Mayor Pete

[KaiserDave]

Phil Scott (the best ever) should pick a moderate Dem or Republican, preferably somebody outside the northeast.

[America Needs R'hllor]

Pete

"So for the last question," Pete asked with a neutral face, "why do you think that you, specifically, should be chosen as my running mate? What makes you uniquely qualified?"

"I think that together, we can represent the youth and energy of the Democratic Party," Senator Kennedy said with a smile. "We're both charismatic and energetic, from different geogrphic areas and experience, so I think it makes a perfect match, and together we'll win by a landslide. And when it comes to Governing, I think my ties in congress can help a great deal."

"Thank you, Senator." The Governor stood up and shook Kennedy's hand. "We'll keep in touch."

"Well?" His campaign manager, Jen O'Malley Dillon, asked. "What's your decision about this one?"

"Remove him," Pete said shortly. "Not honest and authentic enough, and the Kennedy name would be a burden. He didn't manage to explain why he would be unique."

Jen nodded and marked an X over the name 'Joe Kennedy III' in her list. "Very well, I agree with you. There are just better options."

Pete sighed. Ever since Cordray dropped out and he became presumptive nominee, it had been non-stop: he had to build up a national campaign, start making positive ads and attack ads, making speeches for the national audience, preparing for the convention in Houston, vet and interview running mates. But it was exciting- he felt like he was inching closer to victory in that journey, and choosing his running mate was an interesting process.

By now, the long list of running mates became a short list of five politicians, down from seven yesterday, when the list still included Senator Kennedy and Governor Gwen Graham (whom they removed for some controversies from her time leading the family foundation in Florida). It was hard work- many of the options were excellent, but they had to make sure they made a choice uncontroversial but strong enough. Many of the people removed from the list were tough to remove- Bullock was great and affable, but just too moderate on guns and not exciting enough; Becerra had a perfect experience and would help with Hispanics, but him winning a spot in the California Senate runoff complicated things too much; Harris was very good but too familiar a face with too many attacks against her; Glasson was a great woman but had some problems from her past as a union organizer; Beto and Stacey were both extremely charismatic and inspiring but only just elected; and Katie Hill was one of the most honest politicians he ever met, but didn't have enough experience.

Of all the 18 candidates initially on the longlist, five were left with less than two weeks until the convention:

Each of them would be an excellent running mate, Pete was sure. Kyrsten was charismatic and unique, would greatly help in Arizona and would appeal to women. Gretchen was a great Governor and partner, and would basically ensure Michigan. Jason was a good friend and his biggest supporter from the start, and he was also a great Governor and very charismatic. Anthony would help in North Carolina and with African Americans, and he was also a hard-working Senator who already made waves trying to push bills through, as well as a former Mayor and cabinet official. And Ben was an intriguing option, possibly expanding the map and helping add a unique but experienced person to the ticket. Choosing between them was hard- he had to balance factors like demographics, geography, charisma, experience and personality.

In the coming two weeks, he needed to make his decision. "Jen," he told his campaign manager suddenly, "call Sinema, Foxx and... McAdams. I want to meet them again."

General Election Polling- National
Governor Pete Buttigieg (D-IN)\??- 43%%
Vice President Mike Pence (R-IN)\??- 36%
Governor Phil Scott (R\I-VT)\??- 10%
Businessman Don Blankenship (C-WV)\Fmr. U.S. Rep. Steve Stockman (C-TX)- 3%
City Councillor Nicholas Sarwark (L-AZ)\Activist Zoltan Istvan (L-CA)- 2%
Activist Howie Hawkins (G-NY)\Activist Gary Swing (G-AZ)- 0%
Other\Undecided- 6%
BUTTIGIEG +7

[Cold War Liberal]

I have mixed feelings about Sinema as a VP pick in 2024. I think she's too moderate, and she needs to run for reelection in AZ. I would love two LGBTQ+ people on the national ticket though, especially since they're going against Pence, and having the ticket be two white men would be a lil weird in 2024, twenty years after the last time the Democrats nominated two white men for the presidency and vice presidency

I'd rank those five, in order from favorite to least favorite, like this: Whitmer, Foxx, McAdams, Sinema, Kander. I still like all of them and would vote for any of these tickets.

