Bernie is really fucking old. He can't leave the door open forever.

[SalamanderSleeps]

AOC + Mayor Pete.
2028

I've been on DU since the very beginning.

I dare anyone to say this ticket would not work.

No whining.

We are the Democrats, not the Democrat Party.

[fujiyamasan]

1. Sorry, not seeing a broad appeal

Neither of them have won a statewide office, anywhere.

Both are skilled communicators, but I’d like to see them win more than a very blue district or small town office to seriously consider them for president.

[mountain grammy]

10. trump never won an election for anything

until he won the presidential election.

[CTyankee]

11. Yes, but also rich and famous and able to get away with stunts we would never pull.

And a cunning repuke party willing to do anything to worm its way back into power, backed by some very rich men who wanted to get richer and richer off the public dime.

[valleyrogue]

15. And that just proves the point of the need to have at least statewide political experience. n/t

[cadoman]

57. how does it prove the point?

TSF didn't have local political experience, county political experience, state political experience, or even experience inside the Federal government. He had ZERO political experience.

Rules and conventions are broken every election. I remember the trepidation some had about nominating a Black man, but it turned out to buoy his candidacy even more than it held him down.

The same could happen for AOC and Buttigieg. AOC is our generational talent and Pete is right behind her.

[fujiyamasan]

18. Trump already had massive name recognition in 2016

Having been in the public eye for over three decades. He sold himself as a “successful” business person and claimed he was running against the elites in both parties. It was a brand and persona crafted on bullshit, but he was able to sell that.

And that’s not even getting into the Russian interference. No democrat would accept assistance from a foreign nation (especially one so adversarial) in winning an election. That set a new low. It has only got worse since.

If Pete had been appointed to a more prominent cabinet post, such as Secretary of State, I could see a case to be made. The reality is that no one really cares who the secretary of transportation is. He was effective in leading the agency but I don’t see it being a springboard directly to the presidency. He’s in Michigan. There are several seats he could compete for there.

AOC will be battling other major headwinds. If she can win statewide in New York (or even something like mayor), I’d see more of a path. Her district is far more democratic than the city as a whole, and the rest of the state is far less democratic than NYC.

[Crunchy Frog]

63. He had a different kind of appeal aimed at a different kind of person.

It's not something that I believe the Democrats could, or probably should, duplicate.

[mountain grammy]

64. True that

He went right into their Fox News sponge brains. They were ripe and ready.

[Oopsie Daisy]

2. Nope. That's wishful thinking and not something that would work in the real world.

Elections are won from the center. AOC would not appeal to the center, the square states, the red states, the flat states, the flyover states, or any state with "North" or "South" or "West" as part of its name.

[thought crime]

30. Economic populism appeals massively to the center

Bernie’s economic populist message is actually incredibly powerful at the center. Democrats should have the courage to push the Green New Deal as their main agenda and AOC is the now best person to lead that movement.

[betsuni]

31. What proof is there that economic populism appeals massively to the center?

[thought crime]

40. The New Deal

[betsuni]

42. Not populist. FDR was a top 1% elite establishment wealthy capitalist, not a populist or democratic socialist.

He "won the presidency with a campaign that was about one-quarter financed by Wall Street bankers and stockbrokers. ... You can't get any deeper into the 'establishment' than that. ... People should not be judged by wealth or social position ... . To do so is prejudice. People should be judged as individuals, by their words and by their actions. If we were to accept the rantings ... against the 1% and the 'entire political establishment' right down to the 'local party leaders,' we would have to condemn Franklin Roosevelt to the lowest circle of political hell. This is not a path toward progress but a throwback to a darker age."

Was FDR the liberal Democrat more progressive than today's liberal Democrats? No. There has been no "shifting to the Right" of the Democratic Party.

