Is it unusual to have this many candidates running?

In the upcoming Democratic primary, nearly 22 candidates are vying for the Democratic Party’s nomination in the hope of defeating incumbent U.S. President Trump. After Trump’s election in 2016, it seems that anyone can run for president. If a businessman who can’t even launch a new product without it failing (Trump Steaks, anyone?) won the election, anyone can do it. 

This election cycle, we have a tech bro, Andrew Yang, running on a single proposal of universal basic income. Self-help Guru Maryann Williamson is running on “love” and “Defeating New Zealand.” Former candidate Tim Ryan ranted about the Taliban causing 9/11 (it was Al-Qaeda). Former Vice President Joe Biden is trying to run on his past position as VP and Obama’s best friend, despite the fact that his “best friend” does not endorse him. At times, Sanders comes across as a bitter old man still disappointed by the DNC result in 2016. Although people may have different values for what we think makes a good leader (such as courage, foreign policy experience, trustworthiness, honesty, etc.) the president of the United States must be someone qualified for the job because they have experience in government, understand people and politics, and are decidedly serious, dedicated to the enormous task before them. We, as Americans, should hold our candidates to higher standards. Yet we are almost two weeks away from the beginning of the primaries and still have about ten different candidates vying for the nomination, which is certainly better than more than twenty just a few months ago. 

Is it really unusual for this many candidates to be in the field? In 2016, there were 6 main Democratic candidates running at its peak: Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders, Lincoln Chafee, Jim Webb, Martin O’Malley, and Lawrence Lessig. Odds are, you probably only remember Clinton and Sanders. The Federal Election Commission (FEC) keeps a record of all registered presidential candidates in its filing history. In 2008, 64 candidates registered with the Democratic Party, yet there are currently 304 candidates filed with the FEC to run for the 2020 Democratic nomination. The number increases every day. In 1988, the primaries seemed unusually large with just 7 candidates on the debate stage, whereas in this cycle, we have had to have separate debate nights in order to allow all qualified candidates time on stage, based on the Democratic National Committee’s standards. This uptick in candidates is not limited to the Democratic Party. In 2016, 17 Republicans were running, which likewise required the GOP to use two nights.

Historically speaking, it is not that unusual for a large number of candidates to run for the presidential nominations. The race has been no stranger to fringe candidates, from performance artists to preachers and third parties such as the Green Party or Objectivist Party. Yet what is unusual is the coverage the media is giving to each of the major candidates. For this year’s Democratic challengers, every major candidate who hit the debate stage over the summer was given an in-depth interview by the popular podcast Pod Save America. Several candidates have had features in The New York Times podcast The Daily, including Kamala Harris, Pete Buttigieg, Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, Gillibrand, and Joe Biden. Additionally, Buttigieg, Booker, and Yang received high profile interviews from 60 Minutes, CBS, and CBSN, respectively. Media companies are not limiting themselves to covering only a few candidates; they are interviewing the “big” candidates such as Warren and Sanders as well as the lesser-known ones such as Yang.

Similarly, in 2016, multiple key Republican candidates were given significant media time, a valuable opportunity for candidates to pitch their platforms to the public. If you are old enough, just try to see how many candidates you can list. Maybe you thought of Jeb Bush, Trump, Cruz, Rubio, and Kascich and couldn’t think of any more. I dare you to try to think of a Democratic candidate other than Sanders, Obama, and Clinton from the last 10 years. Maybe you remember that Biden tried in 2008, eventually joining Obama as his running mate. 

The amount of media attention and spike in candidates running may be a response to the Trump presidency and an increasingly divided nation. Another possible cause is reform in how the primary process actually works: before 1968, party leaders told delegates at the national convention who to vote for. The Vietnam War dramatically shifted the 1968 nomination process. Liberal Democrats wanted an anti-war nominee; instead, they got Johnson, who supported the conflict, a choice which riots and protests. Eventually, the system was overhauled and the wave of reform took the form of the Fraser-McGovern Commission, leading to the caucus and primary system we know today. Still others believe more people are running simply because it is a way to gain personal wealth and book deals, as well as significant media attention, such as we have witnessed this year. Some candidates join the field just because they think they are the best person to do the job (I’m looking at you Bloomberg, Mr. I’m-a-Billionaire-Businessman). 

The field is still overwhelmingly wide. With the primaries just around the corner, though, the most important thing you can do is register to vote. The second critical action is to muddle through the mess that is the media and find a candidate whose message you truly believe in. With 20 or so candidates, surely there is one out there for you.

Sources:

“Browse Candidates for President.” FEC.gov, www.fec.gov/data/candidates/president/?election_year=2020&cycle=2020&election_full=true.

“Election 2016 - 2016 Republican Presidential Nomination.” RealClearPolitics, www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2016/president/us/2016_republican_presidential_nomination-3823.html.

Hassell, Hans J. G. “Why Are There so Many Candidates for President?” The Conversation, 6 Oct. 2019, theconversation.com/why-are-there-so-many-candidates-for-president-116571.

Jakejakeny. “Why Are so Many Democrats Still Running for President? They Need the Cash.” CNBC, CNBC, 16 Sept. 2019, www.cnbc.com/2019/09/13/why-are-so-many-democrats-still-running-for-president-they-need-the-cash.html.

Newell, Jim. “Nobody Wants to Run for Senate.” Slate Magazine, Slate, 3 May 2019, slate.com/news-and-politics/2019/05/democrats-senate-president-2020.html.

“The Primaries Scandal in 1968 That Changed Everything: Guide to the Presidential Primaries.” Vox.com, www.vox.com/a/presidential-primaries-2016-republican-democrat/1968-scandal.