Why did the Democrats nominate an old white guy in 2020? Precisely because he is an old white guy. Trump’s favorite campaign tactic is to focus on identity issues; Biden made that impossible. That’s the single biggest reason he won, and why he should run again in 2024 if Trump is the GOP nominee.
But what if DeSantis is the nominee? He presents a different kind of challenge, because his appeal is based on ideology, not identity. He wants to run against wokeness and socialism. Putting Biden on stage with him would lead to disaster. With that in mind, here are some potential Democratic candidates, listed in reverse order, based on their chances of beating DeSantis:
5. Gavin Newsom: He’s certainly a willing culture warrior, but I’m afraid that the middle of the country might prefer Florida to California, which is how the campaign would be defined.
4. Kamala Harris: She needs to improve her campaign skills before we send her out to slay the reactionary dragon.
3. Pete Buttigieg: He has the intellectual skills to get it done, but he sounds too much like a technocrat, he’s too closely identified with Biden, and being gay doesn’t help in a campaign about wokeness.
2. Amy Klobuchar: She’s an experienced and competent campaigner, and she doesn’t bring much baggage to the table. But the winner is:
Elizabeth Warren. Surprised? She was the worst possible nominee against Trump, but the best against DeSantis. No longer in a position to advocate for massive federal spending programs, but not particularly identified with wokeness, she could make the case for liberal democracy better than any of the other candidates. Notwithstanding her age, she’s smart, passionate, and the best debater of the lot. She could tear DeSantis to ribbons.