With Beto O'Rourke's recent announcement that he is dropping out of the race for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2020, it appears that the field of candidates is starting to thin. However, there are still some holdouts (and potential newcomers) who refuse to let go of their shot at having their name on the top of the ticket.
Michael Bloomberg
Former New York City mayor and billionaire Michael Bloomberg has filed to run for president in two states. This is a woefully late entry into the 2020 race. Bloomberg would likely have to sit out the early states like Iowa and New Hampshire, and instead put all of his eggs into the "Super Tuesday" basket to pick up delegates. Even if he could make some headway in the race, Bloomberg does not seem like the right man to defeat Trump. If America wants change, they are not going to pick another out-of-touch New York City billionaire.
Tulsi Gabbard
Tulsi Gabbard has been in the headlines recently after a Twitter spat with Hillary Clinton over her remarks calling Gabbard "a favorite of the Russians" and accusing Republicans of "grooming" Gabbard to run as a third-party candidate and subvert the eventual Democratic nominee. Gabbard has already raised suspicions as a promoter of Democratic infighting. She recently announced she would not seek reelection to Congress after it was reported she was being greatly outraised by a primary challenger in her home state of Hawaii. In the past, Gabbard has come under attack for her connections with Syrian President Assad. It is clear that her candidacy would mean a re-write of the Democratic platform.
Tom Steyer
Billionaire Tom Steyer has been at the helm of the largest impeachment campaign in the modern era. Steyer has funneled his riches into the "Need to Impeach" initiative, purchasing ads and billboards and selling stickers and merchandise calling for the impeachment of President Trump. It turns out that this was just a way to springboard him into the Democratic primary as he attempts to buy the nomination while continuing to poll at a measly 1 percent nationally.
Wayne Messam
Never heard of Wayne Messam? Same here. He has no shot of winning the nomination, raising only $5 in quarter three of 2019. It's time to drop out.
John Delaney
John Delaney has become the punch-line of many jokes about the 2020 race, mostly focusing on telling him to just drop out already. He did not meet the qualifications to participate in the September debate, a clear sign that his candidacy will never make it all the way.
Steve Bullock
Much like John Delaney, Steve Bullock is being urged to drop out of the race. Bullock was one of the later entries to the 2020 race and it shows in his lackluster polling. The latest polls show Bullock's support at 0-1 percent which will never be enough to win a primary let alone a general election.
Marianne Williamson
Williamson is unconventional, to say the least. She captured America's attention with an eccentric performance in the first debate but has faded as she fails to raise money and capture the public's attention. It's time that Williamson bow out of the race.
Joe Sestak
Who even is Joe Sestak? Well, he was a candidate for Senate in Pennsylvania in 2010 and lost and then he lost the Democratic primary for the Senate seat in 2016. Now he's running for president. He has very poor name ID and has yet to crack 1 percent in national polling. There's no chance that he will win the nomination.
Andrew Yang
Andrew Yang has made headlines for his extremely liberal campaign promises, most prominently his pledge of a "freedom dividend" which would give Americans a universal basic income of $1,000 a month. Yang even offered to personally fund the freedom dividend for 10 people for one year during a debate, a move that prompted fellow candidate Amy Klobuchar to pass a note to Cory Booker during the debate accusing Yang of campaigning violations. Yang's ideas are so far from the mainstream that they will never win over independents in the general election. There's no need for giveaways to try to buy the nomination.
Deval Patrick
President Barack Obama's early pick for the nomination came in the form of former Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick. Patrick would be a late entry to the race, finding himself in a similar situation to Michael Bloomberg. Patrick is a more moderate Democrat and his consideration of the nomination reinforces the idea that some moderates are wary of the field of progressive Democrats who seem to be in favor of winning the primaries. Patrick could have been a great candidate for president, but it's simply too late for him to make a real run for the nomination.