I was hoping this article was about Mitch Daniels. Charles. Next week? Maybe a side by side of the two Mitch’s
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Run, Mitch, run. We need you.
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Impressed with Landrieu and read his book.
His piece on why the Confederate statues should come down was one of the best I've ever read.
Then he supported Wendy Vitter for a federal judgeship.
Lost my confidence at that point.
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I was wondering the same thing following his Confederate statue speech back in 2017. That said, I think that electing a mayor to the presidency is a long shot.
I still feel like we are a long way from electing a Democrat northern coastal governor-type although I can't really pinpoint why.
It's pretty unbelievable that, with the exception of Obama, no Northern Democrat has made it to the White House since JFK...over 50 years ago!
1
If he stays out of the primaries, I should think he may be an excellent vice presidential choice and possible future president himself.
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Mr. Landrieu looks interesting. I will keep my eyes open because right now, my favorite non-candidate is Kamala Harris.
Right now, any Democratic candidate has got a long road to run just to get through the primaries. Then there is running against the oranged haired monster. :)
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I hope Landrieu's skin color does not work against him.
As a country, we need to aspire to never judge people by skin color, whether your own skin is light or dark, pink, brown, green or blue. There is no responsible reason to do it, unless you are a cosmetics designer or salesperson.
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@Astrochimp Nor should we burdened forever by events so far in the past. Otherwise we are simply enablers
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The planet is burning and drowning, wealth inequality is at an all time high, the Chinese are buying up Africa and forcing their own people into concentration camps while they unleash Big Brother on everyone else, we have immigrant children living in camps at the border and Charles Blow wants a Centrist.
I guess when you have plenty to eat and a nice place to live and a good pension you really just can't understand the real problems we are facing. It's too bad. That you would even mention Duvall Patrick who has been working for Bain Capital, a Venture Capitalist company who cares only about its profit as a possible Presidential candidate really shows just how clueless you are. Sad.
Maybe you should take a trip to Mississippi and Louisiana and see the poverty there that was written about in a United Nations report. If you think incrementalism will help those people you must be smoking something.
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@lzolatrov
Well said. It's hard to compete with all of the powers that be when edicts from up high of the rarefied air of prestige punditry say we all should settle, but I'm here to tell ya' - there's something else ...
I think quoting Prince is apropos...
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@lzolatrov and what do you propose that hasn't been tried already. What can we do to make fathers stay at home?
@lzolatrov: Please read the article. Mitch Landrieu said: “Centrism has come to be known as a lukewarm version of not standing for anything so you’ll stand for everything. I call myself, like, a radical centrist. Every organization I’ve taken over has been in, like, meltdown, and I had to build it back up. So, it requires really hard, tough decisions. But, those things always require some level of compromise.” Blow nor Landrieu talked incrementalism, and Landrieu knows the devastation climate change can bring from personal experience, with hurricane Katrina. I have no doubt he'd be way better at tackling global warming than Trump is. And you can forget about a global government with far-reaching powers and means to enforce draconian environmental measures and income redistribution - not going to happen.
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I first met Mitch in August of 78, Freshman year of College. I think that a female senator from the upper Midwest and Mitch would make a good pair. I think that Mitch is okay with being #2 or #1.
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He's the face of public corruption in Louisiana and his most famous speech blatantly defended erasing history.
@John After Katrina the federal government refused to send relief money to the state because they knew it would be stolen. The state is so corrupt they have forgotten the standard for honesty.
As a New Orleanian and a Democrat, i fail to see one good thing that Mitch did in his two terms as mayor. The statue issue was self-serving and got him the national attention he wanted while nobody in New Orleans had that on their list of issues that needed addressing ahead of crime, education, chronic issues with infrastructure like roads and water, and power failures. Mitch is all talk. He took no real action that had any consequence for anyone's life and our city governance is in a worse condition than it has ever been. Please Mitch, don't run.
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I agree that mayors would make great candidates, much better than congressmen and women. And a Bloomberg-Landrieu ticket would be just the one for me!
So far over +30 potential Democrat challengers to Trump...
Here we go again! Scatter the votes.. then try to pull everyone together in the end.. They tried that last time and the DNC fielded the wrong candidate.
I actually like Landrieu - Any Democrat who doesn't support "open borders" has my vote - The only reason why I voted for Trump was I liked his hard stance on illegal immigration. Everything else I detest..
No Mitch or other centrist that want to be everything to everyone.
When will people get it : Republicans and other groups that don't want to deal with the reality that America is changing and different than it was at the turn of the century. Yes, it's more diverse and its gonna get more diverse, Folks are in denial if they think they can work with republicans, when they get in power they ram it down the throat of their opponents and until progressives get the same mind set they are gonna continue to get the same treatment from them. No I don't a another democrat who is unwilling to look truthfully at the racial politics that got us here to begin with.
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Shrerrod Brown.Deval Patrick NO! A MA voter,he is the reason I changed from a lifelong Democrat,to an independent.He works for Bain Capital,are you kidding?The second on the ticket should be a Progressive.Medicare for all.This economy is about to go into freefall.All of us need health insurance.
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@Nora Will you be paying for it? How did universal health care work in Massachusetts?
An effective centerist is another word for habitual sell out. If you look at Bill Clinton's pivot towards the center after a failed health care attempt, a failure which was largely self-inflicted, Bill basically threw his base under the bus in exchange for a second term. Bill was then impeached by Republicans for his efforts. Democrats sold their souls in his defense. The resulting political fallout, which included Hillary Clinton, ultimately led to Hillary's political defeat... twice.
Landrieu has a good perspective on race. However, he is not the right man for the times. We don't need a liberal warrior. We need someone instilled with uncompromising principle for the greater good. That is the antithesis of Trump. That is the synthesis of American unity. Compromise is not a virtue when negotiated with careless or harmful intent. I'm not asking for a perfect president. I'm not asking for a perfect Congress. I'm asking for representative government which actually works in the public interest.
The public interest does not always necessitate compromise.
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Just wondering . . . did Mayor Landrieu postulate that Trump would engage in a name-calling contest by calling him “Ballheaded”? Or maybe, did Landrieu guess that Trump might go after him as “Baldheaded”?! That second one seems more in character with Landrieu’s wit!
— Brian
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Do it!
Easy bait for the GOP, quick re-election for Trump.
Charles Blow always keeps me guessing whose side is he on.
Whew! Saw the headline and thought you meant Mitch McConnell.
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Deval Patrick is the only person that raises my heart rate besides Mitch. I think they both need to run to let the Country take a look at less-hyped, totally qualified people.
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Landrieu or not, this country could benefit from an effective centrist of the Democratic party. This might be the best way to reunite us with one purpose: to make this the best country it can be.
Clearly Mr. Trump has torn the country down, damaged our relationships with allies, subverted the Justice Department to do his own bidding and harmed the economy.
Big companies including Ford and GM are closing plants; jobs are being lost. This is just the beginning of the next recession.
Meanwhile, Trump and McConnell want to make up the revenue lost in their disastrous tax cuts by slashing Medicare and Social Security, harming many of the very people who most need a safety net: the disabled and the elderly.
We need a unifier, someone with vision and charisma who can talk to both sides and help them understand where we are and where we need to be.
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@Barbara We are at nearly full employment. How has he harmed the economy?
I recall the verbal fight GOP political strategist Mary Matalin had with CNN television journalist Van Jones on ABC News' “This Week With George Stephanopoulos” after President Trump’s surprise election to the presidency. Jones attributed some of Trump’s success with white working-class voters in the election to a “whitelash” that he said occurred in response to the socioeconomic changes brought about by the browning of America in recent years.
Matalin ripped Jones for being a “racial polemicist” rather than a racial healer, questioning his right to identify and challenge white racism due to his exposure to mainstream white society, specifically his middle-class upbringing and his Yale Law School education. As illogical as Matalin’s position is, it is shared by many whites who refuse to accept the fact that racism still exists in this country. Many of these whites still carry in their minds a stereotype of an angry, black activist who is wildly flailing away at whites for perceived racial discrimination.
We really need to remove the legal and economic barriers surrounding the race issue to facilitate an open discussion of race that would allow us to resolve this painful national problem. It is nice to know that there is a white voice of reason out there who understands the importance of confronting and defeating the destructive plague of racism. Thank you, Mitch Landrieu. America needs your voice.
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@Howard Gregory For how long will Blacks continue to play victim while other groups also subject to discrimination--ie, Asians--jump over them through education and hard work? Answer: When it is no longer profitable to play victim.
@Bryan
Answer: For as long as we African-Americans continue to be victims of institutional discrimination.
You appear to buy into stereotypes about Asians, some of whom do experience a fair amount of impoverishment.
Unfortunately, demographic groups do not share the same developmental experiences. We African-Americans developed differently than other people of color based on historical factors.
Please read "The Color Of Law: A Forgotten History Of How Our Government Segregated America," by Richard Rothstein. This book details how the government used law to segregate housing to build the white middle-class thereby contributing to the retardation of African-American socioeconomic development.
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I like Mitch Landrieu, but not for President and I dont think he would win. That being said in 2020 I will vote for anyone but Trump. #biden/patrick or #biden/booker for 2020
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@shyril Not Deval Patrick! A MA voter here.He works for Bain Capital now!Mitt Romney's stairs to more wealth.There main business is closing companies,selling of stock,claiming bankruptcy,buying back the company,after all workers are laid off,and their benefits and 401ks are gone.Great for shareholders and Bain Capital staff.
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I don't know much about Mitch Landrieu, but if Jon Huntsman, currently our US Ambassador to Russia (Trump) and previous US Ambassador to China (Obama), previous Governor of Utah, were to change parties and run as a Democrat I would find him a very intelligent, articulate, and knowledgeable choice to unite our divided people, bring our country back from the current insanity.
After all, Bill Clinton once remarked that, "Jon Huntsman is a Republican he could vote for..."
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He’s accomplished things senators and congresspersons haven’t. Big city mayors and big state governors (generally speaking) are the types who could make good presidents because they know how to get things done, work within a budget, and *compromise* along the way.
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Past performance does not predict future performance.In Landrieu’s case, that means that his politics and focus until now may not be predictive of his platform should he run for President.Specifically, that a Southern Democrat from a political dynasty of the same ilk and living in NOLA should be focused on race is no surprise.When going national,other planks are added to the platform.Whatever they are,we know two things.First,he is an effective leader and manager with a broad base of support.Second,he has the phenotype and personality to go toe to toe with Trump without iliciting an ab-reaction from misogynists and racists which may narrow his base of support.Sadly,that would not be true of the three candidates he mentioned as potential runners.
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The Landrieu name carries way too much baggage. He'd be an easy target for Republicans.
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Along with persuading Mitch Landrieu to run for President as the Democratic candidate in 2020, maybe someone could persuade Mitch McConnell to run against Donald Trump in the Republican primary. We could catch Trump coming and going.
@sdw If the dems had chosen almost anyone other than Hilary, they would have won. You will never win as long as she circles overhead. She believes she is entitled to the position. She always argues that the country is mysoginistic but I think many people just hate her. After 25 years in the public eye, the luster has worn off the veneer. People now know who she is and what she is like. I think she is competent but detestable.
I would not support Mitch L. simply because he does NOT possess the "it" factor, trustworthiness. He sounds great but maybe it's a Louisiana whiff of corruption I sense. Hard to say. Maybe it's the entitled dynasty factor. He won't be a contender or top five, I hope!
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As shallow and as phony as his sister, but better at play acting.
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I sincerely hope he runs. He's been my No. 1 since I heard him making the rounds for his book tour.
The question is who's the most electable, because we really don't want DT re-elected. I have a low opinion of my senator, Ms. Harris, though I voted for her, and I find Corrie Booker repetitive and inarticulate when speaking to audiences outside his specific constituency. I know little about Landrieu, though what I know is appealing. I know even less about Deval Patrick, though what I hear is even more appealing.
But, given the high stakes, I favor the Democratic candidate who appeals to the most independent and undecided voters, and thus is most likely to win. A 'near miss' by an attractive long-shot candidate is a disaster if it gives DT another term. So, perhaps Hilary again? Perhaps a middle-aged white male Democratic governor? Let's discuss, but please, from the pragmatic perspective of trying our best to win!
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Personally, I'd like Tammy Duckworth to run. Veteran, head-straight, no-nonsense Senator who stood up to the Senate hierarchy by bringing her baby with her to the Senate floor.
Perhaps a Biden-Duckworth ticket, so that she gains some experience at the executive branch level. Those would be some interesting debates to watch at both levels, whether Pence is back as VP candidate or Nikki Haley.
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(When I first saw the title of this commentary, I thought that Mitch McConnell might be running for president and I wanted to cry).
Look, Landrieu - among many others who may want to run for president has already cleared several bars.
Number one, his name isn't Trump.
Number two, he has experience in elected office.
Number three, he's articulate.
Number four, he cares about people besides himself and actually puts that care into practice.
Number five, he's a radical centrist from the South.
I'm sure he has other noteworthy qualifications, but right now there are many others (except for possibly Mitch McConnell or Roy Moore) that I would rather see in the White House.
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Good piece. Good Landrieu's in the mix, if nothing else than to stir things, bring up difficult topics and keep people's feet on the ground, which is going to be a problem for the D's in their current overfelt headiness. Earth to Democrats! One whiff of success and they're off on a high! Typical. (And I usually vote for them, mostly by default. A pox on both parties, imo. It's the money that wins...)
A major issue for the Democrats this cycle is the blind strength of the anybody-but-a-white-male motivation: An awful lot of the female and/or minority "candidates" trumpeted about are very problematic. Gillebrand with her knee-jerk #MeToo bandwagon jumping and seeming insubstantiality, Harris with her unexplained letting-Mnuchin-off-the-hook justice problem and her prickly personality, Booker with his Wall Street ties and his rookie tactics, Warren with her credibility and judgment issues...
