Kerry not ruling out 2020 run for president

NEW YORK, Oct 8 (APP):NEW YORK, Oct 8 (APP): Former US Secretary of State and 2004 Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry is not ruling out running for president again in 2020, saying “Washington is
broken” and urging a more moderate path amid political polarization.
“I’m not ruling anything out, but I’m not sitting around actively laying the groundwork or making
any plans,” Kerry said on John Catsimatidis’s radio show.
“Washington is broken. Most Americans understand that. It’s a mess. The Congress is dysfunctional because it’s torn apart ideologically. Politically, it’s in a bad place. And it’s a sad thing,”
he said.
“The extremes on both sides started to demand,” Well, you can’t do that and you can’t do this,
“and, in the end, nothing happened,” he added. “Historically, our country has done best when people acted in the interest of the country, not in the interest of one party or the other party.”
Kerry predicted that the frustration with dysfunction on Capitol Hill would manifest itself in the upcoming midterm elections.
“I think there’s going to be a reaction in the midterms. … People are very angry at what’s
been going on. I don’t know which party benefits where on that. My hope is that, regardless of what
party you come from, you’re going to come to Washington determined to work together to make things happen in the best interest of the country,” he said.
Election prognosticators have floated Kerry, who lost the 2004 presidential election, as a potential 2020 presidential contender to face off against President Trump.
“I’m not ruling anything out, but I’m not sitting around actively laying the groundwork or
making any plans. I think the focus of everybody right now should be on the election that’s going to
take place in 33 days. We have an opportunity in the midterms to voice our dissatisfaction. We have
a lot of good candidates around,” Kerry responded.
Should Kerry run, he would likely join a crowded Democratic field, yet could differentiate
himself by casting his candidacy as moderate while other candidates seek to appeal to the progressive wing of the party.