Rep. Dean Phillips Implores Democrats to Save Themselves
The suburban Twin Cities congressman calls for well-positioned Democrats — ‘They know who they are’ — to challenge Joe Biden in next year’s presidential primaries
President Gretchen Whitmer? It has a Wolverine ring to it.
President Josh Shapiro? Could be the Keystone State path to victory.
President Tony Evers? Say, “Cheese!”
President Dean Phillips?
If that last name is the least familiar to you — as it was to me until the past few days — then it’s time to meet and thank the Minnesotan who is publicly calling on Democrats to recognize that Joe Biden was never intended to be a two-term president. He was going to be a bridge to the future of the presidency.
Phillips, age 44 and in his third term in the House of Representatives, is a retail business executive who calls on Democrats to read the data. The polls are telling all of us what some of us have long intuited, namely that Biden should not be the nominee of the party for the presidency in 2024.
The public does not want a repeat of the Biden-Trump contest of 2020. The president is deeply hampered by the record of his son Hunter Biden and his own complicity.
Phillips says Democrats “well-positioned,” such as the governor of a battleground state, ought to run for the presidency. Now. Be the competent, young, proven fresh face. Offer a new direction for Democrats and a centrist voice for Americans.
Someone like Whitmer, the governor of Michigan. Someone like Shapiro, the governor of Pennsylvania. Someone like Evers, the governor of Wisconsin.
A moderate Democrat. Someone that the mainstream of American voters can support. Maybe even someone like Phillips himself. He represents a moderate Democratic-trending suburban Twin Cities district in Congress.
Phillips told Jake Tapper of CNN:
Right now, I have grave concerns… I am scared. I’m trying to raise that bell, be the clarion call if you will.
I do not think the president is corrupt. I want to make that really clear. But we are duty-bound to investigate, to ensure the facts come out. And the fact is, we don’t know where this goes.
And I think it’s too much risk for Democrats to take this chance without a backup plan because what we have right now in reserve is awfully consequential and frankly frightening.
I liked Phillips’ dialog with Chuck Todd of NBC on Meet The Press two days ago.
Of course, I’ve been pitching two other mid-America Democrats for the 2024 ticket: Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota and Gov. Andy Beshear of Kentucky. (The latter has to survive a re-election bid this fall.)
I think the party has slid too far to the left. And I think that Biden is too old and suspect to continue for a second term. If he can beat Donald Trump or any other Republican.
Axios also has a good write-up on Phillips’ pitch of late.