I sat up and watched the two nights of the Democratic debates. I’ve also listened to a lot of the commentary since then. As someone very interested in who the Democratic nominee will be, here are some thoughts.
I start from the idea that I will vote for whomever ends up being the Democratic nominee. My thoughts on how to handle the big issues in the country are just more in line with the Democrats than with the Republicans. On top of that, I think the current occupant of the White House is a disgrace.
I’m also inclined to prefer a younger candidate over an older one and to prefer a woman or a person of color over another white male.
So, with that, I think the eventual nominee will be Kamala Harris. I like Julian Castro as a potential VP and Steve Bullock as a dark horse for the VP slot. I’m also a fan of Mayor Pete for VP.
I am a fan of Elizabeth Warren and think she would be a great President. Not sure she can get the nomination. I don’t really worry about the Hillary comparisons with her – she doesn’t have the Clinton baggage. She is almost 70, though, so she can’t use youth as a counter to the 70-something white guy currently in the position. I’m also concerned about how the Senate will turn out and, if Warren is the nominee and wins the election, her Senate seat will be filled by a Republican governor. Not optimal.
I thought Booker had a good debate, but I can’t see him as either of the nominees. He’s just not got the momentum to get to the top spot. And the only fit he has as VP is with Warren. If Biden or some other guy grabs the top spot, they’ll have to choose a woman as VP. If Kamala is the nominee, she won’t choose another African-American for VP.
The second two-night debate will be at the end of July and, absent some surprising drop outs, we’ll see the same cast of characters then, plus maybe some more in the race. By the third debate – I think in September – here’s who I’d like to see left in the field. Biden, Sanders, Warren, Harris, Buttigieg, Castro, Klobuchar, Gillibrand, Booker. Maybe even Gabbard and Bennet. Even though I think most of these folks have no chance of grabbing either of the top spots, they’re still adding something to the discussion.