As the 2020 Presidential election emerges into the spotlight, Democratic candidates are trying to make waves in a crowded field. Media attention and a multitude of public appearances can boost campaigns, but verbal slip-ups and controversial policy can ultimately drive away voters.

The first two debates, organized in two sets of two night events in June and July highlighted numerous candidates, stances and ideologies on full display with issues such as health care, guns, economics, immigration and the environment taking most of the airtime. While small gains ensued for a short time, no long term success lasted specifically from those first two sets of debates. Therefore, some candidates in the 0-1 percent range have dropped out of the race, simply because they don’t have a shot at the nomination.

For qualification in the third debate, the DNC, (Democratic National Committee) tightened the standards and only 10 candidates made the cut. Disputes on issues continued, but no significant clashes or moments have either helped or hurt individual campaigns. However, former Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Julián Castro (D-T.X.) gained some attention and criticism for his attack on front runner, former Vice President Joe Biden (D-D.E.), while the two were debating over health care policy.

“Are you forgetting what you said two minutes ago? Are you forgetting already what you said just two minutes ago?” Secretary Castro said.

One of the biggest issues addressed in all of the debates, and an important issue among voters, is healthcare. Senator Bernie Sanders (I-V.T.) has proposed a Medicare for All plan to “guarantee healthcare to all people as a right,” according to his campaign website. That plan sounds good, but the reality is that it would cost 32 trillion dollars over the course of 10 years, according to an independent study; it would raise middle class taxes, according to Sanders, and according to page eight of the actual bill, it would also abolish private health insurance. 

I guess it does not seem to faze Sanders that according to a recent Gallup poll, most Americans are satisfied with their current healthcare. This Medicare for All proposal has been drafted as a bill and along with Sanders, Senators Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Kamala Harris (D-C.A.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-M.A.), have their names on the bill and have continued to support it throughout their campaign. Other candidates have called out the Medicare for All proposal including Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-M.N.). In the third debate, Klobuchar directly called out the plan’s abolishment of private health insurance.

“While Bernie wrote the bill, I read the bill, and on page eight of the bill it says we will no longer have private insurance as we know it,” Senator Klobuchar (D-M.N.) said. “And that means 149 million Americans will no longer be able to have their current insurance.” 

A government control of the healthcare industry is bad for not only the quality of healthcare, but it will kill the jobs of that sector. Offering valued services including healthcare, for free, cheapens the value of these services, thus lessening that value millions of Americans have toward their healthcare. If the system is run by the government, there will be no reason for doctors to do the best job they can; that’s because there’s going to be no competition. And besides, there is no possible mathematical and realistic way this proposal can be paid for, even if taxes are raised; it’s just a pipe dream. 

Another area where the Democratic candidates seem out of touch with the American people is on gun laws and how to solve the epidemic of school shootings. Former Representative Beto O’Rourke (D-T.X.) and Senator Kamala Harris (D-C.A.) both expressed support of seizure of “assault weapons.” This is infringement. To lessen concerns on the reality of the idea, Harris on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, said that there would be a buyback program for compensation for these weapons. This is still infringement. During the third presidential debate, O’Rourke vehemently issued his stance on “assault weapons.”

“Hell yes, we’re going to take your AR-15, your AK-47. We’re not going to allow it to be used against our fellow Americans anymore,” former Rep. O’Rourke said.

Whichever way the candidates dance around it, the Democrats plan to infringe on the Second Amendment rights of the American people, which according to the U.S. Constitution, “shall not be infringed.” Taking away these weapons will not only set a bad precedent on infringing the Second Amendment, but also taking these will hurt law-abiding citizens’ efforts to defend themselves from crazed people, or possibly even the government. Put it this way, the crazed person isn’t giving up their weapons, so how do we defend ourselves if we give up ours?

Specific issues aside, the Democratic party is embracing a big government platform: this is wrong for America. While each 2020 candidate sees the world differently, one common trend stands out: their platforms are heading toward a socialist agenda. Countries including Venezuela prove the disastrous results of socialism as footage of hungry Venezuelans, (which is everywhere), eating out of the trash sums up why America should not go down this path.

America was founded on freeing themselves from a ruthless tyrant, but the Democrats don’t seem to care and are too busy pushing their unrealistic and radical agenda, also while invading their way into American Constitutional freedoms, especially the Second Amendment. 

The 2020 U.S. Presidential Election couldn’t be more consequential as the American people will be presented with an ideological divide. Does America want to head toward the direction and results of a Venezuelan socialist regime? Or does America want to continue with a system that has built this nation, kept our freedoms, and made our nation the greatest in the world? Now, more so than ever, the choice is clear.