As the Democrat gaggle of candidates gear up for their first of twelve televised presidential debates, the DNC strategy for the 2020 election is becoming more evident: push forward the two most recognizable names, fully aware that none of the other 22 candidates can carry the party vote to victory and back into the White House 17 months from now.  In truth, the Democrats are mired in a miasma of identity politics, divided by an ever widening chasm of political beliefs, and are being led over the cliff by two vastly different contenders: Joe Biden the Curmudgeon and Bernie Sanders the Communist.

Liberal politics has morphed into rabid, unwavering, and rigid narratives — in plainspeak, identity politics rules the day.  The once big-tent, all-inclusive party has severely narrowed the list of liberal political identifiers and exactly who qualifies.  In fact, identity politics has fractured the Democratic Party into two divergent groups: the far left and those who used to be Democrats.  For instance, Democrats opposed to abortion are persona non grata.  Either parrot the premise that abortion is acceptable right up until the moment of birth or leave the party.  Furthermore, you're really not a card-carrying Democrat if you haven't embraced the Green New Deal scam, which states that all life on Earth comes to a scheduled, calamitous end in 12 years.  How dare you question settled science?  And if you're not yet convinced that monetary reparations must be paid to the 21st-century descendants of pre–Civil War African slaves, despite the fact that your ancestors may have immigrated to the United States long after the end of slavery, you might as well just call yourself a Trump Republican.  Finally, if you still believe that biological sex is predetermined before birth, mutilating body surgery will never change XY into XX, and that men have a physical advantage over women in competitive sports, a pox on you and your house!  Identity politics isn't the only thing tearing the Democrats apart; there's something much more insidious now in play.

Liberal media pollsters are attempting to convince the American public that at least half of those who responded to a recent poll honestly believe that a socialist form of government will cure all of America's ills and faults.  Capitalism be damned!  Apparently, destroying a robust and roaring American economy will make everything fair and equal.  And who better to drag America kicking and screaming into Utopia?  None other than Bernie Sanders, the avowed communist.  While Bernie promotes his Marxist ideology of free health care for all, free college (Added bonus!  Forgiving a trillion dollars of current college loan debt), in addition to raising taxes to punitive levels in order to financially cripple the wealthy, eviscerating Wall Street, destroying the small business entrepreneur, and redistributing retirement funds of the middle class to those of lesser fortune, gaffe-prone Joe Biden the Curmudgeon continues to stumble, stammer, stutter, and in general do what Joe does best: open mouth...insert both feet.  Ol' Joe has spent his entire adult life in politics, and a lifetime of political baggage is returning to bite him in the backside.  As with Hillary Clinton, decades of baggage is hard to bury, much less erase.  Nonetheless, the DNC is overtly promoting two old white guys who are political polar opposites and have little to no chance of convincing the other side's hardcore supporters to switch allegiances, once the nominee is chosen next July in Milwaukee.  The political belief divide among liberals is deep and wide. 

Therein lies the dilemma for Democrats.  The overarching goal is to win back power.  Problem is, there is no anointed candidate (Hillary Clinton) and no charismatic star (Barack Obama) to steal the thunder.  The best scenario is name recognition, hope for a miracle, and focus on the future.  DNC chairman Tom Perez is well aware that the odds don't favor the Democrats in 2020.  Currently, Biden is leading in the polls with a healthy lead over Sanders, and he has an insurmountable lead against all other Democrats comers, but both Biden and Sanders will struggle as the party nominee — neither man able to garner a majority of committed voters.  The upcoming first debate ought to be entertaining: the far left pitted against the standalone, centrist Democrat.  All the best, Joe — don't gaffe it up.