With the beginning of 2019 comes the inevitable hypothesizing about potential presidential candidates for the 2020 election. Among them is John Hickenlooper, a Colorado Democrat who just finished his second term as governor. Hickenlooper began as a small business owner after being laid off from his job as a geologist, which he believes gives him a keen insight into the plight of everyday business owners. Following his business ventures, Hickenlooper began his political journey and successfully ran for mayor of Denver in 2004, remaining in the position until he became governor in 2011. Though not much is known about Hickenlooper’s platform, it can be feasibly assumed that he’ll continue pushing his progressive views, having stressed the need for a leader with effective follow-through.
Since visiting Iowa, South Carolina and New Hampshire, all important locations in the presidential race, Hickenlooper has compared his possible presidential climb to his path in life, describing it as an uphill battle. It’s important to acknowledge, though, that Hickenlooper’s lack of tangible governmental experience is something that may be frightening off voters. Despite his success as governor, Hickenlooper hasn’t seen much of the inner workings of federal government, and voters may easily turn their attention to more whetted candidates. For example, other upcoming presidential candidates have more experience than Hickenlooper: Senator Elizabeth Warren has been affiliated with higher levels of government since 1995, and Senator Cory Booker has been in politics for 22 years.
One thing Hickenlooper does have going for him, which is difficult to understate, is his charisma and the public’s affinity for him. Studies show that the most mesmerizing and captivating candidates tend to win the most elections, as they naturally garner the people’s trust. In addition to that is the former governor’s ability to appease both parties of government and generate compromise on delicate subjects, an asset highly necessary in a presidential candidate. Most of all, Hickenlooper’s propositions and policies yield action and results, facts that are not lost on today’s generation of voters. His success in crafting a methane regulation law that was the first of its kind, appeasing members of environmental groups and oil representatives, cannot go unnoticed.
Overall, though Hickenlooper may be facing no small amount of difficulties in running for president, that isn’t to say that the task he now faces is impossible. After all, he’s faced great odds before and came out on top. To suggest that he would be unable to do so this time around would be to put the fork in a campaign that hasn’t even fully begun yet. He would make a competent, if slightly inexperienced, candidate, capable of executing bold bipartisan policies while other politicians might very well shy away.