[😥]

Kander
McAdams
Whitmer
Foxx
Sinema

[Catalunya]

I think that Foxx will be the best pick for Mayor Pete. Both from a experience and electoral vision. Sinema could make the ticket too controversial having 2 LGBT nominees on the ticket. Whitmer doesn't add anything special aside from being a woman if you ask me. Pete should have Michigan in the bag anyway. While I think it's most likely gonna be Kander this could be too controversial as well having two white males on the ticket. McAdams is not gonna make him Utah and is only a representative if I remember correctly, also again two white males.

[America Needs R'hllor]

I think that Foxx will be the best pick for Mayor Pete. Both from a experience and electoral vision. Sinema could make the ticket too controversial having 2 LGBT nominees on the ticket. Whitmer doesn't add anything special aside from being a woman if you ask me. Pete should have Michigan in the bag anyway. While I think it's most likely gonna be Kander this could be too controversial as well having two white males on the ticket. McAdams is not gonna make him Utah and is only a representative if I remember correctly, also again two white males.

The trends have continued, and Michigan is tossup in this election. Still, great points, and great points @Cold War Liberal- thanks for the comments!

[Independents for Nihilism]

Foxx for Veep, Kander for State, and Bullock for Justice for good measure.

Fun TL btw! Can't wait to see who Scott announces either.

[KaiserDave]

Two white men might collapse minority turnout, Foxx or Whitmer.

[Continential]

GRETCHEN WHITMER

[America Needs a 13-6 Progressive SCOTUS]

GRETCHEN WHITMER

[P. Clodius Pulcher did nothing wrong]

Any of them will do. While I would usually cringe at the idea of two white men representing our incredibly diverse party, these are literally the only two white men i could see realistically representing the Democrats. GO PETE!!

[LCSPopTart]

GRETCHEN WHITMER

[America Needs R'hllor]

Mike

"Then get out of my sight," Mike said coldly, angrily staring at the Senator from Tennessee. "You'll regret it when I'm President."

"Very well, Mr. Vice President." Bill Haslam left the room in quick steps.

"You shouldn't be alienating Senators like this," Nick Ayres, his campaign manager, said carefully. "Haslam is a rising force in the party. I wouldn't be surprised if he gets into leadership soon enough."

"Refusing to be considered my running mate?" Pence froenwed. In the recent days, he was getting increasingly angry as his poll numbers refused to rise substantially and Scott pressed on with his independent bid. "What insolence. What vanity."

"It won't matter. A running mate can sometimes come from a surprising place- no one wanted to be Trump's running mate and then you came along and look how that turned out." He marked an X on Haslam's name on his list. "It's Bill's loss. Whoever we choose will be more loyal and enthusiastic about the campaign, anyway- remember, Bill endorsed Hogan in the primary and flirted with supporting Scott before he finally endorsed us. He's not to be trusted."

Mike nodded, but he still felt uneasy. While some Republicans were refusing a spot as his running mate, all Democrats just lined up to be that Pete's running mate. Reports of inside sources gave the image of an organized campaign with thorough vetting of running mates, and it seemed like the names were narrowed to two: Senator Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) and Senator Anthony Foxx (D-NC). According to these reports, Governor Gretchen Whitmer and U.S. Rep. Ben McAdams (D-UT) were still in contention, but the first two were the frontrunners.

Meanwhile, on their side, they managed to narrow down the names to five who were willing, even though Mike wasn't particularly enthusiastic about any of them:

He wanted Scott ideally, but he refused. He wanted J.C. Watts or Haslam, but neither agreed. So now he was left with these five- Noem was appealing as a woman, but she was prone to gaffes and could have a Sarah Palin effect. Cotton was charismatic and young, but he was way too hawkish for many Americans. Hawley had the same qualities but was less experienced and tough, though also less hawkish. Jenkins was safe but too boring, and Mike had to admit that he was that, too. Crenshaw was the real wildcard- choosing him could garner a ton of attention and upend the race, but he had almost no experience and was untested on the national field. He had a tough choice to make.

