‘I hear comments all the time that after what’s happened in the first two primaries we only have a 50–50 chance…’
(Claire Russel, Liberty Headlines) A growing number of Democrats are worried the Democratic Party’s presidential nominee won’t be able to beat President Donald Trump in November, according to The Hill.
Trump has the incumbent advantage, and he’s also heading into the general election with strong economic growth supporting his campaign. Meanwhile, as the Democratic Party’s presidential nominees fight over who is best able to take on Trump, several Senate Democrats are privately expressing concern that the internal division will help Trump.
In particular, Democrats are worried about the low voter turnout in both the Iowa and New Hampshire primaries. Plus, Sen. Bernie Sanders’s recent rise has only exacerbated tensions between the left wing and the Democratic establishment.
“I hear comments all the time that after what’s happened in the first two primaries we only have a 50–50 chance. It’s not looking good,” one Democratic senator said.
Another Democratic senator said that the Democratic infighting has inadvertently given Trump a campaign pitch: “It’s given him a lot to talk about, and people have kind of become used to his misbehavior,” the second senator said. “I think everyone’s very nervous right now, and that nervousness is contributing to this sense of, whoever wins [the nomination], we’ve got to be there together.”
Despite the Democrats’ impeachment efforts, Trump’s approval ratings have remained steady. And in some polls, they’ve even grown. Trump’s campaign is also raising and spending millions of dollars more than any of the Democratic candidates.
“They’re targeting their people, they’re going to get their people out,” the Democratic senator said of Trump’s reelection campaign.
There’s also a chance that the Democratic primary will result in a contested convention, which will give Trump a substantial organizing advantage.
“You hear everybody talk, ‘If we take all that time, how are they going to be able to get organized to combat what [the president] is doing?’” the senator explained.