The 2020 Democratic primary continues to become more up for grabs as we near closer and closer to the actual primaries themselves. From familiar faces such as Bernie Sanders and Joe Biden to newcomers to the presidential trail such as Elizabeth Warren and Kamala Harris, Democratic-leaning voters have a wide array of candidates to choose from in order to defeat Donald Trump.
It's absolutely great seeing the Democratic base more energized than ever for the pending political circus next year. Beto O'Rourke, for example, seems to still have the enthusiasm that he picked up from his failed senatorial campaign in 2018. Moreover, it was also inspiring to see Pete Buttigieg kiss his husband on stage while proving that progressive politics can help even those in middle-class small towns like South Bend, Indiana.
All of this is great to see, but with all due respect to Beto, Mayor Pete, and perhaps nearly all of the other Democrats running: we know you want to fix Trump's mess, but how are you going to do it?
The 2020 election can genuinely make or break the state of progressive politics in the United States. With critical issues ranging from the Green New Deal, reparations for slavery, health care as a human right, and a $15 minimum wage, if candidates think gracing the covers of Vanity Fair and Vogue are doing the American people any good, then they are deeply mistaken.
Candidates like Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, so far, have been consistent in how they will specifically initiate the policy positions that they're undertaking. Of the 23 major candidates that have declared their candidacy, only 13 of them have policy pages on their campaign sites. You might say that it's too early in the campaign cycle for policy positions to be rolled out, but the fact of the matter is: Americans who are struggling to get by cannot wait.
The 2018 midterms have demonstrated that the American people want people in government that are willing to fight tooth and nail for them. Americans want people like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Rashida Tlaib representing them and their interests.
We cannot succumb to the bad habit of gloating in our victories and pretend that our work is over. We may have severed one head of the corruption hydra, but we have many more heads to go.
So to all 2020 candidates, it's time to quit wasting time on PR stunts and thinking that your past or background will guarantee you victory. There's too much at stake — let's get to work.
