Three Early Questions That Could Determine the Course of the Presidential Election

With polls showing the Democratic race for president unclear, it's hard to project how the 2020 contest is actually shaping up.A battle between President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden is far from a done deal.What's more, it's hard to say what will happen in the Democratic Party race if Biden stumbles.Meanwhile, Trump is as controversial as ever, which generally means that his base loves him.Trump is a formidable candidate, despite media coverage of the Mueller report about Russian involvement in the 2016 elections that suggested he may have obstructed justice, and the migrant crisis at the border that questions the administration's compassion.Republicans are still with him and presidents aren't usually voted out of office when the economy is humming and the unemployment rate is low.The election, however, hinges on which candidate Democrats nominate.Here are some early questions as the race for the White House heats up.Can Biden go all the way?When he announced his campaign for president in April, polls showed Biden with a huge lead among Democrats, in some cases more than 30 percentage points ahead of his closest rival.But since then his poll numbers have dropped, particularly after his lackluster performance at last month's Democratic debate.Biden isn't the same, forceful politician he was when Barack Obama picked him as his running mate.Whatever the reason, his campaign aides have been cautious. At events, including a recent one in Dallas, Biden avoids impromptu news conferences. At his fundraisers, he's carefully scripted, often robotic, when pool reporters are in the room.His vice presidential debates in 2008 and 2012 were good and showed off his personality, but the June presidential debate reflected a leading candidate trying hard not to make a mistake.  Continue reading...