From the moment Donald Trump captured the presidency on Nov. 8, 2016, Democrats have anxiously waited for a second opportunity to beat him at the polls. Last time, Trump was a dark horse candidate in a crowded field of experienced Republicans. In the midst of them, he stood out for his severely limited policy knowledge, brazen demeanor, and celebrity appeal. Voters had never seen anything like his brand of politicking. In the end, the GOP's gamble paid off and it won big, beating the "inevitable" Hillary Clinton.

The Left's sole focus since that moment has been this: remove President Trump from office. Initially, the Democrats wished for a damning Mueller report to spell premature doom for the 45th president. They were certain that his days in office would not be numerous. Almost 2 1/2 years into his first term, Trump doesn't look like he'll be gone before the electorate decides his fate. And despite the many months since the initial defeat in 2016, Democrats remain wholly unprepared for another showdown.

Current front-runners, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and former Vice President Joe Biden, are old white males with decades of political experience behind them. Like the multitude of candidates in the GOP field in 2016, they believe their status as political veterans and generally likable guys will prove to be a good foil against an incumbent who frequently earns the title of "bully." It's almost as if they have not been paying attention. It's apparent that Democrats are miscalculating both their opponent and the allure of these two old candidates who are not much more than male versions of Clinton. And this time, gender is not even on their side. Per the Atlantic:



...the early months (at least) of the 2020 race are going to be dominated by three white men in their 70s arguing about how to make America great again: Donald Trump is turning 73 in June, Biden is 76, Bernie Sanders is 77.



Trump wants age to be an issue—he thinks it helps him. “I look at Joe, I don’t know about him … They’re all making me look very young, both in terms of age and in terms of energy..."



But at least 18 Democrats running for president think voters want something fresh: not only someone younger, but someone who represents a whole new start—that’s the best way the party can contrast itself with Trump.



Clinton and her historic potential didn't work out too well, so why would Sanders or Biden? Not only do their campaigns have nothing to do with breaking a glass ceiling, but they're also older.

As we saw with Clinton, ambition does little to boost a candidacy against the curiously unstoppable force that is Trump. A fair number of voters are passionate about not wanting the incumbent, but is that intensity just as strongly in favor of another? Many times, it's not voting against someone that drives people to their polling place, it's the privilege of voting for a person and their ideas. No matter who captures the title of "2020 Democratic candidate," they'll have to offer an alternative that isn't just the other option. At present, with the polling centering around Sanders and Biden, Democrats appear to be defaulting into another election loss.

Even though Democrats and other Never Trumpers desire some sort of change at the executive level, they may have to wait four more years. You don't have to be a supporter of the president to see that he has a firm grip on the GOP. While his crass, overbearing style and dismissal of norms cause many frustrations, he is a powerful draw for disheartened Americans who feel mocked and misunderstood by the Democratic Party and coastal elites. Even many who reluctantly offer support to the president would rather do so than see a Democrat in power again. As long as Trump remains on a ballot, he may be impossible to beat.

The opposition must find a candidate with an obvious brand of election-winning magnetism. Right now, that spot remains unfilled.

Kimberly Ross (@SouthernKeeks) is a contributor to the Washington Examiner' s Beltway Confidential blog and a columnist at Arc Digital.