People said he'd never be elected...

[BooScout]

...and yet he was. Twice. Despite a million seemingly insurmountable obstacles and so much bullshit tossed at him from the Republicans and even members of our party...Barack Obama was elected to be our president not just once, but twice....and he thrived.

So to all of us out there saying this candidate is the only one who can win and that candidate doesn't stand a chance in beating Trump....all I can say is ....nothing is certain in politics. A race can turn in an instant. Not one of us has the ability to predict the future.

All I know for sure is that I'm voting for a Democrat in 2020. Every last candidate put forth by the Democratic Party is better than Trump on his best day. I'm not counting anyone out yet. I think the current field is excellent. Nothing is a done deal for a long while.

If the elections of the past few years have taught us nothing else....they've taught us that anything can happen.

[The Mouth]

1. Well said

It ain't over until it's over.

[George II]

2. All true. And also true is the fact that most of us thought that trump could NEVER be elected!

[BooScout]

3. Yep...and Brexit would never happen...

Nothing is a sure thing in politics.

[oldsoftie]

5. Almost everyone i knew in England was voting for Brexit. But I was sure trump would LOSE

i based that on some usually reliable GOP voters i knew who simply refused to vote for trump. They did not vote for Hillary, they just skipped that selection.

[BooScout]

6. Funny ....almost everyone I know voted against it....

Except the xenophobes and the racists...then again....I try not to hang around them too much in the pub....combine alcohol and idiots in my face and I don't do so well.

[empedocles]

4. It may turn out to be possible for a number of the Dem candidates to win a popular vote.

However, a Dem candidate capable of getting the most popular votes, would provide more safety to override putin, Electoral College, 'con voter frauds, the unexpected.

Also, maximum control of House and Senate, would enable the best possible cleanups of the traitortrump travesties.

[LibFarmer]

7. I'd be happy with any candidate

who has not run in 2016 to be the nominee.

[BannonsLiver]

8. It's too bad there are no Obama's in this race

No one even comes close. That being said there are some great candidates who can beat Fat Donny.

[keithbvadu2]

9. Ideological purity shot down Hillary. Bernie was another self-important Ralph Nader.

[progressoid]

12. That's a bit facile.

Even Hillary knows it was more complicated than that. It's in her book.

[brer cat]

10. Well said.

It is way too early to rule out candidates.

[Irishxs]

13. Agree, agree, agree.

[Honeycombe8]

11. That's not how I remember it.

To my recollection, ever since he spoke at the 2004 Democratic Convention, "Presidential candidate" had been bandied about. When he ran, not many on the left thought there would be a problem with him getting elected.

The doubts, laughs, and criticism came from the right. Being racist, all they could see was his race. Then came the crazy birther theory and other theories having to do with his father.

No one is ever sure that a candidate can win. But Democrats coalesced behind him with nary a doubt about his exceptionalism and savvy political skills, and that if a Democrat were going to be elected at all, Obama would be. He was special. Everyone could see it, even if they disliked him.

Obama also wasn't far left. He was a pretty mainstream Democrat, as far as his positions on issues went, on most issues (but not all). HE was unusual, but his positions were not. Except for that health care reform act. He got behind doing something exceptional.

The first time I saw him was giving the speech at the 2004 Democratic Convention. I would say that somewhere in my mind, his race registered with me. But I can't say I noticed it much, and it definitely didn't matter. He, the person, was electrifying. I never gave his race much thought throughout the campaign. Most other Democrats seemed to be in agreement that he was exceptional, charismatic, brilliant, funny, attractive, and all the rest...with race and age being at the bottom of the list.

There's no one like that among the 23 current candidates, IMO.