If the Presidential Primary were held today...

Warning: this post is going to be, like many of my posts, rife with inaccuracies, vagueness and exaggeration.  So just relax and know that.  Part of why I'm putting it out there is to attract more information.

But whereas, it has come to my attention that there is a presidential election next year;

And whereas, it appears that the California presidential primary is March 3rd and not June;

And whereas, I like to panic early to avoid the rush;

I am going to tell you that if the primary election were held today, Thursday, April 4th, 2019...

---I would be in no position to vote because I don't know enough.  Okay that was kind of a teaser.  Here are things that I am thinking about the declared candidates for the Democratic nomination for President of the United States:

Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) still has a lot of my attention because he:
stays focused on policy and not personalities including

• Medicare for All
• Minimum wage is a living wage
• Full voting rights and civil rights for women, people of color and LGBTQ
• Break up Big Banks
• Campaign Finance Reform
• Combat Climate Change
• I have worked with Bernie.  I trust Bernie.  As the Washington Post pointed out earlier this week.  Bernie is bona fide progressive but also has a proven track record of being pragmatic.  He does not have to knee jerk agree to a campaign plank that hasn't been well thought out because he doesn't have to prove that he is committed to a populist agenda that benefits everyone--we know he is. 
• He is the only candidate so far that I actually think is a good campaigner and I would actually want to be president.
• Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) is the next most interesting to me -- I am midway through her campaign book.  It makes me think that I would love her to BE president.  Given all her errors of judgment campaigning so far, I'm not convinced that she can WIN president.  But I definitely will be watching.
• Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) bears closer watching.  I feel like he does have something special and does seem to really be engaged in change rather than just wanting power.  
• Beto O'Rourke -- former Texas Congressman-- definitely adorable and fun to watch.  Can't tell how much I would actually want him to BE president, certainly fun to watch him RUN for president (sort of the opposite of Elizabeth Warren).
• Senator Kamala Harris (D-CA) -- of course since she is closer to home and since I have a legislative background, I have some independent knowledge of Kamala (the only one other than Bernie).  As impressive as she seems if you don't know her, I'm actually not convinced that Kamala Harris stands for anything other than Kamala Harris.  There is a lot of evidence that her governing principle is to do and or say whatever she needs to do or say to gain power.  Yes, we've had a lot of white male politicians who are versions of that and yes I'm sure I would vote for her if she were the nominee, but can't we do better?  I don't want to expect more from a woman and person of color than I would expect from a white man so I'm watching myself on that.
• Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) -- not off to a great start.  Willing to tolerate a certain amount of quirky midwestern quasi centrist charm in exchange for a candidate who can win the midwest but not convinced she is it.
• Governor John Hickenlooper (D-CO) -- I know next to nothing about this guy but I generally think being a Governor is a better background for running a country than being a legislator.  
• Governor Jay Inslee (D-WA) -- sort of the same for him except that I think he is one to watch because he is prioritizing climate change.  With such a crowded field and with so many California Democrats being willing to put this survival of the species issue ahead of other issues*, anyone who focusses really strongly on one major voting block and is able to raise money is someone who might make it into the top tier.  Jay Inslee could be such a one.

Marianne Williamson (Author and speaker)--this is a subject

for another post but Marianne, like our president, knows the power of the word and knows how to bring that power to bear.  I actually think that the focus on reparations may have come from some of Marianne's early talks and writings.  She has been talking about reparations for slavery as a vital need in our nation as a spiritual/energetic matter to move on.  She has a HUGE following in California.  Millions of people buy her books and download her lectures.  Don't completely write her off because she's not a politician.  I seem to remember someone else who wasn't a politician defying expectations in a primary.

Last time I checked Joe Biden is not a declared candidate so I won't comment. 

*myself, I put combatting climate change a close second to economic issues such as Medicare for all and Living wage--why? because I would like us to survive and thrive--but let's not pit these issues against each other the way the right does--I like the way Bernie does both.  He has been a strong vote on the environment and would be a leader on this issue.