Who should run for the Dems?

[Brainster]

Emerson College poll out today:

Former Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg leads the Democratic primary with 18%, followed by California Governor Gavin Newsom at 16%, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez at 11%, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro at 10%, former Vice President Kamala Harris at 10%, and Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear at 9%. Eighteen percent are undecided.

Buttigieg seems like a non-starter; he has been unable to get any support at all from Black voters. Shapiro? I don't see a supporter of Israel getting the nomination. Newsom's support has been dropping in Emerson's polling from 25% in August 2025 to 20% in February and 16% today. AOC? She's gone from 4% to 9% to 11% in that same series of polls. Beshear has some appeal as a Democrat who has proven he can win in a red state, and his support has been growing as well. Harris? The last Democrat to lose a presidential election and then come back to win the nomination was Adlai Stevenson in 1952/1956, but the circumstances were dramatically different. Stevenson was seen as a sacrificial candidate since there was little hope of beating Eisenhower in either year. Indeed he was a little chapped that he wasn't the presumptive nominee in 1960. By comparison, nobody among the Democrats thought Trump was unbeatable in 2024.

 

[The Great Zaganza]

IF the Dems were clever (and not only too clever for their own good), they should assemble a Shadow Cabinet now of people with experience, reputation and a track record of policies that helped Americans.
The Message should be that The President needs Good and Competent People to do his/her job, no matter who they are.

Run against all the lickspittle freaks like Miller, Patel, Lutnick, Hegseth, Bessent, Blanche, highlighting how utter unqualified, corrupt, self-serving and incompetent they are, not Trump (been done and failed again and again).

Highlight stars like Lina Khan and their work to make the lives of Americans objectively better.

Ask for Resumes from people now to staff the government depleted by DODGE and occupied by ghouls and vampires - most agencies will have to be utterly purged, and it will require A Lot of people quickly to replace them.
If you think that you or someone in your family might soon be working for the Government, you are more likely to vote for the Party that would make that happen.

Make the Presidency less of a Personality Cult.

 

[Tero]

We don’t do much politics on the campaign anymore. Other than mud slinging ads. So for the huge masses of independents is is just the attitude and confidence of the candidate that matters. They have to see a leader in about 30 seconds. If it takes longer…click

 

[ZiprHead]

We don’t do much politics on the campaign anymore. Other than mud slinging ads. So for the huge masses of independents is is just the attitude and confidence of the candidate that matters. They have to see a leader in about 30 seconds. If it takes longer…click

Our local congress woman, Kristen McDonald Rivet, is running ads that do not mention her opponent at all. Just touting the things she has done for the constituents and adding a little humor to them. I find it quite refreshing.

 

[theprestige]

IF the Dems were clever (and not only too clever for their own good), they should assemble a Shadow Cabinet now of people with experience, reputation and a track record of policies that helped Americans.

Shadow cabinets aren't a thing in American politics. The system of government isn't conducive to the practice, since the legislative and executive branches are entirely separate.

 

[The Great Zaganza]

Candidates often say who they would pick for various top positions.
Dems could easily reverse the process

 

[shemp]

Our local congress woman, Kristen McDonald Rivet, is running ads that do not mention her opponent at all. Just touting the things she has done for the constituents and adding a little humor to them. I find it quite refreshing.

What, she isn't calling her opponent a child-molesting Satanist who shoots (and eats) puppies? She hasn't got a chance!

 

[The_Animus]

Emerson College poll out today:



Buttigieg seems like a non-starter; he has been unable to get any support at all from Black voters. Shapiro? I don't see a supporter of Israel getting the nomination. Newsom's support has been dropping in Emerson's polling from 25% in August 2025 to 20% in February and 16% today. AOC? She's gone from 4% to 9% to 11% in that same series of polls. Beshear has some appeal as a Democrat who has proven he can win in a red state, and his support has been growing as well. Harris? The last Democrat to lose a presidential election and then come back to win the nomination was Adlai Stevenson in 1952/1956, but the circumstances were dramatically different. Stevenson was seen as a sacrificial candidate since there was little hope of beating Eisenhower in either year. Indeed he was a little chapped that he wasn't the presumptive nominee in 1960. By comparison, nobody among the Democrats thought Trump was unbeatable in 2024.

From that list my personal preference would be either AOC or Buttigieg.

I don't want a genocide supporter so if he's pro Israel then Shapiro is out.

I don't want Newsom. My impression of him is a corporate Democrat who does too many stupid gimmicks for attention or feigning to care about things only because he thinks it helps him promote himself and his eventual run at the presidency.

Harris... just no. She already lost to Trump.

I don't know enough about Beshear to say one way or the other.

Ultimately the candidate's platform needs to:
- fight for progressive reforms
- fight against corruption
- actually hold all these fraudsters and fascists accountable with real consequences

 

[Brainster]

IF the Dems were clever (and not only too clever for their own good), they should assemble a Shadow Cabinet now of people with experience, reputation and a track record of policies that helped Americans.

That wouldn't work here. For starters, who picks this shadow cabinet? In the parliamentary system it's the leader of the opposition. Good luck getting the Democrats to agree who that is. Second, in the US, the cabinet is not just composed of politicians. Business leaders are often tapped as well. Would they take time from those jobs to play act in roles that they are not guaranteed if the Democrats win?

