The last couple presidential elections have been widely viewed and commented on. Furthermore, they have aided the ample publicity that the 2024 election is already receiving. Many candidates have already entered the race with fourteen in total right now (three Democrats, ten Republicans, and one from a third party).
Democratic Runners
In the Democratic Party we have President Joe Biden, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and Marianne Williamson. Kennedy Jr. is an adamant supporter and advocate of anti-vaccine propaganda and conspiracy theories relating to health. For example, sources say that Kennedy has promoted ivermectin to treat COVID-19, a medicine that is used to treat infections and does not have FDA approval for COVID. In fact, the organization states that “using ivermectin to attempt to treat COVID-19 can be dangerous and even lethal.”
Marianne Williamson, who had previously run in 2020, is the author of A Return to Love. However, Williamson hadn’t won since many considered her an unserious candidate especially after she said that Trump was a “dark psychic force of the collectivized hatred” in America.
She says that she is running because she has “had a forty year career working up close and personal with people whose lives are in trouble, and too many are in trouble now.” Williamson states that our country has gone from being “of the people, by the people, and for the people” [into] “of the corporations, by the corporations, and for the corporations.”
Republican Leaders
The Republican Party presents ten candidates: former President Donald Trump, former Governor of South Carolina Nikki Haley, Vivek Ramaswamy who is the youngest candidate and the first Indian American to run, former Governor of Arkansas Asa Hutchinson, Larry Elder, Senator Tim Scott, Governor of Florida Ron DeSantis, former Vice President Mike Pence, former Governor of New Jersey Chris Christie, and Governor of North Dakota Doug Burgum.
Former President Trump is also running for presidency again during his thirty-seven indictments. While Trump vows to stay in the race even if he is convicted, his chances don’t look very bright especially since only one other president has ever won re-election after a break in terms.
Governor DeSantis is seen as Trump’s main rival in the Republican nomination. However, while both of them have rather similar ideologies, many have commented on how DeSantis seems to be lacking the ability to personally connect with his supporters and the ability to think on his feet. In a presidential election, this will be especially important.
Former Vice President Mike Pence aims to use his credibility from his vice presidency to push himself forward in the race. However, many Republicans are against Pence due to his opinion on the 2016 election results. This may have worked for presidents like Biden. However, when running against someone who was even closer to Pence’s vice presidential term, such as President Trump, it is not much of an advantage.
Former Governor Chris Christie doesn’t hold much hope of being the next president. In fact, many acknowledge that he gave up his chance when he did not run in the 2012 election, when he was a popular candidate. In 2016, when he did run, his chances were already blown after a scandal involving him closing traffic lanes to retaliate against a mayor who hadn’t endorsed him. Now, Christie only runs to bring down a different candidate: Donald Trump.
There is also a theory that “he’s running for president not to win, but to slay the dragon that is Trump’s front-running campaign” according to news channel FiveThirtyEight.
With so many candidates and so many hopes and lives balancing on this election, the results may take us by surprise.