Category Archives: Democrat

Pelosis list reflects her desire for geographic, racial and gender diversity among the impeachment managers, and it draws from the Democratic Caucus wide swath of legal and national security-related experience.

Schiff was the de facto leader of the impeachment inquiry and has, over the years, cemented his status as Public Enemy No. 1 for Trump and his allies. During the trial, Schiff, 59, a close Pelosi ally and former federal prosecutor who earned his law degree from Harvard Law School, could be afforded an open-ended soliloquy to outline the presidents alleged misconduct. Giving Trumps political nemesis an uninterrupted stage on the Senate floor could test the notoriously mercurial presidents patience as he vacillates between a desire for a quick, dismissive trial and a robust one that includes a slate of his hand-picked witnesses. Trump has even mused about calling Schiff himself as a witness, though its highly unlikely that Senate Republicans would agree to such a move. Pelosi said Schiff will serve as the lead manager.

Nadler, a vocal Bill Clinton defender when the House impeached him in 1998, earned his spot atop the Judiciary panel in part based on a pitch that he has the constitutional know-how to lead a potential impeachment of the president. His committees efforts to pursue special counsel Robert Muellers evidence largely receded into the background while Schiffs panel led the Ukraine probe but the Judiciary Committee returned to the spotlight when it came time to draft articles of impeachment. The panel also issued lengthy reports about the constitutional underpinnings of the case against Trump, which padded Congress thin precedent on the issue. The 72-year-old Nadler, a Fordham Law School graduate, will likely buttress Schiffs presentation of facts by laying out the reason Trumps alleged offenses warrant removal from office.

Lofgren has more impeachment-related experience than perhaps any lawmaker in Washington. She was a staffer for the Judiciary Committee during the impeachment inquiry into Richard Nixon, and was a member of the panel during Bill Clintons impeachment in 1998. She ran for chair of the Judiciary Committee ahead of the swearing-in of the new Congress in 2019, but lost the race to Nadler. Lofgren, 72, was first elected in 1994 and got her law degree from Santa Clara University.

Jeffries, 49, has quickly risen through the ranks since his election to the House in 2012, and he has been floated as a future House speaker. Jeffries, who sits on the Judiciary Committee, was chosen as the chairman of the House Democratic Caucus after his party took control of the chamber in the 2018 midterm elections. He has stood out in committee hearings and on cable television as a vocal critic of Trump and a forceful Pelosi ally and defender. While dozens of House Democrats were announcing their support for an impeachment inquiry last summer, Jeffries remained aligned with the speaker, who was resisting an inquiry until the Ukraine scandal blew up. He got his law degree from New York University.

While she isnt a lawyer, Demings, 62, has an extensive background in law enforcement and was a standout during the impeachment hearings. Demings, the former Orlando police chief, is one of just two Democrats who sits on both the Intelligence and Judiciary committees, giving her a uniquely prevalent role during the Houses two-part impeachment process. She also brings geographic, racial and gender diversity to the lineup of impeachment managers a key priority for Pelosi.

Crow, 40, was a surprise choice, but Pelosi has leaned heavily on the so-called national security freshmen in the Democratic Caucus during her deliberations for the impeachment process. Crow, serving in his first term, doesnt sit on any of the committees charged with investigating Trump. But he is a former Army captain who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, and he received his law degree at the University of Denver. He was one of seven national security-oriented freshman lawmakers who wrote an op-ed in September calling for an impeachment inquiry after the Ukraine scandal came to light. He serves on the House Armed Services Committee.

Garcia, 69, was also an unexpected selection to be an impeachment manager, but she serves on the Judiciary Committee and is a former municipal judge in Houston. Garcia, a freshman lawmaker, brings racial, gender and geographic diversity to the lineup of impeachment managers. She received her law degree from Texas Southern University. Her district covers much of Houston, where she also served as the citys controller.

Read more here:

Meet the Democrats prosecuting Trump's impeachment - POLITICO

Welcome to Opinions commentary for the Jan. 14 Democratic presidential candidate debate in Des Moines. In this special feature, Times Opinion writers rank the candidates on a scale of 1 to 10: 1 means the candidate probably didnt belong on the stage and should probably drop out; 10 means its on, President Trump. Heres what our columnists and contributors thought about the debate.

Read what our columnists and contributors thought of the December debate.

Elizabeth Warren

Jorge Castaeda (7.5/10) A substantive candidate, even if her position on the trade agreement between the United States and Mexico is not very credible. On Iran and troops abroad she was categorical and honest.

Gail Collins (8/10) It does sound as if she really has a plan for everything, and no one could really take that on. Shes the one the debaters need to focus on the next time around.

Ross Douthat (6/10) The moderators basically took her side in the he said/she said with Sanders and she got to deliver what was no doubt a prepared speech. So a good-enough night, but hard to see a momentum swing for her.

Maureen Dowd (4/10) Her slide continues. Sanders has gotten back the progressive high ground on health care and soaking the rich, even after the Warren forces tried to submarine him this week. She didnt want to push it too hard and that let him off the hook.

Michelle Goldberg (9/10) One of her best debates. She had the most memorable line of the night: The only people on this stage who have won every single election they have been in are the women.

Nicole Hemmer (9/10) Barbara Lee was the clear winner of the debate, repeatedly cheered for her lone vote against authorizing the use of force after 9/11. But Warren was a close second, turning a challenging conflict with Sanders into a forceful case for her candidacy.

Robert Leonard (9/10) Best line of the night on whether a woman can win the presidency the women in the debate were undefeated.

Liz Mair (5/10) Shes lucky no one pressed her on whether Sanders said what her campaign is alleging if she said he had, Im not sure many people would have believed her.

Daniel McCarthy (6/10) Shes especially cogent on trade when defending the new NAFTA against Sanders. Made the case she can threaten Trumps Rust Belt support.

Melanye Price (9/10) She gave an amazing answer to the question about electability and it was her best moment of the entire debate.

Mimi Swartz (7/10) She maneuvered the gender issues handily, kept her cool and didnt take the bait to go to war on Sanders. But we know her brothers were in the military and that shes determined to fight corruption. She needs to refresh her talking points.

Hctor Tobar (8/10) I saw flashes of the conviction that briefly propelled her to the top of the Democratic field. Of the progressive candidates left standing, shes the most credible and presidential.

Pete Wehner (6/10) What she said on policy during the debate wont matter much. Her refusal to shake Sanderss hand after the debate will. My bet is this now intensely personal confrontation shes essentially accusing Sanders of being sexist, hes essentially accusing her of being a liar wont help Warren or Sanders.

