Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member Latest Breaking News Editorials & Other Articles General Discussion The DU Lounge All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

jmowreader

(53,060 posts)
21. Sad to say, our candidate needs to meet three tests
Thu Feb 26, 2026, 05:54 PM
Thursday

Test 1: white
Test 2: cisgender, heterosexual, Christian man
Test 3: not from California, Washington, Illinois, New York or Massachusetts

In the current political climate Barack Obama (fails tests 1 and 3) wouldn't get elected, and he was a fine president.

This means we can't run Gavin Newsom, Bob Ferguson or J.B. Pritzker (from verboten states), Jared Polis (is gay), Abigail Spanberger, Gretchen Whitmer or Maura Healey (all women, and Governor Healey also fails test 3), or Wes Moore (is black).

I'm going to throw out two names who would be really good: Andy Beshear, governor of Kentucky, and Josh Shapiro, governor of Pennsylvania. Both these fine gentlemen understand the working person really well, and Governor Beshear has appeal to Republicans because you sure as hell can't be elected governor of THAT state without being able to win over the substantial GOP presence there. Josh Stein, governor of North Carolina, would also be good. Dr. Josh Green, governor of Hawaii, has a big problem: while he's great, he has a serious track record of pro-vaccination that would piss off a lot of voters and his state has very stringent gun control laws.

YES, we need to run a governor. It used to be the standard entry-level job for the presidency.

Recommendations

2 members have recommended this reply (displayed in chronological order):

