Honest question for the undecideds of this forum.

[SKKY]

How close are you to settling on a candidate? Is there one you favor, but aren't ready to commit to yet (I don't want to know who it is)? What are you looking for in a candidate that you haven't yet found?

I'm not trying to start anything. I'm just genuinely curious about everyone's thought process in this.

[PJMcK]

1. I'm no where near backing a candidate

But I can guarantee you that I'll vote a straight Democratic ticket in November 2020.

[SKKY]

2. I'm with you on the 2nd part. I've kinda settled on Warren...

...but make no mistakes. I'm 100% a Yellow Dog.

[PJMcK]

3. Senator Warren is a strong candidate

A lot of her positions are intelligent and humane and logical.

I'm just keeping my powder dry for now.

However, Tulsi Gabbard has disqualified herself, in my opinion, with her disastrous comments about our party's 2016 nominee.

[SKKY]

6. Tulsi disqualified herself for me a long time ago...

...but I certainly applaud you for keeping a much more opened mind about her than I was able to.

[left-of-center2012]

4. I'm waiting for it to get down to 4 or 5 people

Too many wannabes right now with now chance of winning.

[luvs2sing]

5. My state primary is in either March or May of 2020.

I’ll make my decision then and vote in November for whoever gets the nomination. My gut says we may need Biden to beat Trump but, even though I’m older, I would love to see one of the younger candidates elected.

[SKKY]

7. I see the argument about needing Biden, and I think he's a great candidate...

...but I think other candidates present a much more difficult match-up for Trump (i.e. Warren, Harris, Mayor Pete, Bernie). Trump won the last election by less than 79K votes where 8.4 million 2012 Obama voters switched for Trump in 2016. I can't fathom that will happen again. I just can't see it.

[luvs2sing]

17. Actually, it's not even an argument.

Just an uneasy feeling that people will want the security blanket of a well-known candidate after this nightmare. And even though I’ve always loved Joe and Elizabeth, I’m secretly..well, not anymore..wishing for Kamala or Mayor Pete or Amy.

And I hope you’re right about the number of voters.

[SKKY]

19. I would love to see a Pete/Kamala or Kamala/Pete ticket...

...that's actually my dream ticket. I'm being pragmatic with my support for Warren.

[bigbrother05]

29. I'm there with you on waiting until closer to my primary

Thinking back to 2008, Obama was in the top 3/4 until Edwards dropped out. When it came down to him or Hillary, the choice was pretty easy even though he came 2nd in TX where I was living at the time.

[democrank]

8. I'm looking for a candidate who can bring real change.

I don’t want to see a continuation of the problems we’ve had for years, so I’m looking for a candidate who has actual, concrete plans for systematic changes. I want the obscenely high cost of medical care and insurance addressed, whether or not a person has insurance. I’m deeply concerned about homelessness, our justice system, our national debt, our voting system, student loan debt, the lack of affordable housing and more.

The idea of national service interests me as does more emphasis on trade schools, an increased emphasis on civics and a return to civility. I’d like to see us address alternative energy and a gigantic infrastructure program.

Both Pete Buttigieg and Elizabeth Warren are at the top of my list, but I like each one for very different reasons. My vote is precious to me.

[Bluepinky]

9. I will back whichever candidate will appeal to the most voters.

I really like Amy Klobuchar, she has won in districts that voted for Trump. She would appeal to a lot of the undecided voters in the Midwest, and she doesn’t have much baggage to nail her on. She’s smart and forthcoming.
My other favorite is Elizabeth Warren. But I also like Buttigieg, Harris, etc.
I don’t care for how the media portrays the primary as a horse race.

[dlk]

10. For some, it's a privacy issue

[SKKY]

13. Respect.

[dlk]

14. Thanks

[Mr.Bill]

11. For me being undecided is mostly

a sort of protest about how ridiculously early the campaign season starts. It puts congress in a perpetual campaign mode. I'll make my choices probably sometime after the first of the year. If pressed, right now I would say I like Biden, Harris and Warren. But to be sure, I would vote for Bullwinkle the Moose if he ran as a Democrat against Trump.

[SKKY]

15. I can see that. I have family in Spain that still struggle to understand...

...why I'm so "stimulated" when the election is more than a year away.

[sinkingfeeling]

12. As I've repeatedly answered here: 2020. I find it annoying to

start the election campaigns years before.

