It is obviously far too early for meaningful predictions, but . . .
The Republicans are going to do whatever they are going to do, does not matter! Who the GOP will run is not a consideration and neither is what GOP elected officials and operatives might be convicted of crimes by then. Nothing that happens on the right is the point nor does it have any place in this thread.
The point of this thread is that by 2024 Joe is tired and wants to pass the torch. He wants to retire after supporting and campaigning for his hand selected successor. He wants an ideal candidate he can trust to continue to work at uniting the country, to be a voice of reason – to govern for ALL the people and only occasionally be very progressive. A proven consensus builder with minimal baggage, someone who is a proven quantity and not hated by large portions of the population. Someone qualified and well liked.
Joe Biden wants the most ideal person to lead and steer the entire nation, a young well liked candidate with crossover appeal for moderate conservatives [they exist I tell you!] but with genuine Democratic Party bona fides. Someone of substance – the polar opposite of the 45th president who was entirely style (and an unappealing style at that) and lacked any substance at all.
Kamala Harris has a VERY legitimate reason for not accepting the nomination for one reason or another. (She can be the nominee but there is no presumption of “heir apparent” and no problem with her not seeking or not receiving the nomination. For the purpose of this exercise we may assume she wants to retire when this administration is over and go to work for the Peace Corp.) She CAN be on the list, but there is no penalty if she is not on the list of potential candidates.
So here is the point of this thread: I would like to see a slate of exactly ten (10) candidates for the Democratic Party to run for POTUS in 2024 from each SDMB poster because Biden is old and wants to retire and spend his last years with his grandchildren by then. Let’s say two (or more) Governors, two (or more) Senators, two (or more) Representatives and any current or former Ambassador, Cabinet Secretary, Prosecutor, or other qualified government official who would be an ideal candidate. What is your list of the TEN (10) most qualified and electable presidential candidates for 2024?
In other words, who is in the Democratic bullpen? Who are the best and most universally liked and qualified POTUS candidates the Democratic Party can muster? Who is the most electable option from the left?
As I was contemplating the question above while walking the dog through the park earlier today, I had a thought I just cannot shake. If it was not the future of our whole nation – if it was just some TV reality show stakes, I would like to see the shit show that would be a Hunter Biden vs Donald Trump Jr. presidential election- but only in a train wreck, demolition derby kind of way.
Talk about people with downside exposure! The ultimate “lesser of evils” contest if there ever was one in my opinion.
OP, you need to specify in your criteria whether you think we should take electability into consideration. If not, then I’d love to see a ticket of either Elizabeth Warren or Pete Buttigieg or both. If so, though, I doubt that either of them could be electable, ya think?
OTOH, maybe – maybe somebody like Warren could really rouse up us left-wing rabble voter base and get us stampeding to the polls in even plus-que-2020 numbers. I’d pay good money to bribe see those voters do that!
Not gonna take the time (at the moment) to think of another 8, but I’m sure there are at least a few additional good names out there somewhere.
A few names I dug up that could be good (depending on how much weight military service carries):
Anthony Brown: Anthony Brown (Maryland politician) - Wikipedia
Tammy Duckworth: Tammy Duckworth - Wikipedia
Jason Crow: Jason Crow - Wikipedia
Joe Neguse: Joe Neguse - Wikipedia
Done mostly on my phone or it would be tidier.
Well I thought this topic might bring about some robust discussion but apparently not. After two swings we still have not reached a count of ten qualified Democrats to run for President of the United States. To be honest, I thought the bench was a bit deeper than that and that I was just unaware of who held potential because I was affiliated with the other party until recently (the day the Senate voted to not confirm the second impeachment of DJT was my last day as a registered Republican.)
Mr. Brown and Mr. Crow would be my top two contenders from all of the contributions. I believe Ms. Warren is the kind of detail oriented public servant who would best serve as a Cabinet Secretary, and we will have to see how Mayor Pete conducts himself in that role before he gets any endorsement from me (so far I do not find him overwhelmingly impressive but let’s see what the next few years bring before any final decision).
I think Ms. Harris loses to any Republican (especially Trump) in 2024 – unless Joe Biden dies rescuing her from domestic terrorists one year out from the election and with his dying breath says on national television that she is the best hope for the long term in America and might be our only hope to remain a democratic republic. (Of course if the GOP nominee is the 45th president, and he happens to be the one who pulls the trigger - - and it happens to occur on 5th avenue before hundreds of witnesses . . . there is no telling which candidate it might propel to victory because half of the electorate is um, insane.)
Other than “qualified,” which only matters if you’re already convinced anyway, I think the answer to these is Michelle Obama. I think broadly speaking other than the current administration, Bernie, and Warren, she’s the next name up in terms of profile. Republicans are fired up no matter what, and Obama’s lack of a legislative or executive track record is probably something of a positive given that so much of national elections is about finding things to dislike about people.
The election is going to be a circus either way. Just put somebody up there people like. Er, or, barring that, AOC will be 35 in 2024. That would be something different.
Biden is not polling very well right now, but Harris is polling even worse. The areas where she is the pont person are the areas where Democrats are seen as failing. She is relatively new to the big, national stage and she had a few missteps early on.
I just literally cannot picture her overcoming all the negatives that have been placed at her feet. Also, in 2020 she was one of the first candidates to have to fold up her tent and go home. Being an incumbent can only be a positive for her if Biden serves two full terms and they are both far more effective and popular then than they are now. (Just like Nixon getting spanked by JFK in 1960 before going to the West Wing in 1968.)
Her best case scenario is Biden being re-elected and near the end of his second term being shot by a crazed right-wing nut case because his dog told him to. Something that will enrage even very conservative voters against the Republican “platform” – and then a shaky cell phone video of Biden being prepped for surgery and while signing the 25th, confiding to the doctor that he really regrets holding Harris back and never allowing her to gain traction because she is SO VERY competent that he was afraid she would outshine him. That he always admired her and gave her the most thankless jobs in government service. Then Biden survives, but must step down because of his health and she serves the last year or so of his second term as a true incumbent – and absolutely NOTHING goes wrong for that entire year. The right has to complain about her wearing a tan suit and the equivalent to find any criticism at all!
Barring that happening I see very little hope for her — especially if Biden only serves one term for any reason. You yourself have suggested candidates as good as Ms. Harris above.