Democrat Congressman Tim Ryan drops 2020 run for President.

Congressman Tim Ryan. Official Portrait.

Democratic congressman Tim Ryan has ended his race to be the 2020 Democratic candidate for President. Fox News. He will now instead focus on winning his congressional seat in Ohio's 13th congressional district. Ryan was a more moderate candidate that had often clashed with the more progressive elements of his party. During the debates he criticized medicare for all, describing it as damaging to his party. Those attacks did not land as Bernie Sanders deflected it by saying "I wrote the damn bill!" Ryan, who was notable for attempting to unseat Nancy Pelosi as house speaker, never made much impact on the polls. With him out of the race the Democratic field had narrowed to 18 candidates. 

My Comment:

I am surprised it took so long for Ryan to exit the race. He wasn't at the last debate and he didn't really have much of an impact on the other ones he did participate in. His only notable accomplishment was when Bernie Sanders got one of his best lines of the campaign so far when he responded to Ryan's criticism by saying "I wrote the damn bill". Other than that, Ryan didn't accomplish much. 

There just isn't a lane for a moderate this time around in the Democratic Party. The lunatics are running the asylum there and Biden has sucked most of the air out of the room for "moderates". I don't think Biden or Ryan are moderate in any way other than in comparison to the other candidates, but the fact remains if you aren't a far left socialist or a woke identity politics leftist, you don't have a role in this race if your name isn't Joe Biden. 

Ryan's biggest problem is name recognition. Though he has been a congressman since 2003, I had never heard of him before this election cycle. He is not a household name and when you aren't one you have to have a good debate performance. Ryan did not, barely contributing in the debates he was at. Without that performance he was doomed. 

Ryan may have also made a mistake in attacking his fellow candidates during the debates. Most of those attacks didn't land and I don't think much of the Democratic primary voters want to hear that medicare for all is unrealistic and could damage their 2020 chances. That's obviously true but going centrist is usually not recommended until you are the candidate.

As for the Democrats, it's still clown car. Right now there are only about three candidates that have a realistic chance of winning, Joe Biden, Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders. Hillary Clinton might have one as well, assuming she enters the race as I expect. Everyone else doesn't have much of a chance and have an uphill battle to have any expectations of success once the voting starts.