Clendaniel: Democrats need to voice their 2028 presidential preferences now

When I retired as the Mercury News editorial page editor in I wrote a farewell column urging readers not to give up on America despite its countless challenges I reiterated my strong belief in the power of the law of accumulation which posits that every great achievement is an accumulation of hundreds of small efforts that limited ever realize contributed to the outcome So it is time to get to work for those of us who believe it s imperative that Democrats win the White House in Get off the sidelines Play your part in preserving democracy Write emails Send texts Post on social media Every individual necessities to make clear in their own way what they are seeking in a nominee Don t wait until the campaign is all but decided Act now Related Articles Walters Who s seeking Los Angeles fire aid candidate Newsom or Gov Newsom Could Americans choose a California Democrat Newsom or Harris for president Gov Newsom says he ll consider presidential run after midterms Kamala Harris leaves door open for presidential run What Kamala Harris book says about Newsom and what it might mean for But who should Democrats seek as their nominee And what attributes should they possess A progressive who can stand up to Trump and MAGA or a moderate who will work with Republicans and woo key swing voters A candidate with high name recognition or a new face U S Sen Cory Booker of New Jersey says the Democratic Party requirements change The Joe Biden Chuck Schumer Nancy Pelosi era is over A new generation of leaders is necessary The key to domination in requires a restoration of hope First and foremost America necessities a candidate who offers a vision for the future someone who can overcome the hatred and vitriol that divide us commented Silicon Valley Rep Ro Khanna Seventy percent of Americans don t believe the American Dream is alive The Democratic Party requirements to provide new economic hope and the inspiration that JFK and Obama offered Khanna is often mentioned as a likely candidate But he must raise his political profile outside of Silicon Valley and Washington D C if he is to become one of the party s front-runners And that s part of the complication Every one of the considerable candidates comes with a red flag Gavin Newsom Articulate Aggressive Presidential stature His attacks on Trump show his skill at standing up to Trump But can a San Francisco Democrat whose mixed track record as governor win critical swing-state voters Kamala Harris No vice president other than Richard Nixon has lost a presidential electoral contest and then won the White House Harris ran a strong campaign under arduous circumstances and has the experience for the job But as Michelle Obama warned America hasn t shown that it is ready for a woman to be president That s why I m like don t even look at me about running because you all are lying You re not ready for a woman You are not That would also eliminate Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez who is the darling of progressive Democrats U S Sen Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota and Michigan Gov Gretchen Whitmer Pete Buttigieg Articulate and widely viewed as a rising star during the campaign But if America isn t ready for a woman president can Democrats afford to gamble that America is ready to elect a gay candidate to the White House Then there are the other governors Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania JB Pritzker of Illinois Tim Walz of Minnesota and Andy Beshear of Kentucky All have appeal All could lure crucial swing-state voters But none to date has crafted a message that would make voters flock to the polls None has articulated a compelling message offering Americans a future they can believe in That s where you come in if you like me believe in the law of accumulation It s time to not only stand up to the forces threatening our very democracy but also outline what America s next efforts should be It s time to focus on taking efforts to end the growing inequality that is crippling our economic activity It s time to stand up to the tech lords and insist their products be designed to meet the requirements of the countless not the wealthy minimal It s time for new voices to lead the Democratic Party For years Americans elected leaders whose greatest legacy was ensuring that the lives of America s youth would be better off than their parents Better housing Better fitness care Better jobs Better working conditions What will our legacy be Ed Clendaniel was the Mercury News editorial page editor from -