Too many Democrats in 2020 could cause chaos

I+voted+stickers+in+San+Diego+in+June+2018.

Photo courtesy of Tribune News Service

“I voted” stickers in San Diego in June 2018.

By Noah Nelson, Columnist

To many Americans across the country, it feels like the 2016 presidential election happened centuries ago, and everyone has been living in President Donald Trump’s America ever since his inauguration. Whether for or against him, he put his hat in the ring for the 2020 election just hours after swearing into office, and Democrats have since been determined to run against him.

It seems that when each presidential election nears, the various campaigns on both sides of the aisle begin earlier every time around. The 2020 presidential election is no different, as many Democrats have already announced their candidacy, but too many could cause chaos.

So far, United States Sens. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, Kamala Harris of California and Kirsten Gillibrand of New York; United States Reps. Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii and John Delaney of Maryland; former President Obama’s Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Julian Castro; and South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg have all announced their campaigns for presidency.

Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz have speculated about running. Even former Vice President Joe Biden and former first lady and 2016 presidential candidate Hillary Clinton have left the door open to running.

It’s great to see so many of these highly accomplished figures either running for president or at least thinking about the option, but they need to stop there. They all need to know that even though they want to remove President Trump from office in just under two years, they will eventually have to battle each other for the nomination.

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The situation reminded me of another election with the same problem: 1860, the race in which three Democrats, Sen. Stephen A. Douglas of Illinois, Vice President John C. Breckinridge of Kentucky and former Sen. John Bell of Tennessee, ran against Illinois lawyer Abraham Lincoln. Because these Democrats ran in part to keep slavery in the country to Lincoln’s dismay, it caused the people to split the vote in three parts, thus catapulting Lincoln to win the race for the Republicans.

It’s best to learn American history because if none of us know the important aspects of it, it’s doomed to repeat itself. That’s just what might be happening in this upcoming presidential election.

Even so, four women are running for the Democratic nomination, a feat only done by Clinton in 2016. Maybe these women chose to run because they felt they could do something in 2020 that Clinton simply could not just a few short years ago: defeat Trump.

Whatever the case, no other Democrats should run for the nomination in 2020. More candidacy announcements from any other Democrats might divide the party, giving President Trump the kick he needs to possibly win re-election.

Noah is a freshman in LAS.

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