Will Wilkinson (8/10) She needed a strong night and delivered. She made a fiery, galvanizing case on womens electability that made Sanders seem less than honest. Shes a fighter and still very much in the hunt.

Bernie Sanders

Jorge Castaeda (8.5/10) His best performance yet: authentic, eloquent and on-message. But will Americans elect a socialist?

Gail Collins (7/10) He isnt the most appealing, but he did have a whole lot of the most rousing moments.

Ross Douthat (6/10) Himself, himself, himself: The most consistent candidate from debate to debate was consistent once again. The Biden-Bernie debates after Super Tuesday will be deliciously grumpy.

Maureen Dowd (8/10) Waving his arms with the flair of a maestro, Sanders dominated the stage, didnt give any ground on his give-away programs and stared down Warren over her claim that he had told her that a woman couldnt win. He said he totally believes a woman could win. He obviously doesnt want one to win this year.

Michelle Goldberg (8/10) Bernie is more or less always the same, which is one thing his fans love about him.

Nicole Hemmer (7/10) He is debate-stage comfort food: You always know exactly what youre going to get.

Robert Leonard (7/10) Bernie is Bernie. But if Elizabeth Warren looked over the top of her glasses at me like she did at him, Id confess. He had different math teachers than I did he needs to show his work on Medicare for All.

Liz Mair (5/10) Let me keep telling you how Im totally not sexist and make you think Im totally sexist.

Daniel McCarthy (7/10) I dont share his faith in multilateralism, but hes the alternative to the foreign-policy status quo and clearest contrast to the G.O.P. all around.

Melanye Price (9/10) He looked like the nominee. His supporters should be ecstatic.

Mimi Swartz (8/10) The Cassandra of the campaign, but circumstances are conspiring to make him look ever more rational.

Hctor Tobar (7/10) He was cornered on health care. What will happen when the G.O.P. cannons are aimed at his campaign?

Pete Wehner (5/10) He was Bernie: curmudgeonly, loud, deeply ideological, a rock star to his base but unattractive to pretty much everyone else. The exchange with Warren that was leaked by her campaign wasnt one he was going to win, and he didnt.

Will Wilkinson (7/10) He burnished his anti-war cred and deftly defused Warrens a woman cant get elected allegation. Despite some shakiness in his hair-splitting opposition to NAFTA 2.0, which is good for Iowa, hes heading toward the caucus with his mojo intact.

Amy Klobuchar

Jorge Castaeda (6.5/10) She was substantive on health care. Yet even by a politicians standard, she talks too much about herself.

Gail Collins (6/10) Since her strong points have been so much about her performance in the debates, this wasnt a help or at least not a step up. Still waiting for the moment where she goes beyond likeability and really rouses the audience.

Ross Douthat (7/10) She forgot the governor of Kansas name, and she sometimes gets lost in Senate procedure, but another solid, personable performance that probably isnt going to be quite enough to lap Buttigieg in Iowa.

Maureen Dowd (6/10) She mined her ore-mining Midwestern roots and whacked Sanders and Warren for their pipe-dream math, their grand ideological sketches that will never see the light of day. But no breakthrough moment to get better traction in Iowa.

Michelle Goldberg (7/10) She was sharp, empathetic and charming. If I were looking for a pragmatic moderate, she might have won me over.

Nicole Hemmer (7/10) She should be the moderates choice, but she sounds senatorial, not presidential shes good on the ins and outs of legislation but often fails to tell a bigger story.

Robert Leonard (9/10) The women won the night. Klobuchar was pragmatic and tough but if you are going to name-drop the Kansas governor, you should remember her name.

Liz Mair (4/10) A weak debate. She often stumbled and sounded uncomfortable. She must be all in on Nevada with all the casino and gambling references.

Daniel McCarthy (4/10) She was the second-tier, standard-issue politician this time and came off as a foreign-policy lightweight.

Melanye Price (6/10) Someone should tell her the center is disappearing and the party has moved to the left.

Mimi Swartz (8/10) Once again, the queen of competence. Good idea to limit the one-liners. Biden-Klobuchar?

Hctor Tobar (8/10) The new centrist hope. Her reasonableness, competency and empathy could carry her to an upset in Iowa, and maybe in New Hampshire, too.

Pete Wehner (8/10) She needed an outstanding debate, and she got it. Shes authentic, informed and persuasive, is able to criticize other candidates without being nasty and (in an increasingly radical Democratic Party) she comes across as fairly moderate.

Will Wilkinson (6/10) She dominated the contest to name-check Iowa municipalities and built on her impressive electability bona fides. Yet every note she hit, like this entire debate, felt like a rerun.

Joe Biden

Jorge Castaeda (7.5/10) Uninspiring but solid on Iraq, Iran and womens issues. This may well be all he has to do to win the nomination.

Gail Collins (5/10) He didnt screw up! But I cant really celebrate the fact that he seemed functional but flat. Fair to mention the many things he did in previous administrations, but you still need a new thought to grab onto.

Ross Douthat (5/10) A very Biden performance he rambled, evaded and courted disaster in multiple answers but somehow always stumbled through. Nobody really attacked him; nothing happened to hurt his lead.

Maureen Dowd (5/10) Bidin his time til South Carolina; as he reminded his competitors, hes strongest among African-American voters. No gaffes but no heat, even though he had more breathing room because the candidates who used to attack him are gone.

Michelle Goldberg (6/10) He seemed sleepy and tripped over his words, at least until his riff on the economy. But none of his fellow candidates hurt him.

Nicole Hemmer (6/10) Biden debated like a candidate whose biggest goal was not to say anything dumb. (He gets an extra point for succeeding).

Robert Leonard (8/10) At times presidential, others a scold, and occasionally forgetful, he nailed it on paying farmers to sequester carbon to help fight global warming and stabilize a crumbling rural economy.

Liz Mair (8/10) Not a great debate, but at least he made people laugh once when the debate otherwise made people cry and tear their hair out.

Daniel McCarthy (5/10) Stumbles havent hurt him before hes almost Trump-like in his resilience. Hes not getting sharper, though.

Melanye Price (7/10) He has done a lot, but not enough to avoid a dumpster fire of political division and bigotry.

Mimi Swartz (7.5/10) He flogged his record during the Obama administration like crazy and held his own for 120 minutes, which was all he had to do.

Hctor Tobar (5/10) Ugh. Hes a shadow of the man who we knew just four or eight years ago. At the most pointed moments of the debate, he seemed to disappear.

Pete Wehner (6/10) He wasnt dominant or terribly impressive, but he didnt make any damaging errors. No one went after him. He used Trumps attacks against him to his advantage.