"... suppose a Great Depression had started in 2005 and Obama had done what FDR did. Here's what that might look like: "A couple of years into the Great Depression of 2005, Obama decided to run for president on a platform promising 'a federal budget annually balanced.' And he personally promised that when he took office he would implement 'an immediate and drastic reduction of governmental expenditures.' But Obama quickly fixed the bank panic with free deposit insurance for the banks, and the economy began to recover, with unemployment dropping from 25% to 17%. But as Keynes had to remind him, he had not increased government spending, so unemployment shot back up to 22%. After two and a half years, Obama passed Obamacare (similar to Social Security), but it only took in money for the first few years while providing no healthcare, and it was deliberately sexist and racist.

"Early in his second term, Obama got the unemployment rate down to 11%, so he decided the economy no longer needed much support and cut government spending. That sent unemployment back up to 20%. At the start of his third term, America was attacked by Iran, so he put 110,000 Muslims -- whole families -- in concentration camps for three years. .... Obviously, Obama did nothing like this and was a vastly more progressive president than Roosevelt. ... He was on the side of the common man, but he was more of a politician than a radical, and the times were different. That's how you get things done."

Steven Stoft

[thought crime]

66. FDR / New Deal are often described as populist (in a good way)

It looks like you are depending on one person’s view of FDR. There are many views. The rich elite considered him to be a traitor to his class. Conservatives called him a Socialist (to be fair, some extremists also called Eisenhower a communist). Huey Long attacked him from the left. He was greater than all of that. He was a pragmatist who sought the best solutions from different factions or “lanes”. You called him a capitalist; I’ll call him a Social Democrat. There is much in Bernie’s message that echoes FDR’s New Deal, and he offers much praise for FDR. He grew up during the New Deal and obviously turns to it as a model. That is why it is absurd for people to stridently claim “Bernie is not a Democrat!”, as if it somehow disqualifies him.

[biocube]

47. Trump won Missouri by 18 points and

the higher minimum wage/mandatory sick leave won by 8.

The idea some in the political class and MSM have that the political center is right-of-center on economic issues is delusional.

[Oopsie Daisy]

35. History shows that this message is definitely not the way to win national elections.

[markie]

3. Buttegieg 2028

that's all I have to say

[Polybius]

17. We tend to elect Presidents with easy, simple last names

I don't think it's a coincidence. Even the runner ups almost always have easy last names: Harris, Clinton, McCain, Kerry, Gore, Dole, etc. Dukakis is the lone exception.

[fujiyamasan]

19. This is true, Obama is the only president elected so far with a non European last name

And even though it’s three syllables, his last name is easy to pronounce.

It leads to another question, would Harris have done worse if she kept her mother’s maiden name, Gopalan?

[Retrograde]

58. Eisenhower?

although he got a boost for being the head US general in WWII

[Polybius]

59. Well, that was 73 years ago :)

As long as the last name is, it rolls off the tongue quite nicely. I should have been more clear though, I meant in modern times.

[SalamanderSleeps]

67. I like the way you think - no joke.

[Mike Nelson]

4. I liked Bernie becoming a...

... Democrat and running for President. He balanced the debate stage and helped the people see the "far left" and "moderate" candidates. Now, I'm not so sure it will work... every Democrat is a "left wing lunatic" to the new MAGA party. I'd like to see AOC move toward more governing... I think she will. She's so smart. The right wing like to portray her as the "new Bernie" and, also, as stupid... that ends when you watch her speak for any period of time. Mayor Pete is already there. He's a candidate, for sure.

[pwb]

5. You have been here since 2022?

That is far from the beginning.

[Oopsie Daisy]

36. IK,R?

[SalamanderSleeps]

74. Apparently, you never been in "time out."

I used to go toe-to-toe with the likes of "NurseJackie," and I paid the price.

[bottomofthehill]

6. This ticket would not work.

Last edited Tue May 20, 2025, 08:11 AM - Edit history (1)

Not even close. Michigan, nope, Pennsylvania, nope, Wisconsin, nope, Arizona, nope, Mexico, nope, Nevada, nope, Minnesota, nope, New Hampshire, maybe not, Maine, maybe not, Virginia, maybe not, North Carolina, nope…..

