Greg Jayne, Opinion page editor Photo

Years ago, when my daughter was in elementary school, there was an election for student council or something, and one of the candidates promised longer recess if he were elected.

Naturally, he won, proving that “longer recess” is the childhood equivalent of “Mexico will pay for it.” When it comes to elections, some voters will hear what they want to hear, even if deep down they know you are lying or exaggerating or being a delusional dotard.

All of which plays a role in the 2020 presidential election, which has more candidates than a WWE battle royale. So as we look ahead to 2020 and as the candidates present their fanciful proposals, it is never too early to delineate between what is realistic and what is the political equivalent of unicorns and stardust.

From the Washington standpoint, that means starting with Jay Inslee. You might have heard of him; you twice elected him (or maybe your neighbors did) to be your governor. And while national polls show Inslee lagging in terms of name recognition amid the battalion of Democratic candidates, columnist Jennifer Rubin of The Washington Post brings up an interesting point: “Although he’s running primarily on climate change, one of the best-kept secrets of the race is that other than former Vice President Joe Biden, Inslee has more executive experience and more accomplishments (from minimum wage to green investment) than just about anyone in the race.”

Inslee is in the middle of his second term as governor. Before that, he spent 15 years in the House of Representatives. That might not match being a failed casino owner in terms of presidential training, but on the other hand it might.