Will Wilkinson (7/10) Biden hasnt won a single debate, but it clearly doesnt matter. Hes ahead in the race and he capped off the night with energetic authority. The nomination is still his to lose.

Pete Buttigieg

Jorge Castaeda (7/10) Hes strong on education and articulate, but he comes across as scripted at times. He acknowledged that the trade agreement with Mexico and Canada was not perfect, though it seems he half-heartedly supports it.

Gail Collins (7/10) He had some of the best arguments, but worried that he still sounded like a really, really smart high school debater. He knows how to do those As a war veteran ... moments, which would be terrific in a debate with Trump.

Ross Douthat (4/10) Every answer was equally smooth, and at this point thats the problem.

Maureen Dowd (4/10) He continued to emphasize his veteran cred and how he would take down Cadet Bone Spurs. But he still seems canned and comes across as the star of the high school debate team. Hes straining to come up with the Vision Thing.

Michelle Goldberg (6/10) He was, as usual, poised and agile, but in a night with no fireworks, none of his answers stood out.

Nicole Hemmer (6/10) Last debate, everyone attacked him. This debate, they mostly ignored him and his overly rehearsed answers felt less relevant to the actual debate raging around him.

Robert Leonard (8/10) While Biden and Sanders bickered over old wars, Mayor Pete looked to future wars climate, cybersecurity and election security. He was the only one to mention the Poor Peoples March that took place at the debate site.

Liz Mair (7/10) Mayor Pete was one of two people who managed to not mangle the English language. Thank goodness.

Daniel McCarthy (5/10) Hes right that millionaires and billionaires kids shouldnt get free college from taxpayers. So why not means-test all entitlements?

Melanye Price (6/10) He will have to work to get some energy back. But no matter how he performs, pundits will say he was excellent.

Mimi Swartz (6/10) Hes starting to sound over-rehearsed. Nice try answering the question about his lack of black support, but the numbers speak louder.

Hctor Tobar (6/10) Hes the most polished and telegenic guy up there, but his ideas dont inspire me.

Pete Wehner (7/10) Strong but not outstanding. He told some humanizing stories, hes future-oriented and hes the only Democrat who isnt afraid to talk about his faith.

Will Wilkinson (6/10) Mayor Pete felt too much on auto-pilot to extract himself from the depths of the wine cave and reverse his slumping Iowa numbers.

Tom Steyer

Jorge Castaeda (6/10) Decisive on issues like impeaching Trump and climate change. He was unable to break through on other issues.

Gail Collins (2/10) We have a better billionaire.

Ross Douthat (5/10) His best night dont roll your eyes.

Maureen Dowd (3/10) Steyer pressed his case that he is the one to take on corporate America, given that he has already wrung a billion dollars out of the economy. But if we have to listen to a rich guy, lets hear what Mike Bloomberg has to say.

Michelle Goldberg (7/10) He was fine, but why is he there?

Nicole Hemmer (3/10) The guy pointed to his globe-trotting as evidence that hes qualified to be commander in chief. Yes, hes got good answers on climate, but cmon.

Robert Leonard (5/10) Getting stronger, but Cory Booker and Andrew Yang should have been on this debate stage.

Liz Mair (6/10) He also managed to not engage in rampant word salad yet still came off as someone just running a massive vanity exercise.

Daniel McCarthy (2/10) If nothing else, this minor-league candidate shows Democrats that money does have a role in facilitating discussion of big issues.

Melanye Price (5/10) He is paying a ton of money to become the head of the Environmental Protection Agency.

Mimi Swartz (7/10) Hes growing into his candidacy, but I dont see him breaking out of the pack to become the nominee. Secretary of climate?

Hctor Tobar (4/10) Its shameful that a man can buy his way into the semi-finals of the Democratic primary. Hes a marketing phenomenon, and not a political one.

Pete Wehner (2/10) He spoke less than any candidate and he still spoke too much. For future debates can we trade Steyer for Andrew Yang?

Will Wilkinson (7/10) He delivered a clear, impassioned case for a progressive agenda, especially on climate change. His billions undercut the credibility of his left message, but they bolster his claim to be able to rattle Trump.

The Times is committed to publishing a diversity of letters to the editor. Wed like to hear what you think about this or any of our articles. Here are some tips. And heres our email: letters@nytimes.com.

Follow The New York Times Opinion section on Facebook, Twitter (@NYTopinion) and Instagram.

About the authors

Gail Collins, Ross Douthat, Maureen Dowd and Michelle Goldberg are Times columnists. (Ms. Goldberg's husband is consulting for Ms. Warrens campaign.)

Jorge Castaeda (@JorgeGCastaneda), Mexicos foreign minister from 2000 to 2003, is a professor at New York University and the author of Utopia Unarmed: The Latin American Left After the Cold War and a contributing opinion writer.

Nicole Hemmer (@pastpunditry) is an associate research scholar at Columbia University and the author of Messengers of the Right: Conservative Media and the Transformation of American Politics.

Robert Leonard (@RobertLeonard), the news director for the Iowa radio stations KNIA and KRLS, is the author of Deep Midwest: Midwestern Explorations.

Daniel McCarthy (@ToryAnarchist) is the editor of Modern Age: A Conservative Quarterly.

Continued here:

Opinion | Winners and Losers of the Democratic Debate - The New York Times

Tucker Carlson continued to take on the homeless crisis Friday night, this time tying itto the 2020 presidential election and asking viewers what kind of impact the election will have on the United States.

"The issues at stake are bigger than just the economy or even our foreign policy commitments. 2020 is about the broadest possible questions. What kind of country should we have? Who should live here? What will America look like 50 years from now?" Carlson asked on "Tucker Carlson Tonight."

"There are a lot of possible answers to those questions," he added, "but leading Democrats appear to have settled on their position. America, they're telling us, should be a lot more like California."

CALIFORNIA EXODUS COULD LEAD TO STATE LOSING CONGRESSIONAL SEAT, CENSUS ESTIMATES FIND

Carlson, who has covered California's problems extensively, mentioned Democratic presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg's recent comments praising the state.

"I think that California can serve as a great example for the rest of this country, Bloomberg said last week.

Carlson said he sees Bloomberg's view as being woefully outdated.

"The people who moved here in 1960 when Bloomberg graduated high school found their American dream," Carlson said. "But things have changed. Now, the children and grandchildren of those people are fleeing California."

The Golden State's problems have included health and immigration -- and residents leaving the state because of failed policies, Carlson said.

"It's messed up, really messed up," Carlson said after playing a montage of homeless people taking drugs and leaving filth in the street.

"That's right. And so finally normal people are leaving California. For decades, the state led the nation in attracting migrants from other states. Now the flow has reversed."

