Possible 2020 Democrat Terry McAuliffe accuses the left of 'dishonest populism'

If Former Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe runs for president in 2020, he'll be doing so squarely from the center.

In an op-ed in The Washington Post, McAuliffe decried what he calls the "dishonest populism" of some of his fellow Democrats, who he accused of supporting "idealistic but unrealistic policies." He cited two proposals in particular: a federal jobs guarantee, which he called "not a realistic policy," and universal free college. "Spending limited taxpayer money on a free college education for the children of rich parents badly misses the mark for most families," he wrote.

The former governor didn't name any names, but he's clearly got some of the likely 2020 candidates in mind; the federal jobs guarantee, for example, has been backed by Sens. Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) among others, The Daily Beast reports. Many of the possible 2020 Democrats also support tuition-free college.

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McAuliffe argued that making unrealistic populist proposals will be Trump's downfall, and Democrats shouldn't make the same mistake. "I believe the only way that Trump will win re-election is if Democrats give up their credibility as serious and focused on results that impact people's lives," he wrote. McAuliffe noted that he hasn't decided if he's going to run in 2020 but that he "will be closely watching our side." Read the op-ed at The Washington Post.