Pete Buttigieg passes on Michigan Senate race, will run for President in 2028

He's got my vote.

Fuck "It's his/her turn."

It's time for the BEST candidate to win the nomination.

And that's PETE.

Yet another Democrat (wisely) passing on being a member of the Senate minority.

These assholes need to quit all running for president. Most of them will never get the brass ring, but their ego tells them THEY WILL BE PRESIDENT.

And even if they win, a presidency is pretty short and wholly dependent on world affairs, the economy, and the Congress you get. Most presidents start out with big plans, but end up in a very different place. Plus, the next president undoes half of it anyway.

Meanwhile, Pete could be a senator for 30 years, and really transform things on a lasting level. We should tell him the same thing we had to tell Steve Bullock, John Hickenlooper, John Delaney, etc.: RUN FOR THE GODDAMN SENATE!

Pete is a fundraising machine, and a messaging genius. He'd be a masterful statesman, and could drag half a dozen weak incumbents across the finish line just by being "Longtime Michigan Senator Pete Buttigieg." But he'll run for president, fail again, and have to figure it out yet again.

If you fuckers think I'm gonna park MY minivan in the Senate Wives Garage, you've got another thing coming! Right, Peter?

Add him to the list of certain presidential losers with Rahm Emmanuel.

When are the Dems going to realize that their only chance of winning the presidency is two straight (Xtian) white men? And don't you "but Obama!" me -- this isn't Obama's America anymore, and everybody knows that. If it was, Kamala would have won.

That is, if we even have another election. I'm one of those who's not sure we will.

I feel sure we will have other elections senior lesbian. I am just not sure what decade they will resume.

Well, maybe we'll have the fake ones like Putin puts on.

The front runners are going to be Newsom, Shapiro, and Whitmer. Pete’s resume is really thin compared to those Governors.

[“Longtime Michigan Senator Pete Buttigieg”]

Sounds good in theory, but being in the minority doesn’t afford much opportunity to accomplish anything of substance.

It means he know his shot to be in the Senate is weak. Why is not having good people run for the Senate a great move? Do Dems plan to be in the minority for the next decade?

...knows...

Well gays, you’re going to need to buy.a lot more Lularoe leggings from yours truly to get My Peter in the White House!

I bet I could sell $1billion worth of the leggings with the Leaning Tower of Pisa jutting out of the crotch!

I am going to be as successful as Bethenny Frankel!

Newsom's not happening, R8.

[quote] Do Dems plan to be in the minority for the next decade?

Those who take a clear-eyed view of the Senate map certainly do.

[quote] Newsom's not happening, [R8].

Too early to count anyone out. Even Buttigieg...

He won't win in the primaries.

[quote] When are the Dems going to realize that their only chance of winning the presidency is two straight (Xtian) white men? And don't you "but Obama!" me -- this isn't Obama's America anymore, and everybody knows that. If it was, Kamala would have won.

I think the Dem nominee has to at least be a straight white Christian male. That type of candidate could still win with a female VP or male POC or Jewish male VP running mate.

Maybe these possible tickets could win

-Andy Beshear with Wes Moore -Andy Beshear with Ruben Gallego -Andy Beshear with Gretchen Whitmer -Andy Beshear with Melanie Stansbury -Andy Beshear with Jasmine Crockett -Andy Beshear with Josh Shapiro -Andy Beshear with Jon Ossoff

Andy Beshear has negative charisma.

I like Pete, but the country is not voting for a gay president--at least not four years after it rejected a woman president. Maybe in 2032 or 2036, but for now, the Dems need a strong white male.

Andy Beshear screams beta loser. He is standard issue politician, except 30 years too young.

Fetterman is the best Democratic candidate.

From a March 2025 lens, he may well be, R21. Which is depressing.

If John "Ogre" Fetterman gets the Dem nomination in 2028, he should pick Haley "Creepy Dollface" Stevens as his running mate.

The Creepy Dollface woman already has a nice campaigning outfit picked that could work well in 2028.

OGRE/CREEPY DOLLFACE 2028

Bullshit. Fetterman appeals to theoretical voters, as if being closer to Republicans helps anyone win: Mark Cuban, Wes Moore, and even Andrew Cuomo would do far better.

People would vote for a gay president, especially one who is nice looking, a veteran, and has an unobjectionable partner. A sexually active single gay man or a gay man with a flamboyant partner - nope.

What’s holding him back is the perception that he hasn’t really done anything. That, and taking paternity leave. A married heterosexual father might get away with it, especially if his spouse worked and it was presented as a way to encourage paternity leave because paternity leave benefits children and career women the most. But he didn’t pull that off.

He needs to excel in a less elevated role to make up lost ground. Then he’d have a shot. Not in 2028.

A gay man will be held to a higher standard. But the right gay man would win and it could be him. Just not that soon. People ARE prejudiced. But they don’t want to be. So they would vote for the gay man who conforms to their definition of acceptable manhood, just with a guy as his wife.

[quote] Maybe in 2032 or 2036, but for now, the Dems need a strong white male.

Pete is a strong white male, R19

Pete fucked up that Ohio train derailment response. Republicans will use it just like they did Benghazi.

R3 what makes you think former Indiana mayor Pete would be the front runner for a senate seat in Michigan?

R24 it’s not like Wes, I lied about getting a bronze star, Moore would be hammered by the opposition

Pete's veteran status won't be enough to win over many swing voters in swing states.