General Election Polling- National
Governor Pete Buttigieg (D-IN)\??- 44%%
Vice President Mike Pence (R-IN)\??- 36%
Governor Phil Scott (R\I-VT)\??- 8%
Businessman Don Blankenship (C-WV)\Fmr. U.S. Rep. Steve Stockman (C-TX)- 3%
City Councillor Nicholas Sarwark (L-AZ)\Activist Zoltan Istvan (L-CA)- 2%
Activist Howie Hawkins (G-NY)\Activist Gary Swing (G-AZ)- 0%
Other\Undecided- 7%
BUTTIGIEG +8

[KaiserDave]

Hmmmmm, great post. But Scott could pick Stefanik.

[Catalunya]

Foxx! Foxx! Foxx! Though I can also see the irony of two LGBT candidates on the Democratic ticket against Mike Pence. Mike 'ingnite the sodomite' Pence has a more difficult choice. He is trailing Pete and he needs everything that can help him and a good VP pick is just that. If Buttigieg picks Foxx than Pence should pick Noem. Sure it would resemble the Palin pick a lot, Black man chosen instead of a woman by the democrats and the old Reiblican who is trailing thr popular Democrat choosing a female Governor. If Pete picks Sinema than Crenshaw would be the best pick for Pence being able to show itself as more 'patriotic' and 'American'.

[America Needs R'hllor]

Foxx! Foxx! Foxx! Though I can also see the irony of two LGBT candidates on the Democratic ticket against Mike Pence. Mike 'ingnite the sodomite' Pence has a more difficult choice. He is trailing Pete and he needs everything that can help him and a good VP pick is just that. If Buttigieg picks Foxx than Pence should pick Noem. Sure it would resemble the Palin pick a lot, Black man chosen instead of a woman by the democrats and the old Reiblican who is trailing thr popular Democrat choosing a female Governor. If Pete picks Sinema than Crenshaw would be the best pick for Pence being able to show itself as more 'patriotic' and 'American'.

Thanks for the interesting insight!

[Sestak]

Foxx! Foxx! Foxx! Though I can also see the irony of two LGBT candidates on the Democratic ticket against Mike Pence. Mike 'ingnite the sodomite' Pence has a more difficult choice. He is trailing Pete and he needs everything that can help him and a good VP pick is just that. If Buttigieg picks Foxx than Pence should pick Noem. Sure it would resemble the Palin pick a lot, Black man chosen instead of a woman by the democrats and the old Reiblican who is trailing thr popular Democrat choosing a female Governor. If Pete picks Sinema than Crenshaw would be the best pick for Pence being able to show itself as more 'patriotic' and 'American'.

Welcome to Atlas!

[America Needs R'hllor]

Roy

"This is why we need all of you to come out and vote for our wonderful slate of candidates, and canvass and volunteer for them to turn out even more voters!" Roy Cooper told the huge crowd in the Charlotte rally, trying to be as energizing as possible. "I know just how important it is to turn out every vote. So if we want to keep up our progress in this state, come out and vote for Janet Cowell, one of our state's most inspiring leaders! And if you want change in the United States, new hope for the future, come out and vote for Pete Buttigieg, our amazing candidate for President!" The crowd cheered, Mayor Pete's name exciting them as always. They knew what to anticipate.

"Thank you, Charlotte, thank you!" He said with a smile. "And now, I'm very honoure to invite to the stage a very special man. Make some noise for the next President of the United states, Governor Pete Buttigieg!"

The crowd went wild as Governor Cooper went off the stage, stopping to shake hands with Buttigieg, and then the Presidential nominee stood at the podium. Roy watched him from the backstage, feeling the energy coming from the large crowd in the air around them.

