General Discussion

Newsom is trying to establish a balance where his people troll Trump to his face, but he maintains an image of being serious. He's finding a lane.

But I think Pritzker is also establishing a lane. In his case, he is trying to establish a balance between tough guy who would punch Trump in the face, but also being serious and thoughtful as Governor. I think he is making that work.

Others may emerge. I suggest we are in a new era where voters will reject the "go along to get along" attitude we have seen so much of over the past 50 years. That is forcing candidates to find ways to sharpen their attacks and messages without appearing unhinged.

I think that will make it difficult for Buttigieg, because his whole brand is being the reasonable, smart guy. IMHO, if forced to choose between a smart guy and a fighter, the public wants the fighter.

We are about 2 years away from the 2028 campaign beginning in earnest, so the job today is to be heavily engaged in TODAY'S fight against Trump/MAGA fascism. Governors of big states have an advantage because they can take strong, meaningful actions that Representatives or Senators cannot do, and people like Buttigieg can really just go in the media as a commentator.

I do agree, sadly, that we cannot take the risk of fielding a woman at the top of the ticket. That is a terrible condemnation of America, considering that nearly every prominent democracy has had at least one female head of state. But the stakes are too high. Much could change, but at this point, the likely candidates for the top of the ticket looks like very short list to me. Somebody could come out of nowhere, but it isn't feeling that way to me.

If I were a betting person (and I'm really not), I would say the strongest tickets look like Newsom/Buttigieg or Pritzker/Buttigieg. I hope Pete's sexuality is not a roadblock. He does seem to be highly respected, and I note that it hasn't been much of an issue for Tim Cook heading the second most profitable company in the world. Having Buttigieg on the tick would allow the POTUS contender to be edgier, more strident because people could rationalize that Pete would be a voice of reason always in the room.

All of the above may turn out to be completely wrong. But I do hope that after Tuesday, every serious Democrat now clearly understands that path forward is to VIGOROUSLY oppose Trump and these cruel Republican policies and actions, and not to try to flatter, appease, or otherwise tolerate Trump.