Naomi Lim of the Washington Examiner assesses the impact of an early dropout in the crowded Democratic presidential contest.
Eric Swalwell’s early exit from the 2020 presidential field offered a not-so-subtle hint to other bottom dwelling in the polls Democratic candidates — leave (very) soon while you can still do so gracefully and on your own terms.
But other Democratic White House hopefuls don’t seem eager to follow the California congressman’s July 8 departure, at least in the near future. Some want to see if they can make it onstage for the next round of primary debates in Detroit on July 30 and 31. Others see a fluid race in which front-runner Joe Biden, the former vice president, faces vigorous challenges from the likes of Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, California Sen. Kamala Harris, and South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg, among others.
Sen. Michael Bennet of Colorado, toiling in the low single-digits, told the Washington Examiner on Tuesday night he felt “really good” about his electoral chances of capturing the Democratic nomination and the right to challenge President Trump in fall 2020. …
… Contenders even further behind in the Democratic pack offered similar responses to questions about their viability, including Massachusetts Rep. Seth Moulton.
“The decision of one candidate does not impact our thought process — Seth is still running to win,” said a spokesman for Moulton’s presidential campaign, Matt Corridoni, in an email.
And the operation of former Pennsylvania Rep. Joe Sestak, one of the newer Democratic entrants, dismissed the notion that the retired three-star Navy admiral should leave the contest like Swalwell.
