In preparation for the 2020 presidential election, Democrats are in the midst of debates, campaign rallies and fundraising events as 19 people attempt to obtain the highest position in the executive branch.
The candidates, while being in the same party, have a variety of views on some of the top issues in the nation. According to a Gallup poll completed in 2018, voters concluded that healthcare, the economy and immigration were at the top of their list of priorities. Lately, the Democrats have been at odds over whether the solution to these should be handled with a more moderate approach or a more progressive viewpoint.
With the heightened coverage of this upcoming election, Auburn students have already begun discussing the best option for the country’s future: a Moderate or a Progressive. Jared Schiller, junior in wildlife ecology, is a member of Young Democratic Socialist of America, YDSA, and has shared his thoughts on what he believes to be the best option.
“I do think Bernie Sanders has the best chance in the primary,” Schiller said. “I think the largest voting bloc in America is people who vote generally, and he has inspired a giant bloc of people who usually don’t vote — young people, very poor people — to get to the polls and vote.”
YDSA just recently created a chapter specifically for the University.
A particular organization exists for students that align with democratic ideologies, but their views don’t necessarily align with the YDSA, Schiller said.
“They do a lot of policies and votes that support their donors, which are usually very rich and very wealthy corporations, and we support the working-class people,” he said. “There is a wing of Democrats that are more progressive that does more for the working-class in our view, but the majority of the Democrats, and the Democrats with a lot of power, seem to not.”
The current status of the Democratic race has caught more than the attention of voters in the liberal political sphere.
Auburn University College Republicans have also thought about the possible outcomes depending on what type of Democrat wins the nomination.
Max Kleiber is a junior in political science and the communications director for the Auburn’s College Republicans.
A distinct divide within the party has been apparent throughout the race thus far, Kleiber said.
“There seems to be a divide between the Democratic Party as far as who wants to discuss policy and who wants to discuss problems,” he said. “As Republicans, we are thankful that we are not in a primary season right now, and we look forward to seeing who wins the nomination.”
From the perspective of the right, they believe that a more moderate candidate would inevitably be a better fit for the Republican Party as well, Kleiber said.
“Although a progressive may help President Trump get reelected, as Republicans, we put the country above the party,” he said. “We do believe that President Trump proposes the best path forward, but with the options presented, we believe a moderate Democrat would be the less damaging choice to America and her principles.”
In addition to Trump, there are three other Republicans who have announced their intentions to run in 2020.
Mark Sanford, Joe Walsh and William Weld have all worked in government before and have declared that they will return the Republican Party back to its original state.
Despite these other Republican candidates, the greatest threats to Trump’s reelection are the moderate Democrats like Joe Biden and Elizabeth Warren, Kleiber said.
“I believe Joe Biden does the best at connecting with blue-collar workers, with the Rust Belt area of the country and with the independent, moderate Republicans — ‘never-Trumpers’ if you will — and moderate Democrats,” he said. “Elizabeth Warren energizes the party greatly. You see large crowds, lots of support and a large volunteer base for her candidacy.”
For the most part, other Republican candidates who are running are merely gaining press attention and don’t threaten Trump at all, he said.
“Despite there being some hold-outs in the never-Trumper movement, President Trump still has a large hold on the party and is the best choice for the party,” Kleiber said. “Their policy prescriptions are not very different from President Trump’s. They want either attention or notoriety or any other side deal they can get.”
On the other side of the political spectrum, many Democratic Socialists are confident in Sanders being able to win not only the primary but also being able to defeat Trump, Schiller said.
“I’m not a political expert, but in all the polls I’ve seen, he’s beating Trump,” he said. “In all the national polls that compare him to Trump, it shows him winning in all of them, so I feel like he has a really good chance.”
Auburn Republicans do believe that Trump will be the best option for the next five years, but they appreciate the spirit of the Democratic candidates, Kleiber said.
“We do appreciate some Democrats’ desire to improve the country, but we disagree strongly with their policy positions and their understanding and ideas of where the problems are coming from,” Kleiber said.
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