Pete’s not only too gay, but too short.

No one is perfect. It’s not even expected anymore, in the post-pussygrabbing era.

Oof. Love him but love comes a distant 2nd to WINNING. It’s not just the gay thing, he’s very liberal on the continuum and he’s so cheerfully helpfully smarter-than-you at all times; a lot of American voters just don’t want that.

Pete is 5"8. John McCain was 5"7 and still got the GOP nod.

Newsom or Mayor Cuomo.

Is it possible this queen is the most delusional, self-impressed, self-adoring wanna-be there ever was?

“I CONSIDERED running for the U.S. Senate but, I’m going to bless America with my decision to run for President, because I’m totally super successful and experienced.”. Girl stop!

R28 gives the best reason for Pete to have decided not to run for Senator from Michigan. He and his family only just moved to Michigan in 2022, he knew he’d be open to charges of being a carpetbagger.

And after a year or more or this Trump/Musk shit show, I tend to think that voters who don’t care if a candidate is gay, Jewish, black or a woman will be enough to put the next Dem president over if they are competent. And Pete comes across as an unruffled, intelligent and very sensible communicator.

Maybe he’ll run as VP to Schapiro — the mind reels over those possibilities for slash fiction.

There was NO announcement re running for president. Only that he won’t bd running for senate.

[quote] John McCain was 5"7

Ah, yes. How could I forget Pres. McCain?!

They raise a lot of cash running for POTUS and the money is almost never audited and used for whatever. Ask Bill DeBlasio why he enjoyed running with zero chance of ever winning.

[quote] Ask Bill DeBlasio why he enjoyed running with zero chance of ever winning.

Historically, you don't become NYC mayor without seeing a future president in your mirror.

I’d vote for my cat over the god damned GOP

He’s way too woke. Remember his lectures about how highways are racist?

R43 He never said highways were racist, you ignorant piece of bitch trash.

He said highways that were built in the 1940s and 1950s royally fucked over Black neighborhoods for generations. This is a fact. You can go and see it in just about every American city. The highways aren't racist, but the old dickheads who designed them sure as hell were. They had no compunction about running noisy, dirty freeways through the backyards of The Darkies.

I really don't. know how anyone with a lick of sense would think that a gay man could win the Presidency. Even if there was ever a chance, now that we've entered the Trump 2.0 era of stupidity, corruption, and venality, that chance has evaporated.

As they say, [bold]Read the Room[/bold].

R45 He consistently has broader appeal among centrist voters than any other leading Democratic candidate. He goes on Fox News all the time, speaks their language with aplomb and decency, and survives the gauntlet.

And no, Bernie Sanders doesn't have it in him to run and lose a third time. If you think Middle America is squishy about a cock-smoker running the country, just wait til you ask them about an elderly communist who spent his honeymoon in the Soviet Union.

He’s delulu. He should put his consider talents to better use.

I really like Pete, and think his major baggage isn’t his sexuality but the perception of inexperience that others have mentioned. Another concern is his relative youthfulness (he’s not that young, but looks like a spring chicken next to the old farts in government) and “city boy” intelligence. He doesn’t seem like an asshole, but he isn’t folksy. He’s also nakedly ambitious, it’s quite a move to go from being the mayor of South Bend to running for president in your thirties.

Without minimizing the damage we’ll see in the Trump 2.0 years, I do think we’ll survive them and Pete has a shot at the White House in the future. I don’t see him as a viable 2028 candidate. Right now, I would lean toward Tim Walz, if I had to pick anybody, based on his skill as a communicator (the folksy quality is there), values and priorities relevant to those of the average American voter, and lack of personal characteristics that could be used to fuel a culture war.

The other possibility to prepare for is that Dems win in 2028 and (just like last time) the country’s so fucked that the GOP claims, as they did with Biden, that the Dems created the mess. That could be a harder sell if the president is better at messaging (and younger) than Biden.

[quote] And don't you "but Obama!" me -- this isn't Obama's America anymore, and everybody knows that. If it was, Kamala would have won.

Now, now--a major reason she didn't win is because she is a woman. Obama's America didn't evaporate: they just proved multiple times if there's a woman up for the Presidency vs anyone else they will go with the anyone else even if it's against their best interest.

[quote]People would vote for a gay president, especially one who is nice looking, a veteran, and has an unobjectionable partner. A sexually active single gay man or a gay man with a flamboyant partner - nope.

He'd have to be a stable, sexless being who looks like Jonathan Bailey with a spotless rep but who is cool enough to appeal to black voters--which he couldn't last time.

The comments about Pete are right on but Tim Walz! A beta VP candidate on a losing ticket isn’t going to win. I suggest a white male with a high level of testosterone. That is not Walz.

Newsom fans: the rest of America does not want to be run like California. He's a sure loser in the general if nominated.

Kamala lost not so much because she was a woman, but because she was a woman who was prone to word salad and because of suggestions that she was only a DEI success story, not a super competent individual (I’m not making the suggestions, so save it). Obviously sexism and racism motivated a lot of that but there are other women who would have been less vulnerable to it. Nobody thinks Hilary is a DEI success story as a woman or a nepo wife. They just don’t like her.

Kamala also suffered from her association with Biden. WTF was running the country for the last 4 years? Not Biden, but also not Kamala. A catch-22, but it made her seem weak. Really weak.