I've liked Klobuchar for a good while. She's a tad conservative for my druthers, and she's got the Midwestern charisma problem. But she's smart, solid, stable, seemingly honest and scandal-free, and user-friendly and collegially effective. That would be refreshing, for starters...
Sherrod Brown, but he's got a bit of intemperance showing in the past. Steve Bullock? No foreign policy exposure. Same for Hickenlooper. But then, there I go talking up white men. Silly me...
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Let's stop using all those terms like "centrists, progressives, pragmatics, etc." We the regular folk do not relate to them. We relate to the person, the personality, and the policies which affect us. We the people once believed in Obama's charisma, personality and promise of hope. We the people voted for his polar opposite and were bamboozled to believe in the sound byte of making America great again, not even knowing when it was not great but the candidate told us so and drummed it into our heads until we believed it. That person had no values nor coherent policies but spoke (albeit disingenuously) to the common man. His appeal was radically different from any politician we had ever known.
A candidate like Obama is unlikely to arise again for decades to come in this racially divided nation. He himself said so after the election when he mused that “Maybe we pushed too far...maybe people just want to fall back into their tribe...sometimes I wonder whether I was 10 or 20 years too early."
Why do the Democrats even tout possible Afro-American candidates like Harris, Booker, Holder, and Patrick despite their good qualifications? They would not stand a chance in a general election so soon after Obama. Try again in a few election cycles.
In the meanwhile, give someone like Mitch a chance. He is decent, well-spoken and a fresh new face from a southern state, an outside far removed from D.C. Don't forget fact that another outsider without any government experience ran and won.
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@Belle: "Why do the Democrats even tout possible Afro-American candidates like Harris, Booker, Holder, and Patrick despite their good qualifications?"
Answer: Democrats tout possible Afro-American candidates like Harris, Booker, Holder, and Patrick BECAUSE OF their good qualifications! THINK ABOUT IT!
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Since Mitch Landrieu was very far from my radar screen, when I opens this I assumed it would be about Mitch McConnell running and would perhaps become the funniest editorial I'd ever read.
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Mitch Landrieu is fantastic to listen to, as is Deval Patrick. Kamala Harris is worthless, as is Cory Booker, both of whom are careerists who radiate phoniness insincerity ala Hillary Clinton.
The thing is, both Landrieu and Patrick are real progressives able to wrap their heads around ideas like single payer and cutting the Pentagon in half, forgiving student debt and prosecuting banksters. Harris and Booker are grandstanding tools by comparison.
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I reread Landrieu’s speech from May, 2017. I am at a loss to understand why so many of my fellow southern whites don’t want to get it.
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Saying Trump is a racist is meaningless.
Most of us are racist to some extent.
We all can be called racist.
Trump is not the most racist person there are.
Not everything he does is racist.
So what does it mean by calling him a racist.
@John
It simply means speaking the truth, and calling out abhorrent behavior.
3
@John: Nonsense. What you are writing here is meaningless, and Trump is a racist (e.g., birther lie, refusing to rent to African Americans, the Central Park Five ad). Let's try this: "Saying Trump is a criminal is meaningless. Most of us are criminals to some extent. We all can be called criminal. Trump is not the most criminal person there are. Not everything he does is criminal. So what does it mean by calling him a criminal." You do not seem to understand the difference between shoplifting a box of cookies and murder. And if you call me a racist (or a criminal for that matter), I'll sue you for defamation!
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@AnnaI don't know why you are so angry.
I agree Trump is a racist.
I do not think he would joint the KKK or is a white supremacist.
This is why I say it is a meaningless description.
What does it mean
Trump isn't what a President should be but he is not the devil, Hitler or Stalin.
Any Democrat who is thinking about tossing her/his hat into the ring must act quickly and decisively. Any hesitation will be construed as weakness. The more candidates, the better. Let's hope that Booker, Landrieu, O'Rourke, Warren, Gillibrand, Harris, and other capable and passionate voices make a statement by entering the primaries. Any one of these people would be an enormous upgrade over the sham of the president in office.
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Excellent column. I hope you're wrong. He should get in, and accept the VP nomination from the woman (NOT HILLARY!) the Ds nominate.
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@Rapid Reader Yeah, "It's our turn" really worked out so well the last time. Imo, the silver lining to the very dark cloud of Trump being president is that Hillary Clinton isn't.
His speech on taking down the Confederate statues was thoughtful,measured, and brilliant. Read his book if you really want some insight into who he is and how he thinks. It is a fascinating read and a book I am going to keep. It is inspiring, thoughtful, honest, and heartfelt written by a grown up addressing serious ideas. He makes me believe in the possible. And for that alone, I will give him serious consideration as a Presidential candidate should he ever decide to run. I hope he will seriously consider it.
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A centrist who is pragmatic. Didn't we have that in 2016 and her name was Hillary?
And isn't proof that her pragmatism was right the fact that in the 2018 midterms the Democrats made gains in areas where Hillary expanded the map for them 2 years earlier?
Like the OC or Arizona or Texas?
Leave it to the Dem's to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. That is exactly what they'll do if they nominate the likes of Harris, Booker or Patrick. Surely they can do better than this. Or maybe not?
1
I have no idea what uni-dimensional character assassination is, but it seem to me that Trump's psychiatric disorders are irrelevant. I have seen and heard Donald Trump for decades and I cannot understand how any rational observer could conclude that he is not a blatant racist.
While it is true that moderation or centrism may be craven in some situations, those times are few and far between. More people like Landrieu in politics would be a very good thing.
3
I think Mitch has the experience, charisma and wisdom to operate as a very successful candidate and president. He is centrist in a way that could help heal the partisan wounds we are all suffering from and bring our Nation back together after the nightmare of Trump.
1
He's a great guy, without a doubt.
But he needs to win a statewide election in Louisiana before he thinks about running for President.
Being mayor of NOLA is not much to hang your hat on politically these days....
This is counterfactual, especially in regard to “these days.” The president is a bankrupt casino-developer/TV host. Ticking off boxes on a traditional political CV is clearly not the only pathway to high office.
The 2020 field is already very crowded, first with rich white men who fancy themselves as oligarch white knight saviors from their evil fellow oligarchs. Mike Bloomberg and Tom Steyer have spent a couple of hundred million dollars in the last two years to cement their presence and justify their entitlement to a run for office.
Then, you have Democrats who successfully held office, Kamala Harris, Elizabeth Warren, Cory Booker, Beto O'Rourke and a slew of others who, in the last few months, have been establishing their progressive chops (even when there is every indication they're more centrist than not) in order to justify a run.
Then, you have old-timers like Bernie Sanders and Sherrod Brown who have more legitimate chops.
I hope the latter two make a successful run for it and enlist someone like Ben Jealous to run for VP with them. The pundit class has been predicting that it will be two white men vying for the presidency. I don't yet see a woman, white or not, with enough of a well-rounded experience to make a credible run.
Most of all, I hope the left won't fall into the oligarch white knight trap. We need to get back to basics and build a democracy for the future; one that precludes a redux of falling into such deep and abiding corruption that not even the safeguards of our constitution can prevent it.
The next president and Congress will have the awesome task of undoing Trump and rebuilding America from scratch.
---
www.rimaregas.com
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@Rima Regas: If you're looking for someone like Ben Jealous who couldn't win his own solidly blue state you're intent on spending four more years with Donald Trump (or, at best, Mike Pence). There are a number of promising possibilities, plus my own preference for a Biden/Brown ticket, but Ben Jealous isn't among them.
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@stu freeman
Carrying the Midwest with a strong liberal appeal that also embraces the working class is crucial for ensuring Trump's defeat. Here's the ticket: Sherrod Brown and Amy Klobuchar.
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@stu freeman
Biden won't win.
Maryland isn't solidly blue anymore than Virginia is solidly blue. Not yet. Last time I looked, my former home state had a Republican governor who was first elected in 2014.
Biden's time has passed. I know he's been making appearances in a lot of places, including my state of California. He won't do well with minority voters. He was in charge of the crime bill in the Senate and there was the Anita Hill debacle about which he gave an out of body answer when asked about his role during the Kavanaugh hearings. Biden is no readier today than he was last time he ran. He was a great partner to Barack Obama. He's not presidential material.
https://www.rimaregas.com/2018/09/22/rapists-have-tiger-mothers-too-kavanaugh-rape-culture-and-scotus-on-blog42/
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I'm predicting a brokered Democratic Convention in 2020. None of these Democratic presidential wannabees is going to have enough delegates to secure the nomination outright. None of the Above will run against Trump in 2020.
1
Having one's "moment" is not synonymous with running for president. Landrieu is for real. I get the impression his convictions are not subject to change with a change in wind direction. That alone makes it difficult for him to run for national office.
Let him entertain the initiative that energize him. He might easily have more impact than he would in elective office.
Sherwood Brown for President, Mitch Landrieu for Vice-President?
Such a ticket would go far to pull back to the Democrats the angry rural Midwest and Southern voters whom feel that Trump is their savior. Unfortunately, there are too many non-pragmatic and ineffective social justice warriors that would oppose such a ticket, demanding a woman or a member of the LGBTQ community or a Hispanic or an African-American (or two of those four categories) to balance the ticket.
Now, if it turned that either Sherwood Brown or Mitch Landrieu had a sizeable portion of genes related to the African-American or Hispanic communities or it was revealed that one or the other was bisexual, maybe that would placate the left.
Guess what Charles....we don't need centrism now. Not from Mitch; not from Nancy Pelosi. If the DNC forces another centrist, long term party loyalist into the nomination you will be looking at Hillary V2.0.
1
Centrism is about as much in vogue as smoking. Perhaps a better word is pragmatism. Obama was a progressive pragmatist who got major pieces of legislation passed despite the implacable opposition of a Republican Congress. Pragmatists find a way to get things done. They work toward progressive goals with compromise and whatever tools they need to achieve the objective. Mitch Landrieu is clearly a progressive in this pragmatic mode. It is a good thing. I hope he runs.
2
I foresee a dangerous path for the 2020 Democratic primaries, with two dozen candidates fighting to be the Democratic nominee. None of them will be as bad as Trump but with so many we may end up with a Trump outcome: the one supported by an extreme minority of the party winning the nomination profiting from the fact that the rest will split their votes between
the others. A very crowded field does not guarantee that the best will win; rather the one with a more committed following will.
Thank you for reminding us again Charles, that in your own personal world, everyone who isn't white is oppressed and everyone who is white is an oppressor.
You have done more to encourage the racists with these irrational and hyperbolic screeds than anyone else I can think of, offhand.
2
Hello Charles Blow,
How about a Kamela Harris (for Pres.) and Mitch Landrieu for Vice Pres.?
Andrew Biemiller
I bet they would carry Ontario.
2
Oh, the Irony. A legitimate son of the South, intelligent, hard working and earnest. And he probably doesn’t stand a chance in most of the South, against a lifelong Conman from New York City.
“ The South will rise again “. Sure, as long as you’re willing to sell your souls, and the futures of your children and grandchildren. Don’t say you weren’t warned.
Seriously.
1
Gawd, when I saw the headline to this article — "Will Mitch Run?" — I thought it was going to be about McConnell. "How low has America sunk?" was my first thought, followed by "I'm sure he could be easily beaten — if the election were to be fair ... but would it be?"
We're in trying times when such thoughts flood one's head when prompted by a simple headline ...
1
Amy Klobuchar for President.
3
Second submission, same subject: Define African-American = Black = synonyms for what the USCB calls a "race".
You quote Landrieu without blinking: "You don’t know how African-Americans in the South are going to perform if a white Democrat from the South is running against three really good African-American candidates. We’ve never had that before. You could have it this time. You could have Kamala Harris, Cory Booker and Deval Patrick."
Kamala Harris is definitely not African American, as commenter Green already has noted. Her mother came to the US from India. In spite of that a Vogue magazine article I dug up says she is "black". As for Booker and Patrick, I have not found any family trees or genome data but their pictures show them as not really so black but following the one-drop rule, they perhaps qualify, ridiculous as that may seem.
But as Professor Dorothy Roberts states in her Ted Talk whatever their genomes and lines of descent may show, they, like her are socially black/seen as black. But she tells me "My race is human."
So Charles, I have been trying for years to define African-American for us but you do rise to the challenge.
Swedish medical researchers ask me how US medical researchers justify using "black race" as a variable and you can guess what I say.
Guess I will ask the new Race/Related Editor or her staff to talk with you.
Why don't you talk straight about race?
Only-NeverInSweden.blogspot.com
Citizen US SE
@Larry Lundgren
The "one drop rule" applied to white-appearing people who had distant black ancestry. It clearly does not apply to the three mentioned individuals and is no longer in use today, so perhaps you can drop the use of the outdated "one drop rule?"
1
@Lynn in DC You appear to be confused. Kamala Harris' mother came to the USA from India as you could read in my comment. Landrieu grouped her with the other two in a sentence stating that these 3 are African Americans. Did you not understand Landrieu's statement as quoted by Charles Blow?
Does Charles Blow not know that Harris has a mother born in India? That is inexcusable. The point of all my comments is that there is no way to uniquely assign individuals to the USCB categories.
I refer to the one-drop rule metaphorically. Barack Obama had one parent who was a genuine African and one parent who was not. What his genome looks like we do not know since I have never seen any reference to that subject.
He has one parent who is "seen as white" by the USCB and one parent who is "seen as black". Yet he is consistenly referred to as the first black president. Neo Nazis see him as belonging to a genetically distinct "race", a group of people they believe are genetically inferior.
