Would you change your pick if the opponent weren't Trump?

[thesquanderer]

There is a small-but-not-impossible chance that we could be facing someone other than Trump in November of 2020. i.e. Pence or even Weld. Not likely, I know, but I don't know if we should completely rule it out, either. A lot can happen over the next 18 months.

As has often been posted here, many people's priority in a candidate is choosing who they think is strongest against Trump. But what happens if we face someone else?

For example, so far, more than anyone else, Biden has made defeating Trump the centerpiece of his campaign, and he has a strong case for being best positioned for that role, and someone may choose him on that basis. But what if Biden would end up facing someone else? Would he still be that person's candidate of choice? Related, might someone else do better against Pence or Weld than Biden would? Could campaigning specifically on an anti-Trump platform backfire on Biden if Trump isn't the candidate?

But even if Biden isn't your choice, to the extent that beating Trump is such a major consideration, would your choice change if we were going up against someone else?

[ancianita]

2. No. Inslee stands as the best in experience and governing priorities for me.

[Hortensis]

3. NO. Trump's a symptom of the cancer that's taken

over the right, i.e., the anti-democracy alliance of ultrawealthy extremists with far right social and religious conservatives. If Trump is cut out, they'll slot in Pence or another candidate, behind whom most of the right will rally with renewed trumpsterish fervor, and continue on with their transfer of national wealth and power, gutting and dismantling of our government meant to serve the people, and the court packing they must have to make it permanent.

[Hekate]

4. Hell no. Trump is only a sympton, not the whole disease. By the way...

...you can see I have Kamala Harris as my #1 choice. I like her quite a lot.

In reality though, she is a symbolic placeholder for the final Democratic candidate, who I will vote for without the slightest hesitation.

[Autumn]

5. Trump has no bearing on my choices. Climate change and MFA are what I've based my choices on.

[Diabolixxx]

6. No, I wouldn't change my choice.

I think that Bernie has the ability and infrastructure to build a strong grassroots movement, including others from different parties/affiliations, which will be necessary to make institutional changes in our country.

[MineralMan]

7. Nope.

[Laelth]

8. Interesting question.

My answer is “no”—not at this time, at least.

-Laelth

[FBaggins]

9. Yes

Ok... I'm listed as undecided and I would probably still be undecided... but likely from among a different group.

Trump's support is not uniquely from the same people as, say, Cruz or Rubio's support would be from. That leaves different parts of the population available to swing and differing energy levels from different parts of the populace who oppose each of them.

[sacto95834]

10. How is Trump different from the Rest of the Republican Party?

Based on their behavior, they are one in the same. So, no my vote would not change.

[secondwind]

11. I'M VOTING DEMOCRAT. PERIOD.. DON'T CARE IF IT IS A DONKEY

[qwlauren35]

12. The question is

Would you change your vote in the Primaries.

[zackymilly]

13. It would depend on who we were up against.

Someone younger? Oranger?

[Skittles]

19. anyone but Trump

[treestar]

14. Defeating Dotard should be the centerpiece of all the campaigns

That's what they are running to do. All of them.

[Wounded Bear]

15. Probably not...

Trump or not, we need to elect the best Dem we can.

[DCofVA]

16. I'll be voting for Elizabeth Warren in the Primaries nomatter what.

She is just that good. I also checked... the Republican convention is after the Democratic so, when the Democratic candidate is chosen, we still won’t know for sure who she/he will be up against in November.

[ecstatic]

17. Any of our candidates wins against trump in a fair, non-hacked election. If

trump were removed from the ballot, I think Cory Booker and/or Beto would maximize democratic voter turnout. Kamala Harris could also if she changes course with regard to being so cautious and/or saying different things to different audiences.
That being said, it's really hard for me to narrow down my choice right now. For now, I've selected EW based on her leadership on important topics. In a trump-free race, our nominee must be a leader who says what s/he means and means what s/he says. Period.

[Demsrule86]

25. That is not true,we have a limited path without the blue wall.

Not all candidates can do this. You need to understand the electoral college determines who wins and we have few options without the blue wall.

[ecstatic]

34. I get that, that's why I said Booker and Beto

would maximize our base turnout, even without trump on the ballot. But as long as trump is on the ballot, repubs are toast. People who were no shows in 2016 assumed Hillary would win. Those same people will crawl across glass to get him out. So many people voted for the 1st time in 2018--people who skipped the super historic elections of 2008, 2012, and 2016.

[redstateblues]

28. Overconfidence on our part is what elected Trump

[Skya Rhen]

18. No - always have and always will love Joe...

[kcr]

20. Nope. Warren would still be my choice.

[ehrnst]

23. Why would you think that a candidate that couldn't win the primary would win the general? (nt)

[TreasonousBastard]

22. Probably not-- it's a long way to the primary, but...

I still think that we should look to who will be the best President, not just who can best beat Trump.

Vote for who you think will be the best to lead the country out of this dark wilderness, and then fight like hell to get the winner elected. Beating Trump may not be as difficult as many like to think. He was an experiment to see how an outsider would do, and that experiment has been a complete failure.

I'm pretty sure I'll be undecided until right up until our primary. I like a bunch of them, and see no reason to commit to one for now.

[Demsrule86]

24. No. It still comes down to three states. We need to rebuild the blue wall.

[LakeArenal]

27. Point!

[True Dough]

26. Good question

I think my support for Mayor Pete would stand no matter the opponent but I believe support for Joe Biden might not be quite as strong if we didn't have the Trump menace to topple.

[Merlot]

29. It's a good question, but I don't make my decisions based upon

the opponent. I pick the person who's policies best match what I want for the country and their ability to get them accomplished.

[Amimnoch]

30. Yes. I for one would.

I'd be supporting Mayor Pete.

[thesquanderer]

35. Interesting, why do you think Beto beats Trump more easily than Pete would? (n/t)

[Amimnoch]

36. 270 to win.

Most states are pretty much determined how their EC votes will go.

Rust belt and Florida will, once again decide who sits in the oval office.

The Trump pairing in those states are going to fluctuate a lot between now and the full primary season, so I'm not paying too much attention to them right now.

Beto brings Texas into play. Texas 38 EC votes alone could completely turn the election. It's the only state won by Cheetolini in 2016 that alone could have made a different outcome.

Jaoquin Castro is running for Senate in Texas. I believe that the energy Castro will bring into it + the energy Beto will bring in for Texas will really make Texas possible as a flip.

That would =+1 seat in the Senate which may very well mean a fully split 50/50 Senate Plus The presidency which would mean the VP will cast the deciding senate votes.

I don't think any win is going to be nearly as easy as others do since the economy is still strong (thank you President Obama!!), but every state that we can add into the "battleground" column forces the Cheeto to spread out the spending in his warchest, making a Democratic party win more achievable.

[comradebillyboy]

31. no

[mvd]

32. Probably

Winning is so important and I want to see more of the candidates. My fave is still Bernie but I am more cautious this time. Trump is such a heinous "President" that America's future depends on us winning.

[Kaleva]

33. No.

[crazytown]

37. I'd switch my vote to Buttigieg

if the GOP nominee was Dwight Eisenhower.