We all knew the Democrat field of presidential candidates was too crowded (in the same way the Republican field of 2016 was over-stuffed), and the stress is beginning to show. How does one stand out when each candidate parrots the other?

The answer is to either out-left the other guy, take a standout contrarian position, or be super-intersectional. But each candidate is having problems at the moment – even those commonly considered to be at the top of the polls.

Joe Biden hasn’t even officially declared his candidacy yet (though everyone knows he is planning to run), and his team is reportedly now in crisis mode over the allegations by former Nevada assemblywoman Lucy Flores.

In response, Stephanie Carter, wife of former Defense Secretary Ash Carter, whose picture is often included in the montage of “creepy Biden” images, insists that all was not as it looked at the time.

Later, we went to the White House for the swearing in and I was feeling self-conscious and tentative (not a normal state for those who know me) about the fall — and perhaps about how much our life might change. As we walked in the room, reporters were staged and a young woman from Huffington Post shouted to me to ask if I was doing all right — I was somewhat thrown (did I not look all right?) but quickly remembered news of my fall on the ice had traveled. By the time then-Vice President Biden had arrived, he could sense I was uncharacteristically nervous- and quickly gave me a hug. After the swearing in, as Ash was giving remarks, he leaned in to tell me “thank you for letting him do this” and kept his hands on my shoulders as a means of offering his support. But a still shot taken from a video — misleadingly extracted from what was a longer moment between close friends — sent out in a snarky tweet — came to be the lasting image of that day.”

As I arrived home to my apartment that night, I was starting to get a sense from incoming texts that that picture was picking up steam. I got on the elevator and must have been too lost in thought to notice someone next to me. As I got off the elevator, the young woman started walking down my hall (which I found odd since there are few apartments leaving very few doors she could be going to) and began to feel her footsteps pick up close to mine. As I reached my door, I turned around to find her practically on top of me. When I confronted her, she said she was a reporter from the New York Post and did I have a comment about that picture. I quickly went inside and locked the door.”

It didn’t stop the next day, or the day after or the day after that. Friends tried to comfort me — they knew we had known Joe and Jill Biden for many years, long before he had become vice president, and that this presumption on the part of reporters wasn’t the type of attention I wanted. Ash tried to joke that it was the only way people knew that he had been sworn in. At his first available opportunity, he told the press that we had been friends with the Bidens for years and it wasn’t at all what people thought. But that didn’t stop people I had not heard from since high school sending me messages — usually with some joke or demanding to know what he had said to me.”

Meanwhile, when I next saw the Bidens, I told them I felt awful that after he had generously taken time out of his day to swear in an old friend, his attempt to support me had become a joke and even more — supposed proof positive that he didn’t understand how to respect women. I thought it would all blow over if I didn’t dignify it with a response. But clearly that was wishful thinking.”

I have no problem accepting Stephanie Carter’s defense of Joe Biden. The problem is, she’s just ONE of MANY creepy moments that were clearly NOT images of an “old friend giving moral support in a trying moment.” Go ahead and excise her photo from the collection. The point is that there is still a collection. And his fellow Democrats are more than happy to toss Biden under the bus.

None of Biden’s potential rivals defended him following Flores’ allegations. Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren said she believed Flores and that Biden “needs to give an answer” about what occurred. New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand said, “Lucy Flores felt demeaned, and that is never okay. If Vice President Biden becomes a candidate, this is a topic he’ll have to engage on further.” Washington Gov. Jay Inslee said, “I believe it’s important to listen and take seriously any incident like this.”

Team Biden is completely underprepared if they weren’t ready for this kind of allegation to appear.

Bernie Sanders is holding strong at or near the top of the polls, and he still can’t give cohesive answers on the hows and whys of his policy platform.

Sanders: Mark my words, as president I'll lower prescription drug prices 50 percent. "You can repeat this, play this tape over when I'm elected president."

Margaret Brennan: How?

Sanders: …

Brennan: — So that Medicare for All plan of yours is popular … pic.twitter.com/ZIsu504l0I

— Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) March 31, 2019

Good thing the media is there is give the old guy some cover. Bernie is in a tight spot – he’s actually having to compete with other hard-left candidates, and if he doesn’t have a coherent plan for any of his socialist pipe dreams, another candidate will.

Elizabeth Warren’s campaign is in some financial trouble, as her finance director has quit the campaign.

She was the first major candidate to announce; she has set the pace on policy, unveiling a series of far-reaching proposals on child care, taxes and the role of large technology companies; and she defied the pleas of her longtime finance director and declared that she would stop pursuing big donations altogether, leading to his resignation.”

But as the first fund-raising deadline arrives at midnight on Sunday, Ms. Warren — who last year was widely considered a would-be front-runner — finds herself in a political vise. Her rivals on either ideological flank will raise substantially more money in the first quarter than she does, and her focus on policy has not yet translated in the polls.”

Ms. Warren’s early troubles reflect the broader challenges confronting the vast Democratic field, all vying for money and attention as they seek to dethrone President Trump. Harvesting online donations does not come easily to noncelebrity candidates, and the party’s longstanding fascination with youthful charisma — along with its current, Trump-driven fixation on electability — can outweigh qualities like experience or policy expertise.”

However, Warren does have a war chest *cough* that she can borrow from.

Ms. Warren has good reason to remain optimistic — or at least not to panic just yet. Even if she struggles to raise money in the early going, she can finance her ambitious campaign thanks to the $10 million aides say she has transferred from her Senate campaign account.”

And the contours of the 2020 race are nothing if not uncertain. Ms. Warren does not face the sort of unease within factions of the party that Mr. Sanders and former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. do, and presidential history is littered with examples of candidates who surged late when other contenders unraveled.”

Warren was done the minute she was forced to admit that her DNA test didn’t live up to her hype, and that she had used that alleged Native American ancestry claim for her own benefit. She won’t be the candidate, but she stands a fair chance of being named someone’s VP eventually.

Inexplicably and dangerously, Robert Francis “Beto” O’Rourke continues to be A Thing, a media creation for those desperate to find the next Obama. And when you have media outlets like the Associated Press slobbering all over Beto’s one outfit, it’s easy to understand why.

This is @AP coverage of the #Beto launch rally. … he "spoke at length in his native Spanish…"

Neato. pic.twitter.com/AOLWRa0I21

— David Martosko (@dmartosko) March 31, 2019

Holy Mother of all the facepalm. Look, AP, you can fangirl over him all you want, Beto’s married. Of course, once they got mocked on Twitter, the AP did a stealth edit. Screenshots are forever, AP.

If you thought the Republican 2016 primary cycle was vicious, it’s going to look like the Teddy Bear Picnic compared to the Democrat primary debates. Those first debates are only three months away. Brace yourselves – and stock up on popcorn.

Featured image via Pixabay, cropped, Pixabay license free for commercial use