It is not possible to provide references in 1500 character comments. I instead direct you to a recent NYT article https://nyti.ms/2zbQLFt Sigrid Johnson said she was black. A DNA test said she was not.
Reason: The article illustrates the general confusion that turns up in Times articles about human difference.
There is no such thing as a "one-drop" of blood means of classifying humans but the concept is very much alive in the minds of neo Nazis and their counterparts here in Sweden.
Larry L.
@Lynn in DC - Christine McM informs me in a reply that Kamala Harris father is Jamaican, perhaps to suggest that Harris therefore qualifies as "African American".
Why not Indian American as many say for Italian American? Or why not Jamaican American?
An example of the metaphorical one-drop rule in effect. If an individual, here Kamala Harris, happens to have a parent or grandparent or great grandparent who was born in Africa the individual becomes African American.
I have always thought that African American is a term that might be used as the name of an ethnicity. Too bad Blackmamba is not commenting today. He would surely have some interesting additions to the discussion.
Larry L.
Oh, I thought for a second you were talking about McConnell. And I thought you meant physically run, rather than slither or plod.
I like Mitch very much, but is he yet another neoliberal in Identity Politics clothing? What we need in 2020, to clean up the Trump disaster, is what we needed in 2016 to avoid that disaster: Bernie Sanders, or another candidate with his exact values. I'm a progressive on all Identity Politics issues. That said, I'm sick of Wall St. conning blacks and women into voting for neoliberal tools of the fat cats like Hillary. It's time for blacks especially to start voting their economic interest, not just for the blackest stooge of Wall St. put before them. Bernie is and always has been MORE liberal on race than Hillary or anyone else in the 2020 field, including Goldman's boy, Booker, and Harris. Anyway, if Mitch could establish his economic progressivism bona fides, he'd be a good candidate.
1
How about Sanders/Landrieu
Mr. Blow, I enjoy reading your column and your writing in general. You are a very strong progressive voice, especially for minority’s in this country.
It’s time that we all accept what “Centrist” means. It’s not about “moving to the center” or “working across the aisle”.
Centrist means that a politician accepts money from corporate interests. The days of Centrists like Mitch or Biden or for that matter Clinton are over. You’d think this would be crystal clear after the 2016 election. Joe Manchin may hold on for another term but most likely he’ll be properly primaried in 2024.
If you take corporate money your days are numbered. We are facing the re-democratization of the USA. It may prove a painful process but it will happen. My advice, to those of you who have a pedestal, is to start preaching that fact. The sooner the Mitches and the Biden’s of the world realize it the better it will be for us all.
3
Hurrah for Mitch Landreau (the very opposite of White Supremacist Mitch McConnell), an honest man, highly effective and efficient while in office, aware of human imperfectibility...and yet, willing to give it a try in supplanting our arrogance, and deep ignorance (as we know so very little, compared to what is out there), with some humility, and much curiosity as to where we all, I repeat, we all, stem from Africa; that we still 'have to' discriminate based on the color of our skin is preposterous.But then again, bo one said that stupidity is in short supply.
Sounds to me like Mitch is going to do the right thing and wait to see if a black nominee wants to pick a good ol’ white boy for Veep.
Mr. Blow! I don't know what to say. You are usually haranguing on us white guy's and now you're talking up a fellow white man. lol
You should know that there are many white folks out there who feel that racism is not only wrong but it hurts the country in terms of its future.
it seems to me that you often come across as a racist too many of us whites. I don't believe that and I recognize that you feel the need to do bark loudly to make a point.
Much of the racism on the part of whites today is due to economics. It is the working class that feels most threatened by the education and progress made by the black race. The truth is from an economic standpoint they are correct.
Further government must become more results-oriented. As we spend trillions of dollars no one in government pays attention to results and makes adjustments as necessary. This is the opposite of what happens in a private business.
When comes to race blacks are not satisfied because they are not treated equally. Whites are not satisfied because they see trillions of dollars being spent to solve the racial problem with little results. Many White's blame the blacks for this instead of blaming our system which has no way of holding people feel accountable.
This must change.
Mitch Landrieu's only real claim to fame is his Taliban/ISIS-like behavior: removing historical monuments.
That may play well with a few radical liberals but I doubt it will play well with most Americans.
3
New Orleans is the place Republican tourists go to so they can act like Democrats. They leave their Confederate flags and MAGA hats at home, let their hair down and are forced to interact with all kinds and colors of people.
Mitch Landrieu could be black, white or purple. New Orleans doesn't care, it just wants you to act like a human.
That headline:
Mitch McConnell?
Confusion.
Ahhhhh.
That's the problem with the author's writing: He is always reporting from a safe, genteel spot,fancy restaurant in the French Quarter or office of Mitch Landrieu, when he traveled to NO number of years ago with purpose of doing hands on reporting on the city;s crime wave, sounding out the common man and woman living in the city's Ninth Ward, but instead ended up back in the safety of the Mayor's office, where he and Landrieu mulled over crime statistics, and seldom ventured into the city's most crime ridden areas, comparable in perilousness to Chicago's west and south sides, which the former president never deigned to visit, his home town.Now author is pitching for Landrieu's presidential bid, while,never explaining how Landrieu would do it differently from the president, what his platform would be, except to cry racism, and attack our duly elected vox populi for being a"white supremacist!"Also disagree with demolition of Confederate monuments:Every American has a right to his own history, and that includes "petits blancs!"Would anyone suggest we change the name of MLK h.s. in Manhattan because the great civil rights pioneer was an incorrigible womanizer and also accused of plagiarizing parts of his Ph,D, thesis?Mr. Blow has a lot to learn about derring do reporting and objectivity, and to extent he appears so biased, his credibility or lack thereof is a matter of debate!
5
Anyone that believes that a politician can "speech" the racism out of these southerners ( or anyone ) is seriously deluded.
The racists will be with us until they all die off.
Landrieu/Booker?
Well, then Mr. Blow is Mitch's steve bannon. Still not feeling you bro, i read Omarosa's book. It was a great book. That i am feeling.
In 2016, Charles supported a candidate so bad and pathetic, so corrupt and dishonest, that she was the only person who could have lost an election against the Trumpster. Will Charles support a better candidate in 2020?
3
When I glimpsed the headline for this article ("Will Mitch Run for President", in the print edition), I thought it must be a joke. Mitch McConnell running for President? *No way!*
1
Thank you Charles for urging Mitch Landrieu out of the locker room and on the field for play in 2020.
My retired professor husband is a political sociologist, and expert in international relations. He traveled the world and learned about political systems and is having a fit about what deranged Trump and the authoritarian right-wing GOP are doing to this country.
My husband is a fan of C-SPAN and excitedly told me months ago he saw a video of Landrieu on CSPAN, and Mitch would make a great choice to run for POTUS in 2020.
I was skeptical--another white male southerner from the deep South? No we need a progressive from pragmatic New England, I thought. But, I watched Landrieu and was most impressed. Here are links to some of Landrieu's appearances on C-SPAN. Take your pick of videos.
https://www.c-span.org/person/?mitchlandrieu
Americans need to get comfortable with Mitch. He needs to be out there asap so he can get to be known better.
Landrieu is a great contrast to Trump—practical, funny, reflective, thoughtful, gets the job done.
Let me add that reading the NYT series on China, I am convinced American lost its way under St. Ronnie when we became ideological to the hard right that disrespected and trashed facts, evidence, and truth.
But, we don't need an ideologue on the left in 2020 either. We need to elect a common sense practical president with a record of success that can get to work fixing what the GOP (and Bill Clinton) broke.
Go for it, Mitch!
1
I wonder if he might make someone's shortlist for VP or, failing that, a cabinet position were a democrat to win in 2020?
" 'The thing I'm most excited about is, I'm leading an initiative to try to knit the South back together across race and class' ". Charles is this a misprint? Is he suggesting that there actually was a point in time in the South (or for my money the North as well) when there was racial harmony? I'm white and have been around for well over 60 years, and somehow I managed to miss that. Please advise as to the dates being described so I can catch up, thank you. Seems to me that rather than being historically accurate, Mr. Landrieu is trying to mitigate the situation by telling the racists that they have not always been racist because they are only racists in reaction to some unknown acts of the oppressed that cause them to be racist, which is of course nonsense, but a rational frequently put forward to placate white people.
1
New Orleans is my husband’s home and by extension mine for the past 35 years although we do not live there. I would absolutely support Mitch Landrieu for President. He is smart, measured and does not come with the baggage of many potential Democrats. Thank you Charles Blow.
1
Whoever rises to the top of the ticket needs to heed Landrieu's words: "Every organization I’ve taken over has been in, like, meltdown, and I had to build it back up. So, it requires really hard, tough decisions. But, those things always require some level of compromise.”
After the disaster of 2016-2020, that must be the priority. But as of right now, it seems that the bi-coastal Jacobins are simply not up to it. We'll see what this new Congress can manage, but it must show itself to be serious about restoring the core mission of actually governing. If not, it won't matter who the Democratic candidate is.
He wouldn’t be my immediate choice, but this is a candidate that can win.
1
I lived in New Orleans for over 30 years. My flood insurance from Katrina wasn't enough to rebuild my house, which sat for 6 weeks under 10 feet of water. Which is how I ended up in Ghana. I voted absentee for Mitch Landrieu for Mayor, after Katrina, and I would vote absentee for him for President. Reading his speech about removing the Confederate statues, I thought he was channeling JFK. Maybe not in 2020, but next time, I surely hope he runs.
3
Democrats will lose if they continue down the path of far left of center. Center left or center right is where Democrats will succeed.
When will they recognize this country is not far left or far right? Progressive is a term ridiculed by the right as much as conservative is ridiculed by the left. Bernie Sanders will not win. Hillary Clinton can not win. Policy and platform needs to appeal to the broadest base bringing in both center right and left.
Those on the left do not want to hear this. But do we need to lose again to learn an obvious lesson?
Remember- not being a conservative does mean you are liberal. There’s lots of room in between to find common ground.
3
@ArtM
The problem with your declaration is that the political spectrum has been pulled so radically to the right, that anything a millimeter to the ''left'' of the most extreme right is declared Socialist, or some other ''ist'' as a derogatory slur.
Having said that, to be Progressive means a whole lot more than just economic issues, although they are all related.
Simple examples are like do we put up another coal plant (even though it creates a few hundred jobs, and saves a town economically), while destroying the planet ? Do we circumvent a woman's dominion over her own body, so we can provide health insurance to a few more million people ? Do we continue wars while enacting tax cuts ? (giving us only a few hundred dollars)
Many would consider those choices as false ones, but they are the status quo. (or on the center left as you describe)
No longer are they acceptable.
2
It's amazing to me that someone makes a speech and immediately becomes presidential material.
2
@Ross
Are you a recent immigrant? That is how it works. It worked for Henry Cisneros only he waited too long and blew it, and it worked for Obama who struck while the iron was hot.
Let's stop using all those terms like "centrists, progressives, pragmatics, etc." We the regular folk do not relate to them. We relate to the person, the personality, and the policies which affect us. We the people once believed in Obama's charisma, personality and promise of hope. We the people voted for his polar opposite and were bamboozled to believe in the sound byte of making America great again, not even knowing when it was not great but the candidate told us so and drummed it into our heads until we believed it. That person had no values nor coherent policies but spoke (albeit disingenuously) to the common man. His appeal was radically different from any politician we had ever known.
A candidate like Obama is unlikely to arise again for decades to come in this racially divided nation. He himself said so after the election when he mused that “Maybe we pushed too far...maybe people just want to fall back into their tribe...sometimes I wonder whether I was 10 or 20 years too early."
Why do the Democrats even tout possible Afro-American candidates like Harris, Booker, Holder, and Patrick despite their good qualifications? They would not stand a chance in a general election so soon after Obama. Try again in a few election cycles.
In the meanwhile, give someone like Mitch a chance. He is decent, well-spoken and a fresh new face from a southern state far removed from D.C. and the coastal elites like another outsider who ran as a totally unqualified outsider and won.
2
@SR
''A candidate like Obama is unlikely to arise again for decades to come in this racially divided nation.''
- Meet Beto O'Rourke
1
Mitch Landrieu describes himself as a "radical centrist." Charles Blow calls him an "effective centrist." I call myself a "progressive." However we characterize "racial healing," I hope we can all agree that is essential to the progress of our country. And, as a white American who strives to learn our country's history and to take responsibility for my participation in its current systemic racism (that benefits me greatly), I want to underscore Mr Blow's calling out of Mitch Landrieu's "doing precisely what many of us [people of color] have insisted white America do: He is a white man fighting to dismantle white supremacy, so that the burden isn't only on the shoulders of the oppressed." This shouldn't be limited to a Presidential debate. This is conversation and change we need to have at every level of our communal lives.
5
With the giant pack of Senators considering and the current "businessman" in the White House, I'd love to have a President who has actually run something with public accountability. Governor, Mayor, anything. There's more to being an executive than what makes one a good legislator and we've had two businessmen as president this century and in many estimates they show up as #1 and #2 in the all time worst list. .
3
Biden simply cannot compete and win. We need newer and younger. We need to light up the base with new energy and vitality.
Standing next to Trump at a debate will show all of his flaws and his age. If the dems want to win we need young.
2
"when the party’s progressives are ascendant" -- when would that be? Certainly not as long as its leader is a hundred-millionaire who's embraced corporate influence and has shown minimal interest in opposing military bloat and its feckless wars that continue to drain the economy.
Bravo to Mitch for his efforts on behalf of a great city whose unique cultural contributions should be preserved. But particularly in light of current and impending climate-change-driven horrors, now does not seem like the time for "radical centrism."