There is homophobia and sexism but that doesn’t mean that individual female and gay candidates could not be president. Pete would have to position himself carefully wrt the black vote because that is where his orientation would hurt him the most. But not in 2028, and he needs to create a list of tangible accomplishments before he can win. It’s like he’s been living his life with the goal of being president for himself. He needs to show people he can do stuff for them and he’s not just the kid who always wanted to be class president. Most Americans would vote for a gay president who would serve their interests.

Maybe he just started bottoming and is enjoying his private time with Chasten more and more and lost interest in public service, it happens :(

[quote] I suggest a white male with a high level of testosterone. That is not Walz.

What exactly makes you think he lacks testosterone? Do you think the fat ass who paints his face orange every day and wears lifts in his shoes is high testosterone? Or the mascara-wearing doughboy?

Shapiro, Cuomo, Moore seem to be alpha males. Walz is not. Trump is a freak not an alpha. Four years from now the Dems may have some interesting new faces. We’ll see.

R54

[quote] Do you think the fat ass who paints his face orange every day and wears lifts in his shoes is high testosterone? Or the mascara-wearing doughboy?

Those of us with a brain don't think so.

But we're not dealing with intelligent people.

We have to deal with American citizens we've got. Not the citizens we want.

Wildly ambitious, minimally qualified, not particularly competent person

And we would never elect such a person, R57.

Yeah,,our white woman lost so lets run a black woman who lost so next lets run a gay dude!

The reason I mentioned Tim Walz, R50, is that he’s good at getting a clear message across in simple terms and isn’t a rich and privileged career politician. While I can’t speak to his testosterone level, he comes across as an adult with a sense of reality and decency. Some of the other possible contenders in play at this point (Gavin Newsome, Josh Shapiro, fucking Rahm Emanuel) do not have the same everyman quality, and will likely embarrass us in some way.

The DNC has not had proper primaries since 2016, when it was Hillary’s “turn” (talk about a candidate with baggage, and a terrible campaign). Strings were pulled in favor of Biden, who was way too old to last eight years, and there was no proper primary for Harris. The most important thing is for the old people in the party to step aside (another House Rep just died today, age 77) and for voters to feel that they pick their candidate through a fair primary process. People don’t get excited for an anointed candidate, especially when it’s clear party leaders are deep in corporate pockets.

State Senator Mallory McMorrow is now my choice.

It is very important that Democrats stay true their beliefs. Maybe they can run Pete for President and that nice trans Congresswoman as VP.

Walz was a weak VP candidate. I think his highpoint was using the word weird. After that it was all downhill. I'm surprised to see him described as an effective communicator. I thought he faded into the ether quickly.

R62 but he's America's Dad !

Perhaps he should have run as "America's Hitler"

Beshear needs to run for Mitch's Senate seat.

Newsom is dead in the water. He's really disliked.

He's not even a good governor.

Plus, all those sexual skeletons in his closet.

Three words: Martin O'Malley. Shirtless.

Newsom was married to Kimberly Guilfoyle, a human gargoyle. He has no morals or taste, nothing but ambition.

[quote] Beshear needs to run for Mitch's Senate seat.

The dumbest move he could make.

[quote]The reason I mentioned Tim Walz, [R50], is that he’s good at getting a clear message across in simple terms and isn’t a rich and privileged career politician.

Those are the reasons why Kamala picked him as a running mate...but he really didn't deliver in debates or on the trail.

Pete should have gone after the Michigan Senate seat.

Trump's going to run again in 2028 and he'll make mincemeat of any opponent, especially a Democrat.

Now don't go lecturing me how it's not legal. Trump has done plenty of illegal things in the last 5 years and he'll continue to do even more illegal things in the future. And it sure as hell doesn't look like anyone has the balls to stop Trump either.

Pete would have to disavow the Trans to win the Presidency. And he will never do that. Pete and Chasten were big proponents of the "a tranny threw the first brick" lies.

[quote]Trump has done plenty of illegal things in the last 5 years and he'll continue to do even more illegal things in the future. And it sure as hell doesn't look like anyone has the balls to stop Trump either.

Amy Coney Barrett seems willing to put a stop to him.

"passes on Michigan Senate race" = the internal polling shows he can't win a swing state.

The only local poll of which I'm aware had him trailing Mike Rogers, who narrowly lost to Slotkin, 47-41.

He need a somewhat charismatic figure to convert the cult. While Pete puts most Democrats to shame in terms of the effectiveness of his communications, I would not say he’s even vaguely charismatic.

[quote] Amy Coney Barrett seems willing to put a stop to him.

While she's no Thomas, Alito or Gorsuch, the sample size is still too small to know.

Can’t me on get hard we need you

Shapiro is moderate and total alpha. He's also a very good speaker and debater. And he's liked by Republican voters and has shown he can win in a swing state. There's no reason he shouldn't be the frontrunner.

R78 no name recognition like Pete or Gavin

We can’t afford a gay or female or over weight Jew(Pritzker) or ‘’Of Color’’ in 2028. White straight male or people won’t bother to vote - again.

Luigi Mangione, then.

[quote]There is homophobia and sexism but that doesn’t mean that individual female and gay candidates could not be president. Pete would have to position himself carefully wrt the black vote because that is where his orientation would hurt him the most.

Black Democrats are no more homophobic than other Democrats (which includes evangelical and conservative Dems). In fact, according to Pew, they’re often more supportive of LGBTQ+ rights than other ethnic groups. And from Gallup, they're more supportive, in general, of laws that prohibit discrimination against the LGBT community than their white counterparts in the Democratic party.