[brush]

7. Sorry, both need to win a state wide race, the US Senate, serve there like Pres. O did before...

a presidential run. One other thing, I don't like bringing it up but we've lost running two women in a row so I'll just mention what an OP from a couple of days ago pointed out: trump has never beaten a male candidate so I think we'd better switch it up and run a male candidate.

Sorry, ladies, but let's be pragmatic and go with the best odds to win. The repugs would not have such a big advantage with the white male vote if we run a male. And we have a deep bench of qualified and experienced male candidates...Pritzker of Ill, Kelly of AZ, Beshear of Ken, Moore of MD and others. Some say Gov. Newsom of Calif. is too blue and leftist but he seems to be moving to center on his podcast, I think to make him more acceptable to white males. Probably won't work.

There's also Gov. Wals of Minn.

[obamanut2012]

8. The beginning was 20 years before you joined

Am I misunderstanding you?

[Oopsie Daisy]

37. You and I are wondering the same thing. The clues are all there.

[Xavier Breath]

46. I took it to mean that they've been lurking since day one and just joined in 2022.

I joined in 2019, but if you asked me how long I've been here, I'd say since 2016. But, only the op knows for sure what they meant.

[elocs]

9. AOC + Mayor Pete equals a Republican elected in 2028.

There are even Democrats and Independents who would not vote for that ticket.

Why is it that as Democrats when we love a candidate that we are blind to the distinct possibility that the nation simply would never elect them as president and vice president? After our first 2 female candidates lose to Trump, what could possibly go wrong with a 3rd, especially paired with a gay male (who is absolutely qualified but unelectable at this time and your wishing it were so doesn't make it happen.)
That is not an electable ticket in a year when we so desperately need a Democrat to win.

It's as my sig reads: "I'm not a member of any organized political party. I am a Democrat."
Will Rogers

[Jack Valentino]

20. By that I guess you mean that women, and women of color, and homosexuals

are completely out of the question for the '28 ticket ??



Sadly, I suppose you may be quite right.

[elocs]

25. The sad truth is that there is a 0 track record of electing a woman to the presidency

at a time when it is absolutely vital for a Democrat to win and a 0 track record of an openly gay man running, much less winning. Yet someone is suggesting that both be put on the ticket at the same time? This when just last year we could not get enough Democrats out to vote for a sitting female vice president running against Donald Trump, a known entity and liar. No. No. No. The future of our nation and democracy rests on the presidential election of 2028 unless it is already gone by then.

That being said, were the Democratic ticket to be AOC/Buttigieg, I would vote for it since for over 50 years I have voted for the Democratic ticket but I would do so without any hope of it winning, something that I have painfully done before.

[thought crime]

29. The larger truth is that we must change that track record.

There may be no better time than 2028 because the Republican Party could very well be facing a strong backlash. By 2028 many Americans may be a bit weary of being governed by Nazis. I already am.

At this point my dream ticket is AOC-Crockett. The worst thing the Democratic Party could do is to nominate someone because it is their “turn”. That doesn’t work. Have a real primary and avoid back-room deal-making.

[elocs]

38. I've voted for Democrats exclusively for over 50 years now. Your stance is simply stupid,

Last edited Mon May 19, 2025, 04:10 PM - Edit history (1)

but Republicans love it and laugh.

[RandomNumbers]

12. I'll join the bandwagon taking your dare.

A woman prez and LGBT veep ticket?

Might win 3 states - Mass, CA, Vermont. (just off the top of my head - no intention to disparage any states)

In elections, you have to get the most votes of everyone who is eligible to vote - and that includes way more people that don't think like your post requires, than do think like that.

It sucks but unless we meet the majority where they are, we will keep losing. (We need to change where the majority is - but that won't happen when we lose to disasters like TSF.)

[IzzaNuDay]

27. Meeting the majority where they are?

Like it’s got to be another (old) white cis het male to be taken seriously as a Democratic candidate?