The Governor of Indiana gave a tailor-made campaign speech. He spoke about the darkness of the past eight years, and how his candidacy promised a new light of hope. He contrasted himself and "men like Mike Pence or former Governor McRory, one of his supporters, who are men of the past with bigoted, outdated views". He attacked Pence as bought and paid for by special interests. And he spoke about his own policies- universal healthcare and infaustracture reform alongside criminal justice reform and environmental measures.

And then, he reached the point. "Now, my friends, I know what many of you came here expecting, and I will keep my promise, like I'll always do for the American people." Pete smiled, an image of authenticity and honesty. He truly was a great candidate, Roy marveled. "In the past weeks, I had a tough choice to make- who shall I choose to run alongside me in this important campaign and help me get our point through to the American people, and then govern alongside me, helping me have a meaningful and successful Presidency? There were many great, great options. Our party truly has so many inspiring politicians. But the more I thought, I realized that there is one man who fits our ticket perfectly, whose experience is just what we need."

Pete made a pause for effect. "This perosn has experience as lawyer and political operative. He served as Mayor of this very city, knowing how to address and solve local problems. He was Secretary of Transportation, effectively and smartly managing a large federal agency. And he's one of our best U.S. Senators, working hard to pass as many measures that help as many Americans possible despite the hurdle in the White House. In my meetings with me, he inspired me as a fighter- a fighter for less fourtunate Americans, a fighter for progressive values and effective solutions. So now, I want you all to meet the next Vice President of the United States, Anthony R. Foxx!"

The crowd cheered wildly as Senator Foxx walked up to the stage, grinning and waving before sharing a hug with his running mate. Roy Cooper smiled, too. Finally, someone from his state would rise to prominence, and Democrats' chances were now imporved here. They had a great slate of statewide candidates- former Treasurer Janet Cowell running for his position, Josh Stein running for a third term as Attorney General, Larry Hall for Lieutenant Governor, Duane R. Hall II for Secretary of State and Beth Wood for State Treasurer. Each of them had a good chance to win, and with Foxx at the top of the ballot, their chances improved substantially.

And there was something else- Roy and Foxx had a conversation a few days before, and they agreed that whatever happens in the gubernatorial election, if the Democratic ticket won the Presidency Foxx would resign from the Senate after the election, allowing Roy to appoint his replacement. The Governor knew some people expected him to appoint himself, but he didn't really have this interest, and knew he might be too old for the Senate. Someone else seemed appealing to him- U.S. Rep. Dan McCready, if he passed vetting- and he wanted to leave his mark with this appointment.

THE DEMOCRATIC TICKET FOR PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, 2024
Governor Peter Paul Montgomery Buttigieg (D-IN)\Senator Anthony Renard Foxx (D-NC)

General Election Polling- National
Governor Pete Buttigieg (D-IN)\Senator Anthony Foxx (D-NC)- 46%%
Vice President Mike Pence (R-IN)\??- 35%
Governor Phil Scott (R\I-VT)\??- 7%
Businessman Don Blankenship (C-WV)\Fmr. U.S. Rep. Steve Stockman (C-TX)- 3%
City Councillor Nicholas Sarwark (L-AZ)\Activist Zoltan Istvan (L-CA)- 2%
Activist Howie Hawkins (G-NY)\Activist Gary Swing (G-AZ)- 0%
Other\Undecided- 7%
BUTTIGIEG +11

[America Needs R'hllor]

Larry

The image of Governor Phil Scott blared on the TV screen. Larry watched with attention, waiting for the moment everyone else was waiting for.

Scott spoke about the ills of the two-party system, of his own record as Governor of Vermont, of the accomplishments that could be achieved in a bipartisan manner, and attacked the other two candidates. He called Pete Buttigieg an extremist, the usual lines, but concentrated most of his substansive attacks on Pence and his record. Made sense- his strategy was drawing Republican votes, and Pence's record had much more to attack.

