As of Monday, the sources said, Obama had met with
Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass.
Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J.
former Vice President Joe Biden
former Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick
former New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu
former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti
former Missouri Secretary of State Jason Kander
South Bend, Ind., Mayor Peter Buttigieg
I recognize about half the names and only have opinions on a few. But I’m more interested in who you think will best represent the left in the 2020 elections. Feel free to suggest any other nominees you think would be better suited.
I’m liking Landrieu more and more these days. Fat, bald white sourthern dude who has taken civil rights on as a major focus. Pair him with a midwesterner/military vet, preferably a woman and/or person of color (Hello, Duckworth!).
And despite his age, I still like Biden and think he could do well against Trump. Pair him with a young woman (Hello again, Duckworth!).
And not on that list or really anyone’s 2020 radar, but I think Ret. Adm. Bill McRaven would be a shoe-in, especially paired with a progressive woman running mate (Tammy Baldwin, Kristen Gillibrand, Liz Warren, Tulsi Gabbord, Kamala Harris, Amy Klobuchar, AFL-CIO Sec. Treasurer Liz Schuler, Rep. Brenda Lawrence).
Trump will have a field day with Mayor Buttigieg. But who goes from mayor to president, anyway (especially a small city)? The only 2 people I see on that list with any chance are Sanders and Warren. The latter would almost certainly lose against any Republican, and Sanders would have a very tough time. I think Biden is past his political prime to be a contender.
It’s not looking good if this the field from which a candidate will be chosen.
Why is political experience (or lack of) an issue? They guy we have in there now had none when he was elected.
Nice to see Jason Kander’s name on the list. It may still be a little early in his political career to take a step like this, but I expect to see big things from him in the future.
If you have national name recognition, it might not be an issue. He doesn’t. There are very, very few mayors with national name recognition. When you’re a celebrity, like Trump, the rules seem to be different. Comparing Trump and some unknown mayor doesn’t make any sense. Oprah would probably do quite well in the Democratic Primaries. Mayor Who-The-Hell-Is-That? not so much.
I can think of three different names beginning with *K *that I’d expect to be on that list before Jason Kander: Klobuchar, Kirsten (Gillibrand), and Kamala (Harris). And the only one of *those *I really think should run in 2020 is Amy Klobuchar. Seriously, why do the “moderate Democrats” in DC pretend Jason Kander is ever going to be a thing?
Obama had widespread name recognition at this time in 2006? Not so much. Was Bill Clinton the hot name in 1990?
Name recognition and spending a long time in the public eye doesn’t necessarily equal victory. Sometimes a good candidate coming out of the woodwork at the right time is all you need to capture the public’s attention.
No, and I said he’s not on the candidate screen. I just think he would be a great candidate. Is he a Dem? Who knows, but he’s come out against some of what Trump’s done, FWIW. And the OP asked for suggestions of who we would like to see. He’s one I’d like to see run as a Dem.
We have seen US Senator –> President and State Governor –> President several times in the modern era. When was the last time we’ve seen Small-City Mayor –> President?
But Obama had lots more name recognition than does what’s-his name. And Clinton got a bit lucky. Many of the Democratic hopefuls were afraid to run against Bush since, at the time the primaries got started, Bush was riding sky-high in the polls. Remember, you have to win the primary first, and just doing that gives you some serious name recognition for the general election. Obama had lots of name recognition among Democratic primary voters. Going into the primary as nobody is tough.
Anyway, if you have an example of an obscure, small-city mayor waging even a semi-successful presidential campaign in the modern era, let’s see it.
Landrieu’s nowhere close to a front-runner, but from what I’ve read (and heard from my many New Orleans friends – that’s my home town) he’s been a very good mayor, and he has loads (30 years!) of local and state government experience, and I’d certainly consider him as a potential Democratic Presidential candidate. At the very least, if he runs, I’d encourage my fellow Democrats to consider his performance in debates, on the stump, etc. Far stranger things have happened (like, say, Trump being nominated and then elected) than an experienced mayor being nominated for President. It’s not like anything magical would change if he were elected governor of Louisiana, or Senator, and served for 2 or 3 years before running… he’d be the same guy, with slightly more government experience. If he could plausibly run for President then, than he can plausibly do so now.