2
The amount of anti-Mitch, anti-Democrat, pro-Confederate, racist propaganda that circulated around here, amongst very decent people when he took the statues down was appalling and shocking (for me, being from CA). It put a lot of things into focus for me and sort of prepared me as I watched a bombastic, racist reality TV game show host gain traction and win these Southern states in 2016.
Mitch would loose every state south of Virginia (maybe even it, given the deep Confederate history there) in a landslide... but then again any Democrat will. Sorry folks, don’t ever get too excited for a Democrat in the South for a long, long time. It might be lost forever (save for maybe a pickup in Florida). Democrats need to carve a path through the Midwest and Rust Belt and hold some of the Western states that have been trending Blue in recent years. To me that looks like Sherrod Brown ALL day long.
7
Mr. Landrieu will have to go up against more than white supremacists. He will have to tackle the so-called evangelical "christians" who preach a version of supremacy based on their version of the bible. This preaching is hate-filled and has very little to do with the words of the Jesus whom they all name at any opportune moment, as if it meant something.
He will also have to go up against the very powerful Kochs, Adelsons, DeVoses, Sinclairs, and a dozen other billionaires who want to keep their money and their power. He will have to deal with Russia and China and the Internet. Trump, hopefully, will self-destruct. The next presidential candidate needs to run on a platform of universal health care, job creation in new-style jobs, and getting rid of the laws that allow wealthy people and corporations to pay no taxes --another form of corruption. He will need to bring back all the environmental, social and justice-based initiatives that have been torpedoed and then, maybe, he can help heal the schism between white and black not only in the south but throughout the entire country. Finally, he will have to help fix immigration (probably the biggest problem). We cannot exist without immigrants of all kinds.
The Democrats are up against massive darkness. Only education counters ignorance. Can they educate voters? Who knows? FOX keeps many people both blind and brainwashed. You can't people they are stupid. It just makes them angry, even if it is true.
I wish him luck.
3
No thank you. You let everyone come into the city and buy buy buy which all that lead to was misplace misplace misplace. Not to mention the ordinances they imposed that took away from the culture that made New Orleans as distinct as it is. I don't think America needs that in the White House. That being said I do thank him from supporting Tear'em down and actually tearing them down.
3
@Tavaris
Why would you support actions that made the Taliban and ISIS infamous?
Since he wrote that fabulous piece about race, I thought he should run. He could actually be a national healer - which we need so badly as well as a very effective leader. How fabulous that would be plus he's not a mouthy narcissist.
Landrieu's speech on his decision to take down the Confederate statues is exactly what brought him to my attention and made a huge positive impression.
4
The sad truth is that the majority of the country pays little attention to policy and detail. We need a charismatic unifier. With a brain. In other words the exact opposite of trump. So it has to be Beto.
@funkyIrishman: Progressives.. " are on the rise" and "just aren't going to be walked all over any more". Voters this month seem to think otherwise!
1
@Jake
You do realize that Progressives/Democrats got nearly 8 million more votes than republicans, correct ? How about that Progressives/Democrats got the House by changing 39/40 seats - more than at any time since Watergate ? How about that Progressive candidates made it close in Georgia, Florida and even Texas, while winning in other places that were considered unwinnable (deep red) ?
You are allowed your own facts, but...
2
It takes one great speech to identify a great candidate. That led to the Democrats deciding on Kennedy, Obama. Why not Landrieu?
I remember seeing mitch decimate Tucker Carlson in an interview once - so much poise , so much character - not once did he wince or show exasperation at all the boneheaded angles bring thrown at him . Man, this is president material, I remember thinking
2
Mitch embodies everything that is good and right in a politician.
Why not run and see what happens, seed your ideas, and maybe be picked for Veep - - or win it all?
America could do worse, far worse.
3
Mitch has my vote already!
I wish Democrats would stop calling for Bernie Sanders. He is 77 years old. Too old, in my opinion, to accept the challenges and stress that goes with the presidency. I am almost that age myself, and like Bernie, in pretty good shape. But, if I'm honest, I recognize that I am not as sharp as I was 10 or even 5 years ago. Cognitive loss is inevitable as one ages, as is the loss of stamina. We don't yet have a pill to turn back the clock. It would be pure hubris if he decided to run again, and he wouldn't be doing the Democratic Party any favors. If the Democrats do choose Bernie as their candidate, they better be very careful with the choice of his running mate, because there's a high probability that person will have to assume the office.
8
I agree, and I am even a couple of years younger ... and know I wouldn’t have the energy it would take to be 100% at all times.
2
I care about overpopulation, the environment, prosperity, security, and education. We've had all of these things without ever having moral leadership. I'd rather have a competent petty thief, e.g. Bill Clinton, than an ideologue.
The main difference between the two parties can be boiled down to two different approaches to government and elections.
Republicans see the jugular and go for it. Power and money are their game and anything that gets them that is OK. The details of policy can wait and don't really matter as long as they obtain power and money.
Democrats resemble a debating society as we try to figure out definitions of such things as progressive and centrist, the details of policies and what should be done and in what order and such things as character, gender and race. All these debatable things need exploring and are laudable as they reveal that we have a ethical and moral standards.
But as we go through this process, that the GOP shark has an advantage in elections especially under Trump as lies and moral standards mean nothing to them and it seems to a large part of our electorate.
Should we stoop to their level? No of course not, But we must remember and counter the game the GOP is playing if we are to gain the noble goals of such things as fair elections and Medicare for all. We need strong, tough candidates who see this clearly.
.
3
@just Bob
I think you are half right. Aye, there are sharks swimming around in the punch bowl, but once we pull ourselves out of it, we need to just leave the sharks behind.
What that means is that republicans are irrelevant - they are the minority of a minority. There are 100,000,000 that sit on the sideline any given election. Come up with Progressive policies for most Americans (which include them) and republicans never hold power ever again.
Just a thought.
2
"Mitch" is now the most poison name in politics thanks to McConnell so he doesn't stand a chance
1
30 years in Louisiana politics?
0.0000% chance he hasn’t taken a bribe.
It's funny. Here we are in the 21st Century, and what are we Americans looking for? A savior-king. Or queen.
But all we're going to get is yet another president. Lincoln and FDR were great, but they needed wars to achieve their status. Let's not hope for that. No, the most we can hope for is yet another in a long string of mediocrities.
The best and wisest among us won't run. They want nothing to do with the awful job.
1
Run Mitch, run!
1
“If I had my choice and I was flipping a coin, I would pick mayors before I would pick senators or congressmen.”
If Mr. Landrieu were serious about running for President then he should become a governor first. Many have gone from governor to president.
http://governors.rutgers.edu/on-governors/us-governors/governors-and-the-white-house/governors-who-became-president/
Very few from mayor to President.
http://www.citymayors.com/politics/usa-mayors-white-house.html
1
I'm a lifelong liberal Democrat, and I've followed Mitch Landrieu for the last couple of years. I was very impressed with how he handled the issue of Confederate statues in New Orleans, and thought the op-ed he wrote about it was brilliant and courageous.
Is he liberal or progressive? Apparently not. Could he beat the blowhard currently occupying the White House? I think he could.
Would I support him? Absolutely I would, over Beto, Biden or Gillebrand.
3
Please take into account what just happened to Stacey Abrams in Georgia with a candidate who drives a pick-up just in case he needs to load "illegals" with a shotgun and explosive devices he advertises on TV. Secretary of the State Of Georgia overseeing his own election.
Knit the south together? That's how Mitch talks.
2
Bernie Sanders or you will have Trump for two more terms.
1
@gene
Assuming he's still alive in 2020, he'll be too old, imho.
Mr. Landrieu is a great guy, but Biden - Brown, that's the ticket!
"He recognizes the conundrum the all-important black Democratic voters would be in when faced with a white man from the region and black candidates from beyond it." So, Mr. Blow, are you suggesting that black voters will automatically vote for a black candidate solely because the color of his or her skin matches their own? Even if a white candidate - like Mr. Landrieu - might better effect the change those voters seek? Isn't that the very definition of the racism that Mr. Blow supposedly abhors?
“If I had my choice and I was flipping a coin, I would pick mayors before I would pick senators or congressmen.”
While the American people don't have a history of electing mayors to their highest office, Mr Landrieu is highly intelligent, genuinely humble, has down home values, and refuses to pander to racists. All of which means, if nominated, he'd be a long shot. But not so long a shot as Donald Trump or Barack Obama. Run, Mr Landrieu, run!
2
Could Beto O'Rourke take over that niche?
1
Hickenlooper/Klobuchar 2020. That's all. Mitch for Senate. Then tee him up for a future top spot run.
1
Miitch Landrieu is too important,too of a descent Politician to run for Presidency in 2020.
Why waste all the precious time against the liar in chief, he would never be able to get to trump`s level.
Then there is Mr. Beto O'Rourke who could be our future President perhaps in 2024. We also have Ms. Kamala Harris.
To me time for Mr. Al Franken to be back .
First and foremost we need to see what Bobby Mueller`s report comes out with , hope that will be a one time Presidency for Donald trump.
1
Mitch and Kamala Harris or Kamala Harris and Mitch......that's a winning ticket.
1
Mitch Landrieu is correctly having a conversation about racism in America with white people. Most white politicians talk to and with non-white Americans about racism. It’s the white people who are responsible for the racism that exists in America. We whites have to accept responsibility and do something about it.
1
Mr. Landrieu observes: “Donald Trump is a racist."
That's precisely the sort of uni-dimensional character assassination that repulses thinking people -- those who, like me, oppose Mr. Trump, believe Mr. Trump is likely burdened by a genuine narcissist personality disorder -- but have observed him carefully and concluded that he is not a racist.
Mr. Landrieu is in no position to render such a verdict. By doing so he has disqualified himself as leader of anything, in my opinion.
22
@Frank J Haydn
By what criteria do you judge yourself to be an authority on Donald Trump’s character, while dismissing some else’s opinion?
91
@Frank
You are falling into the trap that the President has laid and that is that he lies, creates a controversy every other hour, and has singular ''white'' views. (that is being nice about it)
The response is as expected, that we (or anyone) would call out the lies, the boorish behavior, and of course, the racism.
Then what republicans (and especially the President) do is to try and paint everyone that may be against him as only evoking that singular dimension you speak of.
We all can do two (or many more things) at once. The Democrats that have taken over the House are going to show that. They are not going to give republicans and the President a pass for breaking the law, AND they are going to run the country in an efficient manner for all.
Regards.
23
@NA
An "authority on Donald Trump's character?" No, just a person who reads the NYT, who pays attention to nuance, and who -- like many who traditionally vote democratic -- have figured out that the less attention we pay to Mr. Trump, the less hysterical and divisive our politics.
Mr. Landrieu's character assassination of Mr. Trump would have resonated 20 months ago, but now it just sounds like another gratuitous insult from a member of a party whose "leadership" is a national embarrassment.
Mr. Landrieu, if you are reading this, listen closely: Mr. Trump's internal conflicts and personality disorders are so manifestly obvious that they are no longer interesting. Start talking less about him, and tell me what you can do better.
4
It's possible, too, that like most of us, Landrieu has a skeleton or two and he just doesn't want his family raked through the mud of a presidential election. Where is the line between transparency and voyeurism?
I have to be honest and declare that I do not think DJT is a racist. He is nothing but a Trumpist, a paragon of narcissism.
Does the first amendment protect, lieing? Unfortunately liars are rarely defanged by the law. Defamation of character is alive, well and suits one side more than the other. Trump believes that any tactic that serves him is fair, legal and not suitable for turnabout!
Trump is very capable of stating that he is part African American, if it gives him an election advantage!
1
Run, Mitch, Run!
1
The problem with nominating a centrist is that Obama gave them a bad name. Yes, he got elected twice, though he was thought to be progressive the first time around and perhaps even the second when viewed against "47%" Romney. But Obama mostly governed as a centrist and got repeatedly played by the Republicans because of it. With our federal government artificially skewed to the far right through gerrymandering in the House and the power advantage given to land over people in the Senate, a "centrist" becomes someone in the middle of the conservative spectrum. This is not what Democratic voters want, and ultimately it is not what most voters want, based on surveys that show large support for progressive policies. If Mitch Landrieu can excite people and articulate policies that will move this nation forward, he can be a strong candidate. But if his plan is to "work with" Republicans who have shown no interest in compromise rather than fighting for what is right, he is indeed not right for this moment.
110
@John B
Well put John B.
3
@John B
Obama was not thwarted by Republicans because he was a centrist. Rs opposed him as a political strategy "to make him a one term president". Despite that opposition from day one, he passed the most progressive legislation since LBJ, including the landmark Affordable Care Act. His legacy will stand despite Rs best efforts to repeal it.
14
@John B
Obama,like the Clintons, is essentially a Rockefeller Republican.
And, as we remember, Rockefeller Republicans were forced into extinction by Goldwater, and, later, Reagan, Republicans, all of whom set the stage for Trump.
3
Contemplating who might replace the current occupant of the White House is a much better way to start the day than mulling (Muelling?) over the latest abomination.
I don’t have a pick, (Hillary, I love ya, but please stay out of this one,) but I go off into my day with a smile knowing any Democrat will be such a vast improvement that who that individual might end up being seems a minor detail at this point.
3
Yes, Mitch is a long shot...but, he has three qualities that I believe make him not only a viable candidate, but, could win in 2020: 1) he could go toe to toe with Trump in any debate for tweeter exchange---he ability to mix the vocabulaires of rationality and inspiration would leave even Trump with limb one-liners; 2) the public is clamoring for a centraists that can get something done in Washington---the other candidates mentioned in this piece either have too much ideological baggage or as yet, do not have the policy victories Mitch does in his home state; 3) he is from the South, which throws a curveball at Trump's base--he talks and walks like a Southerner, he knows what rural voters need, but, progressive on race ---and a bonus for this quality, Trump in frustration with this candidate is bound to make some joke about his Southern heritage, which, would not travel well in the rural South or West.