In the past few weeks, the former Maryland Governor was paying increasing attention to Scott's campaign. Initially, he thought it'd fizzle out and intended to eventually endorse Pence, though reluctantly, but it seemed to be holding ground relatively well and now was going to pass the one big hurdle to keeping the ticket high-profile: choosing a running mate. Larry tuned into the TV again to watch the big moment.

"So I'm very glad and honoured to invite my running mate, and hopefully the next Vice President of the United States, Congressman Spencer Cox!" Phil grinned and stepped back, letting his running mate climb to the stage and approach the podium.

U.S. Rep. Spencer Cox. Initially, this was not the choice Larry or anyone else expected. With him, Charlie and Kasich refusing, Hogan thought that Phil would have to choose someone low-profile, maybe a former Governor or Representative, or a statewide row office holder. Instead, he chose the U.S. Representative for Utah's 2nd congressional district. A former City Councillor and Mayor of Fairview, Sanpete County Commissioner, Utah State Representative, Lieutenant Governor of Utah, and since 2020, U.S. Representative. With that record, he was very well-known and popular in the state of Utah, which would be one of the main targets of Scott's ticket, and would appeal to a new population wary of Pence and Trumpism- Mormons. Cox could even run for reelection as congressman despite being Vice Presidential nominee, making it worthwhile for him. It was definitely a smart choice.

With that move, Larry thought, Scott proved himself a credible third-party challenger, even if he still didn't have a chance to win. And the former Maryland Governor, as the runner-up of the 2024 primary and the de-facto leader of the party's moderate wing, had a lot of clout. He thought that it was time to make his move- time to endorse Scott. A big rally in a state like New Hampshire or Michigan would do, he thought. Governor Phil Scott was going to receive happy news that night.

INDEPENDENT TICKET FOR PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, 2024
Governor Philip Brian Scott (R-VT)\U.S. Rep. Spencer J. Cox (R-UT)

General Election Polling- National
Governor Pete Buttigieg (D-IN)\Senator Anthony Foxx (D-NC)- 43%%
Vice President Mike Pence (R-IN)\??- 33%
Governor Phil Scott (R\I-VT)\??- 15%
Businessman Don Blankenship (C-WV)\Fmr. U.S. Rep. Steve Stockman (C-TX)- 2%
City Councillor Nicholas Sarwark (L-AZ)\Activist Zoltan Istvan (L-CA)- 1%
Activist Howie Hawkins (G-NY)\Activist Gary Swing (G-AZ)- 0%
Other\Undecided- 6%
BUTTIGIEG +10

[KaiserDave]

YES
THIS IS AMAZING
PHIL PHIL PHIL PHIL PHIL

Seriously, this is a great ticket. I hope they win a bunch of states and contribute to utterly annihilating Pence.

[P. Clodius Pulcher did nothing wrong]

Lol its Four More Years 2

[America Needs R'hllor]

Lol its Four More Years 2

I'll just say it won't nearly be the same as the Huntsman ticket

[KaiserDave]

Lol its Four More Years 2

I'll just say it won't nearly be the same as the Huntsman ticket

As in they win all 50 states?

[LCSPopTart]

If Pete doesn’t win I’ll be so sad.

[America Needs R'hllor]

The Democratic National Convention- Special Summary

For five days, the Democratic Party gathered in Houston, Texas to present their 2024 platform before voters and nominate their official ticket in the election- Indiana Governor Pete Buttigieg for President and North Carolina Senator Anthony Foxx for Vice President. The choice of location, Texas, was done deliberately, since the party was adamant to win a state that has been trending towards them for years. During these five days, no one would claim Democrats had an unsuccessful convention- after eight years in the wilderness, with a President many of them despise and after a wildly successful midterm election, they were very energized.

