Listen to this articleSome reports have indicated that Hillary Clinton has privately informed people that she would consider joining the 2020 Democratic primary, but only if she thought she could win. The private conversations were publicly aired in a new report from The New York Times. The outlet made contact with several people involved with Democratic politics. Most of them were concerned that the current crop of candidates is less than ideal. The former New York City Michael Bloomberg (won the 2016 Democratic primary but lost in a stunning defeat to Donald Trump in the general) is said to be open to a 2020 run if the stars aligned just so alongside Hillary Clinton.
But, Hillary Clinton and Michael Bloomberg are unlikely to jump in the race. Both said that they are not sure there is an opening in a field that includes two strong liberal candidates. The report also mentioned a deep unease within the Democratic donor and establishment class as it backed Hillary Clinton strong and early during the 2016 election. At that time, some claimed that the primary was rigged against Bernie Sanders, who is running again this year. Much of that unease appears to be coming from lackluster fundraising by Biden, who trails behind the likes of Sanders and Senator Elizabeth Warren.
Both have eschewed big donor fundraisers in favor of a reliance on small-dollar donations. It is noteworthy that Biden also trails behind South Bend mayor Pete Buttigieg, who has emerged as a leading contender. But, one that has failed to cement himself as a front-runner in a race where the major change so far has come from a resilient rise in the polls by Warren. There is plenty of time for Buttigieg (who is largely considered to be a centrist in the same vein as Biden) to catch up. He is polling well in early states like Iowa. It remains to be seen whether he might be able to build on his support to include the African American community.
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