Who should we run for President in 2028?.... [View all] Unrepentant Fenian Wednesday OP
I agree. multigraincracker Wednesday #1
My choice right now is Pritzker. Haggard Celine Wednesday #2
Yes! We haven't tried a billionaire leftstreet Wednesday #3
Ok angrychair Friday #83
I wish mark cuban would step up Melon Wednesday #4
Wow, did not expect that one. Don't really know much about him. Really rich and kind of abrasive on Sharktank, no? FadedMullet Thursday #29
I use Cuban's Costplusdrugs for my medications. Intractable Thursday #56
I actually prefer a seasoned politician. Trueblue Texan Thursday #60
Watched Jen Psaki's interview of Newsome last night and was pleasantly allegorical oracle Friday #74
I think he's going to run. Mosby Friday #95
The winner of the primary Johonny Wednesday #5
Perfect answer get the red out Friday #105
I want a Dem who can win. Dulcinea Friday #108
Pete is the best choice....hell we elected a AA as President. Ferrets are Cool Wednesday #6
Newsom maxsolomon Thursday #19
LOL Ferrets are Cool Thursday #47
No, I like Newsom. It's Newsome that I hate. Different person entirely. nt SomewhereInTheMiddle Friday #73
Can we get through the midterms first, assuming we even have them? niyad Wednesday #7
Thank you! yellow dahlia Thursday #31
Exactly! niyad Thursday #45
Indeed. yellow dahlia Thursday #46
So we have Newsom and Murphy, West Coast and East Coast.. Perfect. CTyankee Friday #107
Good point! Sam I Yam Thursday #51
Can we walk and chew gum? thought crime Friday #79
Got it. niyad Friday #89
Rules are for suckers. The Constitution is just a piece of paper. I say we go all in and Marie Marie Wednesday #8
And when all 50 states refuse to put Obama's name on the ballot, then what? Fiendish Thingy Wednesday #11
I was spewing snark. I wasn't seriously suggesting that we ignore the constitution. Marie Marie Thursday #14
"Who should we run for President in 2028?" LudwigPastorius Wednesday #9
Exactly. yellow dahlia Thursday #32
Or, if the November election is not a fair election thought crime Friday #77
No billionaires or celebrities Fiendish Thingy Wednesday #10
Is it weird being so invested but yet having no say in the outcome whatsoever? BannonsLiver Friday #86
I love my Senator, but he lacks the charisma to win the Presidency as a Democrat AZJonnie Thursday #12
Adam Schiff. Brilliant and charasmatic guy. n/t SheilaAnn Thursday #13
I don't see any sign of charisma in Schiff... Trueblue Texan Thursday #62
I see your point, he's a very serious person. Thanks for the reply. SheilaAnn Friday #71
MANY should run... the final decision belongs to the PEOPLE. WarGamer Thursday #15
Iron shapens iron, as I'm sure you know and why you exerpted, is from Proverbs 27:17 MerryBlooms Thursday #23
There's going to be a vigorous primary process to determine all of that. BannonsLiver Thursday #16
My answer is whoever wins the primaries EdmondDantes_ Thursday #17
Schiff... Buttigieg... but not AOC or Bernie Sanders. QueerDuck Thursday #18
Hmmm. You can guess the favorite topic forum with almost certainty for some posts. NoRethugFriends Thursday #59
What does this mean? With regard to guessing someones "favorite topic forum" who are you referring to? QueerDuck Friday #72
Mark Kelly looks like Gollum. maxsolomon Thursday #20
I don't hate Gavin Newsom ... however I do trust the primary process FakeNoose Thursday #30
I'm a Yellow Dog. maxsolomon Thursday #39
Best bet is Newsom. I know you all hate him, but you're not really representative of the average Dem voter. BannonsLiver Friday #84
Amen. Nixie Friday #99
Message auto-removed Name removed Friday #92
The bigger the hair, the closer to God. maxsolomon Friday #97
Message auto-removed Name removed Friday #98
I guess you'd know more than me. I don't live in CA. maxsolomon Friday #102
Sad to say, our candidate needs to meet three tests jmowreader Thursday #21
Which Washington do you mean? I'm assuming you mean D.C. and not my beloved Left Coast WA. FadedMullet Thursday #28
The one with Seattle in it jmowreader Thursday #35
The same one with George in it thought crime Friday #78
I have wondered why there's no Martha, Washington jmowreader Friday #111
Gov. Josh Shapiro is Jewish, so he doesn't meet your #2 test FakeNoose Thursday #34
My criteria are way too narrow and confining for a reason jmowreader Thursday #37
Oops, failed your own test pinkstarburst Thursday #40
Just an arbitrary set of rules. tinrobot Thursday #57
I'd like to see cannabis_flower Friday #76
The state that they are from really means little. Unfortunately, the first two points will matter. themaguffin Friday #109
Let me preface this by saying phylny Thursday #22
Our next Democratic President needs to appoint Kamala Harris as the new Attorney General FakeNoose Thursday #36
She would be the perfect attorney general! phylny Thursday #43
Jack Smith for Attorney General LudwigPastorius Friday #90
Pritzker. At least spell his name correctly question everything Friday #68
This message was self-deleted by its author phylny Friday #75
Amy Klobuchar Senator from Minnesota. Ping Tung Thursday #24
She's overexposed and rather uncharismatic. Intractable Thursday #53
She is now a gubernatorial candidate. question everything Friday #69
If Pete's running, I'm voting for him pinkstarburst Thursday #25
I don't understand why Sheldon Whitestone choie Thursday #26
He is wonderful. Maybe he isn't interested? yellow dahlia Thursday #33
I've never heard of him. Who is he? pinkstarburst Thursday #41
Senator Whitehouse is pretty well-known. For moonscape Friday #70
If you mean "Sheldon Whitehouse" ... Intractable Thursday #54
Whoever wins the nomination has my vote Tribetime Thursday #27
Someone Who Can Win and Can Govern DET Thursday #38
That is such wrong thinking. America is tired of "moderate corporate Dems". We need PROGRESSIVE Dems Ferrets are Cool Thursday #48
I'm tired of corporate Dems, too DET Thursday #63
Pete with AOC as VP Tree Lady Thursday #42
This krawhitham Friday #67
Love to vote for this ticket! pinkstarburst Friday #100
I'd like to be as left as they are right. BlueTsunami2018 Thursday #44
I want a clean, point-driven and vigorous primary season. hamsterjill Thursday #49
Whoever wins the primary, of course. Intractable Thursday #50
He isn't. His wife wasn't either. NoRethugFriends Thursday #61
Yeah. So, they are not on the map for me. If he runs in the primary, I'll give him a chance. Intractable Friday #65
Jessy Ventura Tribetime Thursday #52
AOC and Talarico SSJVegeta Thursday #55
Nope nope nope. How about a real liberal NoRethugFriends Thursday #58
This message was self-deleted by its author Mosby Friday #93
Many on X are loving Ro Khanna womanofthehills Friday #64
Those are Russian bots. BannonsLiver Friday #87
No, he's SecDef material. We also, imho, need someone who is a veteran of at least one Primary so that they artemisia1 Friday #66
Message auto-removed Name removed Friday #80
Welcome to DU LetMyPeopleVote Friday #96
Let's wait until 2028 to figure that out. Gore1FL Friday #81
I am and will always be angrychair Friday #82
I think we should be worrying about elections THIS year. TBF Friday #85
I like Alliepoo Friday #88
Newsom. He's got the chops. See Jen Psaki's interview on flamingdem Friday #91
Shapiro/Whitmer Mosby Friday #94
The winner of a cleanly-run primary TheProle Friday #101
Kamala Harris: Harris-Crockett ticket. Lets give them something to talk about! thought crime Friday #103
It's way too early for this question. Wednesdays Friday #104
Gavin Handsome. NT. anamnua Friday #106
One who openly reverses all of this. has a DOJ who will prosecute, will erase the renamings etc etc etc. themaguffin Friday #110
Latest Discussions»General Discussion»Who should we run for Pre...»Reply #21