During the convention, the Buttigieg\Foxx ticket managed to bring in many high-profile speakers for rousing speeches, both elder statesmen and women, and rising stars. With a blast of enthusiasm, the convention united almost the entire party behind the ticket, and it seems the Democrats are ready to go into the general election with their chosen champion. Let's look at a summary of the 2024 Democratic National Convention in Houston, day by day, until the current day- the fifth one:

Day 1- Unity


The first day of the convention, often attracting a large crowd which later tunes out, was well-used by the Buttigieg campaign and the DNC to achieve one of the main purposes of those five days- intraparty unity. The headline speech was given by Governor Richard Cordray (D-OH), the runner-up in the 2024 primaries, who gave a ringing endorsement of Buttigieg and urged his supporters to support the nominee as strongly as they did for him. Other speakers included prominent endorsers of Cordray and figures from the progressive wing of the party, which largely backed the Ohio Governor- Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR), who was also the Demcoratic runner-up in 2020, Governor Gwen Graham (D-FL) and Senator Abby Finkenauer (D-IA). Other speakers were from the moderate wing of the party, to prevent them from defecting to the Scott\Cox independent ticket, including Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) Senator John Bel Edwards (D-LA), and U.S. Rep. Ben McAdams (D-UT). Lastly, California Governor Gavin Newsom and New Jersey Senator Cory Booker, two former rivals, spoke.

Day 2- Foreign Policy


The second date was dedicated to defusing a major criticism of Pete Buttigieg's experience, his lack of expertise on foreign policy. His identity as an army veteran was emphasized, with veteran fellows of the nominee speaking highly of him, as did campaign chairman and Missouri Governor Jason Kander, who is a veteran himself and gave an energized headline speech that drew a minute of standing applause when he spoke about his past PTSD issues. Others who gave speeches were former Vice President Joe Biden, known for his vast experience on the issue, former Secretary of State John Kerry, and retired Admiral William McRaven.

Day 3- the Past


The third day of the convention included a nostalgic slate of speakers, with stars from the party's past giving some memorable speeches in an effort to energize the base. The headline speech was given by former President Barack Obama, drawing wild applause and energy, and it was followed by another speech by popular former First Lady Michelle Obama. Also spoke former President Bill Clinton and his wife, 2016 nominee and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton; iconic progressive Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders; former Vice President Al Gore, former Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and several others.

Day 4- the Future


As opposed to the previous day which concentrated on the past, this time Democrats put an emphasis on the future, giving way to many rising stars, many of them young and minority. It was a busy day which also included the official voting that lead to the nomination of Buttigieg for President and Foxx for Vice President, as well as the acceptance speech by the running mate and the convention's keynote speech. Some of the speeches given by rising stars were from former rivals, Arizona Senator Kyrsten Sinema and Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer. Others were by U.S. Reps. Katie Hill (D-CA), Sharice Davids (D-KS) and Abigail Spanberger (D-VA); Governors Beto O'Rourke (D-TX), Jared Polis (D-CO) and Cathy Glasson (D-IA); and Senators Stephanie Murphy (D-FL), Andy Beshear (D-KY) and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV). The headline speech was given, surprisingly, to Mayor Shireen Ghorbani of Salt Lake County, Utah, a rising star in the state's increasingly energized Democratic politics- it was a strong speech that definitely helped her political career. The convention's keynote speech was given by Governor Stacey Abrams (D-GA), a powerful, combative speech drawing wild applauses reminding people of speeches by Michelle Obama, making Abrams a figure to watch for in the future. Finally, the Vice Presidential acceptance spech by Senator Anthony Foxx (D-NC) was considered very strong and garnered much enthusiasm, even though it was a bit overshadowed by other speeches. But all in all, Foxx passed his first test.

Day 5- the Present


Now came the big day- the fifth and final day, when Mayor Pete will be accepting the Democratic nominaton for President of the United States. Several other speeches were given today by major Demcoratic figures like Senator Kamala Harris (D-CA), Senator Joe Donnelly (D-IN), Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and the headliner, which was given by Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), the still-popular 2020 nominee, and focused on female issues, trying to shore up women's votes despite the all-male ticket. Other speeches were given by congressional leaders like Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and House Speaker Ben Ray Lujan (D-NM). Now, after a heartwarming and enthusiastic introduction by partner Chasten Glezman, comes the time of the nominee's acceptance speech by Indiana Governor Pete Buttigieg. He definitely stands before high expectations.