe you don’t see it this way — you might interpret these reasons as trivial. Sometimes people will be immovable objects on the slightest thing. Either way, everyone is entitled to their opinion on each candidate running. Including yours.
A better way to approach these early stages is to appreciate the democratic process that’s occurring and understanding voters may have malleable views on some candidates while immediately forming firm opinions on others. That’s how a primary works, regardless of how many candidates are running. The task at this point is for voters to deliberate on which candidate deserves our votes, by determining what criteria matters the most, be it healthcare, voting rights, or any other policy issue that gets you to the polls. You have the opportunity to make the case for your candidate, if you wish to commit this early to anyone.
Going out into your community and talking to your neighbors about what you believe in has a greater impact than automatically getting worked up when someone criticizes or dismisses your preferred candidate. By “community”, I mean your friends, colleagues, family — whoever you talk to! (My sincerest apologies to anyone who talks to me — you’ll be hearing a lot). That’s how the process is supposed to work, and the candidate who wins the nomination typically pulls together a coalition that includes voters who initially weren’t on board, but through listening and outreach by someone they knew, decided to take a chance on a candidate they didn’t envision supporting.
It may not always be peachy and there will definitely be intense disagreements that may feel combative, but that’s all a part of the process. Don’t worry about any of that discomfort yet, and focus on the wellspring of change the eventual nominee can bring to the country, and what makes your candidate uniquely qualified to earn your vote. And if that’s too hard to do right now, just take a second to step away from the computer and take a deep breath before responding to that message or post that’s making your blood boil. I promise, you have plenty of time to make the case for your candidate.
Bonus advice: Don’t scream people are rigging it simply because people disagree with you. That’s never made anyone happy, hasn’t changed any minds, and isn’t in the spirit of what democracy is all about.