OPINION: Are the Democrats strong enough to beat Trump?

Opinion writer Charlotte Caldwell casts doubt over whether the Democratic field has candidates capable of defeating President Trump in the 2020 election. 

[dropcap txtcolor="#234a83" style="dropcap1"]W[/dropcap]ith all the Democrats hinting at their bid for the Presidency in 2020, the question voters should be asking themselves is whether the chosen candidate for the Democratic side will be able to gather enough support to win.So far, the lineup of Democrats potentially running for office, which is adding up to close to two dozen, doesn’t seem all that impressive. Take Sen. Elizabeth Warren, for example. Since her campaign announcement, multiple issues have begun to pop up that don't make her seem worthy of going up against President Trump. After she showed DNA tests that “proved” she had Native American ancestry, her image to voters, especially Native Americans and racial minorities, worsened to the point of no return.That’s not to mention Warren’s newest Instagram Live stunt, where she very uncharacteristically drank a beer and thanked her husband for being in their own home. While this was an attempt to appeal to young audiences, many may not take the bait.Other candidates considering entering the race, such as Ohio's Sen. Sherrod Brown, have also seen their fair share of scandals. While running for re-election this past November, a dark money website called metooohio.com accused Brown of abusing his ex-wife. Brown’s ex-wife denied the claims, but many were still skeptical, especially after there was court documentation on the claims that told an opposite story.However, there is no doubt that Democrats, no matter how radical, will vote for anyone other than President Trump in 2020. The immense hatred for the things he is trying to accomplish has become a unifying force in the party. But winning every Democrat vote is only half the battle, as there are still voters who are committed to Trump’s vision.Trump has done pretty well for himself since entering office, especially in the eyes of conservative voters who stood behind him in 2016. Even though it looks like the Democrats won’t budge on giving up money for the wall, as shown by the longest government shutdown in U.S. history, the effort still shows that Trump is trying to accomplish his promises made on the campaign trail. Other accomplishments include lowering taxes, low unemployment rates, and a stable economy – issues that matter to many middle class voters who have been struggling for a long time.Qualifications aside, Trump also has essential swing states like Ohio on his side. Ohio has been red for a while due to white, older voter demographics with fewer progressive voters in big cities to even it out. It is likely that this demographic won’t shift in four years, so Trump can be sure of one crucial state on his side.Ultimately, the Democrats aren’t really sure of the best way to go about fighting against Trump that would appeal to voters on both sides. Trump’s carefree comments and constant tweets don’t seem to make any difference to his approval rating, and it has been shown that if other politicians try to resort to the same tactics, the results are drastically different.Whatever the Democrats do to fight Trump will have to be done carefully. One thing is for sure: if the Democrats don’t get a candidate soon who appeals to the majority or can outweigh Trump’s personality, then they will definitely be unhappy for another four years.