A lot of political observers are surprised to hear that John Kerry may be considering a second run for President in 2020.
Especially that Kerry had mentioned it to Palestinian leaders. Others are dismissing the comment as possibly taking out of context. But if true it would make for an interesting early slate of 2020 candidates.
Alan Solomont, Former Ambassador to Spain, has been friends with John Kerry for more than 45 years, “I poured my heart and soul into his presidential campaign in 04," he said.
Solomont says he wasn’t shocked to hear that the former Secretary of State might be interested in running for President again in 2020, “There’s probably nobody I know who could better restore America‘s leadership in this world across a whole range of issues from trade to climate then John Kerry," he said.
If Kerry were to run, he’d be joining a short list of possible candidates including US Senator Bernie Sanders - who recently gathered top advisors in DC to discuss a possible 2020 run and former Vice President Joe Biden who tops Democratic polls and says he hasn’t ruled out anything.
All three white men are over the age of 70 prompting some to wonder if that’s what the Democrats really want.
Democratic analyst Alex Goldstein says “What we’ve learned is that Democrats really care about policy. Doesn’t matter if you’re a young Democrat or an older Democrat. They want substance.”
Local
In-depth news coverage of the Greater Boston Area.
Alex Goldstein points to Bernie Sanders’ popularity with millennials to prove that point but adds that over the next three years the list of democratic candidates will likely grow much bigger and much more diverse. “The biggest risk for Democrats in this primary is a pre-coronation before the voters get a chance to weigh in. Right? The best way to avoid that is lots of really good candidates competing for votes.”
Of course 2020 is still years away - Goldstein says these early lists, that also include names like Senator Elizabeth Warren, are simply a reflection of the people voters are most familiar with.
