CORONADO, Calif. _ As GOP leaders prepared for a Republican National Committee meeting in California, Sen. Amy Klobuchar was in Iowa, the latest Democrat to fuel speculation about a 2020 presidential bid.
The early Democratic jockeying to take on President Donald Trump has not gone unnoticed on the other side of the aisle_and Republicans concede there are quite a few potentially formidable contenders.
In interviews with two dozen GOP operatives, strategists and officials around the country, Republicans placed the most credible Democratic candidates into categories: the rising congressional stars (Kamala Harris) and the pure political outsiders (Mark Cuban), the fiery progressives (Elizabeth Warren) and the pragmatic moderates (John Hickenlooper).
And of course, there's Joe Biden.
Republicans stressed it is far too soon too pick a front-runner, much less worry about how that person might pick apart Trump. Plenty of Republicans interviewed couldn't offer a name _ just a type of candidate_ noting that Democrats are at war with themselves over the direction of their party and will have an intense primary process.
And at the RNC, there was already discussion of Trump's re-election. At a closed-door lunch at an oceanside resort here, Trump's daughter-in-law Lara Trump enthusiastically noted her involvement with the 2020 effort in a short speech that was well-received, according to attendees.
With those caveats, here is how Republicans are handicapping their rivals' possible2020 contenders.
The Senate stars
In the leadup to 2016, a host of Republicans used the Senate as a platform to build national brands that eventually launched presidential campaigns. Republicans recognize that the same could be true for Democrats this time around. Cory Booker of New Jersey, Harris of California, Kirsten Gillibrand of New York and Klobuchar of Minnesota all are drawing attention, even as many of them insist they aren't interested in running.
In interviews with RNC members in California and with Republican operatives across the country, Booker _a social media-savvy former mayor of Newark _and Harris, a former California attorney general, generated the most buzz.
"He's young, charismatic, and he's a smart guy," Glenn McCall, the Republican national committeeman from South Carolina, said of Booker _though he added that he expects the American people to "reward" Trump with re-election.
A GOP state chair agreed, saying Booker "might be able to reassemble the Obama coalition."
"Cory Booker is perceived as a moderate," added Vincent Harris, a Republican operative. "He is well-liked, has the 'want to get a beer with you' appeal and as someone who sat next to him accidentally at a concert this year, he is charming and easy to talk to!"
Harris, the freshman senator from California, is already making a name for herself on Capitol Hill as a progressive and a sharp Trump critic.
"I'd say the most intriguing potential candidates for the 2020 Democratic nomination are the ones who aren't has-beens or retreads," said GOP strategist Ryan Williams, who served as a longtime aide to 2012 GOP nominee Mitt Romney. "People like Kamala Harris and I guess Cory Booker, who are somewhat new faces in the party."
On the other side of Capitol Hill, there is Democratic Rep. Seth Moulton of Massachusetts.
"Generational change, decorated combat veteran, smart, good on TV, good command presence," said Steve Schmidt, who guided Republican Arizona Sen. John McCain's 2008 presidential campaign.
