GAME OVER
You decided not to run for president in 2016. Of course, in reality, this was not the case and we can only speculate what might have happened without the Democratic National Convention’s original forerunner for the job.
Likely, Bernie Sanders, your democratic competitor, would have gained intense momentum, Sanders having been head-to-head with you at the end of the debates in 2016. He was a well-respected senator for many years, having been a strong activist for social change since his earlier life when he marched with Martin Luther King Jr. across the Selma bridge in 1965 to further the Civil Rights Movement. During his campaign, he focused on affordable tuition, stronger social programs, income, and social equality, employment issues, and ending political corruption, topics many identified with.
Despite this, many of Bernie’s ideas were considered too radical--sometimes even socialist during his campaign. However, stranger things have happened. Donald Trump, who won the election in 2016 was also considered a political outlier in many respects.
Alternative options earlier in the race included Chafee, Lessig, O’Malley, and Webb, but none of them had the sheer momentum of Sanders. Likely, against Trump’s tactics which suffered many critiques due to his unorthodox behavior, Sanders would have seemed a more viable option for undecided voters. It really comes down to if Bernie spent his time campaigning in the right places and if he received enough funding and support, without the politician’s best friend: big business money.