{"id":136658,"date":"2025-11-10T16:28:56","date_gmt":"2025-11-11T00:28:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/2025\/11\/10\/why-identity-politics-should-dictate-the-democratic-presidential-nominee-in-2028\/"},"modified":"2025-11-10T16:28:56","modified_gmt":"2025-11-11T00:28:56","slug":"why-identity-politics-should-dictate-the-democratic-presidential-nominee-in-2028","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/2025\/11\/10\/why-identity-politics-should-dictate-the-democratic-presidential-nominee-in-2028\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Identity Politics Should Dictate The Democratic Presidential Nominee In 2028"},"content":{"rendered":"

I wrote a while back<\/a>\u00a0that, given the choice, I\u2019d vote for a stinking turd for president rather than Donald Trump.<\/p>\n

How right I was:\u00a0A stinking turd, for example, would not have pardoned the January 6 rioters.\u00a0A stinking turd would not have imposed universal tariffs.\u00a0A stinking turd would not have threatened to take over Canada and Greenland.\u00a0A stinking turd would not have posted a video of itself, wearing a crown, piloting an aircraft, and dropping \u2026 .\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Well, okay.\u00a0I agree with the turd on three out of four issues, and on the fourth, it\u2019s a push.\u00a0Go with the turd.<\/p>\n

In case you\u2019re disturbed by my position, note that I don\u2019t actually favor putting stinking turds in the White House.\u00a0I\u2019m anti-Trump, but I\u2019m not really pro-turd.<\/p>\n

So please take this next statement in the spirit in which it\u2019s intended:\u00a0The Democrats\u2019 next presidential nominee should be a straight white male.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m not homophobic, femalephobic, or minorityphobic.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m just anti-MAGA.\u00a0And the best way for Democrats to defeat MAGA is to nominate a straight white male.\u00a0Nominating anyone else might cost the Democrats a few percentage points of the vote, and that might cost the Democrats the presidency.\u00a0That would be a disaster, so straight white male it is.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m thinking only about swing voters in swing states.\u00a0If Pennsylvania comprises Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, with West Virginia in between, I\u2019m thinking about those West Virginians.\u00a0Might a few percent of those West Virginians, consciously or not, cast a ballot in favor of a straight white Republican man instead of a Democratic candidate who was different?\u00a0I think so, and I\u2019d hedge against that.<\/p>\n

Cory Booker, Wes Moore, Pete Buttigieg, Abigail Spanberger, or Gretchen Whitmer would all be fine candidates for president.\u00a0But not now.\u00a0Not when it matters so much.<\/p>\n

I\u2019d take Gavin Newsom off the table, too.\u00a0Newsom is awfully polished and awfully slick.\u00a0But California is viewed by too many Americans as the land of fruits and nuts.\u00a0And California has too many prominent issues \u2014 such as homelessness and the high cost of living \u2014 that could be deployed against Newsom.\u00a0Sorry, Gavin.\u00a0Do what the Republicans so often like to suggest:\u00a0Go back where you came from.<\/p>\n

I\u2019d take Josh Shapiro off the table, too.\u00a0Since he\u2019s the governor of Pennsylvania, he\u2019d surely carry Pennsylvania in a presidential race, but I fear that his religion might cost a few votes in other swing states, such as Michigan or Georgia.\u00a0I wouldn\u2019t risk it.\u00a0(For what it\u2019s worth, I share Shapiro\u2019s religion, and I wouldn\u2019t nominate myself, either.\u00a0I\u2019m not an antisemite; I\u2019m a realist.)<\/p>\n

If I had the choice, I\u2019d pick my candidate either from one of the swing states, to carry that state in the presidential election, or from some other state in which a Democratic politician has shown the ability to appeal to independents in a conservative area.<\/p>\n

At this point, I\u2019m not sure who I\u2019d choose as the Democratic nominee in 2028.\u00a0 But I\u2019d pick from among straight white males to increase the chance of winning in an election dominated by, to use Hillary Clinton\u2019s word, deplorables.<\/p>\n

I realize that I\u2019ll draw criticism from the progressive left for what I\u2019ve written here:\u00a0\u201cHerrmann, you idiot!\u00a0A straight white male won\u2019t energize the base!\u00a0How do you think Mamdani won in New York?\u00a0The key is to motivate people on the left to vote.\u201d<\/p>\n

I beg to differ.\u00a0The forces of anti-MAGA don\u2019t need to energize the left.\u00a0No matter who the Democrats nominate, anti-MAGA will win in California and New York.\u00a0We don\u2019t need bigger margins in those states.<\/p>\n

Democrats must carry the middle in Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, Arizona, North Carolina, and Nevada.\u00a0To my eye, that calls for a slightly left-of-center candidate who won\u2019t offend anyone:\u00a0Straight, white, male it is.<\/p>\n

And, on further reflection, maybe we should rule out a stinking turd, too.<\/p>\n

\n

Mark\u00a0Herrmann\u00a0spent 17 years as a partner at a leading international law firm and later oversaw litigation, compliance and employment matters at a large international company. He is the author of\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>The Curmudgeon\u2019s Guide to Practicing Law<\/em><\/strong><\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>Drug and Device Product Liability Litigation Strategy<\/em><\/strong><\/a>\u00a0(affiliate links). You can reach him by email at\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>inhouse@abovethelaw.com<\/em><\/strong><\/a>.<\/em><\/strong><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