[IphengeniaBlumgarten]

16. We are focusing too much on the candidate's proposals.

None of these proposals can be realized unless we take both houses of congress and even then there will be a lot of negotiation about the implementation. What we really need is not the candidate with the proposals we particularly like but the candidate that has the broadest possible appeal, even (gasp!) appealing to some Republicans. The primaries may help settle who this is. I suspect it is Joe Biden, but am willing to be proved wrong.

[SKKY]

18. That's an excellent point!!! About a month ago, over many IPAs, I was arguing...

...with a group of friends that we should be spending a lot more energy and focus our efforts on keeping and expanding our majority in the house and flip the Senate.

[ancianita]

20. I'm good with all the candidates but three, and am waiting for state primary outcomes.

I only wait to learn the nation's mindset, and how the primary voting turnout will be. Being "undecided" is simply a label to me, not indicative of my mindset.

The climate crisis,
restoration of a functioning, fair spending government uncorrupted by Citizens United,
a Democratic congress,
infrastructure and
the five basics for Americans are my biggest concerns for the country and the next president.

I don't think you ask for any reason but curiosity, since most people should have decided by now. And they probably have. I can easily give opinions on any candidates and issues of the day, but generally feel redundant. So I'm just happy to be here with fellow Democrats and to say this:

Any Democrat on their worst day is better than any Republican on their best day.

Thanks for asking. Taking DU's pulse is okay by me.

[SKKY]

21. Honestly, I'm just curious. And I'll add that all of the reasons folks have given...

...have been 100% valid. And a couple are ones I hadn't considered (i.e. A matter of privacy).

[ancianita]

23. Agreed. Though the word "privacy" just seems a little weird, imo, especially in membership forums

and during an election of momentous import.

No judgment, just sayin'.

[TidalWave46]

22. I've found a candidate. Lol

Warren, Biden, Buttigieg, Castro, Booker, Klobuchar, Harris.

I’m in FL so have a lot of time.

Klobuchar is probably my top person right now but she isn’t gaining traction. She keeps crushing it. She keeps impressing people. She isn’t moving people to her camp.

[2naSalit]

24. Not even close...

too damned early, haven't seen anyone mention concerns in my area and I will not endorse a white guy in the primaries unless that's all that's left by the time primaries are held in my state. I always vote for the Democratic candidate in the general.

[wnylib]

25. No question at all that I'll vote Dem

whoever the candidate is.

I have a couple favorites and lean toward one in particular. This is such a crucial election that I want to hear them all first before making a commitment. Isn"t that what primaries are for? But with so many candidates it's hard to get full and meaningful responses in debates.

An important question in my mind is where the general public is on centrist vs progressive. As already mentioned up thread some might prefer the sureness of a centrist after so much craziness with Trump.

But we can't forget that it was dissatisfaction on the status quo re health costs and income inequality that led some people to change at any cost in 2016. A progressive could appeal to that mood on both sides of the political divide.

Ideally IMO we'll choose someone who can reach the public mood, unite the people on common goals, inspire confidence and hope, and restore our values and institutions. Too much change at once or too little change on health and economics could hurt us in the general.

And, for their and the nation's 'future success, we MUST give them a Dem Congress.

[JaneQPublic]

26. Looking beyond ideology and policy positions.

If I wanted a candidate I agree with 100 percent, I'd vote for myself. 

But let's face it, most policies stated by candidates are more aspirational goals than specific plans for achieving them. And even fewer address how they plan to enact policies when 60 votes are needed in the Senate. 

So, instead, I'm looking for: 

1. Someone who can take on Trump without trying to out-Trump Trump, preferably with dignity, class, and especially humor. (For ex.: like JFK, Lincoln, and Rep. Ted Lieu) 

2. Someone who knows how to work the levers of Government to take on Mitch McConnell and get stuff done. (For ex.: like LBJ and Pelosi) 

3. Someone with that undefinable "IT" factor that can inspire and empower a nation to be its best version of itself. (For ex.: Obama, obviously, as well as Howard "You have the power!" Dean [Yes, I'm a Deaniac still.]) 

4. Someone who speaks the truth --- even unpopular or inconvenient truths --- rather than spin or obfuscation. I may disagree with him/her, but I respect a candidate who is honest and candid rather than a panderer. (A couple current candidates show signs of meeting this criterion.) 

