Prospective Democratic presidential candidates are ramping up speculation around their future aspirations, suggesting 2028 jockeying has already kicked off.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) has launched a podcast, which included appearances from conservatives Charlie Kirk and Steve Bannon. Govs. Andy Beshear of Kentucky, Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania and Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan all spoke at House Democrats’ retreat earlier this month. And former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg set off chatter about his plans when he opted against a run for Senate in Michigan.
The moves have been particularly notable as Democrats have struggled to unify around a coherent message after the election and as the party grapples with a void in leadership.
“There’s a variety of ways to participate in the invisible primary: raising your profile, meeting donors, putting forth policy ideas, stating your principles,” Illinois Democratic strategist Tom Bowen said.
“Everybody should try everything because the status quo brought us failure in 2024,” he added.
Democrats are struggling to reset just months out from a disappointing election, and polling has shown feelings around the party are at its lowest levels in decades. An NBC poll released earlier this month showed 27 percent of respondents had positive feelings about the Democratic Party; the polling also showed the GOP’s brand underwater but performing better than Democrats at 39 percent.
Vaccinated_An0n on
My lukewarm take on the issue is that it will be none of the people listed. Newsome has the California slime factor, Buttigieg (as much as we like him here in NL) doesn’t have the broad appeal to member of the Dem Coalition. Beshear is smart and capable of winning in the South/Appalachia, but I don’t see him having the juice to do well in the North or the West. Walz will try, but while his ” rural coach grandpa” aesthetic might work in Minnesota, he will get totaled in any debate, especially if its another 2020 style dogpile. I personally like Shapiro, dude is smart and knows what needs to be done to fix government, but I how far he goes in a primary depends on how much the far left decides to attack him and on how the electorate is feeling about white Obama. Pritzker could do well, especially with the the big energy he has, but in an electoral environment that is increasingly turning away from big blue states that keep hemorrhaging voters, the jury is out on how well it will do.
2 Comments
Prospective Democratic presidential candidates are ramping up speculation around their future aspirations, suggesting 2028 jockeying has already kicked off.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) has launched a podcast, which included appearances from conservatives Charlie Kirk and Steve Bannon. Govs. Andy Beshear of Kentucky, Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania and Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan all spoke at House Democrats’ retreat earlier this month. And former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg set off chatter about his plans when he opted against a run for Senate in Michigan.
The moves have been particularly notable as Democrats have struggled to unify around a coherent message after the election and as the party grapples with a void in leadership.
“There’s a variety of ways to participate in the invisible primary: raising your profile, meeting donors, putting forth policy ideas, stating your principles,” Illinois Democratic strategist Tom Bowen said.
“Everybody should try everything because the status quo brought us failure in 2024,” he added.
Democrats are struggling to reset just months out from a disappointing election, and polling has shown feelings around the party are at its lowest levels in decades. An NBC poll released earlier this month showed 27 percent of respondents had positive feelings about the Democratic Party; the polling also showed the GOP’s brand underwater but performing better than Democrats at 39 percent.
My lukewarm take on the issue is that it will be none of the people listed. Newsome has the California slime factor, Buttigieg (as much as we like him here in NL) doesn’t have the broad appeal to member of the Dem Coalition. Beshear is smart and capable of winning in the South/Appalachia, but I don’t see him having the juice to do well in the North or the West. Walz will try, but while his ” rural coach grandpa” aesthetic might work in Minnesota, he will get totaled in any debate, especially if its another 2020 style dogpile. I personally like Shapiro, dude is smart and knows what needs to be done to fix government, but I how far he goes in a primary depends on how much the far left decides to attack him and on how the electorate is feeling about white Obama. Pritzker could do well, especially with the the big energy he has, but in an electoral environment that is increasingly turning away from big blue states that keep hemorrhaging voters, the jury is out on how well it will do.