Pete’s struggles with Black voters in 2020 weren’t specifically about his sexuality. His biggest challenges came from:

His Record in South Bend – His handling of policing and the demotion of the Black police chief hurt him.

Lack of Outreach – He didn’t seriously engage Black voters until it was too late.

The “Douglass Plan” – Many saw it as performative, especially after his campaign inflated Black support for it.

Electability Concerns – Black voters are pragmatic and saw Biden as a safer bet to beat Trump.

Blaming Black voters for homophobia instead of looking at the full picture is lazy analysis. Pete had other, more significant issues that cost him their support.

It looks like Dick Durbin is out in '26, too.

I agree with R17–we need Beshear, a white male heterosexual. I’d love to see Pete win and think he’d be qualified with a suitable temperament and certainly the intellect, but I don’t think he could win in this bigoted country.

Andy Beshear MUST run and win; we can’t afford to lose in 2028, if we even have an election that year. Maybe, if and when we get on track as a country, Pete could run. Maybe in the 2030s. A lot more MAGAts will be dead by that time, and Pete might have a fighting chance.

[quote] Maybe in the 2030s.

With the red states growing in population & the blue/purple states declining in numbers, the 2030 Census is going to wreak havoc on Democrats winning presidential elections in its wake. So winning in 2028 is crucial.

Beshear is VP material.

repeat after me

I BASE MY ENTIRE LIFE ON .89% THE WORLD'S POPULATION. I AM A FREAK.

I hope he doesn't run, it will drive the bible-thumping crazies even crazier, they will kill him.

[quote]Blaming Black voters for homophobia instead of looking at the full picture is lazy analysis. Pete had other, more significant issues that cost him their support.

Biden was worse on racial issues, with a lengthier and more problematic past history. He was a big proponent for the crime bill in the 90's, which incarcerated countless black men at a disproportionate rate. He boasted about working with segregationists to get things done. There was also his past views on busing, which Kamala ripped him a new asshole over at the first debate. Then after getting the nomination, he patronizingly told African Americans that they weren't black if they didn't vote for him. After he won, he screamed at black leaders in a video call telling them that they had better learn to work with Latinos if they wanted anything done.

The Buttigieg issues pale in comparison.

[quote] Kamala also suffered from her association with Biden.

As would Biden’s Secretary of Transportation.

What an idiot.

I'll vote for him and after the current mess we have in the WH, I'm sure a lot of voters will. He's a good man, a veteran and would cause no harm to Americans. Only confederate flag flyers wouldn't because they're neanderthals.

Pete is determined to be the first gay President. Why do think he chose that potato as his bride? He needed a partner with no ambition of his own who can bring the frau vote and two adorable multi racial children to show he's not racist.

The next Democratic nominee needs to hit the sweet spot, broad appeal to the base while flipping just enough suburban and independent voters to keep the GOP from clawing back power.

That means charisma, media presence, and, let’s be honest, the right look. A tall, handsome, white, Christian man with undeniable BDE still matters in American politics, whether people admit it or not. It’s why Newsom gets floated, even if he’s too slick, and why Buttigieg made it as far as he did, though his BDE lite is more of a beta test.

A tech background could be an asset, considering AI and automation are shaping our lives faster than most politicians can comprehend. But let’s be real, Silicon Valley’s reputation is teetering between necessary evil and bond villain. The tech bros have torched their goodwill with price-gouging, dystopian business models, and their inability to read the room.

So the ideal candidate is someone who understands tech but isn’t a tech bro, a guy who can talk AI, automation, and data privacy without sounding like a VC trying to sell you the future at 50% interest. Most importantly, someone who doesn’t make voters feel like they’re about to be scammed, lectured, or replaced by a chatbot.

Basically, America needs the love child of JFK Jr. and a Stanford engineer, minus the crypto scams and the move fast, break things ethos. And be over six feet tall, obviously.

Pete probably figured out that he wouldn't even be able to beat Mallory McMorrow in the primary.

[quote] There's no reason he shouldn't be the frontrunner.

There IS a reason he will not be the frontrunner but I am too progressive to name it.

[quote] It looks like Dick Durbin is out in '26, too.

Now there's a seat for Rahm. He should take it and stay out of the 2028 race.

Who the fuck is Mallory McMarshmallow?

Pete's got bigger fish to fry. Let the flat chested upstart have the senate seat.

Pete has peaked!

Pete B. needs another elected position before he can jump to President.

[quote] Now there's a [Senate] seat for Rahm. He should take it and stay out of the 2028 race.

[quote] Emanuel surely doesn’t want to risk ending his career losing a primary for a Senate seat he doesn’t crave

[quote] Who the fuck is Mallory McMarshmallow?'

The R61-linked speech Mallory McMorrow gave went viral. She's a real talent.

I hope Greg Casar enters the 2028 race.

[quote] That means charisma, media presence, and, let’s be honest, the right look. A tall, handsome, white, Christian man with undeniable BDE still matters in American politics, whether people admit it or not. It’s why Newsom gets floated, even if he’s too slick...

Newsom is the frontrunner. He is working on transitioning his image from progressive idealist to populist pragmatist. He will get there. He will get the $$$$ and the machine will back him. Red State voters are undaunted by slick or chicanery, they believe anything a white man says. Newsom just has to work on talking to and like them, like a Bill Clinton. Newsom is as nimble as Buttigieg in putting MAGAts in their place. He just has to ignite the part of the electorate that would have voted for Harris if she were a white man.

