Filipovic writes: "The most important requirement for the Democratic Party's presidential nominee? Electability. It matters more, we keep hearing, than nominating a candidate who has good policies."
Joe Biden. (photo: Getty Images)
19 May 19
What ‘electability’ seems to mean in 2020 — and what it meant in 2018.
he most important requirement for the Democratic Party’s presidential nominee? Electability. It matters more, we keep hearing, than nominating a candidate who has good policies. It matters more than nominating a candidate with a track record of passing progressive legislation. It certainly matters more than nominating a candidate who could be the first female president.
Unfortunately, very few people who say they are putting electability first seem to understand what “electability” means, or what today’s electorate actually looks like.
Case in point: In a field crowded with nearly two dozen candidates, no answer to the electability question is offered more regularly and with more conviction than “Joe Biden.”
