USA Today: Beating Donald Trump in the 2020 election isn't everything; it's the only thing

Beating Donald Trump in the 2020 election isn't everything; it's the only thing
Debating wine cellar fundraisers, free tuition and 'Medicare for All' won't rid America of an unfit president: Our view

The Editorial Board USA TODAY

To the casual observer of the Democratic debates, it seems like candidates are spending a lot of time debating improbable ideas like free tuition — that is, when they are not arguing the appropriateness of holding fundraisers in wine caves.

While President Donald Trump is holding pep rallies in key battleground states, the Democrats are engaged in what looks at times like a squabble within an academic department.

Perhaps as a result, the ratings for the Democratic encounters have been slipping with each installment. To some degree, this is the inevitable outcome of a race pitting an incumbent against a large field of would-be challengers.

Focus on winning 2020

But there is also a warning in it: Few of the ideas being debated are getting much traction beyond Democratic true believers. And even many Democrats are ready to see some winnowing of the field in the early caucus and primary states.

This is a pretty good indication that the party's voters should focus largely on one overriding issue: which of the candidates is best equipped to defeat Donald Trump next November.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2019/12/26/2020-beating-trump-isnt-everything-its-only-thing-editorials-debates/2741230001/