Tom Steyer Much More Likely to Influence Issues Than Secure 2020 Nomination By Phillip Howard
Billionaire liberal activist Tom Steyer changed his mind and entered the presidential race as Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) announced he was ending his campaign, instead focusing on re-election to Congress.
Swalwell cited low polling and underwhelming fundraising. Swalwell stated that while he has “to be honest about (his) own candidacy’s viability,” he “moved the needle on the debate stage” on an issue that was a focal point in his campaign, gun control measures.
The main problem for Swalwell was that he “was always a long shot,” said Jack Pitney, Professor of Government at Claremont-McKenna College. “Nobody’s been elected to the presidency from the House since James Garfield and outside of MSNBC viewers, nobody knew who he was.” Swalwell never cracked the top 20 candidates in polling.
Photo by ABC News
Steyer’s policy proposals fall in line with several other Democratic candidates. He supports single-payer health care, wants to fight deportation and expand services for immigrants, limit corporate influence on elections, raise the minimum wage, and curtail foreign influence on elections.
Steyer’s central issue is impeaching Donald Trump. Steyer argues Trump “is the most corrupt president in American history and is a danger to the country and the Constitution.”
Photo from Green Left Weekly
Current polling data shows that national support for impeachment is well below 40 percent. Steyer believes “the only way to actually push this the right way is what we’ve been saying, actual democracy. Get it on TV, let the American people see the facts and let them judge,” adding “that hasn’t happened” yet.
Steyer plans on spending $100 million of his own money, which is more than the five highest-polling Democrats have raised in three months combined. While Steyer has built a supportive base as an activist, he has no political experience, and his campaign experience is limited to fundraising.
Steyer’s campaign may serve to get the top candidates more focused on the issues he prioritizes, rather than proving to be an actual challenge for the nomination.
Phillip Howard is a graduate student at Utica College