1
Really a very beautiful column, perhaps not the words that Mr. Blow would like to hear but, for me it read like heroic poetry. Everybody needs more role models like Landrieu, and more people willing and able to celebrate them like Mr. Blow. If you are going to fight for a cause, to borrow the given phrase, be effective.
So, the message here is that there is hope on the horizon. Hope that potential leaders of conscience can someday prevail. Oh, Mr. Blow--"from your mouth to God's ears"!
Can we please stop spreading the idea that centrists have no place in the Democratic Party? We saw earlier in the month that the party is big enough for everyone.
I agree that Democrats should stop trying to be republican-lite and get back to tackling the issues that matter to US all.
Immigration, climate change, the monopolizing of industries, health care, war and peace, etc.
The first thing I want them to do is dust off that Senate bill that was sent to Boehner, only to disappear into the twilight zone.
Send t rump and mcTurtle an already passed bipartisan fix to the borders and let them tell US why they won't consider it. Take the mask off the lies that they want to fix these great problems the so called president ran on.
At that point they will have even more power to accomplish the task of restoring sanity to our Nation.
2
Props to Mr. Blow for an op/ed that is not primarily about Trump.
As a frequent visitor to New Orleans, I have admired Mitch Landrieu for many years. While I'm not quite ready to jump on the Landrieu for President bandwagon, I might well get there and I would certainly encourage him to seek some Federal office.
1
What the Democrats require in a Presidential candidate is one that actually beleives that the Democratic coalition is the starting point for who should govern. It means working squarely with the party with a belief that progressives and those on the left side of the party are part of that coalition. That they aren’t scapegoats for centrists trying virtue signal their “middle ground”.
If a Democratic candidate can’t reach to the left they have no place being the Democratic candidate and that is the problem with many “democrats” who like to label more than a third of the caucus as crazy, and middle third of the party as the left thwy can compromise with like they want to compromise with Republicans.
Give me a centerist Democrat from the center of the party who can reach and negotiate with the few centrist Republicans while recognizing that the Republican Party does not stand for the underrepresented majority of Americans that should be represented by a Democratic Presidential Candidate.
1
@Edward
Fair enough, but the problem is there are no longer any ''centrist'' republicans. (especially since they have pulled the political spectrum so wildly and radically to the right)
Case in point(s) - more than 50 times trying to repeal the ACA, or the 100's of times for tax cuts while gutting social programs, or the war in Iraq/the Middle East, or the latest 2 Supreme Court judges, and ... need I go on?
Occasionally a couple of them (trying to evoke some sort of independence and for optics sake) will pick some benign issue (to them) such as prison reform, but for everything else, they are locked in.- no give whatsoever.
You do remember that they essentially blocked 75% of an entire Democratic Presidency (Obama), correct ?
2
Surprise, surprise, a charismatic centrist who feels that compromise with the right wing reactionary Republicans is a sane path, is being pitched by the elite punditry.
Blow is one of the minority of black Americans who WASN’T disappointed by Obama’s frequent capitulations on austerity, bailing but not jailing bankers, not rescuing home owners (the black middle class lost a huge amount of wealth as a result) and his oil-friendly “all of the above” climate capitulation.
Mitch might win, but it would be a replay of the Obama years when timid centrism and failure to stand up for working people lost Democrats both chambers of Congress.
3
@Ed
Indeed - it's like the kettle calling ... oh never mind.
1
Mitch certainly articulates well, in contrast with the POTUS. I hope he runs.
Lots of talk lately about the growing democratic possibilities for 2020 and that we don't have that one special person who we can all agree upon. The more the better! We have so many democrats - good Americans - who would be great presidents! It tells us exactly what we need to know. The republicans have trump and a few stragglers who support him. Dems have a swimming pool of smart, educated, constitution savvy possible contenders. I love it!!!
1
Look, Democrats do the progressive dance--they will lost independents and centrist Democrats who found Bernie Sanders to be an lefty Trump. I don't do cult adoration and I want sensible, solutions and a real financial plan to pay for them......
This Democrat has literally begged her party to show Sanders to the exit.....I find him to be to be the same danger to Democrats that Trump has proven himself to be to the almost non-existent moderate GOP...
So, any candidate who actually sounds like math is not a challenge to him/her and can lay out a fiscal reality to solve issues and pay for them, while respecting our Constitution, is a gift.
I don't do "pep rallies" and haven't since high school..Time for Americans to star behaving like grown-ups again. Reality is what counts..Not giant promises that feed on either fear of greed.
God no. I supported Mitch until I didn’t. He was not a good mayor or even an effective one. As president of the water board, he fiddled while flooded. He allowed the NOPD to lose about 500 officers. Our broken streets are still not repaired even billions of dollars of Federal money. And those Confederate statues? He spent money we didn’t have and lied about it. He divided the city. And, he tried to do it under the cover of darkness.
If he can’t run a city, how does anybody expect him to run a country?
1
Listen to Mitch’s interview on the Axe Files podcast if you want to learn more about him — I heard that and came away impressed. Wish he’d run but understand why it might not be the right time. He’s someone this country needs.
Effective?? Have you lived in New Orleans lately? Tried out public transportation? Driven down the potholed street that runs alongside Delgado Community College? Seen what counts as affordable housing? Not to mention that his family have been in some sort of power for generations - including when our levees proved to be made of sand.
3
I like what Mitch says about white supremacy: it is not to be suffered. There should be no room for compromise when it comes to white supremacy as we move forward in the 21st century. All middle and high school students in America need to read James Baldwin's "The Fire Next Time," written in 1963, about this very subject. Landrieu's idea for a foundation to heal race relations is a good one. Bryan Stevenson, founder the Equal Justice Initiative, is leading the way in Montgomery, Alabama.
Landrieu's brave removal of the Confederate monuments and his shining defense of doing so are bright moments in an otherwise dismal administration. He was an imperious, secretive, and administratively incompetent mayor. His debacles include the impending new financial and traffic disaster airport terminal but, most of all, the disastrous Sewerage and Water Board, an utterly incompetent kleptocracy, kept that way by his appointments and "oversight"--a present and future disaster and financial quagmire for New Orleans. He started with a phony commission to appoint a decent police commissioner and ended up (as intended all along) appointing another crony. His best idea of revenue generation was, by executive fiat, placing pickpocket traffic cameras everwhere, then cajoling/intimidating the pusillanimous City Council from even conducting any meaningful airing. Please: Keep this disaster in Louisiana, where he belongs!
2
I really hope he runs! Happy to work with his campaign!
I think if you really took a poll in New Orleans, you'd find Mitch isn't as popular as you think. His failures with potable water and drainage will remain his legacy here. Overshadowing, sadly, the good work he did with removing statues to treason. That being said, I'd love for him to run against and beat Cassidy in the senate.
1
Yes, Karen. DO ask the people of the city of New Orleans, myself included. Had you lived in New Orleans post-Katrina, you'd remember former mayor Ray Nagin's complete lack of attention to the mountain of problems this city had in recovery. (Nagin is currently serving a 10-year prison sentence on the 20-count federal corruption charges incurred during his own administration.)
Mitch Landrieu became mayor at a time when we had been horrendously ill-served by his predecessor, inheriting the remaining obstacles that were all but insurmountable. New Orleans was a mess. Mitch gave us eight years of good solid hard work. No corruption scandals, and no miracles; just roll-up-your-sleeves and go. Mitch "ignored" nothing, including our water and drainage systems. He had neither the resources, nor the time, to fix everything. Not all efforts were successful. They never are.
Mitch grew up in the Broadmoor section of New Orleans, where I live. We're all quite aware that we live in the bottom of the bowl, and of its inherent flood risks. To suggest that Mitch blithely ignored the problems of our 100-year-old water systems is wrong.
The "taking down of four statues" came toward the end of Mitch's administration. Interestingly, the "Bash Mitch" fad coincided with that time.
Do some reading before dismissing Mitch Landrieu out of hand as a political grandstander. I voted for him three times, and will gladly do so again.
89
Certainly, Landrieu's performance as mayor was several levels better than that of his immediate predecessor. His biggest failure was public safety and fighting crime in the city. The taking down of the statues came at the very end of his second term, after his sister Mary had lost her Senate election. It was a move that gained Landrieu much recognition in the Northeast--hence, his book and this column.
Compared to other New Orleans mayors in recent times--and the bar is low--Landrieu did a good, though not exceptional, job. His performance was overall steady, but was hardly transformational. But in his first seven years as mayor, very few, if any, thought that Landrieu's job performance was so exceptional that he should run for president one day? He may one day serve in a Democratic president's cabinet, but the talk of Landrieu as a presidential candidate is based solely on the national glow, largely in the Northeast, of taking down of the statues. It was a move that was very unpopular in the state outside the city, but was politically popular overall in the city, given its demographics, and among elite opinion-makers a distance from the city.
4
@mammakay. I appreciate your comments regarding Mitch and his predessor Nagin. My husband is a native New Orleanian and we have a home on the gulf coast. While we do not live in New Orleans it remains home to us and remember well the devastation from Katrina. Mitch Landrieu brought back good government to NOLA. In many ways he reminds me of our out going Governor in California. That being said my husband thinks Mitch is too nice but I, like you, would support and vote for him without hesitation. He certainly is a no drama guy and could very well, IMO, help bring the south back into the Democratic fold. I have even heard Trumpians on the coast tentatively suggest he might be worth looking at. I don’t hold out much hope for a group that voted Blue Dog Democrat Gene Taylor out of the House...and then there is Mike Espy. If he wins or comes close I think there might be a chance.
39
@mammakay
I have lived in New Orleans for nearly 40 years and rebuilt two houses after Katrina, mine and my mother-in-law's. My husband was born in Hotel Dieu. Nagin was a crook, and is in prison, as he should be. But many people, including James Gill of the New Orleans Advocate, agree that Mitch was a poor manager. Mitch was more interested in good publicity for Mitch than being in town after a conference and making sure that his city wasn't flooding. When the conference was over, he came home and donned his Sewerage and Water Board president's uniform and got himself photographed for the newspaper looking attentive. Prior to that, he didn't even bother to go to the board meetings, where he should have been the decision maker. Instead, he put a non-engineer with no experience in water management in charge and let him lie his way into sounding managerial (though I doubt he was blithe about it, just oblivious). Our streets are probably the worst in the nation and cost individual drivers far too much money to drive on, but Mitch was too busy worrying about statues to address them. The Sewerage and Water Board is broke, and LaToya Cantrell has finally hired a real water utility manager to run the agency. He will have a huge hole to dig himself out of after 8 years of Mitch's neglect. In many areas, mostly race relations, Mitch did an excellent job, but generally he labored in favor of pet projects and what made Mitch look good rather than what made New Orleans livable.
5
Charles,
You scared me to death, I thought you meant Mitch McConnell.
Don’t do that, I’m old and can’t stand such shocks!
C
One would think that after the Hillary Clinton fiasco Dems would learn. No one who has spent their career cozying up to Wall Street and using Wall Street money is a viable candidate in the 21st century. Even the idiot Trump knew enough to hypocritically demonize Wall Street in his campaign. Booker, Patrick and many others are so enmeshed in the big money web that they cannot be considered serious candidates, unless one's secret ambition is to reelect Trump.
1
What a breath of fresh air in an apparent bowl of fowl smelling odors called “American Politics!”
1
When I think of Mitch Landrieu I think back to the summer night of 2004 when I was driving the back roads of Maine listening to a man I had not heard of giving the keynote speech at the Democratic Convention. My friend and I were just mesmerized listening to the man who I found out to be Barak Obama. Let's say that from that moment on I was all in even not knowing he would run for president and actually win. Black/white didn't matter the speech was great. Moving on to the terrifying present when I heard Mitch Landrieu's speech regarding the removal of Confederate monuments again I was moved almost to tears. Only a white Southerner could have given this speech and had it be so effective. From that moment on I was all in for Mr. Landrieu running for president. This is a Southern strategy I can get behind. I'm a radical centrist too.
1
He’s not ready. It’s al gore’s time.
1
Regardless of the label that the press or the GOP chooses to slap on a democratic politician, as long as they support these policies, they'll have my vote:
1.) Campaign finance reform - as airtight as possible, and strongly enforced.
2.) A progressive, equitable tax code written by economists and legislators, and not by billionaires and mega-corporations.
3.) Strong support for labor, and laws that protect unionization.
4.) A $15 national minimum wage.
5.) Fiercely support women's reproductive freedom.
6.) Top to bottom criminal justice reform to eliminate the current system of one set of rules for poor people and minorities, and other more lenient rules for everyone else.
7.) A plan to phase in Medicare for all, and to make sure it's paid for (see #2)
8.) To stand for transparency and against corruption.
9.) Raise funding for elementary to advanced education, and begin a program for student loan forgiveness.
10.) Restore effective financial, environmental and consumer product regulation, and aggressively eliminate monopolies and abusive market dominance in any business sector.
Is this an ambitious list of goals? Yes.
Is it a list of policies that broad majorities of Americans favor?
Also yes.
3
I would take issue with the assertion that the Democrats' so-called progressive wing is ascendant. Just because people like Ocasio-Cortez and Ayanna Pressley won safe districts (contributing nothing to the "blue wave") does not mean they speak for the party; in fact, the surest way for Trump to win re-election would be for us to nominate someone like Bernie Sanders. That might play well in Cambridge, the Bronx and San Francisco, but not in the heartland, where we need to win back the Obama - Trump voters.