He's not even in my Top 3 but it doesn't matter who I want, I just want to win.

Gavin has the needed BDE that Pete will never have.

We need someone from outside Washington, I'm thinking Mark Cuban.

Pete would be an excellent candidate. Young, smart, and engaging. Those of you looking for the central casting version of the perfect democratic candidate are way off base and way out of line. Whenever Democrats have come back in a big way and rallied the party, it was always with an out of the box candidate. But you guys keep pushing the same old tired names for the same old tired reasons, hoping to catch some demographic that left us years ago. You all will be left behind, once again. Any thinking democrat would already be on the Pete train, but do carry on with your nonsense.

R43, you’re a lying sack of shit

[quote]Remember his lectures about how highways are racist?

Highways are racist. Don't blame Pete because you got a substandard education or your parents neglected to explain how the world works.

One thing, Pete likes MEAT

Pete = dickless

[quote]Biden was worse on racial issues, with a lengthier and more problematic past history.

As mentioned, it didn't matter because of his association with Obama.

The press and the White House wisely played it up during the Obama years (seems like a lifetime ago) and when it came time for Joe to run what he did in the past didn't matter because he and Obama were "bros!"

"They play golf together and made friendship bracelets and Barack chills on the couch while Joe wears sunglasses hanging with his bro!"

It was the best PR he could have asked for.

Shame he didn't do the same for Kamala.

[quote]Pete = dickless

I've never understood why he doesn't wear padding down there.

Give it up, the stud has sired two lovely offspring...he's all man.

I like Pete a lot, and I think he’d be a good president, but this country will never vote in a gay man. Sadly.

see r112

R115 Pete's kids are mixed-race, and adopted, and not genetically related to either of them.

Okay, never mind.

Newsom isn't winning anything.

He's hugely disliked and his current stupid podcast series where he talks to rightwing nutters isn't gonna help him.

Continuing to piss off the left isn't the way to win elections.

[quote]Newsom is the frontrunner. He is working on transitioning his image from progressive idealist to populist pragmatist. He will get there

R105 Dubious. At the moment, California looks like a basket case. Opposition ads can write themselves: fires in LA, shit on SF streets. Billions thrown at the homeless, decade after decade, with zero results. Huge state deficit.

Newsom has signed legislation making Calif a trans kids' sanctuary state; letting male “trans” sex-offender felons into female prisons; transwomen into female sports.

He’s placed his bet on a strongly progressivist agenda, which isn't a winner at present. “He's for they/them,” etc.

He's also got some personal Covid violations & other personal history against him.

Too bad, because he's one of those born politicians, tall & appealing, lots of presence, great talker, easy command of facts on lots of core issues.

Agreed, anything can happen in two, three years. Maybe he can pull it off, depending on who the GOP puts up, but his record as Calif governor makes him an easy target, for the rest of the country.

It's all about who can win those awful swing states.

As a gay non-American man with a keen interest in US politics looking in from the outside… the idea that Pete would run for President, let alone win, is so incredibly ludicrous. The big thing in front of you is winning in 2028 or else. His sexuality should not matter but for too many people *it does*. This really makes me doubt his judgement.

As a gay man, I wish the country would vote for a gay man for president, but I doubt it will at least for now.

In 2028, the Dems needs to nominate a straight white male. Not even a woman. A straight while male is the only winning candidate the next time round. Pete might be suitable in 2032 or 2036, but not in 2028. The country is still too polarized poisoned by Trump and the Repigs. I hate saying that Pete has to "wait his turn" or just wait in general, but that is the reality of the times in which we live. And I want to WIN. Pete is qualified but he cannot win in 2028.

Very few people thought America would vote for a Black man for president.

And, yet...

R125. I didn't say 'never.' I said not in 2028.

[quote] Pete’s resume is really thin compared to those Governors.

I has NO EXPERIENCE yet America made me president TWICE! - Donald J. Trump

In other words GRANDPA, those notions of "experience" no longer apply in today's politics. Go take a nap and let the young gay intelligent men run the Government for a change and save your retirement in the process.

R121, there will never be a perfect candidate. One without baggage. But Newsom is our best political athlete & will be especially appealing in a head-to-head matchup.

Donald Dump JUNIOR has announced he's thinking about running, that's who the Dems will likely be up against. MAGA loves family nepotism almost as much as oligarchs.

R121 you are running the 2024 race. Those issues will seem quaint after Trump and Musk spend the next 4 years grinding their base into poverty. Also, Trump will invite the next pandemic to our shores and highlight the folly of alienating the rest of the world. 2028 will be like 2020 -- anyone but Trump/MAGA. Newsom projects competence and confidence.

[quote]I has NO EXPERIENCE yet America made me president TWICE! - Donald J. Trump

Yeah, R127, and we’ve all seen the disastrous results of putting someone with a big ego and no experience in charge of everything.

Democrats can do better. Let’s put up someone who has actually won a swing state and has more elected office experience than Mayor.

R131, our last two Democratic presidents were not from swing states. That should not be a prerequisite.

[quote]Donald Dump JUNIOR has announced he's thinking about running

I can't even imagine him as POTUS. Preposterous.

[quote] Donald Dump JUNIOR has announced he's thinking about running

[quote] I can't even imagine him as POTUS. Preposterous.