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Carlson blamed the politicians.

"Instead of fixing the problems that are forcing people to flee," he said, "politicians here have spent the last few years on policies that are frivolous and counterproductive."

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Tucker Carlson: Democrats want US to be more like California -- the state that's driving residents away - Fox News

Democratic 2020 U.S. presidential candidate and entrepreneur Andrew Yang poses for a photograph with a student wearing a Make America Great Again (MAGA) hat during a campaign stop at Concord High School in Concord, New Hampshire, U.S. January 2, 2020. (Brian Snyder/Reuters)In short, he talks like a person, not a politician, and he talks to voters as if theyre people, not potential votes.

At one point, nearly 30 men and women had entered the race for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination. As of this week, only a dozen of them remain. Among those who have exited the contest are three sitting U.S. senators, five current or former U.S. representatives, and three governors. Among those still standing is an entrepreneur whom nobody in the political world had ever heard of until early last year: Andrew Yang, the only non-politician left in the race aside from Tom Steyer, the billionaire hedge-fund manager bankrolling his own campaign.

Why has Yang succeeded where so many more-experienced Democrats failed? In a sea of candidates whose rhetoric offers only familiar, talking-point-laden jargon, Yang sticks out like a sore thumb, and thats to his advantage. He built his campaign from the bottom up, starting with no political experience or name recognition to speak of and rising from there chiefly by embracing his status as a little-known outsider.

Likely because he faced a stiff challenge in gaining any public attention at all, Yang began his campaign willing to go anywhere and talk to anyone, and he remains that way even after having outlasted half the field. His first chance in the spotlight came last February, when he joined Joe Rogans immensely popular podcast for a two-hour chat.

This was a preview of things to come for Yang. Embodying one of his slogans, Not Left, Not Right, Forward, he hasnt shied away from granting access to conservative outlets. He did a lengthy interview on The Ben Shapiro Show last April and, later that month, gave a lengthy interview to National Review. As I noted in the resulting profile, my conversation with him gave me an immediate sense of why his campaign was already resonating with voters, especially younger ones who had never before been interested in politics:

Talking to Yang is like talking to your undergraduate economics professor in office hours as he tries to find a way to communicate with students who were too bored to pay attention the first time he explained something in class. He thinks he gets it, and he wants you to get it, too.

In other words, Yang is unconventional, and thats the secret to his success. He talks like a person, not a politician, and he talks to voters as if theyre people, not potential votes.

Just this morning, for instance, amid the brewing spat between Senators Bernie Sanders (I., Vt.) and Elizabeth Warren (D., Mass.), Yang tweeted, Watching this Elizabeth Bernie dynamic is upsetting. We have big problems to solve and both want to solve them. Im sure thats where they would want our attention focused too.

While other Democratic campaigns likely would be paralyzed with indecision at the sight of two front-runners dragging each other into the mud either remaining cautiously silent or gaming out a detailed strategy for a precisely worded, carefully evasive comment that might redound to the benefit of their own polling numbers Yang just says what he thinks.

The core of his platform, the Freedom Dividend a universal basic income of $1,000 per month for every American adult is an excellent example of how Yangs routine willingness to flout customary political tactics has contributed to his rise. When Yang announced during the September debate that his campaign would give away $1,000 per month for a year to ten American families, he was met with audible laughter from several contenders on stage, including California senator Kamala Harris. Four months later, Harris is out of the race, and Yang is still standing.

Yangs ability to come across as less programmed than his opponents is apparent in nearly everything he does. Last month, for instance, he announced that anyone who donated any amount to his campaign would be entered for a chance to win a trip to Los Angeles to see the newest Star Wars movie with Yang after the debate. Yes I am that candidate, he acknowledged in the tweet, followed by a smiley face and a thumbs-up emoji.

What I wrote in my profile of Yang last April is still true: He wont be the Democratic nominee. But several of the things he told me at the time have been proven true as well:

Most Americans are still going to be finding out about me when they watch these debates, he goes on. Theyre going to see me. Theyre going to Google me. Theyll be like, Whos that guy? He pauses to chuckle at his own comment. Then the more people dig into my vision for the country, the better Im going to do.

Given that hes managed to stick around longer than many veteran politicians whose campaigns were boosted by constant media acclaim, it seems that Yang was right.

See the article here:

Why Andrew Yang Has Endured While Traditional Democratic Candidates Have Not - National Review

Star Wars fans of a certain age remember the opening scenes of the very first movie in the franchise, Episode IV: A New Hope. Facing a desperate situation, against a better-financed and more ruthless opposition, Princess Leia Organa makes a desperate plea: This is our most desperate hour. Help me, Obi-Wan Kenobi. Youre my only hope.

In a galaxy much closer to home, Democrats are facing similar prospects in the race to defeat Donald Trump in November. In this world, however, its becoming more and more clear that former Vice President Joe BidenJoe BidenSanders to headline Iowa event amid impeachment trial Hillicon Valley: Biden calls for revoking tech legal shield | DHS chief 'fully expects' Russia to try to interfere in 2020 | Smaller companies testify against Big Tech 'monopoly power' Hill.TV's Krystal Ball on Sanders-Warren feud: 'Don't play to the pundits, play to voters' MORE will be playing the role of Obi-Wan Kenobi in 2020.

In the latest Morning Consult poll conducted Dec. 30 through Jan. 5, Biden is leading President TrumpDonald John TrumpNational Archives says it altered Trump signs, other messages in Women's March photo Dems plan marathon prep for Senate trial, wary of Trump trying to 'game' the process Democratic lawmaker dismisses GOP lawsuit threat: 'Take your letter and shove it' MORE 46 percent to 40 percent in a hypothetical matchup, the widest margin recorded among the top five contenders for the partys nomination. In the same poll, Sen. Bernie SandersBernie SandersSanders to headline Iowa event amid impeachment trial Hill.TV's Saagar Enjeti rips Sanders over handling of feud with Warren On The Money Presented by Wells Fargo Sanders defends vote against USMCA | China sees weakest growth in 29 years | Warren praises IRS move on student loans MORE (I-Vt.) and former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg lead the incumbent president by just two points, with former South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete ButtigiegPeter (Pete) Paul ButtigiegSanders to headline Iowa event amid impeachment trial Hill.TV's Krystal Ball on Sanders-Warren feud: 'Don't play to the pundits, play to voters' Poll: Sanders holds 5-point lead over Buttigieg in New Hampshire MORE and Sen. Elizabeth WarrenElizabeth Ann WarrenSanders to headline Iowa event amid impeachment trial Hill.TV's Saagar Enjeti rips Sanders over handling of feud with Warren On The Money Presented by Wells Fargo Sanders defends vote against USMCA | China sees weakest growth in 29 years | Warren praises IRS move on student loans MORE (D-Mass.) statistically tied within the margin of error.

