Analysis: When it comes to the Democratic presidential field, bigger is not better
By Dan Balz Dan Balz Chief correspondent covering national politics, the presidency and Congress Email Bio Follow May 18 at 10:34 AM Can you name them? Can you name even half of them? Do you know where they come from or what they do or have done? Do you know for what they stand or how they differ?
The composition of the field — the most diverse ever — highlights the degree to which Democrats are divided by ideology, generation, race, gender and geography. It is a party undergoing a power struggle over whose voices will be heard and which voters should be courted most. This is not a destructive conflict, but to pretend that it doesn’t exist, that it isn’t part of the backdrop of the race does a disservice to the realities of the moment.
One risk for Democrats is that, with so many candidates and so many voices, side debates distract from core issues and unifying messages. The debate over reparations sparks passions within the Democratic base but is not an issue high on the list of most voters who will determine who is the next president.
Last month, CNN did five consecutive hours of town halls with five different candidates before a student audience in New Hampshire. For anyone who stayed through the entire evening, the contrasts were revealing. But how many people stayed for the full programming? In each of the five hours, CNN’s total viewership was below that of Fox News and MSNBC, although in two of the hours, it scored best among the prime audience of viewers ages 25 to 54.
The next phase of the campaign begins in little more than a month when the first of the Democratic debates is held in Miami. There will be a second round in late July in Detroit and more in the fall. The size of the field, however, will limit the value of these early encounters, which will have to be held on consecutive nights to accommodate all of the candidates expected to qualify.
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