The current president of the Philippines is Ferdinand Marcos, Jr., son of Ferdinand Marcos and Imelda Marcos.

This should keep you up at night - if the American populace, such as it is, wants a third term of Trump and for some reason legally or illegally he can't run - they would elect Trump the Lesser - Failson - as the next best thing to having his Daddy in the White House.

That sounds ridiculous, but here we are. And these are the people we live among.

I don't suppose, though, that he would be any worse, so...

Republicans already tried the nepo-hire route with George W Bush and it was a disaster.

At least Dubya was a twice-elected governor of Texas before becoming president, R136.

[quote] I hate saying that Pete has to "wait his turn" or just wait in general, but that is the reality of the times in which we live.

The thing is, it would be "his turn", if such a thing exists. He is the only dem who ran back in 2020 and was doing well before he dropped out, and is running again in 2028. The rest of them are all running for the first time. However, these things rarely pan out how people will predict. Who could have predicted Obama or Trump? Having said that, I don't think people will warm to Gavin Newsom. Just a strong gut feeling that I have.

No one who was in the Biden administration will ever be elected president.

After Trump 2.0, R139, Biden nostalgia might well set in.

R139

That's unfortunate, but not unexpected with our ignorant electorate.

His cabinet included some of the most accomplished and professional experts in their fields.

Now we get FOX News personalities.

I just can't, sometimes. Why would you even propose that?

[quote] Biden nostalgia might well set in.

More likely Obama nostalgia will still be more prevalent.

Given his age, I think Biden has now moved into the Jimmy Carter role.

Biden is one stroke away from moving into Jimmy Carter's current role...

Democrats anxious to deny Donald Trump and his Republican Party a governing trifecta as soon as possible are feeling pretty good about their prospects for flipping the House in 2026, given the GOP’s fragile margin of control and the historical pattern of sizable midterm losses for the president’s party. But the Senate, which has the power to confirm Trump’s executive branch and judicial nominations, is really going to be a reach. Democrats would need to flip four Senate seats to win control of the chamber. And an already difficult landscape is being made even tougher by the retirements of Democratic incumbents Gary Peters of Michigan, Tina Smith of Minnesota, and now Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire. All three of these open seats could potentially trigger competitive races in 2026.

Of the three retirees, Shaheen certainly has the best case for having earned the right to call it a day. She’s 78 years old (Peters is 66 and Smith is 67) and is completing her third full Senate term. Before that, she served three two-year terms as governor of New Hampshire. There’s also a robust Democratic bench in her state; both current U.S. House members, Chris Pappas and Maggie Goodlander (along with former congresswoman Annie Kuster), are considering races to succeed Shaheen.

On the Republican side, former Massachusetts senator Scott Brown publicly indicated interest in this seat the minute Shaheen announced her retirement. Brown gained global renown by winning a 2010 special election to fill the Senate seat of the late Ted Kennedy in a huge upset that nearly derailed the passage of the Affordable Care Act. After losing the seat in 2012 to Elizabeth Warren, he moved back to his native New Hampshire and ran against Shaheen in 2014, losing by three points in a very good year for Republicans. He has plenty of name ID but would be less formidable than the GOP’s dream candidate, former governor Chris Sununu, who passed up a Senate race in 2024 but hasn’t ruled out a run for Shaheen’s seat.

Looking at the big picture, as Nathaniel Rakich points out, these retirements are probably better timed for Democrats in 2026 than in an election year when Republicans are more likely to have the wind at their back. But still, given the emergency represented by Trump 2.0, the future is now for Democrats, and having to fight to hang on to three seats they currently hold reduces their already slim odds for regaining the Senate. According to the Cook Political Report’s race ratings, there are only three Republican-held Senate seats up in 2026 that are anything other than a lock for the GOP: those held by Susan Collins of Maine and Thom Tillis of North Carolina (both rated “Lean R”) and Jon Husted of Ohio (rated “Likely R”). Meanwhile, four Democratic-held Senate seats are vulnerable: the races to fill the Shaheen and Smith seats are rated “Lean D,” while the contest over Peters’s seat and a likely big-time challenge to incumbent Georgia Democrat Jon Ossoff are rated as “Toss Ups.” Even if 2026 turns out to be a very good year for Democrats, it’s hard to see where that fourth flipped seat would come from and easy to see possibilities for losses.

We are going to be a different country in 2026. Republicans gained 9 seats in 2014 because Americans are just that terrified of having health insurance available to more people. No one in early 2013 would have thought it possible after Obama’s landslide.

[quote] I hope Greg Casar enters the 2028 race.

No, he's a progressive. Progressives leave a bad taste in people's mouths.

Pete needs to say once and for all that Joe Biden should not have run for re-election and this is one of the main reasons we have Trump now. Let's start with one truthful statement and work our way up.

Pete needs to say that as soon as Republicans can say that Donald Trump lost in 2020. They seem to be doing just fine winning in elections, so why should Pete do this? Also, no Democrats are disputing that “one truthful statement.”

Pete should be truthful and say “I know I cannot win the Presidency, but I am running for new opportunities to enrich myself.”

C’mon, let’s stop with the retrospective beating up on Biden for running for reelection. He - alone - had discovered the secret sauce for beating Trump & had just emerged from a relatively remarkably successful midterm election. In real time, there was no great clamor for him not to run again. Just ask Dean Phillips.