And Harris, Booker, and Patrick are not excellent candidates; Harris and Booker embarrassed themselves and Democrats during the Kavanaugh hearings, and ANY Northeastern liberal (eg, Patrick, Liz Warren) regardless of quality, doesn't have a chance.
So if Landrieu wants to take a shot at it, by all means, have a go at it.
1
I am a Mitch Landrieu Democrat. I think he would be a great president. I hope he runs. Some of the objections in previous comments are, frankly, ludicrous in light of who our current president is. He only has "one club in his golf bag?" Our current president has zero (except for actual golf clubs, of course). New Orleans has fewer people than Staten Island? How many people does the Trump organization have? Unfortunately, what will probably happen if he decides to run is that, as a thoughtful, competent unifier, his reasoned voice will be drowned out by more strident candidates and he will not prevail in the primaries. But I still think he's the best candidate and should give the people the chance to support him.
3
Thanks Charles for bringing up Mitch Landrieu as a strong presidential contender who can stand up to the onslaught of negativity bound to be thrown at any Democratic contender we choose and still would be capable of keeping their poise and wits about them. I had been thinking about Michael Bloomberg, another mayor, but Mitch sounds like another great possibility.
Being a strong progressive and an effective 'centrist' which to me only connotes a strong wheeler dealer are not mutually exclusive. FDR and yes Lyndon Johnson when he wasn't fighting a lost cause war come to mind. You never get everything you want in a candidate as the trite statement no one's perfect implies. Standing up to Trump while showing the power of Democratic policies must always be front and center, that, and getting out the progressive vote and sticking with our candidate no matter the lies that will come his/her way.
" The sad thing is that in a time of national intransigence, gridlock and hyper-partisanship, effectiveness is radical."
Very good point.
3
“...relaxed, the way a person is when in transition, not beholden to the previous labor nor fully engaged in the next.”
A little gem in there, that is not essential to the reporting but great writing. Thank you, Charles Blow.
2
Racial reconciliation might well be needed in the South, but no more so than it is everywhere in all regions of America.
One of the surprisingly baleful things with which the Trump presidency has unceremoniously smacked me upside the head is the depth and breadth of toxic racist sentiment across the country. The contemporary GOP feeds this bile with MiracleGro.
I often hear it said that not everyone who voted for President Trump is a racist to which I respond, if not, then every such voter is a willing accessory to racism. To me, that is tantamount to the real thing.
It is possible that some Trump voters of nobler settlement simply made a mistake in 2016. If that is so, then 2020 will bring us the proof of the pudding that defines us collectively as a nation.
2
Mitch Landrieu’s ability to be a moral and effective leader should not be put on “hold” until he feels he is ready to run for POTUS. May I suggest Congress, and more specifically the Senate? McConnell and his buddies are not only unethical but also are spineless and self-serving at the expense of, ironically, their own constituents...the everyday American. Flipping the House is not enough. Democrats must also take the Senate. Landrieu would be an ideal fit. He is from the Deep South, respected and admired. Yes, he is a centrist. But how can that be criticized when he speaks for African Americans as well as Whites. That commonality relates to other minorities, also. He gets it. He gets that in spite of our skin colors we share our humanity with each other. What sayeth you, Mr. Landrieu? Worth a thought or two?
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@Kathy Lollock
I was thinking the exact same thing.
4
@Mikeweb
My compliments to Kathy Pollack and you for the sound idea of having Mitch Landrieu run for the Senate. It would give him a national platform for his ideas and the democrats could certainly claim that our Mitch is better than theirs.
8
@Kathy Lollock
Mitch has no chance of winning statewide office in Louisiana. He needs a job, and is running for a cabinet position in the next Democratic administration.
1
I'll take a mayor over a "millionaire" anytime.
3
Racial healing?
I'm not very optimistic about it.
The hostility toward blacks that Trump has stirred up and revealed to the world among his followers is immense.
And who can blame blacks for returning it, after all they’ve been through and are still finding it difficult to be allowed to vote.
I see a long stretch of hard road ahead of us before we get to racial healing.
6
@A. Stanton
If it is going to be solved, it's going to be at the grassroots level.
And it will have to be solved by white people talking to white people on a personal level about a subject that almost all white people find it very difficult to talk about.
Racism can only be 'solved' by white people. Not because we are the 'white saviors', but quite simply because these systems of institutional and legally sanctioned racism have been built by white people.
Oppressed peoples will never be able to dismantle a system of oppression built by the oppressors.
1
Mr. Blow's piece reminds me of Hannah Arendt writing, "This I cannot do" in reference to acts/behaviors so morally repugnant that there can be no compromise.
"You can never countenance white supremacy." There can be no compromise, says Mitch Landrieu.
I agree. Don't accept the lesser evil, Democratic Party.
1
I am a seventy-six year old white guy who has not voted for a Republican since about 1970 in NYC. I would seriously consider any Democrat for president who is at least ten years younger than I. At the very least, Landrieu passes that test.
5
Landrieu is clearly running fo VP.
This is the first time I have heard of this man. Certainly I am not the only one?
I hadn't either. Listen to his 20 minute speech about confederate monuments. It's remarkable.
1
The biggest problem for any candidates from Louisiana running for national office is trying to shed the suspicion that they are bought and paid for by big oil. Maybe that isn't such a problem for Republicans, but it certainly is for Democrats, although Republican Bobby Jindal didn't get very far after giving oil companies a pass for their environmental damage.
When I read the headline, "Will Mitch Run", my blood ran cold. I thought this was going to be an article about Mitch McConnell.
So it was with relief that I read about Mitch Landrieu.
He sounds like a man with common sense, decency and a sense of humor. Quite a contrast from Trump.
If he does not run, I hope when the Democratic Nominee wins in 2020 he becomes a Cabinet Member. He has a lot to offer the country.
1
Mitch is running… very effectively… for vice-president. Joe Biden/Tim Kaine 2.0 for an eventual minority or female nominee.
The hard choice for Democrats is whether or not to energize identity/progressive politics that will reinforce the divisions sown by Trump or to embrace moderation that will appeal to centrists, including disaffected Republicans and voters who switched from Obama to Trump.
For the record, I agree with Hillary Clinton on 99.9% of her policy prescription- she is a moderate with a divisive persona.
If anyone is tabulating NYT comments as a sort of poll of Democratic inclinations, let the record show that as an older white dude, I am much more excited by the prospect of "radical" moderation than passionate Progressivism. I don't care about color, religion or sexual identity. I want a candidate who seeks to be President of all Americans, including those who, even now, strongly support our unfit President.
108
@Mike Marks Yes!
7
vote for Joe Biden!! - hoping that he'd pick Kamala Harris as his vp - Then she'd be experienced enough to run for prez in 2024
3
I like Mitch and wish he would run. The current list of people testing the waters showed during the Kavanaugh hearings they are more bark than bite. The present crop of contenders are sprouting Bernie talking points 2016 in 2020.Where were they in 2016 when people thought of Bernie as some Socialist Loony Tune? The thought that Joe Biden leads the pack should scare the heck out of anybody who really wants to win.
5
@Steven McCain - Agreed. Where were they in 2016? Not behind Bernie. Thus, they won't get my vote.
2
Mitch Landrieu may be a fine Democratic candidate for President, perhaps even one of the best this party has to offer for 2020. But if he spends even five minutes "reaching out" to Trump voters, he's wasting his time.
They'll never vote for him. And if he does begin toadying to them, with calls of "coming together", this will only demoralize people of color like me and my family, who have felt firsthand the swift and vicious escalation of hate crimes since Trump took office.
Kowtowing to Trump voters is an affront to every one of us who is an ethnic minority or a religious minority. So Mr. Landrieu would gain nothing by "reaching out" to Trump voters. He would alienate his base, and Trump voters will stay with their "dear leader". Why? Because Landrieu believes that all Americans are equal, regardless of ethnic background or religion. These fundamental beliefs, once a bedrock of our nation, are anathema to all Trump voters. They want a president who tells them that as white Christians, they are the favored Americans, and the rest of us should simply accept the scraps of second-class citizenship.
So I'm all for Mitch Landrieu or any other Democratic candidate who tells me that my family, all American citizens are equal to whites. But any gesture toward Trump voters will negate that message. We will see any Democrat who does this as yet one more politician who has no fundamental beliefs in anything, and that our civil rights may be traded away for "political expediency."
2
Medicare for all would reward the extortionists who have priced health care, especially drugs, out of our reach. Or we could all go into debt. It's the new slavery -- the pharmaceutical version. Other issues, such as immigration and defense are more like land mines for Democrats than political opportunities.
As for dealing with Trump and the GOP, I suggest guerrilla warfare. Find some walls to hide behind, like the patriots at Lexington and Concord. Pick your targets carefully and avoid that Democratic Party favorite, the circular firing squad.
1
2020 will not be decided on the basis of centrist or progressive ideals, it will be decided, like 2000, 2008, and 2016, on the character of the candidates.
Gore was wooden and wonkish, Bush was good natured, optimistic, and confident in the face of his own ineptitude.
Obama made people hope, McCain did not. 2012 was a repeat.
Clinton trounced Trump in every debate and was the most qualified person ever to run for office, but like Gore, she was an establishment wonk who didn’t connect with people. She lost to an incompetent man whose ideas, went not assinine or despicable, were pure fantasy. Yet he inspired people.
Any Dem platform is a good platform. Any Dem position, centrist or progressive, is a good position.
The candidate who will win in 2020 is the one that makes the most Americans feel good about themselves and their nation.
2
Will Mitch run?
A better question is "Will Hilary run?"
I hear she is thinking about. Will not the Democratic party ever learn? The country does not want Hilary.
2
Run Mitch run. The marquee names testings the waters could not counter Senator Grahams hiistrionic's at The Kavanaugh Hearings. If Trump runs in 2020 his opponent does not need to out bluster him his opponent need a great counter punch. When Kavanaugh raised his voice at the 2020 hopefuls they all seemed to cower.
Mitch maybe be new to you but in NO he’s old news. While taking down the Confederate statues was a dramatic gesture, it was done without any real proper debate. City Hall is still as mess, filled with red tape and incompetence. The police are still under a long standing consent decree and the Sewage and Water Board is still a colossal joke. His crowning achievement is the new airport which physically does not related to the existing one and its infrastructure, nor have the roadways to the airport been built and won’t be for 2 more years.
He’s grabbed some good headlines, but is not presidential caliber. More importantly represents the tired establishment wing of the Democratic Party which gave the country Hillary Clinton and thusly Donald Trump.
You can’t run for president on one issue, even one as important as race.
21
@KGH.NOLA
Why can't you run on one issue? Trump ran on "Build That Wall," and won. Of course the wall has yet to be built and Mexico isn't paying for it but those are topics for another day. As for Mitch being old news, every politician has a group of people somewhere who are tired of him/her, comes with the territory.
2
The media’s fascination and obsession with ‘who will run’, handicapping the ‘race’, and examining the minutia of ‘issues’, should perhaps take a back-seat to; informing, educating, diagnosing, and ‘exposing’ the meta-causal factor of the disguised global capitalist Empire which is orchestrating this coming 11th (and likely last) ‘least worst voting cycle’ of presidential (s)elections, eh?
3
Mr. Blow, thank you for giving a few props to Mitch Landrieu. It isn't easy to find a white politician who has a heart for black people. may he live long and prosper, and help working people, minority people, poor people wherever life lands him.
Mitch Landrieu could do much more by running for the senate in LA. We need to great candidates every where up and down the ballot
1
Landrieu: “Centrism has come to be known as a lukewarm version of not standing for anything so you’ll stand for everything. I call myself, like, a radical centrist."
"Centrism" should properly be known as the political base of cowards, as the home of Democrat politicians too timid to speak out on behalf of universal healthcare, etc., lest they be caricatured by right wing Republicans as left wing Democrats.
Rabid Republicans like Newt Gingrich long ago fiercely and successfully planted the Centrist flag on the far right shore of our politics. And now all political narratives have a starting point on that far right shore. Astonishingly, rank and file Democrats and leadership have both bought into that narrative and now open all dialogue with a curtsy to "centrist" politics, i.e., Republicanism lite.
Enough with Democrat centrists.
24
@wilt. Thank you. And having lived through a Landry regime in New Orleans, no thank you to any Mitch Landry candidacy for 2020.
I can't believe the Dems are so bubble-headed as to seek this bottom feeder.
For the love of all that is Democratic, leave this one alone.
1
@wilt - Your words say we can't be moderate because Republicans say we can't. Your words also say we can't be moderate because YOU say we can't. I say I've had it up to hear with people drawing lines in the sand of America. We're only a republic because we compromised -- and the center is the center -- not center left or right.
2
If we want someone who plays politics well we would want a senator or congressperson. If we want someone interested in actual governance we would want a mayor or governor. Personally I am sick of the politics playing while the work of governance is ignored.
2
How refreshing to read words about race that are not sugar-coated! The rightness of what Mr. Landrieu says rings with bell-like clarity. White Nationalist have no place as a demographic, which is what we have allowed under Trump.
1
Mitch doesn't have to run for president to be a powerful force for racial healing. As a white 63-year-old product of the Deep South, I've known too many white Southerners who were fundamentally decent people but who were so poisoned from an early age by pervasive, virulent racism that they're unable to recognize it at all - kind of like a fish's inability to understand the concept of "water." I've read Mitch's words, and I've herd him speak. If anyone can pull the scales from white Southern eyes, Mitch can.
