2020 Democrats gave some pretty cringeworthy answers when asked about their 'personal heroes'


These 2020 Democrats want to make it clear they love their wives.
On Wednesday, The New York Times published a sweeping interactive article featuring most of the Democratic presidential candidates answering 18 different questions. To start, the contenders answered "who is your hero?" — and barely any of them produced a somewhat original response.
Of the 21 contenders who agreed to the Times' interview (Joe Biden notably sat it out), two-thirds of them said their heroes were some family member. Four of them said it was their wife. Rep. Tim Ryan (D-Ohio) decided it was Baker Mayfield, the Cleveland Browns' quarterback.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
For those who initially responded with a touching personal hero, the Times then probed further, asking for a "political hero" as well. A solid five of them said Abraham Lincoln, while three said Teddy Roosevelt and two said Franklin D. Roosevelt.
Notably, only Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) and Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) listed women as their political heroes, naming Harriet Tubman and Shirley Chisholm, respectively. Statistically, there's a solid chance Washington Gov. Jay Inslee's hero, "the American voter," could be a woman as well.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Kathryn is a graduate of Syracuse University, with degrees in magazine journalism and information technology, along with hours to earn another degree after working at SU's independent paper The Daily Orange. She's currently recovering from a horse addiction while living in New York City, and likes to share her extremely dry sense of humor on Twitter.
-
July 16 editorial cartoons
Cartoons Wednesday’s political cartoons include the Epstein files landing on everyone's summer reading list, and the relationship between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin
-
Viktor Orban: is time up for Europe's longest-serving premier?
Today's Big Question Hungarian PM's power is under threat 'but not in the way – or from the people – one might expect'
-
Operation Rubific: the government's secret Afghan relocation scheme
The Explainer Massive data leak a 'national embarrassment' that has ended up costing taxpayer billions
-
SCOTUS greenlights mass DOE firings
Speed Read The Supreme Court will allow the Trump administration to further shrink the Education Department
-
Cuomo announces third-party run for NYC mayor
Speed Read He will go up against progressive Democratic powerhouse Zohran Mamdani and incumbent Mayor Eric Adams
-
Secret Service 'failures' on Trump shooting
Speed Read Two new reports detail security breakdowns that led to attempts on the president's life
-
Trump set to hit Canada with 35% tariffs
Speed Read The president accused Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney of failing to stop the cross-border flow of fentanyl
-
Mahmoud Khalil files $20M claim over ICE detention
Speed Read This is the 'first damages complaint' brought by an individual targeted by the Trump's administration's 'crackdown' on Gaza war protesters
-
Trump threatens Brazil with 50% tariffs
Speed Read He accused Brazil's current president of leading a 'witch hunt' against far-right former leader Jair Bolsonaro
-
AI scammer fakes Rubio messages to top officials
Speed Read The unknown individual mimicked Rubio in voice and text messages sent to multiple government officials
-
SCOTUS greenlights Trump's federal firings
speed read The Trump administration can conduct mass federal firings without Congress' permission, the Supreme Court ruled