The following is the opinion and analysis of the writer:
Jeff Hartman
Dear Kamala,
I’m a huge supporter, and I wish you’d won the 2024 election. But we’re way beyond that now, and, despite your qualifications and experience, another campaign by you would be a step backwards for our country. Plus, I don't think you'd win.
Unless … you have the courage to run a completely different kind of campaign. A campaign that totally changes the way we conduct presidential elections, while also building on the existing structure. A campaign that honors your experience while setting a clear agenda for the future. A campaign that sets you up for successful governance by making a few simple and specific policy proposals the centerpiece of why you’re running and then challenges the voting public and all congressional candidates to take clear positions on these issues so you’ll have a legitimate legislative mandate when you win. Winning is much different than governing, as you well know.
What would that look like?
After the midterms, you could launch a nationwide, year-long listening tour. But not a well-rehearsed, media-centered listening tour designed to generate publicity, minimize mistakes, and collect key endorsements. A listening tour in which you present your governance plan directly to the American people and then listen to what we have to say. A clear-eyed campaign more focused on rebuilding competence and confidence in our government than trying to run the loud and messy gauntlet between all the special interest groups. A process that challenges and educates the American public as much as it listens.
Do something radical. Show us you have confidence in your leadership and decision-making abilities by choosing your VP before the listening tour and then running for two years as a team. Pick someone you trust completely and want to work with every day. Make your VP the public face of a few key initiatives (like AI) and then give them the space and accountability to lead and develop policy. Show us what a real team could look like.
Pledge to serve one term. Conventional wisdom says you'd be a lame duck the minute you got elected, but that wouldn’t apply if your VP was seen as the heir apparent. Plus, it would be incredibly freeing for you to not have to factor your reelection into every decision.
Finally, be real. Despite your incredible achievements and lifelong commitment to politics, you are still seen by many as a DEI hire. I know that’s unfair and I’m not even sure what that means, but the good news is that you can move beyond that because you are already a known commodity. So just get out there and show us who you are. Get out ahead of things early and often. Let the Republicans take their shots and let us decide.
Imagine if you and someone like potential VP Pete Buttigieg (and maybe even Anthony Blinken) spent 2027 traveling to all fifty states as a team, with a minimal staff focused primarily on safety and logistics, listening to the American public in a series of town halls and fine-tuning your proposals even as you challenge and educate. You’d provide a clear contrast to the insanity that is sure to be Donald Trump in 2027 and give America a level-headed alternative to ponder. And then, if you decide to launch a formal campaign in 2028, you’d have already set the agenda for everyone else to chase.
You’re the only person who could run such a campaign. You’d be doing us a great favor by forcing the rest of the field to react to a simple, clear agenda. I fear that in today’s fact-challenged world, America is going to be looking for another charismatic savior, when what we need is a team of serious people with integrity and experience to help us rebuild our government and create space for society to flourish. You don’t have to be the most exciting choice in the field, just show us you (and by extension, Democrats) know how to assemble and lead a winning team.
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