Photo: When asked if she would run again in 2020, Hillary Clinton failed to give a clear answer (Instagram: Hillary Clinton)

Hillary Clinton in 2020? Democrats face ugly tussle in race to find nominee to take on Donald Trump

By North America Correspondent Stephanie March

13 Nov 2018,

America is two years away from voting for its next president and as it stands the pool of potential 2020 Democratic candidates is as large and colourful as a first round casting call for American Idol, albeit with less sparkle and spandex.

Today, dressed in a suit and tie, disillusioned Trump voter and former army paratrooper Richard Ojeda announced his bid for the White House.

Standing in front of the Korean War Veterans memorial in Washington DC, he railed against Donald Trump's expensive golf clubs and politicians' outsized salaries.

In last week's midterms he lost his bid as a congressional candidate for West Virginia on the Democratic ticket, but it wasn't a total wash — the district that Donald Trump won by 49 points, Mr Ojeda lost by only 12.

Mr Ojeda represents one end of the 2020 spectrum. He is the anti-establishment, quasi-populist who — if you believe the headlines — could find himself up against the most traditional of choices: Hillary Clinton.

A former aide to Mrs Clinton has speculated that her old boss should not be ruled out as a 2020 contender. When asked late last month if she would run again, Mrs Clinton's rejection of the idea was ambiguous at best.

The prospect may strike fear into the hearts of many Democrats fearing a repeat of 2016, while on the other side of the aisle the feeling is clear.

"Dear God, please, yes," is how White House advisor Kellyanne Conway responded to the prospect of 'Hillary 4.0'.

After two failed bids for the White House, the prospect of a third by Mrs Clinton might seem preposterous to many, though at this point you'd be a mug to make definitive predictions about the future of American politics.

Serious contenders for 2020 are unlikely to announce their bids until next year but expect speculation between now and then to rival that of a Royal pregnancy.

Every trip to Iowa by a potential candidate will set tongues wagging.

Denials of intentions to run will be met with scepticism.

Expect names like Oprah and Michael Avenatti to be tossed around to add some celebrity sizzle to the otherwise predictable mix of senators, congress members and governors past and present.

Beyond Mrs Clinton, the list of possible establishment figures includes former vice president Joe Biden, who says he will decide early next year if he will run, and Bernie Sanders, Mrs Clinton's former rival.

On the list of relative outsiders are people such as Beto O'Rourke, the Texan who lost his bid to depose Senator Ted Cruz last week, but whose rock-star style has prompted some to label him 'the next Obama'.

The Democrats' path to choosing their nominee could be ugly. It has the potential to expose unresolved cracks in the party revealed at the 2016 Democrat National Convention and exemplified by the victory of Donald Trump.

The field is likely to be vast and varied, but one thing is clear: anyone who tells you with confidence who the 2020 nominee will be is either naive or brave — or both.