One comment I heard recently was that the only Democrats paying attention to Presidential candidates this early are the hard core Democrats who are mostly leftists. As a result, the early candidate hopefuls have to run to the left to get any traction or support. That person assumed they would run more and more to the center as we get closer to the election. That person said we would see the same thing on the Republican side, but to the right.
Anyway, just a different view. IMO, all those candidates are being more honest now than they will be closer to the election.