Early stop in Granite State for refreshing 2020 Dem hopeful
Can’t wait for 2020 to get here fast enough?
It’s already started. The first declared presidential candidate has arrived in New Hampshire, meeting activists and trying to gain an early foothold in what’s likely to be a crowded and lively Democratic race. But U.S. Rep. John Delaney is no Bernie Sanders or Elizabeth Warren. He doesn’t spend all his time railing against President Trump. He’s not running against Wall Street and the evil banks. In fact, he’s a former banker himself, and made a lot of money on Wall Street.
“I don’t think the banks are the problem at all right now,” the Maryland Democrat said in an interview on “Battenfeld” on Boston Herald Radio.
Delaney, making his maiden campaign trip to the Granite State, is a refreshing change from the usual, career Democratic pol. But in 2020, that may not play well with the Bernsters who have taken over the party. Can a wealthy, former businessman pass the liberal litmus test?
“I have a hard time with those labels,” the 54-yearold said. “Some people say, ‘Wow, he’s a real progressive.’ Some people say, ‘Wow, he’s a centrist.’ I don’t think those labels apply.”
Delaney doesn’t spend the entire interview talking about Trump. He’s clearly not a fan, but says he’s more concerned about the future.
“There’s a bunch of things that this president is doing that in my judgment are terrible and we have to push back and resist against those things,” he said. “But we also have to talk about what we’re going to do for the American people going forward.”
That’s a common theme among some Democrats, but Delaney actually concedes that Republicans aren’t wrong about everything.
“The political parties — and both sides are guilty of this — will try to convince us that everyone who’s in the other party is entirely wrong about everything they believe,” Delaney said. “And that’s kind of an insidious message.”
The question is whether Delaney’s message will sell in New Hampshire and Iowa. Are Democrats ready to listen to someone who doesn’t just toss hyperpartisan diatribes?
Delaney said he believes in his own campaign — enough to give up his safe congressional seat.
On the personal side, he grew up in a blue-collar family in north New Jersey. So of course, he’s a disciple of the Boss.
“I’ve seen (Bruce) Springsteen about 30 times,” he said.
And if you travel to New Hampshire, you might be seeing Delaney a lot, too. He said he’s looking forward to a vigorous debate in the Democratic Party and plans to spend the next 21⁄2 years meeting with voters.
When asked about Warren, whom he may end up facing in the primaries, Delaney said, “I admire her passion and the way she fights for things she believes in.”