So-called Democrats need to stop with the nay-saying, and stop pushing nothing-burger Andy Beshear. If only whites make in to the polls in 2028, we will lose again. Our candidate needs to have appeal broad enough to pull in the largest share of the electorate. Dig in and commit to supporting whoever rises above the field in the primary.

[quote] Pete needs to say once and for all that Joe Biden should not have run for re-election and this is one of the main reasons we have Trump now. Let's start with one truthful statement and work our way up.

Everyone in the Biden administration will be grilled on their participation in the coverup of Biden’s condition.

Everyone saw how Kamala’s “I wouldn’t do anything differently” strategy worked out. So expect every candidate in 2028 to talk about how bad Biden was.

Peter needs to say once and for all that he’s done with blond interns named Taylor and Jackson and Beau, and he’s ready to come home every night to the delicious and filling cream-soup casseroles that his lovely Chasten works so hard to bake.

[quote]So expect every candidate in 2028 to talk about how bad Biden was.

They’ll talk about how bad the Biden handlers were, not Biden himself. Punches will be pulled, and the assessment will be “mistakes were made.”

Endless clips of bikegate.

[quote] Our candidate needs to have appeal broad enough to pull in the largest share of the electorate.

Which Pete could have shown, at least some day, if he was running as the elected Senator from Michigan. Unfortunately, he passed up the winnable campaign for the vanity campaign. Too bad.

R157 if Michigan was a gimme for Indiana carpetbagger Pete maybe he would have run in Michigan, a loss in Michigan would have been the end of his political career unless he was to run for mayor in royal oak or Ann Arbor.

I am a basic run of the mill moderate Democrat and have watched the far-left wing overpower the moderate wing over and over. It seems like the moderate Dems are so weakened by this infighting, that the only hope is for the far-lefties to finish the job and start to lead the party somewhere/anywhere from where they are now. Otherwise, Democratic inertia will prevail, and the Reps. will keep winning. Time for Chuck Schumer and his inner circle to step away. Sad to say but I feel it necessary now.

I know My Peter is upset that he’s out of a job, but I love having him home! Finally someone can take those brats off my hands while I go pick up supplies at Michael’s for my she shed!

The only problem is the left position on many issues is extremely unpopular. Israel, trans, crime, reparations etc.

[quote] Everyone saw how Kamala’s “I wouldn’t do anything differently” strategy worked out. So expect every candidate in 2028 to talk about how bad Biden was.

Or maybe point to how Biden saved the economy post-pandemic, and how Trump destroyed it to benefit his billionaire buddies.

Hillary will only be 81.

2028 could be her year!

Hillary has more BDE than Hakeem so why the hell not?

This doesn’t bode well for him. You can’t be the nominee of the Democratic Party with 0% support from black Americans.

I’m surprised his Bkack support is that high.

Here's what you gotta do...

Oh Lord, hearing him drone on for an hour of non-stop word salad without taking a breath- and I'll vote Republican.

Word Salad = Donald Trump

If you think Pete is speaking that way, you have zero ability to listen to structured comments and concise ideas. Did you make it through college? No wonder you are MAGA.

He’ll never win and will likely draw much-needed votes from some other Dem who might have a better chance at getting their party back in the WH, but despite dumb America’s voting majority voting against him, he definitely deserves to be President and I think he has the persona, intelligence, and communications skills to earn the job.

Pete is just not electable, not for US President. Sorry to agree with most of us on this thread.

We know he's not going to win - but what he does extremely well is communicating and articulating just how batshit and wrong Republicans and Trump are on almost everything.

People don't always run for President thinking they're going to win - it's to push certain issues and to get them appointed into other positions. It's a way to make yourself more well known.

He was an unknown years ago - people need to see him again. We all know a gay man won't get elected - but it doesn't matter. He's an upright, intelligent and effective debater.

We can't afford to have another republican president. So I don't think we should risk nominating a gay person in case that turns off bigoted voters.

[quote] So I don't think we should risk nominating a gay person in case that turns off bigoted voters.

That’s stupid. Democrats who vote against him in a primary should do so because they believe he’s not the right man for the job, not because he’s gay. Whatever your reasoning is, it would still be because he’s gay.

The nominee is going to be AOC. Not sure why anyone is even suggesting anyone else?

r174 It is not about what is right but about winning the general election. No women, gays, minorities for 2028. Project 25 will be complete and more if we get another republican president. If we get a democrat and a democratic congressional majority, then we can field a gay/woman/minority, etc.

R3 When we fight, we win.

He's going to have a tough time running for Prez with no real experience

Because we would never elect someone with zero political experience.

[quote] because of suggestions that she was only a DEI success story, not a super competent individual (I’m not making the suggestions, so save it).

Next time just say "Black."

How does he stay in the news for the next three years without a high profile job?

I just am not seeing it.

He's got "Dukakis in the tank" energy

If Pete runs for PResident and loses he can still run for the Senate or even for governor of Michigan. But if he runs for the Senate and loses, he will not be able to run for President from a position of strength.

He should do a sit down interview with Andy Cohen.

[quote]Pete is just not electable, not for US President. Sorry to agree with most of us on this thread.

Neither are women, we tried that twice now. Women are just not electable. Give it up already, that's your rational. Don't ever try again.

R185 Democrat women may not be electable. But I also think it’s something else going on and they just happen to be women. We really need to analyze the data. Biden would have lost too. I don’t think it’s merely sexism all the black and Hispanic men Trump was able to pull to his side. And not a majority but enough because white people have been political idiots for about 3 decades now.

