From the moment Donald Trump won the presidency in 2016, Democrats knew they would need their 2020 candidate to be a dynamic force, capable of challenging an unprecedented opponent. Since then, the Democratic Party has had four years to prepare to take Trump on. But instead of party unity, the country has witnessed mass disorganization and competing visions. Yes, Democrats as a whole want to beat Trump, but factions within the party fiercely disagree on the right approach.

The original field of Democratic candidates featured a wide variety of political perspectives and personalities. Almost immediately, it was obvious that the party’s internal fight would be between candidates who wanted a risky but revolutionary win versus those desperate for a safe victory. As the primary season began, former Vice President Joe Biden enjoyed mostly healthy poll numbers thanks to his widespread name recognition and eight-year history with former President Barack Obama.