Hasn’t this country learned that misogyny and racism is taking us down a rabbit hole that may take decades to recover, that is, if we have a democracy to recover?

[OldBaldy1701E]

33. No. (n/t)

[róisín_dubh]

80. Sorry but it hasn't.

My mom is a lesbian, I have a gay uncle and a gay brother and a sister with mixed-raced kids. I wish to god that America wasn’t a racist, misogynistic, homophobic hellscape, but it still is.
Democrats ain’t winning with an AOC-Buttigieg ticket unfortunately, much as I think their ideas are brilliant.

[edhopper]

13. Why not

don't know why a country that rejected an extremely intelligent and qualified candidate in favor of a criminal dolt because she was a woman of color, wouldn't vote for a Gay man. That would surely get back the Red States, Latino and Black voters who have never shown any homophobia.
That's the ticket.

[valleyrogue]

14. LOL!!!!!

Not a snowball's chance in hell.

[David__77]

16. Too post-modern and academic.

It would appear brittle next to more Trumpism. That isn’t a function of where they fall on a conventional left-right spectrum or their gender or sexual orientation, even though that’s how it would be expressed.

[Mountainguy]

21. The 2028 Candidate has to

be able to erode margins with non-college degree white voters and reverse the losses we have seen among non-college degree black and Hispanic voters.

Could a left-wing populist message do that? Yeah, maybe. Could that message be delivered by AOC do it? That I really doubt. Somebody like Chris Deluzio, though, that's more intriguing.

[DFW]

22. The ticket would work just fine

As long as only DU members could vote, that is.

If you allow other people to vote, however, our chances start to diminish significantly.

[Wanderlust988]

23. If that was our ticket, Vermont would become a swing state.

[displacedvermoter]

32. What does that mean?

Not sure I agree with the OP but AOC/Buttegieg would win Vermont handily over Vance or Trump Jr.

[Melon]

24. No chance that will result in a win. I like Mark Cuban somehow dealt into the ticket.

[BlueKota]

26. My choice for 2028 is Tim Walz.

I think AOC should run for the Senate in NY. I think Pete would be a good choice for VP for Walz. That way they build more experience and exposure to prepare for a future run for President.

[madaboutharry]

28. DU was established at the time of the election of George W. Bush.

That was the beginning. BTW, the date a member joined is public information.

Anyway, AOC would face great challenges carrying just New York in a statewide election.

On a good day, the country is in the center. That is reality.

[OldBaldy1701E]

34. So, all the people that read the site but have not joined are not considered 'people' or something?

I know of a few that read the site for over a decade before becoming members. I guess they don't count or something.

[madaboutharry]

39. I didn't say that.

[BannonsLiver]

41. It wouldn't work.

[W_HAMILTON]

43. Sanders has also accomplished so very little in his decades-long legislative career.

It worries me that the younger generation sees him as someone they should model themselves after.

If the younger generation decides to choose purity over progress, our country as we know it is over -- and, hell, the die might have already been cast.

[SalamanderSleeps]

60. 2 words "Amendment King."

Check the record.

[speak easy]

65. links ?

where's the beef

[Emile]

70. Politifact.com/factchecks

https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2016/mar/24/bernie-sanders/bernie-sanders-was-roll-call-amendment-king-1995-2/

[PufPuf23]

62. Most all Democratic progressive ideals since 1960 were born from youth and the left of center.

Repeatedly, the youth and progressive left have been scapegoated while moderates compromised the USA into the present mess.

Disappointing.

[justaprogressive]

44. 'Fraid not

Bernie's Not Running!

[BlueTsunami2018]

45. That ticket would work wonderfully, if you want to give the fascists a landslide victory.

I don’t know what it is that makes people think AOC is qualified to be President. I like her, I like her message, I think she has a bright future but she is nowhere near qualified to be the leader of the free world. It’s absurd.