This latest poll is similar to previous surveys over the past few months that show Biden leading Trump anywhere between five percentage points (CNN 12/12-12/15) and nine points (Quinnipiac 12/4-12/9). The Democratic nominee will need that kind of national advantage to ensure not just a popular vote victory, but an Electoral College win the only thing that actually matters.

In 2008, then-Sen. Barack ObamaBarack Hussein ObamaNational Archives says it altered Trump signs, other messages in Women's March photo Climate 'religion' is fueling Australia's wildfires Biden's new campaign ad features Obama speech praising him MORE was able to assemble a broad coalition of voters that delivered him a massive Electoral College win, defeating Sen. John McCainJohn Sidney McCainMartha McSally fundraises off 'liberal hack' remark to CNN reporter Meghan McCain blasts NY Times: 'Everyone already knows how much you despise' conservative women GOP senator calls CNN reporter a 'liberal hack' when asked about Parnas materials MORE 365 to 173. Critical to that victory was the fact that Obama won the largest share of white support of any Democrat since Jimmy Carter in 1976, including winning 54 percent of young white voters. Obama also received a record-breaking 96 percent of black voter support and held McCain to breaking even with suburban voters, a key voting bloc that Republicans had previously counted on.

According to the same Morning Consult poll, Biden is the only leading Democratic candidate in the field that can assemble that similar winning Obama coalition. Biden outperforms all of the leading contenders among white male voters leads Trump among middle-income Americans, 45 percent to 43 percent and he bests Trump by 8 points among suburban voters.

Despite the presidents recent boasting of his electoral prospects come November, its clearly Biden who he is most worried about facing. No other Democratic official, aside arguably from Speaker Nancy PelosiNancy PelosiRepublicans will pay on Election Day for politicizing Trump's impeachment Trump chooses high-profile but controversial legal team Trump: Impeachment timing intended to hurt Sanders MORE (D-Calif.), elicits the kind of fear that Biden provides in the mind of the Commander-in-Chief. One only needs to see the lengths to which Trump was willing to extort a foreign government in a careless and malicious attempt to try and discredit the former vice president to understand the level of anxiety in the White House over a Trump/Biden match up.

For all the hand-wringing among Democrats about which nominee would be most able to unify the party heading into November, Biden is also uniquely positioned to win over Sanders, Warren and Buttigieg supporters. When Sanders supporters are asked about their second choice in the primary, unsurprisingly Warren picks up 32 percent, but Biden follows closely at 28 percent. Similarly, Warren backers support Sanders as a second choice by 33 percent, but Biden is also strong at 24 percent with Buttigieg trailing with 12 percent. Biden also leads among current Buttigieg and Bloomberg supporters by wide margins when asked about a second option.

Pundits and casual political observers are currently promoting the idea that Democratic primary voters are split ideologically into warring camps, but the second choice figures paint a different picture of an electorate ready to unify behind Biden as the nominee.

With just a handful of weeks before Iowans head to their caucuses on Feb. 3, the Vermont senator and progressive groups in particular have trained their attacks on the former vice president. Politico is reporting that many activist groups and rival campaigns had expected Biden whose campaign once faced questions about its durability to have crumbled by now. But as former Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe has observed, voters have seen all this information thats been thrown at [Biden], and theyve concluded that he is still the best person to beat Donald Trump.

Obi-Wan Kenobi went on to inspire a movement that ultimately tackled the Empire and brought balance to the force. Hopefully Democrats will give the former vice president the same opportunity.

Kevin Walling (@kpwalling) is a Democratic strategist, Vice President at HGCreative, co-founder of Celtic Strategies, and a regular guest on Fox News and Fox Business.

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Biden is the Democrats' 'only hope' to defeat Trump | TheHill - The Hill

Six Democrats qualified for the DNC's seventh presidential primary debate. Angela Hsieh/NPR hide caption

Six Democrats qualified for the DNC's seventh presidential primary debate.

Eyes are on Iowa as the 2020 Democratic presidential candidates gather there for the seventh debate. The Iowa caucuses take place in less than three weeks. It's the first contest of the primary.

Only six candidates qualified for Tuesday's debate, hosted by CNN and The Des Moines Register: former Vice President Joe Biden, former South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg, Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, billionaire business executive Tom Steyer and Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren.

The latest polls show mixed results, with no clear favorite. What's more, Tuesday is the first debate that will not have any candidates of color onstage a fact some have attributed to the DNC's qualification standards.

Since December's debate, three more candidates have dropped out: New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker, entrepreneur Marianne Williamson and former housing Secretary Julin Castro. (Here's a full list of who is still running.)

Follow NPR's live coverage of the debate, with real-time analysis of the candidates' remarks, above.

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Live Updates And Analysis: January Democratic Debate In Iowa - NPR

(Reuters) - The number of Democratic presidential candidates tmsnrt.rs/2UhJ7WE seeking their party's nomination to oppose Republican U.S. President Donald Trump in the November 2020 election dropped to 12 on Mondaywhen U.S. Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey ended his run.

FILE PHOTO: Democratic 2020 U.S. presidential candidate Joe Biden visits the United Firefighters of Los Angeles City headquarters in Los Angeles, California, U.S., January 10, 2020. REUTERS/Ringo Chiu

Four candidates have separated themselves thus far from the rest of the field among Democratic voters.

Biden, the early Democratic front-runner in opinion polls, entered the race in April, opening his campaign with a swipe at Trump. Biden, 77, served eight years as President Barack Obamas vice president and 36 years in the U.S. Senate.

He stands at the center of the Democratic debate over whether the partys standard-bearer should be a veteran politician or a newcomer, and whether a liberal or a moderate has a better chance of defeating Trump.

Biden, who frequently notes his Middle-Class Joe nickname, touts his working-class roots and ability to work in a bipartisan way.

Some fellow Democrats have criticized him for his role in passing tough-on-crime legislation in the 1990s.

Trumps request that Ukraines president investigate Biden and his son Hunter Biden is at the center of the Democratic-led impeachment of the president.

The 70-year-old U.S. senator from Massachusetts is a leader of the partys liberals and a fierce critic of Wall Street. She was instrumental in creating the federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau after the 2008 financial crisis.

Her campaign has surged in recent months, equaling Biden in some polls. She has focused her campaign on a populist anti-corruption message, promising to fight what she calls a rigged system that favors the wealthy.