1
It's borderline racist to say that it would be a problem if a white Democrat from the South choose to run against against three African-American candidates. How incredibly pessimistic. Is there any circular firing squad that the Democrats won't volunteer for? I would like to think one's idea's are more important than one's ethnicity at this point in time. If they're not then we have some serious problems & the Democrats are doomed. Honestly Harris, Booker and Patrick are too far to the left & would be trounced in the general election. I'm sure the GOP would gladly fund any of these people's run for the Nomination. There are lots of folks - myself included - who are progressive on social issues who are nevertheless turned off by socialist pie in the sky ideas that are coming out of the left wing of the Democratic Party. There has to be room for moderates who want a robust free market, lower taxes and pro-growth policies. America historically is a moderate country and if the Dems want a shot they need moderates in 2020. There is no progressive majority in America & never will be. The numbers are simply not there. And there certainly is no progressive Electoral College coalition in America that could get to the needed 270 votes. This point can't be emphasized enough: almost every progressive candidate in whom Democrats invested tremendous time, money, & emotional energy—Beto O’Rourke, Andrew Gillum , Stacey Abrams— lost. To go down the same road in 2020 is insane.
3
One would expect a Southern Democrat to deliver at least a couple of Southern states in the Electoral College. Landrieu probably wouldn't, because the GOP would attack him over the Confederate statues. (And believe me, Louisiana conservatives already hate him.) So the real question is how he would play in swing states.
Mitch seems like a bright decent human being. Sensitive to the racial issues that are tearing America apart. Articulate and visionary.A good man. The anti-Trump.Hopefully he will lead the charge to drain the Trump swamp and restore decency and respect for others at the White House.
I think we, the Democrats, need a wide-open primary 'cuz for all the punditry we, actually, don't know the path to beating Trump.
1
@Gretchen,
The problem is that success in the primaries may not translate to success in the general election.
The Democratic Party ran a centrist as their nominee for president in 2016 against a completely unelectable Republican nominee. How did that turn out?
My advice (I am a Democrat) is to go bold, or don't bother, and Mitch is not going boldly.
3
The way the wretched Republicans win is if the Democrats nominate a far left candidate like
Senators Sanders or Warren.
Or if they, Heaven forfend, nominate Hillary again.
But not even the Democrats are capable of that degree of insanity!
1
Mitch Landrieu definitely should consider a run. This may/may not be his time. He may/may not have the chops. We won't know until he jumps in the ring and lets us know more about him. What little I do know has made a favorable impression. A middle-aged white guy from the South who has shown dedication and action toward racial healing may be best for what ails us. Just don't know yet. Come on, Mitch. Give us a second date.
2
It was LBJ that signed Civil Right Legislation. He was a Southern Democrat. Perhaps that is what we need again.
2
@EJW same LBJ that was largely responsible for the deaths of 50K young men in Vietnam. No thanks.
@bx You are conflating the issue. The article is looking for someone to bridge the gap between the races, not start a war. Eisenhower - Ford were the presidents responsible for Vietnam.
1
It's nice to see a good, maybe electable Democrat being talked about.
I believe the best shot Dems have to elect someone is with a white male southerner who doesn't shout out socialism at every turn. He can trick many racist whites into thinking he'd be OK. Once in office he can help push (taking tiny baby steps, we wouldn't want the populace to think any real progress was being made) a more progressive agenda, especially on race and economic equality.
Just like Republicans trick their constituents into voting against their own interests, Democrats can trick these same people into voting for their own interests.
Americans are like little children who need a leader with strong child-psychology skills. The question is does Landrieu have these skills.
1
When I saw the title I thought "Mitch McConnell?" - and my first reaction was YES, please YES!
Then we'll have a fair chance of getting a 538-0 blue wave.
3
Oh, Mitch again. Ask the people of New Orleans. Mitch’s idea of “radical centrism” and “really hard, tough decisions” included his decision to ignore, for eight long years, our failing water system, which is now necessitating boil water advisories twice in a month’s time, and instead to focus on taking down four statues. The drainage system, likewise, was ignored, flooding homes and businesses during typical rainfall events because no one bothered to makes sure the pumps were functional. Taking down four statues may delight you, Mr. Blow, but clean, running water and dry houses would have delighted the residents of New Orleans. Mitch made his mark in the national press while abandoning the needs of his city, and if he’s elected president, you can expect more of the same.
7
Tell us about what he did to lift up and improve New Orleans.
He's young enough that he should run for Senate or Governor first.
Donald Trump, a man who never deserved the time of day, based upon the merits, got an insanely and irresponsibly larger percentage of media coverage than his opponent. He created headlines for the Times as fun as those in The National Enquirer.
Please don't do it again.
The press could change the way we do elections, if it focused on policy and experience, not celebrity, charisma, sensationalism, and optics, and slogans, as has become so customary.
Just here, in evaluating this candidate's chances against three black candidates, no word about their respective merits, just how it might look.
But its the press who tell us how things look to us! Show, don't tell. Don't tell us who is radical or centrist or any other polarizing slogan. Tell us their positions.
In 2016 the candidates were not equals, but the narrative is born, as a CNN panel, two minutes after the debate, tells us how America will respond to a woman they tell us is stiff and unlikeable, thus creating a self fulfilling prophecy.
Maybe a tongue tied dowdy nerd with zero charm and a tendency to spill coffee and stammer in press conferences will be our savior. Give us a chance.
This isn't an audition for a movie, or the plot of a novel, which needs to be evaluated on how well it will sell.
2
The photo of Mitch Landrieu (who looks ready to burst into tears) which accompanies this article doesn't inspire much confidence.
I had only the slightest knowledge of Mitch Landrieu before reading this column. Now, I'm ready to support his candidacy for president! Maybe it's a sign of the desperation for someone decent, plain-spoken and not-Trump to lead us. How about a Michelle-Mitch ticket?
Charles, I appreciate your shout out for a popular former mayor from your home state, but Landrieu has never run for office outside of a medium-sized city (New Orleans has about 100,000 fewer people than Staten Island).
The only real question for 2020, is who can beat Trump and preserve our democracy. The policies, gender, race, etc. of the democratic candidate isn't nearly as important as getting the mad man in the White House out of office.
Maybe Beto, maybe Biden, maybe Gillibrand. Just someone who can win. That's all I ask.
254
You have to remember a relatively unknown Southern centrist Democrat back in early 1991 decided to take on a very popular incumbent President and the rest they say is history. I am not certain Mitch is the silver bullet but I give him better than even shot against Elizabeth Warren. Guaranteed James Carville will be in the mix so the campaign will be fun at least
38
@Sparky
You are correct. I just wish the Dems had found a way to rally around their nominee.
With all of the prior evidence of Trump being exactly who he is, I thought the Dems would come together. They did not in the places that mattered, and we are where we are.
Someone who can beat Trump is the most important thing to worry about right now.
19
@Peter Nighswander
I remember another "relatively unknown Southern centrist Democrat" named Carter.
13
Again, the name of the game in 2020 is turnout. The Democratic voters must be motivated to turnout. We've learned the hard way what does and doesn't motivate voters to turn out. Unfortunately, as I see it, there is nothing about Mitch that I see would turn voters out to vote. I read what a great guy he is, but again, I don't see Mitch motivating some Democratic voters to see why they should turn out. So let's see what we can do for the ticket that will motivate Democratic voters to turn out. Let's remember the hard lesson we learned in 2016 and was reinforced in 2018. You have to show Democratic voters why they should turnout.
24
@Richard Mclaughlin
Never mind the Democratic voters - they will turn out in great numbers. The hard lesson, which has yet to be learned, is how to tap, say, even 10-20% of the largest political bloc, the non-voters. Motivate them and you win.
64
@Richard Mclaughlin
Let’s be clear when we talk about turnout. It’s the black and Hispanic voters who need to mobilize. I completely blame both groups for the fact that we got stuck with the orange imbecile in 2016.
2
Mitch Landrieu‘s speech about race, monuments and civil society was certainly inspiring and motivating. There is no question that if a president possessed that perspective, s/he might have a chance of moving American society toward a more healthy state. But it takes much more than that to lead a country as large and central as the United States. What is Landrieu’s position on climate change? Foreign policy? Economics? Science and technology? Legal issues? That short list just scratches the surface. The last thing Democrats need is a candidate with one club in his golf bag. Until Landrieu — or frankly any other potential candidate — has a well-conceived position on the broad array of important issues, Democrats would be wise to look elsewhere. And considering our most recent candidate, who had position papers on everything but never seemed to inspire anyone to go with her (in spite of her campaign slogan), we need to find someone with the complete package of intelligence, spirit, conviction and demonstrated effectiveness.
83
@Ockham9 I long for the day when America has a president with NO golf bag. Nice metaphor, though.
11
@Ockham9 But what if two of the 14 clubs in the bag aren’t quite right? Do we throw out the whole set? The mistake from the 2016 election was the perceived need for every club to be exactly right, resulting in a hodgepodge set that not even Tiger Woods could play with.
Or, to use a different metaphor, let’s not insist on ensuring each tree in the forest be perfect, while we miss a perfectly good forest.
7
@HJS. "But what if two of the 14 clubs in the bag aren’t quite right? Do we throw out the whole set?" Of course not. By asking for more than a one-trick pony (another metaphor!) I don't want to imply that we overlook excellent candidates in search of the perfect one. But speaking as a voter who supported Hillary Clinton in the general election, I think that Democrats have to avoid one-dimensional candidates, whether that dimensionality is based on emphasis of a single issue (something that afflicted Bernie Sanders as well as Landrieu, at least so far), or if it results from the mistaken assumption that having a policy for everything without the necessary moxie, authenticity or connection with voters will be enough to succeed.
2
Landrieu and Blow are both correct with their descriptors - it is radical to be an effective politician of any party in today's divisive climate.
I like him. And radical effectiveness beyond renaming 3 post offices over 20 years and making screaming speeches is what our party needs when talking about presidential candidates. I encourage everyone to look at the proven effectiveness of Amy Klobuchar and Stacey Abrams - and the leadership John Hickenlooper has shown in Colorado (yes, he is a white man, but he is the descendent of a great Union general!) I'm also intrigued by Alex Padilla, California Secretary of State, president of the league of California cities, and brilliant MIT grad.
Klobuchar/Padilla or Hickenlooper/Abrams might be my choices for 2020 - and I'd like to see Landrieu in the US Senate.
43
@common sense advocate: My top pick for quite some time now is Amy Klobuchar. She is direct, forthcoming, honest, highly intelligent, very easy to listen to, brims with confidence, ex-prosecutor, Midwestern state. I'd work hard to elect Sen. Klobuchar president.
24
@common sense advocate
Amen to Klobuchar being on the ticket in 2020.
8
@common sense advocate
Amy Klobacher proved her mettle at the Kavanaugh hearings. She is calm, articulate, smart and knows how to take down arrogance in a very respectful manner.
She has the background and the aright attitude.
Sign me up.
8
Three things stood out in this column on Mitch Landrieu.
First, he calls himself and is seen as a centrist. Being a centrist is perfectly fine if one is open to ideas on both sides of a debate and is effective in crafting a solution. Unfortunately "Centrism has come to be known as a lukewarm version of not standing for anything so you’ll stand for everything." But that is not the case with Mitch Landrieu.
Second, ". . . he’s not race blind, but race conscious." Anyone who says s/he is race blind is plain blind, period. That racism is a national problem is palpably evident. We need to be race conscious.
Third, he is only 58. In an age where people in their 70s are still in office and plan on running for one, Mitch Landrieu is young.
If he is as competent as Blow suggests, it may be a good idea for him to run for a higher office - Senator or Governor - and burnish his credentials before running for the highest office.
11
Whatever Landrieu's virtues might be, the problem remains that he's a man, and we've had enough of them for a while. Democrats need to keep running female candidates until one of them wins. Right now I think our best bet is a Harris/Gillibrand (or Gillibrand/Harris) ticket but the top of the ticket -- at least -- has to be a woman. HAS to be. Or else we won't get the base mobilization we need.
13
@MarciaX After 2016, no it does not "have" to be a woman. It has to be the strongest candidate, period. Whoever that might be.
And after what happened to Al Franken, the strongest candidate will not be Gillibrand. Too many in the party do not like her and would make the "Bernie Bros" seem like little-league.
38
@MarciaX,
As a former democrat who became an independent when DWS was rigging the 2016 primary debate schedule, I will tell you this: playing identity politics is one of the ways that the democrats lose in 2020.
Identity politics is a zero sum game; it turns off as many voters as it attracts. How about advocating for the candidate with the best policies, most practical plans, best character and capacity for leadership? Regardless of gender or ethnicity.
The "It's her turn" element of HRC's campaign was a lead weight. I like Harris, but if that were the thinly veiled slogan of her campaign, she wouldn't win a general election.
Identity politics is the order for democrats to stand in a circle and start firing.
30
@MarciaX
That reminds me of Madeleine Albright's comment that "there is a special place in hell..." for women who do not support another woman. I am a woman, and I will never vote for a woman just because she is a woman.
20
Mitch Landrieu, I think is the best Democratic candidate for 2020, although he hasn't been mentioned as a "likely" candidate yet. I am glad Mr. Blow wrote this piece.
True, he did remove confederate statues from New Orleans, with enormous courage, an act towards racial justice. However, solving racial problems ought not to be his primary focus while running for the presidency.
As Mr. Blow writes he's an "effective centrist." His course for action as president ought to be from that lane.
As of now, getting near universal healthcare as well as reducing prescription drug prices is a centrist Democratic position. And that's a winning position against the Republicans.
Total taxes paid by working poor & middle class are too high while the top 1% pays less & less taxes from the Trump tax-cuts.
The best way to help lower income folks is by reducing payroll tax, say on the first $20K, like 1% on the first $10K & 2% on the second $10K. To fill the shortfall raise the cap; better still, lift he cap but cut it again, say to 1% beyond $150K, to be more acceptable to the rich. This will also extend SS solvency.
