No. of Recommendations: 4
I also don't think it's relevant, because there will be a candidate from the progressive Left side of the party - whether it's AOC or Khanna or Pritzger. And whoever comes out leading in that lane is going to be the frontrunner, because the other lane is going to be heavily fractured with perhaps a dozen solid contenders duking it out and splitting the votes. And since AOC would probably clear that lane if she runs (Khanna made a bad bet on tech and I can't see the Left choosing Pritzger over AOC), that's an enormous advantage.
After this blowout election, I can't see the Democratic primary electorate being nearly as receptive to arguments that they should pass over who their heart wants in favor of second-guessing who can beat the Republican opponent. So if AOC clears out her lane early (which I think she would), it's hard to see the gang of Newsome/Ossoff/Buttigieg/Harris/Whitmer/Moore/Shapiro/Emmanuel and whomever else coalescing quickly around a single alternative and getting everyone else to drop out like in 2020. Especially against a moderate Republican - because in such circumstances, the stakes of losing will be less existential (the Democrats would almost certainly retain control of the Senate and the House and a moderate Republican President isn't nearly as scary to centrist donors to convince them to shoot the horses they're riding on).
So she might be the nominee even if she can't actually win against a moderate Republican. I think I take it back - I think there is a frontrunner right now, and she's AOC. Not Newsom.
The last sitting House member to be nominated for president (and win election) was James Garfield in 1880. AOC hasn't even been a ranking member of any House committee. She is highly unlikely to overcome these hurdles. In my view Ro Khanna is nothing more than a noisy backbencher. And I don't see why you define Pritzker as progressive left. He's a popular governor in a large midwestern state. Gretchen Whitmer is at least as progressive as Pritzker. I doubt that she has much chance running for president because she'll be out of office for two years by the time of the next election. So will Newsom. That's a handicap. Primary voters have short memories.
