The Point: Will 2020 be a battle between 70-somethings?

View this email in your browser May 14, 2019  | by Chris Cillizza and Lauren Dezenski Will 2020 be a battle between 70-somethings? If the 2020 election were held today, the two most likely Democratic nominees against President Donald Trump are Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders. A face-off between Trump and Biden would pit a 74-year-old against a 77-year-old. A race between Trump and Sanders would be a 74-year-old facing off against a 79-year-old. That prospect is something that 6 in 10 Americans are OK with, according to new Gallup polling. While that might seem high-ish, it's actually pretty low when you compare it to the other traits Gallup asked about. In fact, only a socialist candidate (47% would support) and an atheist candidate (60%) score lower than those who would vote for a candidate over 70. (More than 7 in 10 said they would have no problem voting for someone under 40 for president.) That's an intriguing finding, given that Trump is a near-certainty to appear in next year's general election, while, if you are a betting man (or woman), you would put your money, today at least, on either Sanders or Biden. Sure, 60-ish percent of people will be fine with such a choice. But that leaves a whole lot of people less comfortable with choosing between two septuagenarians for the highest office in the country. Do Democratic voters consider that possibility when selecting their nominee? Does the 37-year-old Pete Buttigieg or even the 54-year-old Kamala Harris get a bit of a boost for their relative youth? The Point: It's not clear whether Democrats will want to choose a candidate diametrically opposed to Trump in every way -- or one who draws sharp contrasts on some fronts but not on others. -- Chris QUOTE OF THE DAY "I didn't ask him to do it." -- President Donald Trump on whether he asked AG Bill Barr to investigate the origins of the Russia investigation -- despite repeatedly asking for it. SENATE BATTLE WATCH Dems want to win the Senate. They're falling behind While the battle for the White House is dominating 2020 headlines, Democrats are waging a quieter war to try to retake the US Senate. Want more of these YouTube videos in your life? Subscribe to The Point! And can't get enough Senate majority news? You're in luck.  Chris writes more on why, once you get beyond the raw numbers in the battle for the Senate majority, the path for Democrats looks much, much tougher. LAUREN'S GOOD READS Welcome to campaign reset season, writes Politico's David Siders MOON QUAKE!! Daenerys is not the mad queen, y'all  Update your WhatsApp right now  NYT's Caity Weaver spent a week living like it's 1994 and got to expense Dunkaroos An 11-year-old tried to bribe the New Zealand government with $5 to study dragons (it didn't work) MUSICAL INTERLUDE Your Tuesday needs more Ben Folds. Enjoy "Zak and Sara"! INSTA POINT Today's topic: Remember when we thought 20 debate spots was HIGH?  AND THEN THERE WERE 22 This latest Democratic presidential candidate is another guy you may or may not have heard of -- Montana Gov. Steve Bullock. The 53-year-old Bullock says he is running a campaign based on challenging money in politics and pushing progressive policies from his red-state perspective. His campaign announcement video, posted this morning, mentions a successful Medicaid expansion, his support for gay marriage and a bipartisan push against dark money in Montana on his watch. Bullock now has just over a month to meet the fundraising and polling thresholds to make it onto the debate stage in June -- which is capped at 20 candidates, spread over two days. LAUREN'S CAMPAIGN TRAIL LATEST Elizabeth Warren: Has turned down a Fox News town hall invitation, saying the outlet is a "hate-for-profit racket that gives a megaphone to racists and conspiracists."  Amy Klobuchar: Has introduced legislation that would allow Americans displaced by natural disasters to still vote by a federal write-in absentee ballot. Joe Biden: Is defending his record on climate change. Julián Castro: Has rolled out an education plan calling for universal pre-K, free college and raises for teachers.  ELECTION RE-DO The North Carolina House race that resulted in allegations of fraud with absentee ballots and ultimately required a do-over is finally happening. Today, voters will choose from a field of 10 Republican candidates who will go on to face Democrat Dan McCready in the general election this fall. If his name sounds familiar, that's because McCready was also the Democratic candidate in the previous election that officials refused to certify.  YOUR DAILY GIF From Brenna: "AOC does not love a 'middle of the road approach' to solving climate change. Share The Point with someone who is all or nothing!" We'd love to share our other newsletters with you. Follow this link for daily coverage of the world's top stories, savvy market insights, an insider's look into the media, and more. Send your tips and thoughts via email to Chris Cillizza and Lauren Dezenski. Follow Chris and Lauren on Twitter. Subscribe to The Point unsubscribe from this list    update subscription preferences  Copyright © 2019 Cable News Network, LP, LLLP. A WarnerMedia Company. All Rights Reserved., All rights reserved. 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