She has released an array of policy proposals on everything from a Medicare For All healthcare plan to breaking up big tech companies to implementing a wealth tax on the richest Americans. Warren has sworn off political fundraising events to back her campaign.

The U.S. senator from Vermont lost the Democratic nomination in 2016 to Hillary Clinton but is trying again. For the 2020 race, Sanders, 78, is fighting to stand out in a field of liberals running on issues he brought into the Democratic Party mainstream four years ago.

Sanders suffered a heart attack while campaigning in Nevada in October, but there has been little impact so far on his support. His proposals include free tuition at public colleges, a $15-an-hour minimum wage and universal healthcare. He benefits from strong name recognition and an unmatched network of small-dollar donors.

The 37-year-old former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, emerged from virtual anonymity to become one of the partys brightest stars, building momentum with young voters. A Harvard University graduate and Rhodes scholar, he speaks seven languages conversationally and served in Afghanistan with the U.S. Navy Reserve.

He touts himself as representing a new generation of leadership needed to combat Trump. Buttigieg would be the first openly gay presidential nominee of a major American political party.

Recent polls in Iowa and New Hampshire, which hold the first nominating contests in February, have at or near the top even though his national standing is lower.

The rest of the Democratic field is a mix of seasoned politicians, wealthy business people and others looking to break into or regain their toehold in the top tier of contenders.

Former New York City mayor and billionaire media company founder Michael Bloomberg, 77, formally announced his candidacy in late November. The move was an about-face for Bloomberg, who had said in March that he would not make a run for the White House.

Ranked by Forbes as the eighth-richest American, with an estimated worth of $53.4 billion, Bloomberg will have the advantage of being able to self-finance his campaign and has already poured millions of dollars into advertising and hiring staff.

He has won allies in the Democratic Party with his advocacy and philanthropy on climate change and in fighting gun violence. Bloomberg served as mayor of New York from 2002 to 2013.

The New York entrepreneur and former tech executive is focusing his campaign on an ambitious universal income plan. Yang, 45, wants to guarantee all Americans between the ages of 18 and 64 a $1,000 check every month.

The son of immigrants from Taiwan, Yang supports the Medicare for All proposal, which is based on the existing government-run Medicare program for Americans aged 65 and older, and has called automation the biggest threat facing U.S. workers.

His campaign has released more than 100 policy ideas, including eclectic proposals like creating an infrastructure force called the Legion of Builders and Destroyers.

The U.S. senator from Minnesota was the first moderate in the Democratic field. Klobuchar, 59, gained national attention when she sparred with Brett Kavanaugh during his Supreme Court nomination hearings last year.

On the campaign trail, the former prosecutor and corporate attorney has said she would improve on the Affordable Care Act, popularly known as Obamacare, by adding a public option, and is taking a tough stance against rising prescription drug prices.

The Samoan-American congresswoman from Hawaii and Iraq war veteran is the first Hindu to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives and has centered her campaign on her anti-war stance.

Having previously worked for her fathers anti-gay advocacy group and drafting relevant legislation, she later apologized for her past views on same-sex marriage.

Gabbards populist, anti-war approach has won her fans among the far left and the far right, and she engaged in a Twitter war with Hillary Clinton, who she called the personification of the rot after Clinton suggested Gabbard was being groomed for a third-party run at the presidency.

Gabbard, 38, slammed Trump for standing by Saudi Arabia after the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

A billionaire environmentalist and force in Democratic fundraising over the past decade, Steyer said last January he was focusing on his efforts to get Trump impeached and Democrats elected to Congress.

Steyer, 62, reversed course in July, saying other Democrats had good ideas but we wont be able to get any of those done until we end the hostile corporate takeover of our democracy.

The former U.S. representative from Maryland became the first Democrat to enter the 2020 race, declaring his candidacy in July 2017. Delaney, 56, says that if elected, he would focus on advancing only bipartisan bills during the first 100 days of his presidency.

He is also pushing for a universal healthcare system, raising the federal minimum wage, and passing gun safety legislation. A former business executive, Delaney is self-funding much of his campaign.

Bennet, 55, a U.S. senator from Colorado, has based his political career on improving the American education system. He previously ran Denvers public schools. Bennet is not well known nationally but has built a network of political operatives and donors helping elect other Democrats to the Senate.

During a partial U.S. government shutdown in January 2019, he garnered national attention criticizing Republicans for stopping the flow of emergency funds to Colorado.

Patrick was a late entry to the race, announcing his candidacy in November just days before early-state filing deadlines. The 63-year-old former Massachusetts governor said he was seeking to draw in Americans who felt left behind and to bridge a party he saw split between nostalgia or big ideas that left other voices out.

The states first African-American governor, Patrick was credited with implementing Massachusetts healthcare reform plan and tackling pension reform, transportation and the minimum wage.

In 2014, Obama said Patrick would make a great president or vice president. Patrick has said the former president was remaining neutral in the current race.

Trump is the clear favorite to win the Republican nomination, and there has been criticism among his opponents that party leadership has worked to make it impossible for a challenger. Still, the incumbent will face at least two rivals.

The 73-year-old real estate businessman shocked the political establishment in 2016 when he secured the Republican nomination and then won the White House. He was impeached in the House of Representatives for his request that Ukraine carry out investigations that could benefit him politically and for withholding witnesses and documents from the House probe of the issue.

The U.S. Senate is due to hold a trial to consider whether he should be removed from office, but it is unlikely that the Republican-controlled chamber will convict him.

After running as an outsider in 2016, Trump is focusing his policy message on the strong economy, while continuing the anti-immigration rhetoric that characterized his first campaign. He continues to draw enthusiastic crowds at raucous political rallies as he assails Democrats and the news media.

A former congressman, Walsh, 58, has become a vocal critic of Trump, who he argues is not a conservative and is unfit for public office.

Walsh won a House seat from Illinois as a candidate of the Republican Partys fiscally conservative Tea Party movement in 2010 but was defeated by Democrat Tammy Duckworth in his 2012 re-election bid. After leaving Congress, he became a Chicago-area radio talk-show host.

The 74-year-old former Massachusetts governor ran unsuccessfully for vice president in 2016 as a Libertarian. He has been a persistent critic of Trump, saying when he began his 2020 campaign that the American people are being ignored and our nation is suffering.

Compiled by Ginger Gibson, Joseph Ax, Tim Reid, Sharon Bernstein, Amanda Becker, Trevor Hunnicutt, Diane Bartz, Susan Heavey and Michael Martina; editing by Grant McCool and Alistair Bell

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Twelve Democrats, three Republicans in U.S. presidential race - Reuters

WASHINGTON The 2020 Democratic presidential field has been heraldedas the most diverse in history.