The post Why Identity Politics Should Dictate The Democratic Presidential Nominee In 2028<\/a> appeared first on Above the Law<\/a>.<\/p>\n

I wrote a while back<\/a>\u00a0that, given the choice, I\u2019d vote for a stinking turd for president rather than Donald Trump.<\/p>\n

How right I was:\u00a0A stinking turd, for example, would not have pardoned the January 6 rioters.\u00a0A stinking turd would not have imposed universal tariffs.\u00a0A stinking turd would not have threatened to take over Canada and Greenland.\u00a0A stinking turd would not have posted a video of itself, wearing a crown, piloting an aircraft, and dropping \u2026 .\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Well, okay.\u00a0I agree with the turd on three out of four issues, and on the fourth, it\u2019s a push.\u00a0Go with the turd.<\/p>\n

In case you\u2019re disturbed by my position, note that I don\u2019t actually favor putting stinking turds in the White House.\u00a0I\u2019m anti-Trump, but I\u2019m not really pro-turd.<\/p>\n

So please take this next statement in the spirit in which it\u2019s intended:\u00a0The Democrats\u2019 next presidential nominee should be a straight white male.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m not homophobic, femalephobic, or minorityphobic.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m just anti-MAGA.\u00a0And the best way for Democrats to defeat MAGA is to nominate a straight white male.\u00a0Nominating anyone else might cost the Democrats a few percentage points of the vote, and that might cost the Democrats the presidency.\u00a0That would be a disaster, so straight white male it is.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m thinking only about swing voters in swing states.\u00a0If Pennsylvania comprises Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, with West Virginia in between, I\u2019m thinking about those West Virginians.\u00a0Might a few percent of those West Virginians, consciously or not, cast a ballot in favor of a straight white Republican man instead of a Democratic candidate who was different?\u00a0I think so, and I\u2019d hedge against that.<\/p>\n

Cory Booker, Wes Moore, Pete Buttigieg, Abigail Spanberger, or Gretchen Whitmer would all be fine candidates for president.\u00a0But not now.\u00a0Not when it matters so much.<\/p>\n

I\u2019d take Gavin Newsom off the table, too.\u00a0Newsom is awfully polished and awfully slick.\u00a0But California is viewed by too many Americans as the land of fruits and nuts.\u00a0And California has too many prominent issues \u2014 such as homelessness and the high cost of living \u2014 that could be deployed against Newsom.\u00a0Sorry, Gavin.\u00a0Do what the Republicans so often like to suggest:\u00a0Go back where you came from.<\/p>\n

I\u2019d take Josh Shapiro off the table, too.\u00a0Since he\u2019s the governor of Pennsylvania, he\u2019d surely carry Pennsylvania in a presidential race, but I fear that his religion might cost a few votes in other swing states, such as Michigan or Georgia.\u00a0I wouldn\u2019t risk it.\u00a0(For what it\u2019s worth, I share Shapiro\u2019s religion, and I wouldn\u2019t nominate myself, either.\u00a0I\u2019m not an antisemite; I\u2019m a realist.)<\/p>\n

If I had the choice, I\u2019d pick my candidate either from one of the swing states, to carry that state in the presidential election, or from some other state in which a Democratic politician has shown the ability to appeal to independents in a conservative area.<\/p>\n

At this point, I\u2019m not sure who I\u2019d choose as the Democratic nominee in 2028.\u00a0 But I\u2019d pick from among straight white males to increase the chance of winning in an election dominated by, to use Hillary Clinton\u2019s word, deplorables.<\/p>\n

I realize that I\u2019ll draw criticism from the progressive left for what I\u2019ve written here:\u00a0\u201cHerrmann, you idiot!\u00a0A straight white male won\u2019t energize the base!\u00a0How do you think Mamdani won in New York?\u00a0The key is to motivate people on the left to vote.\u201d<\/p>\n

I beg to differ.\u00a0The forces of anti-MAGA don\u2019t need to energize the left.\u00a0No matter who the Democrats nominate, anti-MAGA will win in California and New York.\u00a0We don\u2019t need bigger margins in those states.<\/p>\n

Democrats must carry the middle in Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, Arizona, North Carolina, and Nevada.\u00a0To my eye, that calls for a slightly left-of-center candidate who won\u2019t offend anyone:\u00a0Straight, white, male it is.<\/p>\n

And, on further reflection, maybe we should rule out a stinking turd, too.<\/p>\n

\n

Mark\u00a0Herrmann\u00a0spent 17 years as a partner at a leading international law firm and later oversaw litigation, compliance and employment matters at a large international company. He is the author of\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>The Curmudgeon\u2019s Guide to Practicing Law<\/em><\/strong><\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>Drug and Device Product Liability Litigation Strategy<\/em><\/strong><\/a>\u00a0(affiliate links). You can reach him by email at\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>inhouse@abovethelaw.com<\/em><\/strong><\/a>.<\/em><\/strong><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

The post Why Identity Politics Should Dictate The Democratic Presidential Nominee In 2028<\/a> appeared first on Above the Law<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I wrote a while back\u00a0that, given the choice, I\u2019d vote for a stinking turd for president rather than Donald Trump. How right I was:\u00a0A stinking turd, for example, would not have pardoned the January 6 rioters.\u00a0A stinking turd would not have imposed universal tariffs.\u00a0A stinking turd would not have threatened to take over Canada and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-136658","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-above_the_law"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/136658","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=136658"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/136658\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=136658"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=136658"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=136658"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}