During Bill Clinton’s first run for President, in 1992, his friend and political guru James Carville coined the phrase “It’s the economy, stupid,” as the centerpiece of their campaign efforts. It  was the perfect choice.

Today, while President Trump pushes positive economic reports as the central focus for his re-election, Democrats must move the the conversation in a different direction if they are going to win in November. Their efforts must center on Trump himself, and what four more years under a mean, unprincipled, incompetent and dangerous President is likely to do to the country. In other words, “It’s the COUNTRY, stupid.” This is not just a campaign theme;  it is a dystopian reality if Trump is re-elected.

Without describing the litany of problems Trump has already introduced into American life, think about his being re-elected and thereby untethered from political restraint. So, what are the Democrats doing to avoid such an outcome?

Following the New Hampshire Primary, Senator Sanders and Mayor Pete Buttigieg seem to be ahead of the pack. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Elizabeth Warren are still viable candidates, and Vice-President Joe Biden is unexpectedly fading fast. Of course, for most of the last year, the presumptive Democratic nominee in the minds of political pundits, was Biden.

Democratic Party candidates and leaders must now wake up to a new reality: making sure that their likely nominee will be embraced as a unifier, highly electable, and not someone who will be deemed too extreme to beat Trump. Let’s examine the candidates with that premise in mind.

Sen. Sanders identifies himself as a “Democratic Socialist.” If you believe most Americans are ready to vote for someone with that label, I have a bridge to sell you in Brooklyn (N.Y.). Elizabeth Warren, who shares most of the same views as Bernie, has similar electability problems.

Although my initial choice for President was Joe Biden, his seeming lack of stamina and underwhelming rhetoric, has moved him out of the top-tier of possible nominees. He may recover, but we need to find a strong, moderate candidate to take-on Trump. Sen. Klobuchar, Michael Bloomberg, and especially Mayor Pete, can assume that mantle. In terms of the latter, Pete is exciting, moderate on the issues, and brings a relatively unique (i.e. Veteran and Gay), background to the race. But, for him to win, he needs a running-mate of color who shares his policies, rhetorical abilities, and campaign style. For me, Stacey Abrams, Cory Booker, and Kamala Harris, best fit those requirements.

But, regardless of who the candidate is, their focus must be the threat of Donald Trump, with that threat magnified to the existential level it is. For example, in terms of foreign policy, the Democrats must hammer home how his policies towards the Kurds have  damaged American promises towards friends and brought comfort to foes. His sycophantic relationships with Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong-un, are also deeply worrisome. Domestically, his recent statement that he would “look at” cutting Social Security and Medicare, while approving more funds for the Pentagon, should be publicly recognized as a further indication of his priorities in a second term. Trump also remains racist in much of his rhetoric and actions, and his infatuation with White Nationalists will likely continue. Finally, four more years under Trump, if only through neglect, will surely make the environmental crisis worse.

These are the issues the Democratic Party’s candidate for President must press; side issues should be disregarded until after the election and, at every opportunity, voters must be reminded of the reality of a re-elected and thereby unencumbered Donald Trump.