I’m not accusing you of this but I feel like a lot of this pushing for her and for Pete is coming from right wing trolls posing as “leftists” or “progressives” in order to push the very worst choices on us and making the gulls on the left, of which there are many, stay home or vote third party out of petulance when they don’t get their way.

It’s a very effective tactic as evidenced by the most recent election.

This ticket would get destroyed.

[Greg_In_SF]

48. If that's the ticket

we will lose again.

[Danmel]

49. AOC cannot win statewide in NY

I've lived here my whole life and worked for a Democratic elected official for 20 years. I grew up in Brooklyn, and now live in the burbs. We run every 2 years in a NYC suburb that went from a 5-0 Democratic Town Board to a 5-0 republican board. I've lived through crazy pendulum swings. I've sweated out close races. And republican governors and republican mayors in NYC.
AOC cannot win statewide in NY. And if she can't do that, she certainly can't win nationwide.

[Emile]

69. If Chuck Schumer can win statewide, so can AOC.

[SocialDemocrat61]

72. True

I remember when Schumer ran for Senate against an incumbent and everyone said no way a Jewish liberal from Brooklyn could win. Yet he did. Plus no republican has won a statewide race in New York in over 20 years. Unfortunately, even in a forum like DU there are those who are consumed with hate for this intelligent, young, women of color.

[Mysterian]

50. Republians would rejoice if that were the Democratic ticket

Two great Democrats but non-electable in 2028.

[LoisB]

51. That ticket would not work in 2028 and it is the DemocraTIC Party, not the Democrat Party.

[uponit7771]

52. ***IF*** They're going after new voters with new ideas yes .. but if they're going after the white male vote...

... again they'll lose.

There's more new voters that are cheaper to get than same old stale middle voters and shaving off 2% MAGA

[usonian]

53. I know a tell. Only MAGA trolls say Democrat party.

Not bothering to read more.

[JI7]

76. It does seem off. Even those that truly want AOC to be President

know it won't happen in 2028. But much later.

[JoseBalow]

54. That's a great idea...

For DU to poop on!

[DJ Synikus Makisimus]

55. Yeah Bernie is old, but he isn't running, as far as I can tell. AS FOR AOC,

the Democratic Party establishment would never let her close to a spot on the national ticket. They are more likely to put every effort into primary-ing her. Their "strategy" has always been to move to the right when they lose an election, and I see no reason to think they will do otherwise this time. That's a problem, but it's not like I have any input with them.

[dwayneb]

56. No

AOC has no chance of winning a general election.

[SalamanderSleeps]

61. Why what is wrong with AOC?

She's not just a girl.

[SalamanderSleeps]

68. I get it.

Trump was just a joke.

[anamnua]

71. I've heard the view expressed

that Bernie was robbed of the nomination in 2016 by DNC machinations. Any thoughts?

[SocialDemocrat61]

73. It's BS

I’ve never seen any concrete evidence of any action that the DNC took that swung one primary from Sanders to Clinton. Democratic voters voted for the candidate who had been a democrat for decades instead of the candidate who is an independent.

[betsuni]

75. Conspiracy theory easily debunked. Here (1. Myth of the All-Powerful Democratic National Committee)

Kurt Eichenwald, "Seven Myths Democrats Swallowed That Cost Them the Presidential Election":

http://www.newsweek.com/myths-cost-democrats-presidential-election-521044

[Quiet Em]

78. Democratic voters made their choice.

He didn't win, he didn't even come close.

I don't understand why this nonsense talking point continues.

The DNC doesn't vote, people do.

Bernie Sanders had a very strong and loyal base. And a very passionate base. But it wasn't as big as Hillary Clinton's.

Hillary Clinton won the nomination by the vote of the people. It had nothing to do with the DNC.

[Bayard]

77. That ticket won't work

Not even close.

Sorry to say, we can't run anyone the least bit risky next time. Losing is not an option.

Make it 2 white guys with no baggage to go.

[awesomerwb1]

79. If you like that ticket

in the real world. In the current state of the US....

You probably love losing elections.