Trump's Possible Successor
So I'll start off by saying I've not been posting any new blog entries for the past five months due to me not having a laptop I could count on. The process of me getting a great laptop has been excruciating, and now that I finally have it, it'll be nice to start posting my thoughts about the world here and there.
This time, I'd like to focus on what the Democratic party intends to do in order to kick Donald Trump out of the White House. While it's true that the midterm election results have been kind of a mixed bag for Democrats, they did take the house of representatives, which will put enough wind in their sails in order to put forward an accomplished candidate that will be in stark contrast to Trump's full-on, ultra aggressive style of governing.
Democrats were really hoping that either Florida gubernatorial candidate, Andrew Gillum, or Texas Senatorial candidate, Beto O'Rourke, would win their respective races, but that does not seem to be happening. Florida is still in the midst of recounting, but let's assume for a second that Gillum ends up losing.
The main reason Democrats were hoping one of these two would win, is because it would propel them for a presidential run in 2020. Moreover, they'd both be bringing something very valuable to the table - Regional dominance.
A black Florida progressive is a major asset for a possible electoral college whooping of Donald Trump. That would significantly hinder Trump's chances of winning.
Beto O'Rourke would've been an even greater triumph for Democrats, because running a young, handsome, Texas progressive is their wet dream. A presidential race win in Texas wipes out Trump without even having to count the rest of the states.
Alas, we live in the real world, so that's not happening. (unless, as I've mentioned, Gillum pulls off a recount win in Florida)
So the way I see it, there are five people that could potentially throw their hat in the ring to take the Democratic nomination.
1) Senator Kamala Harris, CA. A staunch progressive, she also has the added benefit of being a minority, which will aid quite a bit in driving up the black vote, as white liberals despise Trump so much, they'd vote for any Democrat, regardless of anything else.
The videos of her taking on corporate interests and corruption in senate hearings have many people loving her quite a bit. She's articulate, smart, composed under pressure... she's the female Barack Obama.
2) Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, NY. A tough, savvy, clever and experienced insider, Gillibrand has been a Senate fixture since 2009, and has quite the name among left wing feminist groups. She has been vocal about tackling sex trafficking and violence against women, most notably in the U.S armed forces.
Usually, being known as a Washington insider is a bad thing, but since Trump, the ultimate outsider, has done such a miserable job since taking office, that tide might be turning.
3) Senator Elizabeth Warren, MA. A darling to progressives, Warren has been taking on Trump personally for quite some time, and the two have gotten into a sort of online argument about Warren's family origins and the degree to which her native American heritage extends.
Other than that, she used to be the head of the consumer protection agency, and has been known to take on big money, pharma and energy in Senate hearings, embarrassing the hell out of the empty suits they put in front of her.
4) Senator Cory Booker, NJ. A former exemplary Newark mayor, he's built a reputation of being a "hands-on" public servant, always willing to get his hands dirty (sometimes literally) when needed.
His political positions are such that he might be able to avoid alienating middle America, more so than other progressive firebrands that might be gunning for the white house. Still, he's a consummate liberal who's passionate about his beliefs. Too bad he's single. Maybe that will change soon.
5) Governor Gavin Newsom, CA. Young, progressive, easy on the eyes and highly intelligent. What more can you ask for? Well, him being from a swing state, I suppose, but Newsom, California's newest governor, was a fantastic mayor for San Francisco (including implementing the city's own universal healthcare system) and has also served as California's lieutenant governor. Now he's in charge, and one good stretch in the governor's mansion could easily propel him for a presidential run.
Time will tell if he's interested, though. So far he's denied it, but these things have a tendency to change quickly, if the right opportunity presents itself.
By no means are these the only people considered primed for a run. Richard Ojeda, who lost his bid for Congress in the latest midterms, has already announced he's running. He's about as much of an outsider as anyone could possibly be (though he is a state senator), and as of yet, it's impossible to rule him out of contention. Stranger things have happened. Other options are former vice president Joe Biden, Colorado governor John Hickenlooper, former Mass. governor Deval Patrick and perhaps even Hillary Clinton herself hasn't said the last word yet. (though progressives are really hoping she'd just fade away)
Regardless of who takes it, the left is hoping for a swift and clean nomination, since a messy one could get the country thinking that Trump is actually good enough to consider for re-election. Not even god could help America if that happens.