 

[arthwollipot]

Shadow cabinets aren't a thing in American politics. The system of government isn't conducive to the practice, since the legislative and executive branches are entirely separate.

Maybe it should be.

Anyway, I'm not sure TGZ was proposing a formal Shadow Cabinet they way we have them in Westminster (and related) systems, rather that they should pick a person to oppose each of the current administration's positions, and that person should dedicatedly campaign against their counterpart in particular.

 

[theprestige]

Maybe it should be.

Anyway, I'm not sure TGZ was proposing a formal Shadow Cabinet they way we have them in Westminster (and related) systems, rather that they should pick a person to oppose each of the current administration's positions, and that person should dedicatedly campaign against their counterpart in particular.

Jesus Christ. There is no campaigning for cabinet positions, in the US system. There's nothing to campaign against.

I don't begrudge people having opinions about other countries' politics. I do, however, begrudge people whose opinions are primarily informed by ignorance of the politics they're having opinions about.

 

[shemp]

From that list my personal preference would be either AOC or Buttigieg.

I don't want a genocide supporter so if he's pro Israel then Shapiro is out.

I don't want Newsom. My impression of him is a corporate Democrat who does too many stupid gimmicks for attention or feigning to care about things only because he thinks it helps him promote himself and his eventual run at the presidency.

Harris... just no. She already lost to Trump.

I don't know enough about Beshear to say one way or the other.

Ultimately the candidate's platform needs to:
- fight for progressive reforms
- fight against corruption
- actually hold all these fraudsters and fascists accountable with real consequences

You forgot "appease all the special interest groups who will otherwise turn their backs on you and vote for Jill Stein or some other third-party whack job."

 

[theprestige]

Please let it be AOC.

 

[arthwollipot]

Jesus Christ. There is no campaigning for cabinet positions, in the US system. There's nothing to campaign against.

I'm not saying they should campaign for positions. That would be obviously stupid, and I hope you don't think I'm that stupid. But sometimes it's hard to tell how stupid you think I am.

I'm saying that they should campaign against people. Pete Hegseth is manifestly unqualified. When I'm elected President I will appoint General Military History as Secretary for Defense. Vote for me! Woo!

Anyway, it's not my idea, it's TGZ's so maybe he could elaborate on what he meant.

I don't begrudge people having opinions about other countries' politics. I do, however, begrudge people whose opinions are primarily informed by ignorance of the politics they're having opinions about.

Well when you're clearly misrepresenting the words I post, I'm not sure there's a lot more I can do about it.

 

[The_Animus]

You forgot "appease all the special interest groups who will otherwise turn their backs on you and vote for Jill Stein or some other third-party whack job."

Which special interest groups are you referring to? Because for the don't support Palestinian genocide type of group I don't think a progressive candidate would need to appease as they already support that themselves. It seems a larger problem for the lesser of two evils corporate centrist type of candidates.

 

[ahhell]

Jesus Christ. There is no campaigning for cabinet positions, in the US system. There's nothing to campaign against.

I don't begrudge people having opinions about other countries' politics. I do, however, begrudge people whose opinions are primarily informed by ignorance of the politics they're having opinions about.

Technically correct but not a bad idea regardless. A POTUS candidate could pick a few folks he for key cabinet positions before or during the campaign. Then have those folks more or less campaign for the POTUS on those issues related to the cabinet. Particular useful if the candidate is perceived as week on Foreign Policy or what not. Also, you don't have to campaign against anything, you can campaign for things to. Pick a potential AG who's got experience in legal things and known to be tough on crime or reform minded or what not and they can campaign on that. Pick a Secretary of State known for their foriegn policy chops. Nothing keeps people from doing that early and it could help.

On the other hand, traditionally that's what the primary winners give to their former competitors to keep them on side. So, Clinton was Obama's Sec of State and Mayor Pete was his Sec of transportation.

 

[ahhell]

Which special interest groups are you referring to? Because for the don't support Palestinian genocide type of group I don't think a progressive candidate would need to appease as they already support that themselves. It seems a larger problem for the lesser of two evils corporate centrist type of candidates.

Special interest groups are the bad ones, the good ones are groups of concerned citizens.

 

[The Great Zaganza]

Please let it be AOC.

Could name a Republican alternative who hadn't thoroughly disqualified themselves through their support of unconditional Trump policies?
Fact is that you can't call yourself a small d democrat and not vote Democrat no matter who in the next couple of elections.

 

[ahhell]

Could name a Republican alternative who hadn't thoroughly disqualified themselves through their support of unconditional Trump policies?
Fact is that you can't call yourself a small d democrat and not vote Democrat no matter who in the next couple of elections.

You could vote third party. There are likely some small town Reps out there in purple districts, nobody who's gonna run.

 

[Safe-Keeper]

You forgot "appease all the special interest groups who will otherwise turn their backs on you and vote for Jill Stein or some other third-party whack job."

There's a possibility that 2024-2028 will teach them a lesson like 2016-2020 did and make them turn out in great numbers even for an average candidate. Of course, it seems they forget in less than four years, but a Dem win could give US democracy a new lease of life.