5. Someone who offers a storehouse of experience, knowledge, and wisdom to handle the minutiae of office, as well as crises with global consequences. Basically, someone brainy enough to know at least as much about a subject as does the reporter asking him/her about it. (For ex.: like either Bill or Hillary Clinton or, ideally, Pres. Josiah Bartlett) 

All that said, as a Marylander, I don't vote in the primary until the Dem candidate is all but finalized. So, if I do settle on a candidate that meets my criteria, I'll be voting early with my wallet.

[wnylib]

32. Excellent points JaneQPublic

I can agree with all of them but especially #5.

A combination of knowledge, wisdom, and experience allows a president to see the large picture, choose qualified appointees, and delegate to competent people.

I'd include life experience as well as working experience in government. For example, besides having phenomenal intelligence and critical reasoning ability, Obama had valuable life experience growing up both outside snd inside the US that allows him to see multiple perspectives.

Kennedy grew up in a politically active family and also lived abroad before holding office so he knew about both US and foreign policies.

Policies are indeed aspirational and require tbe ability to get others on board to achieve them. But policies also reveal a candidate's values and character.

I cringed every time I heard Bush Jr fans say they voted for him because they felt like they could have a beer with him. I want a president who is smarter and more capable than the bleary-eyed guy on the barstool next to me.

Anyway, my favorite team isn't running. I would vote for Pelosi/Schiff in a heartbeat.

[northoftheborder]

33. #26 says it all for me

[treestar]

27. I think Biden will win

But want to be able to support Wareen if she does. So if they fight I don’t want to be too much on a side.

My vote won’t matter as I live in Delaware, which will go heavily for Biden like it did for Hillary. It is Avery blue but center left or as many a DUer would say, centrist and corporatist

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

28. I'm supporting whoever is most likely to beat Trump.

Period. I don't care what the candidates want to do with health care - that, like most campaign promises involving social programs, will devolve to Congress, no matter how many fancy plans the candidates have cooked up and the promises they make that they can't realistically keep anyhow. I like some more than others, but I don't want to make a clear choice in this forum because I don't want others' opinions of my comments to be pre-judged by the candidate choice on the bottom of my posts.

[customerserviceguy]

30. I plan on voting

in the SC primary for either Pete Buttigieg or Joe Biden, whichever one is most viable by that time. I still expect Biden to win the SC primary, but if Buttigieg does well in Iowa, New Hampshire, and/or Nevada, and gains national momentum from that, then I will go with him.

We've all seen where candidacies peak too soon. I'm presuming that Sen. Warren is going to be on that trajectory as she gets more scrutiny in the process.

[SKKY]

35. That is a good point indeed.

I recall at various times Herman Cain and Michelle Bachmann both were the "front runners" in their primary.

[GemDigger]

31. I should be an undecided simply because I am in the last block to vote.

A lot happens between now and then. There are several I would support whole heartedly and several I would have to pinch my nose to vote for but vote for them I would.

[Beringia]

34. I think I am waiting for the anointing of the Prom Queen or King

I think that is how our candidates get picked.

I favor Bernie, Warren or Castro.

[PETRUS]

36. All along I've only given serious consideration to two candidates.

Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren. How I vote when my state's primary comes around will have to do with developments between now and that time.

[SKKY]

37. Understood. Yours seems to be the prevailing thought on this...

...although I would have thought folks would be more cemented in their opinions.

[Algernon Moncrieff]

38. Honest Answer - my primary is down the road a bit

...so I won't really be deciding until after South Carolina, by which time the field will likely be down to five or less.

I really wish we'd go to a three-tier system where all the states vote simultaneously (tier 1 get it to no more than 5; tier 2 get it down to 2; tier 3 (if needed) pick a winner). I hate that New Hampshire and Iowa get so much influence in this process.

..That said, I saw Elizabeth Warren at the Iowa Fair, and she did very well with her stump speech.

[SKKY]

39. I kinda like that. But, I also think an automatic run-off would make things...

...a lot easier, and probably fairer.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

40. I don't have the energy or inclination to pick one now. I'm not going to work for or donate to a

candidate before the primary, so I'm not moved to declare allegiance to one. Most of them are generally fine, and I'll be happy to vote for them next November. Each of them has issues or stances that give me pause as well. All of them annoy me in their own special way.

[Dem4Life1102]

41. Waiting until it is closer to the NY primary

before making a choice.