Warren for President
President
Democrat: Elizabeth Warren
Two things before we begin. One: The Democratic field has a lot of good candidates but none who blows us away. Two: Any of them would be a significant improvement over Agent Orange, so count us firmly in the We’re With Whoever camp. And now, an oversimplified process of elimination: Andrew Yang is a one-trick pony. Nine figures later, we’re still not sure why Tom Steyer is running. Pete Buttigieg, a boomer in millennial skin, has zero support among African Americans and thinks the budget deficit is a top priority. Joe Biden is a decade out of time. Amy Klobuchar is probably a fine choice for a moderate, though the stories about the mistreatment of her staff are suboptimal. The contrarian in us found perverse joy in the notion of endorsing Mike Bloomberg, who will light money on fire and is already renting space in Trump’s head, but we’re not that nihilistic; also, stop-and-frisk.
That leaves Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren.
We’d be happy with either becoming president. We have doubts about the electability of both. Bernie’s going to get hammered as a pinko commie, and for all the energy he generates, his theory about turning out enough new voters to compensate for the scared-shitless suburbs seems like a high-risk wager. Warren has a different problem. Her base is the party’s intellectual class—and editorial boards (we know, we know)— but she hasn’t generated the kind of grassroots excitement that feels like victory.
If 2016 taught us anything, however, it’s that electability is a crapshoot. So instead, we focused on a second question: Who could get stuff done?
Sanders believes the revolution that puts him in office will clear a path for Medicare for All and other sweeping legislation. Throughout his career in Congress, Sanders has been more effective as an advocate for progressive causes than as a nuts-and-bolts lawmaker. Make no mistake: That kind of leadership can be effective for presidents.
But we think this is where Warren will shine. She’s been an in-the-weeds senator and an in-the-weeds candidate, even to her detriment. In a divided Washington where a Democratic president will have to ride herd over a fractious Democratic caucus—from Joe Manchin to, well, Bernie Sanders—her wonkish attention to detail is more likely to get gains.
But to reiterate: Bernie is fine. Warren is fine. We’re With Whoever 2020!
Republican: Bill Weld
Donald Trump is a racist, mendacious, narcissistic child in a septuagenarian’s body. Bill Weld is a grown-up, libertarian-leaning Republican with bipartisan governing experience. Weld has no chance of winning. What a world.
U.S. Senator
Courtesy of the Erica Smith campaign
Democrat: Cal Cunningham
We punted. We decided. Read our statement on the decision here.
Photo courtesy Thom Tillis official website
Republican House Speaker Thom Tillis, an ALEC Legislator of the Year
Republican: None of these
Last year, for a fleeting moment, Thom Tillis pretended to be the independent senator he promised to be in 2014. After Trump declared a border emergency—so he could circumvent Congress and divert funds to his precious wall—Tillis wrote an op-ed criticizing the president. Trump and the MAGA crew lost their minds, and within a few weeks, Tillis did a 180, and he’s been kissing Trump’s ass like there’s no tomorrow ever since. Unfortunately, his three primary opponents aren’t any better: Paul Wright is insane; Larry Holmquist is a tea-party nut who ran against Richard Burr in 2016; Sharon Hudson is endorsed by Lincoln-was-a-tyrant-guy Larry Pittman. No thanks.
U.S. House
Deborah Ross
District 2: Deborah Ross (Democrat)
This bluish seat was created during court-ordered redistricting last year; the two main candidates are Deborah Ross, a former legislator and U.S. Senate candidate, and Monika Johnson-Hostler, a Wake County school board member. While we like both, we think Ross is likely to be more effective.
David Price
District 4: David Price (Democrat)
We appreciate what Daniel Lockwood is doing. A socialist, he wants to shift the Overton window away from policies that he believes have failed. But that’s not enough for us. David Price is a local institution, and with Democrats in control of the House, he’s an institution with seniority. Price is smart, he knows his district, and he’s been a progressive leader since before many of us can remember.
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