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With the 2020 Presidential Election just over a year away, the pressure is on for those in the Democratic party to step up against President Trump in a race for the presidency. With already 21 Democrats so far announcing their bid, it will be a difficult challenge for the candidates to stand out to Democratic voters. Since former Vice President Joe Biden announced his candidacy it seems clear that he has become an instant favorite for the Democratic nomination.

This isn’t Biden’s first run for the presidency: he ran in 1988 and in 2008, but the third time might be the charm for Biden due to his popularity and recognition as President Obama’s Vice President, which could give him an edge. Additionally, with 36 years of being on the Senate behind him, Biden clearly has the resume for the job. It should give him support from his former colleagues in the Senate and voters who supported the Obama administration. Being a supporter of teacher unions, gun control, and climate change – issues which have been constantly in the news – could give him an advantage to first time voters.

In spite of this, Biden’s campaign started with a bumpy start, with those around him accusing him of touching female supporters inappropriately in the past. Another scandal brought up was his support of the nomination of Clarence Thomas to the Supreme Court in 1991, after Thomas was accused of sexual assault by Anita Hill, his own attorney advisor, in a hearing that seemed eerily similar to the Ford-Kavanaugh hearings less than a year ago.

These allegations could be used in debates by President Trump to scare off undecided voters, but the serious allegations against President Trump outweigh those by Biden by a large margin, making it doubtful that it would be taken seriously enough to affect Biden’s campaign. From Trump’s ties to possible Russian interference in the 2016 election, to his former lawyer Michael Cohen slamming Trump during his testimony to Congress, President Trump has much more to be worried about.

The support of Obama would give him a boost, but surprisingly, he may not want it. In a USA Today article, Biden said he does not want his former running mate to support him in the 2020 election because he believes “whoever wins this nomination should win it on their own merits.” A wise move, because past elections have proven that the support of politicians, celebrities, and organizations can make or break ones campaign.

Even though Biden has a early lead of 20 points according to RealClearPolitcs (average of 5 major polls), he is up against a formidable field. The other candidates include the still popular Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, and Senator Kamala Harris of California. All of it can change once the Democratic debates begin in June.

After the shocking defeat of then favorite Hillary Clinton in the 2016 Presidential Election, it seems like a keen idea to not follow in the same path she did during her campaign. The scandal relating to the mishandling of confidential information on her private email server and the large donations to her campaign fund from private companies gave Trump ammo to use against her, helping lead to her surprise upset in the 2016 election.

President Trump has already taken action against Biden on twitter, dubbing him “sleepy Joe” and welcoming him to the race. At a rally in South Carolina,, Biden clapped back.

“There’s so many nicknames I’m inclined to give this guy,” Biden said in an article by Politico. “You can start with clown.”

Calling people names will get a reaction, but this isn’t the 2016 election and we can’t afford another repeat. Actions speak louder than words. President Trump has been doing a lot of talking but no action, and Biden and the rest of the Democratic nominees need to use this to their advantage if they want to make a charge for the presidency.

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