March 29, 2019 02:02 PM UTC

Bennet Basically In

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• by: Colorado Pols

Politico, confirming a longstanding expectation:

Colorado Sen. Michael Bennet said Thursday that he is “very inclined” to run for the Democratic nomination for president in 2020, telling his MSNBC interviewers that his decision would have nothing to do with whether former Vice President Joe Biden enters the race.

“I’m very inclined to do it, and we’re looking at it. And I think, look, the American people need somebody who’s going to run and tell them the truth in 2020,” he said on “Morning Joe.”

The two-term senator argued that making any progress in Congress is impossible “if we continue to do what we’ve been doing here for the last 10 years,” adding that he didn’t believe President Donald Trump was to blame for Washington’s gridlock. The president, Bennet said, is only a symptom of a greater problem and “an accelerant of a lot of the problems.”

Sen. Michael Bennet’s overall low profile as a Senator has been lifted in recent months by flashes of rhetorical fire that attracted national attention. Like Colorado’s other Democratic presidential contender John Hickenlooper, Bennet will need to make further and much bigger waves in order to break into the upper tier of a huge pack of 2020 Democratic candidates–a pack that already includes a host of big names.

We certainly would not underestimate Bennet’s ability to do that, however. Along the way we expect Bennet will acquit himself well, and not be prone to either gaffes or background surprises. In contrast to the progressive firebrand persona of Bernie Sanders and the youthful rock star image of Beto O’Rourke, look for Michael Bennet to build a brand of understated competence and consensus building–with the ability to thrown down when the circumstances warrant.

And we’ll see how it goes, gentle readers.