185 Try later when we are not in full swing of fascism. We need a safe choice for 2028.

[quote]I just am not seeing it. He's got "Dukakis in the tank" energy

Sit down Gramps, that dementia is really kicking in. Dukakis was the most uninspiring candidate of the time, terrible debater lost the who thing when he could not answer effectively "what would you do if your wife was raped and killed". he also looked like a little child in a hat 3 times his size riding in a tank.

Pete in contrast is an excellent speaking, the only one that can go on Fox news and put therm in their place, better than most other polititians twice his age, not to mention he had a fallowing both straight and gay begging him to run for president. No one ever begged Dukakas to run for president.

Don’t forget me, My Peter’s secret weapon! I can out nice THE FUCK out of Usha Vance!

And unlike HER, I’m a mean scrapbooker!

DON’T EVEN FUCKIN THINK ABOUT IT!

Buttigieg / Newsom for the WIN!

The fact that he is fine with stating that he turned to Chuck "The Tumor" Schumer tells me he needs better advice from somebody, anybody. And you know damn well that, aside from the Christian fundamentalist crazies, the biggest anti-Pete loons will be the "queer" pussifiers who will yammer endlessly about Mayor Peter being too "heteronormative."

I meant "Mayor Pete."

Billy Porter? That big queen makes my dick wilt.

R188

yes, people are just begging for Pete to run. It's all anyone talks about

I'm voting Shapiro. Not a Pete fan.

Sorry, folks.

Biden will be our last American president.

[quote]yes, people are just begging for Pete to run. It's all anyone talks about

Actually they are. FB, IG and X have a fan club not of his making Pull you head out of your hate ass, wake up and smell the coffee. He's very popular.

[quote] He's very popular.

He has 16% support, from Democrats.

I remember he took a month’s paternity leave when he became Secretary of .Transportation. He didn’t make much of an impression in that job. What is he doing now other than planning to run for President in three years? And I like him.

He also reminds me a little of Benno O’Rourke. Remember that guy was going to run for President after he turned Texas blue? Whatever happened to him?

Oops Beto… Seriously what is he doing now?

Every time we have one of these Democratic Presidential candidate speculation threads I am going to post my mantra. The Republicans have shown us that voter behavior and messaging wins elections not candidates. They have proven that you can run a piece of shit and win an election. IMO we have two choices, either we find our own Trump, meaning a celebrity everyone feels comfortable with who is familiar to most people, and/or we figure out how to neutralize the messaging capabilities the GOP has with their unlimited funds, and collusive "mainstream" legacy media. We have made progress on using social media, but we need to up our game in that area. We cannot campaign in the traditional old school way. We need to get very aggressive, innovative and unconventional. Forward thinking.

The 2028 dem nominee is going to be a heterosexual white man in his 60s. The party will see to it, similar to how all the 2020 primary participants were made to drop out and coalesce around Biden. They’re too spooked by having lost each time they ran a woman, not to mention that the black one fared even poorer.

R202 He has been working tirelessly on the ground in Texas with voter registration efforts, fighting gerrymandering, and bringing in Dem speakers to host town halls in districts where the GOP reps won't show up. Viva Beto!

The establishment won’t matter if a single candidate manages to electrify the party enough. Trump, Obama, and Mamdani all managed that, However, I just don’t see Pete pulling that off.

It’s time for a democratic socialist who wants to make his city a safe haven city for illegals, empty prisons and spend millions in trans care even for the young trans underage.

This is what will energize the party? Seriously?

R205. glad to hear it but his national profile is zero. PB’s highest elected office was mayor of a small city. He should at least run for Congress before going for President.

They're going to run a safe white guy like Andy Breshear. Pete might be up for VP but that'll be it.

A gay man won't be able to be elected in this country for at least another 30 years, if that.

[quote] but what he does extremely well is communicating and articulating just how batshit and wrong Republicans and Trump are on almost everything.

Maybe, but Trump does that better than anyone.

R209: that depends on whether the DNC would consider Pete's sexuality to over-ride the (implied) prohibition on two white males?

Two white males on the ticket are still electable.

[bold] "Two white males on the ticket are still electable" [/bold]

Not when the Tranz start complaining. Also Petes kryptonite is black voters. Don't beat me up---I said last fall Kamala should have picked HIM over Walz.

He's not gonna win

Pete reminds me of McGreevey. The "perfect" family man who is one zipper away from political collapse.

What happened to him? I thought he became a priest?

She was never going to win, R214.

R217 that would be ironic if he was the guy getting caught being blown in the parking lot. Classic case of loves men more than I do. Pride is over I just come for the threads.

R218 = Of course she wasn't. But WALZ? Seriously? She passed on Blinken, Shapiro and Buttigieg for WALZ?

Come on guys the election was stolen. The cabinet are all paid actors and actresses. Russia tells them what to do, and no one opposes because they’re not willing to go hungry or heck even eat store brand. Our entertainment industries are insular to keep us stupid. Our food industries keep us fat. We defer to religion and money like it’s the Dark Ages. God are we fucked.

Why not have Mamdani and Ilhan Ohmer run together. Their religion should not matter. They have a very strong woke/progressive voice.

Pete will never be POTUS. Hell, he’ll be lucky if his marriage is still legal by 2028. We need a REAL contender to defeat the maga machine. And he needs to stfu about Trans shit. It’s a losing issue.