It at times has includeda Latino man, an Asian Americanman, a Samoan American woman, three black men and one black woman. In addition to its racialand ethnicdiversity, the field also included a gay man and a record number of women.

But less than three weeks before the first votes are cast in Iowa and after Sen. Cory Bookerdropped out Monday only three non-white Democratic presidential candidates remain: former Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick, Rep. Tulsi Gabbard and entrepreneur Andrew Yang.

The Democratic Party tried to evolve this year. It still has some work to do, said Keneshia Grant, a political scientist at Howard University and author of an upcoming book, The Great Migration and the Democratic Party.

It has to figure out how it can be a party that makes space for people who look like their most important constituency to hold the big offices or even having a chance to hold the big offices," she said."Its a sad day, a day that we saw coming, but sad no less that we didnt end up with a candidate of color in the party that is home to people of color."

Monmouth Iowa Poll:Joe Biden in the lead ahead of Iowa caucuses, but many may still change their minds

Black, Latino and Asian American voters are key to Democratic electoral victories and overwhelmingly vote Democratic.

In 2018, 90% of black voters said they voted for Democratic candidate in the race of the House of Representatives, according to Pew Research Center. Among Asian voters, 77% said they voted for the Democrat, while 69% of Hispanic voters said they went for the Democratic candidate.

2020 candidates on the issues: Here's where they stand on immigration, gun control, health care and more

Democratic presidential candidate U.S. Sen. Cory Booker, D-New Jersey, (left) is greeted by Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang during the 2019 Accessibility, Inclusion, and Outreach Conference, hosted by Accessibility for All and the Linn County Medical Society, Saturday, Nov., 2, 2019, at the Ramada Hotel and Conference Center in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.(Photo: Joseph Cress/Iowa City Press-Citizen)

Booker, former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julin Castro and Sen. Kamala Harris all cited fundraising issues when they ended their campaigns.

Our campaign has reached the point where we need more money to scale up and continue building a campaign that can win money we dont have, and money that is harder to raise because I wont be on the next debate stage, Booker wrote in an email to supporters Monday.

Harris in an email to supporters when she dropped outlast monthsaid her campaign for president simply doesnt have the financial resources we need to continue.

"Im not a billionaire, Harris said in the email. I cant fund my own campaign. And as the campaign has gone on, its become harder and harder to raise the money we need to compete.

Grant said another challenge for the party is holding the early primaries in states like Iowa and New Hampshire.Castro in Novembermade the lack of diversity of the two early voting states a key part of his pitch to voters, saying they're"not reflective of the diversity of our country, and certainly not reflective ofthe diversity of the Democratic Party."

MSNBC national correspondent Joy Reid hinted at some of those same sentiments Monday.

At some point shouldn't the Democratic Party which is the party preference or lean of most people of color figure out a way to not let state voting order and money reduce the options its voters have for president? she wrote on Twitter shortly after Booker announced he was ending his campaign.

Grant also pointed to the debate thresholds in particular as a factor for candidates of color.

Despite meeting the donation threshold necessary, Booker and Castro both failed to qualify forDecember Democratic debate due to low poll numbers. Harris did make it to the December debate stage, but dropped out about two weeks before.

Some candidates of color tried to fight back against the criteria.

'This is a last look': From Iowa stage, Democratic presidential candidates make their pitches to nation

Yang was the only non-white candidate to make it to the debate stage in December. Last month, he called on the Democratic National Committee to commission additional polls in an effort to make the debate stage more diverse.

"With the upcoming holidays and meager number of polls currently out in the field, a diverse set of candidates might be absent from the stage in Des Moines for reasons out of anyone's control," Yang wrote to DNC Chairman Tom Perez in aletter dated Dec. 21.

The DNC denied to commission polls, saying it has been "more than inclusive throughout this entire process. Yang didnt make the polling mark for the debate. Every candidate on the debate stage Tuesday is white.

Despite the historic diversity among the candidates, voters of color largely have notflocked to candidates of the same race or ethnicity.

Among black voters, Booker was netted 4% in a recentWashington Post-Ipsos poll. Former Vice President Joe Biden led with black voters in that poll, earning 48% support, followed by Sen. Bernie Sanders with 20%. Warren trailed at 9%, according to the poll.

When Harris was still in the race, she also struggled to gain traction with black voters. Some progressives criticized Harris for her record as California attorney general, arguing she was part of an era of "tough on crime" Democrats.

And Castro struggled to gain support from Latino voters. Only 2% of Hispanic Democratic voters said they support Castro, according to a Noticias Telemundo poll conducted in late October. Biden led with 26%, followed by Sanders at 18% and Warren at 10%.

More: What you need to know before you vote in 2020

Grant said some black voters are making a calculationthat they want to win above anything else, which means supporting candidates like Biden. Biden has touted his role as vice president to President Barack Obama, who is still widely popular among black voters. Grant said Biden is seen by many black voters as the pragmatic choice.

And unlike Obama, she said, Booker and Harris lacked the resources and ground game to pull off a win in Iowa.

They couldnt fight back against this idea of pragmatism or Joe Biden being the only pragmatic (candidate) because they didnt have the money to play the game, she said.

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'It's a sad day': As Booker exits Democratic primary, a once-historic field gets less diverse - USA TODAY

Back in August, we noted that Democrats might be slow to endorse in the 2020 presidential primary because of the uncertainty surrounding its historically large candidate field. And so far, thats exactly whats happened Democratic officeholders have now endorsed at about the same rate as their slow-moving Republican counterparts in 2016.

Endorsements have historically been a predictive indicator of who will win their partys nomination, which bolsters the theory that The Party Decides, but Democratic leaders may be choosing not to decide in 2020. Nonetheless, among those who have endorsed, former Vice President Joe Biden holds a clear lead.

As of Friday, only 104 of 303 Democratic governors, senators and representatives have endorsed a candidate. At this point in the 2016 election cycle, slightly more Republicans had endorsed a candidate (117), though there were a few more Republicans in Congress and governors mansions then (333) than there are Democrats in those positions now (303). Still, 35 percent of possible GOP endorsers had backed someone in 2016, which is practically the same as the 34 percent of Democrats whove endorsed someone in 2020.

