Some Dems' 2028 strategy: a straight, white, Christian man

Some top Democrats are quietly debating a fraught question: whether the party's best bet for winning back the presidency in 2028 is to nominate a man — perhaps a straight, white, Christian man. Their fear, divulged with dismay in group chats, at cocktail parties and increasingly in public, is that parts of the electorate are too biased to support a woman or other diverse candidate for president. Former first lady Michelle Obama fueled such talk recently, saying the U.S. is "not ready for a woman." Democratic strategists have put it bluntly, with several saying a version of "It has to be a white guy." The big picture: The Democratic Party takes pride in being a champion of women, people of color, the LGBTQ+ community and religious minorities. Electing Barack Obama, the nation's first Black president, was the high point for the party's goal of boosting diversity in the executive branch. But falling short twice to President Trump — both times with women on the ticket — has left some Democratic leaders, donors and strategists deeply pessimistic about what voters will accept now. "There is a fear — and I actually don't think this is just a grass-tops fear, I think you'd hear it from voters, too — that a woman has now lost twice," a national Democratic strategist told Axios. "So not discounting the hundreds of other times men have lost … but is it the right thing to nominate a woman?" Driving the news: Most of these conversations have unfolded behind closed doors, but a striking number of Democrats have begun voicing their concerns more openly, exposing a larger debate within the party over electability. Michelle Obama pushed the discussion into public view in November, saying the U.S. has "got a lot of growing up to do, and there's still, sadly, a lot of men who do not feel like they can be led by a woman." South Carolina Rep. Jim Clyburn told NBC the former first lady was "absolutely correct," adding that women should keep running anyway. On "The View" last year, former President Biden blamed sexism and racism for former Vice President Harris' loss to Donald Trump in 2024. In her book, "107 Days," Harris talked about the hurdles she faced — and how they affected her running-mate selection. She wrote that before tapping Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, her top choice was then-Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who's gay. He "would have been an ideal partner — if I were a straight, white man," Harris said. "But we were already asking a lot of America: to accept a woman, a Black woman, a Black woman married to a Jewish man," she said. "Part of me wanted to say, ' Screw it, let's just do it.' But knowing what was at stake, it was too big of a risk." But Harris told the New York Times in December that "I do believe the country is ready" for a female president. State of play: Not many women are seen as weighing presidential campaigns in 2028, though Harris, Michigan Sen. Elissa Slotkin and New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez are widely believed to be doing so. Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is another possible candidate, though some insiders think she's unlikely to run . Many of the men seen as possible 2028 contenders aren't white Christians. Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel are Jewish. Arizona Sen. Ruben Gallego is Latino. California Rep. Ro Khanna is a Hindu of Indian descent. And New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker and Maryland Gov. Wes Moore are Black. Besides Buttigieg, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly and California Gov. Gavin Newsom are white Christians, though Newsom has called himself an "Irish-Catholic rebel." Reality check: Every election is different, and skeptics of the chatter say blaming some Americans' intolerance for Hillary Clinton's loss in 2016 and Harris' in 2024 could be a too-convenient way for the party to avoid dealing with its own divisions and shortcomings. Several potential 2028 contenders have pushed back on the notion that the country isn't tolerant enough. "They have no idea what they are talking about," Khanna told us of Democrats who think women and other diverse candidates can't win. "The data says otherwise." Harris "got the same white votes as Barack Obama," Khanna said. "What she lost in white men, she made up in white women. But we didn't win as many Latino Americans, Asian Americans, Black men or young voters." "I love Michelle Obama," Whitmer told NPR , but "I think America is ready for a woman president." Buttigieg told Politico that "the way that you earn trust with voters is based mostly on what they think you're going to do for their lives, not on categories." Shapiro, on the "Higher Learning" podcast, was asked to respond to someone who said he was a fan of Shapiro's, but "too bad a Jew can't be president." Shapiro replied that he's won a key swing state and connected with voters of all stripes by being open about his faith. "I think America's ready to elect a woman, a Black person, a gay person, a Jewish person or whatever," he said before brandishing his go-to motto. "What America wants is someone who's going to get sh*t done for them."

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