Team Mates 2020: Saturday Political Soap Box 231

Yeah.  This is misleading.  This is a potential 2020 Democratic ticket, but not one I would not necessarily recommend.  It's the only picture I can find of a proposed Democratic ticket.*

There's no doubt.  We need the best ticket we can muster to have the best shot of preventing something that cannot happen - the reelection of the corrupt, unfit, racist, and narcissistic Trump. Or any Republican for that matter.

Outside of the Electoral College and its quirks, the biggest challenge to the Democrats is to create a broad enough coalition to maximize and energize their various factions.

What does that mean?

The ticket must maximize voting potential in four groups - 

1)  The Suburban Middle Class.  These are voters in the suburbs and exurbs who in the past have voted for Republicans, and hold moderate views on social issues.  They are repulsed by the vulgarism and intolerance of the Trump administration but may be skittish about economic reforms that they fear may cost too much.  My own feeling about this group is that they are going to be the hardest to win over.  Many will talk smack about Trump, but then go into the booth and vote for him.  This is what happened in 2016.  It is likely to repeat in 2020.  Nevertheless, Democrats want to make as many inroads as they can but do so without becoming defacto Republicans.

2) Progressive voters.  That's people like me. I'm clear about my position.  I will set aside my causes if it means having to support a nominee that is less likely to sufficiently move the country in the direction that I want.  This is the most enthusiastic part of the Democratic Party.  We provide money and energy.  We support our candidates with small donations that demonstrate a grassroots juggernaut.  It is foolish for the Democratic Party not to tap into this.

3) People of Color.  Without overwhelming and motivated support from African-American and Latino voters, Democratic candidates lose.  They have to have a ticket that will energize these groups and others, including Asian and Jewish voters.  Had African American turnout in the Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania been what it was in the Obama elections, Trump would have lost the Electoral College.

4) White Working Class.  This is a group that should solidly be in the Democratic camp, at least based on policy.  But they are the hardest to get, because of culture war issues and resentment carried towards other groups.  Corporate Democrats do not make it easy, as they want to mute the very programs that could appeal to them.  This is the group that, despite their sometimes conservative/reactionary rhetoric, find appeal in issues such as Medicare For All and increases in the minimum wage.

The most important section of the country to win back is the Midwest.  Democrats have to win back Wisconsin, Michigan, and Pennsylvania to have a shot.

How do we do that?

Here are some tickets that I feel give us our best shot -

Warren/Klobuchar

This may be a disturbing ticket to some of my progressive friends, but I'm afraid it makes too much sense.  It combines the strength of the progressive movement with the Midwestern, more pragmatic appeal of Klobuchar.  Make no mistake about it.  This is a year where we will have to have a ticket with cross-appeal. 

The most substantial weakness of this ticket is that it may not enthuse the African American and Latino communities as much as will be needed.  

On the other hand, an all-female ticket would enthuse women across the spectrum and would drive the misogynistic Trump crazy.

Other potential running mates for Warren include Kamala Harris, Julian Castro, Cory Booker, and Sherrod Brown.

Biden/Harris

This also would be a great team to get under the skin of Trump.  It would help maximize the interest of people of color, but would also enthuse women voters. Biden's appeal to suburban voters and the Midwest should be a strength to the ticket.

The weakness would be in appeal to progressive voters, and the lack of appeal to the white working class.  Biden would stop short of advocating the type of programs that would actually help them and may be perceived as politics as usual.

Other potential running mates for Biden include Pete Buttigieg, Cory Booker, and Elizabeth Warren.  His experience and name recognition may enable him to pull in a lesser-known name, such as Oregon Governor Kate Brown, or Stacey Abrams of Georgia.

Sanders/Brown

Sanders is going to be very tempted to double down with a very progressive candidate.  He needs to resist that urge as much as possible.  He's going to need to win as much support from the corporate Democrats as possible.  That is why I recommend Democratic Senator Sherrod Brown of Ohio for a running mate.  Sherrod may be pragmatic, but he is also very progressive, and winning elections in otherwise conservative Ohio.  He is the poster child for how Democrats win in places that Democrats don't usually win.  They would have the best chance of winning the white working class.

It may make it tough to get the support they need from people of color and women.  Even though Sanders/Brown makes electoral sense, I would vastly prefer that the Democrats have a female nominee in one or both of the ticket slots.

Other potential running mates for Bernie Sanders include Cory Booker, Julian Castro, and Kamala Harris.  There are many lesser-known progressives he could choose, but he has to resist that urge and put in somebody with an appeal to the corporate Democrats.

Yes, I know.  Other candidates may win the nomination, but the same rules apply.  This is an election for coalition broadening, not base shrinking.  Two corporate Democrats running together would be a complete disaster (e.g., Biden/Klobuchar).  The same is true of two progressive Democrats (e.g.. Sanders/Warren - as much as I would LOVE that team).

I would reiterate my greatest fear for the 2020 election - that Trump dumps the bland but dangerous Mike Pence, and replaces him with former South Carolina Governor and UN Ambassador Nikki Haley.  And then the first elected female Vice President will be a...Republican.

We cannot let that happen.

So, yes, my preferred ticket is Warren/Klobuchar.  Barring that, a woman absolutely has to be on the Democratic ticket.

Everything is at stake.