Democrats started the 2020 cycle endorsing at a faster clip than 2016 Republicans, but their rate has slowed since March (about 600 days before the general election). In the last presidential election, 60 Republicans had endorsed someone between mid-August 2015 and the first weeks of 2016 to be specific, between 450 and 300 days before the election, which is equivalent to the period from when we published our previous analysis of the endorsement rate last August to about now but only 29 Democrats have done so during the same time span this cycle. However, Hans Noel, a political scientist at Georgetown University and a coauthor of The Party Decides, told me we shouldnt over-emphasize the pace of endorsements as compared to the overall volume and whos getting them. There are some years when no one gets involved very quickly at all, said Noel. Thereve been some years when elites got involved after Iowa. Once they found out what happened in Iowa, they jumped in.

And although the rate of endorsements has slowed, most of the ones made in recent weeks have gone to Biden. He now has 35 from Democratic governors and members of Congress, and has received seven of the eight endorsements made since Dec. 1, including some from junior House Democrats in competitive seats (former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg received the other one).

The sort of geographical and racial diversity we see among Bidens endorsers has historically been an indication of broader acceptance by party members and a precursor of success in nomination contests, according to the authors of the The Party Decides. And if you look at support outside a candidates home state, Bidens geographical lead is readily apparent. Overall, 89 percent of Bidens backers come from outside Delaware, which admittedly is a small state. The next-closest contenders behind Biden are Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Cory Booker, who each have 12 endorsers apiece, but only half of Warrens hail from somewhere other than Massachusetts and none of Bookers are from outside New Jersey. And with Sen. Kamala Harris now out of the running, Biden easily has the most racially diverse set of endorsers, too, including nine members of the Congressional Black Caucus and five from the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.

Still, Biden doesnt dominate among all Democratic officeholders with endorsements to give. If we look at more left-leaning Democrats those who belong to the Congressional Progressive Caucus, the most influential liberal ideological caucus in Congress Warren leads the way with 11 endorsements, Biden is in second with six and Sen. Bernie Sanders in third with five. University of Maryland political scientist David Karol, another coauthor of The Party Decides, believes Biden still has work to do with winning over more liberal members of his party. Biden has more breadth of support than other people running, when it comes to race and region, Karol said. But he has not done as well with progressives, particularly white progressives.

Biden may still lead handily in the endorsement primary for now, but its important to remember that most potential Democratic endorsers (66 percent) are still sitting on the sidelines. Whats more, there are actually quite a few endorsers this cycle who endorsed a candidate who has since dropped out and have yet to throw their support behind another candidate. Of the 104 Democrats whove endorsed someone, 27 have backed a candidate who is no longer running and have yet to switch to a new contender. Of those endorsers, 17 supported Harris, who dropped out in December. By contrast, in the 2016 cycle, only four of 117 Republican endorsers had backed GOP contenders who had dropped out by this point.

Harriss exit is especially interesting in that she had more endorsements than anyone save Biden, yet she dropped out anyway, suggesting that endorsements werent enough to save her flagging campaign. (Unlike Biden, who is at 28 percent in the national polls, Harris struggled to climb past 5 percent in recent months.) As for why more of Harriss backers havent thrown their weight behind another candidate (maybe Biden?), Karol said that these endorsers had bet on the wrong horse, so they may be a little gun-shy after missing the first time around. More broadly speaking, though, part of the reason Democratic leaders may be hesitant to endorse anyone in 2020 is because they were so quick to back Hillary Clinton in 2016, who went on to lose the general after a bitter primary, in which the party establishment was accused of putting its thumb on the scale for her.

But also, when theres a lack of clear consensus, as there has been here in 2020, many party leaders wait to make a choice so that a primary can be more open. If they arent very committed [to a candidate], they dont create a sense that people need to support someone or direct their resources to that candidate, said Noel. He added that, If theres lukewarm support from party leaders, that could create an opening for someone else. Bidens opponents in the Democratic race will certainly hope thats the case, and the fact that most Democrats havent endorsed someone yet might leave the door ajar.

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Democratic Party Leaders Are Mostly Sitting Out The Endorsement Race So Far - FiveThirtyEight

FORT DODGE, Iowa (Reuters) - Democratic presidential contender Amy Klobuchar is banking on a strong showing in Iowas first-in-the-nation nominating contest on Feb. 3 to jump-start her path to the partys nomination.

The moderate U.S. senator from Minnesota, who is polling in fifth place with Iowa voters, squeezed three town halls and a 10-hour side trip to early voting state Nevada into 32 hours over the weekend as she raced to raise her profile.

Ahead of the Democratic debate in Des Moines, Iowa, on Tuesday, she also sat down with Reuters to make the case that her mix of practical policy priorities, humor and blunt talk is what Democrats need to win back the White House in the November election from Republican President Donald Trump.

I miss my good friend Kamala (Harris) very much. ... I just saw her this week in the Senate, and I miss her on that debate stage. We became close friends during that campaign. I really, really miss her. And Cory (Booker), I wish he could get on that stage again. Maybe he will, as well as Andrew Yang. There are a number of people still running for this job who are diverse, and I hope they get on the stage...

If I win and become president, I will make sure that ... my government reflects this country. Thats one of the problems with Donald Trump. His Cabinet does not reflect where this nation is.

First of all, you have to have that ability to make a joke or poke at him or just show how absurd he is. Because he does use humor. A lot of people, including myself, just dont always think its funny, but you gotta remember that. So just meeting it without some animation and some humor I think is a problem. So thats the first thing. The second is just ignoring him. Sometimes he wants you to go down the rabbit hole with him.

We need to be a leader again in the world, and that means working with our allies. I really go back way before (Trump) made that decision about (killing Iranian General Qassem) Soleimani, and that would mean the Iranian (nuclear) agreement. I would not have gotten us out of that agreement. I think it was a big mistake. I supported (the agreement) because I dont want Iran to get a nuclear weapon. And theyve now announced theyre going to start enriching uranium again. So I think that was a big mistake. And its led to a lot of our problems...

I would visit our European allies in my first 100 days, as well as a number of our other allies renegotiating these international agreements, like the Russian nuclear agreement and the climate-change agreement and the Iranian agreement. Im looking at a European trade agreement again, which I think would be a good idea...

People are really sickened by how this president stands with dictators instead of allies and stands with tyrants instead of innocents. And I would make very clear what those values are.

When you look at my track record, where I have brought people with me who are moderate Republicans and independents in every single election, I have won in the reddest of red congressional districts and with some ease. And Ive done it by going not just where its comfortable, but where its uncomfortable. Ive done it by speaking truth to power. And by really focusing on issues that help people. Its a very simple view of democracy. But I think people are looking for a little less drama and a little more progress...

Youve got this combination of needing a fired-up Democratic base, but also making sure that we are bringing people with us.

Reporting by Sharon Bernstein; Editing by Colleen Jenkins and Peter Cooney

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Democrat Klobuchar on diversity and taking on Trump in the 2020 presidential race - Reuters