Racial issues are quite difficult to tackle. Without black leaders' understanding & participation they can't be solved. In the event Mr. Landrieu becomes president, he should discuss it with black leaders and find a way to address it.
3
@A.G. Alias
I would add, in the area of taxation, our grasp on it is woefully inadequate. Taxpayers at lower income groups sadly assume if the federal income tax is cut, as done recently, they would pay less. NO, they would end up paying more, while if the federal income tax is raised, they benefit from better safety-net programs, etc. So, if you're poor, vehemently oppose federal income tax-cuts - true this time around, they weren't happy about the tax-cuts.
The House should pass federal income tax hike on highest incomes, say on taxable incomes from ALL sources on over about $15 million to 50%, which is far too modest but would impress the general public, to reduce the deficit, and to leave SS & Medicare alone. As the Republicans passed Obamacare repeal legislations until they had the majority, this exercise will have staying power, the general public, including a sizable minority of the very rich would support it.
Back in the 1940s, top 0.01% incomes paid federal income tax at close to 60% https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e8/US_high-income_effective_tax_rates.png which dropped all the way to 22% by 2005! Inequality rose back to 1929 level by 2007.
1
Kamala Harris, Mitch Landrieu 2020?
1
I appreciate this column, and the obvious depth of Charles's regard for Mitch Landrieu as a human being and a politician. And, we must flood every level of governance with Landrieu's unequivocal renunciation of white supremacy, white nationalism and white privilege, and pursue corresponding, centrist policies to see to it. As for all the 2020 presidential trial ballooning, and commentator handicapping, which is now coming on line--to which even Charles is not immune--it's a bit overwhelming. Again, Landrieu's 'jes folks' accessibility and natural humor, and his commitment to constructive engagement and healing of the body politic, would be valuable gifts in any eventual Democrat party nominee.
9
I will not vote for a wealthy candidate.
I will not vote for "centrists": right wing light.
And I detest political correctness—of both the right and left.
Viva Social Democracy.
6
@Slipping Glimpser Do what you like during the primaries, but if you do not vote for the Democratic candidate in the general election, Trump will be re-elected, and it will be the fault of people like you.
Your vote is too important to be thrown away.
2
Whoever gets the democratic nomination in 2020 it's important that everyone votes for them. 2016 should be a warning. If people stay home or vote for a candidate with no chance of winning Trump will probably get a second term.
Also remember that about a third of the electorate are independents, who also have to be excited about the candidate. Turn them off at your peril.
11
I only want real progressives in office, and that includes the President. You can tell a real progressive from a fake progressive by the fact they haven't suddenly stopped taking corporate money, at least for now as Booker says, and they haven't suddenly embraced Medicare for all, for now. And the only old white guy I want to run is Bernie. He has always been a progressive and worked for the people. I want people who are willing to get down in the trenches with regular people and most of the real progressives grew up in those trenches and really know what it is like.
44
@cheerful dramatist--Sanders is 77 years old. Too old, in my opinion, to accept the challenges and stress that goes with the presidency. I am almost that age myself, and like Bernie, in pretty good shape. But, if I'm honest, I recognize that I am not as sharp as I was 10 or even 5 years ago. Cognitive loss is inevitable as one ages, as is the loss of stamina. We don't yet have a pill to turn back the clock. If the Democrats choose Bernie as their candidate, they better be very careful with the choice of his running mate and pick someone ready to step into the top spot, because that could very well happen.
11
@cheerful dramatist
The Dems will have a once-in-a-generation chance in 2020 to take control. And you would choose to squander it by putting forth an individual - a "progressive" - who would be an anathema to 40 percent of the population.
Do you really think you'd get 50 out of the remaining 60 percent (83 percent of the remaining voters) to support her/him?
11
@Karl Gauss Yep. He polls at about 70 percent by the way and the main stream news largely ignores, at their own peril I might add, his many town halls and interactions with regular citizens. Or if they do mention him it is always with a dig or smear. He closed a huge gap in the polls in the primary with hubristic Hillary. He would have won the last election. And of course he would be smart enough to choose a great VP. I wish Beto would consider it and that Beto would become more of a fighter too. And then there is Ojeda, if you do not know about him, he will soon be on the radar. He is running for President, and while I do not agree with all his policies and do not want him for president, oh boy is this man a magnificent fighter. He is going to turn DC upside down for all the right reasons and deserves to be heard. What a guy, I hope the Democrats can learn how to fight for what is right from him!
2
This gives me hope for 2020,at least we have some smart, diverse and younger candidates rising. I loved Mitch Landrieu’s speech about the removal of monuments in New Orleans, I wish that link had been included in this article, I can’t find it. It’s so wonderful to hear intelligent, thoughtful messages instead of the baby speak spouting from the man child in the Oval.
12
Search “Mitch Landrieu speech NYT.” Takes you right to it.
I like everything I’ve read about Mitch Landrieu so far, and his speech about removing the Confederate statues was inspirational and an indication that he could be “a healer” in these divisive times. He says he’s not ready, but we’ll see.
And just to inject a lighter note into this column, wouldn’t it be wonderful to have a POTUS, who, ”come rain or shine (or wind)” wasn’t paranoid about his hair all the time? What a relief that would be!
18
As best I can tell, given the location tags, I'm the only commenter so far who has had first-hand experience of Mitch's administrative capabilities. Indeed, many people around here liked his poetic speech and thought he did us proud. But I've never heard anyone say, "Gee, I sure do miss Mitch" or "Wow, what a great job he did for our city." What I have heard a lot of people here say, when the question of Mitch in 2020 comes up, is: Seriously? Bwah-ha-hah.
5
If a candidate like Mitch Landrieu expects a fighting chance, then we need to address the elephant in the room: the Clintons.
Hillary has three million votes burning a hole in her pocket. Bill writes a narcissistic book starring him as a terminally ill president, odds stacked steeply against him, but (of course) he is always the smartest guy in the room. He goes on tour and predictably ghosts Monica (a quarter century later, as though he's learned anything). Now he and Hillary have money. If she runs again, because both she and Bill are both "owed" their due, it will split the Democratic vote and lead to a 2020 debacle far worse than that of 2016.
Note to HRC: if you really love your country and don't want us to take steps backward, do not run again. We could use your expertise and funding from the sidelines. But you're done on the political stage. You need to make it clear that your recent public comments are not precursors to another run. We really need to hear that from you: now.
One last thing about Bill. NAFTA has been great for the stock market and the 1% but a disaster for workers. Trump draws his strength playing to workers' fears, unjustly demonizing immigrants. A pragmatic road map for "Better Jobs, Better Wages" will be the Manhattan Project for the next generation of Democrats. Perhaps robust health care tied to solid educational opportunities for those working on new infrastructure to combat climate change could be a large part of the solution?
17
Mitch Landrieu writes of his genuine surprise at the magnitude of opposition he encountered in his book, In the Shadow of Statues. As much as we may want the United States to finally transcend its history of white privilege, racism, and slavery, the current still runs deep and wide through our hearts and our culture. It is literally everywhere, and especially in the American Christian churches, in every single denomination. I would love it if a man of Landrieu's character, stature and pragmatic leadership could be elected to lead us, but I fear the resonances of our collective shadow side are too strong for that to happen.
4
I’m disappointed that Mr. Blow doesn’t address the question that should come second in everyone’s mind: is the candidate under discussion a climate hawk or not? The global crises that are unfolding, the crises that will end the lives of millions and have billions on the move, crises that will destroy the natural world and bring on that silent spring, crises that will drown all those moldering confederate monuments, are looming. The only more important question is, how electable is this particular person? Imagine you’re a phone-banker not in New Jersey or California but in Ohio, before you answer that question.
5
@Ex-Texan
Ex- Brooklynite here. Sounds like you might have been a victim of Harvey?
You're right about climate, but I don't think logic is a productive variable in our election process any more, if it ever was. Next democratic candidate better be a good salesperson with a large war chest, or we is doomed!
1
Mitch Landrieu would be a great candidate. I have heard him speak and have been very impressed. I hope he (and the Dems) give it serious consideration.
6
Clearly, the electorate is not deep into policy. Clinton was the ideal candidate for our times. The fluff of the emails, a ridiculous issue, like using the wrong file cabinet, out eyeballed her deep policy agenda (by even NYT and WaPo).
So with that understood, the people that win elections have to have two things. One is "Gravitas", the impression that they are tough, smart, effective,serious and able to get things done. Trump was assumed to have gravitas by being a billionaire businessman. (But we didn't have his tax returns, so it may be smoke and mirrors, or a lack of ethics, but almost certainly there is something to hide. And of course there is his incompetence).
The second thing is a great voice. Reagan had a wonderful fatherly, deep voice; HW Bush did not. Clinton did, W Bush did, Obama did and Trump had powerful delivery, while Clinton was voice challenged and she lost twice while being the best candidate. Men will always have this advantage and women should consider that. Nikki Haley seem to have these qualities, maybe Amy Klobuchar?
In any event, the Democrat must win to save our country. We have lost 2 years and face 2 more at least. A radical centrist is the best chance, someone that can lead the conservative working class back to the Democrats. The far left must wait until the country is out of danger to have their discussion (which we should have) because we cannot tolerate another 6 years.
Landrieu has these qualities and should be considered.
11
Pitiful that we elect on voice but too true. I understand Lincoln would have been challenged.
2
@William Trainor Great thoughts, Mr. Trainor. Thanks.
If Trump has shown us anything, it's that race is a major factor in American elections. Landrieu is a progressive who would have a large block vote against him from the start. After Trump, it will be difficult to place much faith in the decision of American voters.
5
Mitch Landrieu would certainly be an interesting candidate, but I don't think he would excel at driving turnout, which, as the 2018 elections--and those in 2008, 2012, and 2016--proved, is the ultimate factor.
Mitch has a very small base, and wouldn't even put Louisiana in electoral play. And, unfortunately, in an era in which turnout is still far too tribal (although it can be argued that's every era), Mitch is not going to make a lot of African Americans or Hispanic Americans flock to the polls.
As I've written before, Hillary's 2016 loss can be hung on the reduced African American turnout in Florida, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin compared to the turnout for Obama in 2008/2012, voter suppression tactics notwithstanding.
It would seem that the Democratic ticket therefore needs to include at least one person of color in 2020. And, I think the embarrassment stemming from Hillary's poor showing among white women in 2016 is going to drive a lot more votes for a candidate who is female, as well, particularly in contrast with grab 'em by the whatever Agent Orange.
This is not to minimize the importance of a house to house, door to door ground game, either. Just get 'em to the polls, and challenge every effort by the opposition to keep 'em from the polls (something the Democratic House needs to make a major priority). When turnout is high, Dems win. So every effort to heighten turnout is important. But that probably starts with "tribe".
6
Never thought of him before as a prospective candidate but this makes more sense to me, given my deep south Black roots than a whole lot of others whose names are in the pot; and who, by the way have not hit my spirit yet. Although I am not in the mood to learn about the specific work of the other prospective candidates on their Black rights and justice platforms, I know is quite well and have for a long time. I feel that we, Black folks, are long past the day when it is sufficient for any politician to simply allude to their support of our rights as citizens and human beings in this nation. If they cannot nor will not be completely upfront about their positions on matters that impact our very lives and the quality of our existence, then I am not interested in hearing much else that they have to say.
5
The really, subtle thing here is not about MItch the Man whether he runs for president or not; but that MItch the Man has ideas that are incredibly important to the future of many millions, even billions of people.
23
I was unfamiliar with Mitch Landrieu until he gave his speech about removing confederate monuments. I had forgotten what a thoughtful, articulate politician sounded like!
18
One can slice this up several different ways for the democrats in 2020. Should a moderate from a liberal state run, should a moderate from the farm belt run, should a moderate from the old south run?
The common bottom line is moderate, progressive, non radical etc. etc.
Don't run an identity obsessed, never met a war, Wall Street banker, trade agreement candidate like Hillary again if the democrats want to win in 2020.
Outside extreme liberal districts that is how they took back the House in 2018.
Don't go back on rights won, but concentrate on progressive issues that most Americans can agree upon, like universal health care, infrastructure spending, no corporate welfare etc. etc.
Don't promote identity politics, unpopular wars, letting wall street run wild, new trade agreement that don't protect the rust belt etc. etc.
25
@Paul Hillary Clinton was Secretary of State from 2009 to 2013. This goes far beyond "an identity obsessed, never met a war, Wall Street banker, trade agreement candidate."
2
@NAP thank you for your reply. Yes she was but never learned from it, ie Obama admitted it was his biggest mistake getting totally involved in Libya that Hillary wanted him to do instead of not taking sides and only preventing humanitarian or war crimes.
Besides that instead of mentioning the things I said above, she concentrated mainly on identity obsessed, women must get 50% of everything whether they earned it or even want it and I must be anointed president since it is my turn.
Trump took advantage of it and demagogued all the issues she did not stress.
2
If the midterm election illustrated anything it was the power of minority voters. Black, Latino, Women and LGBTQ Americans came out in record numbers. Democrats must not look for a "centrist" candidate. In 2020 they must nominate a minority candidate who will inspire an even greater degree of registration and voting. Minorities, unlike many other Americans, recognize their self-interest when casting ballots.
8
Barack Obama comes to mind. But he can’t run again. Who is the next Obama?
1
The last thing America needs is a “centrist “ nominal Democrat from the south. If you are a Democrat- run like a Democrat. I have no respect for people who try to hide their priorities and values and few out in flyover country do as well. Even conservative voters have more respect for an unabashed Progressive like Bernie than some poll tested “centrist” who tries to not offend people. Midwesterners and Southerners appreciate and like plainspoken politicians. I have lived in both the Midwest and South. I write this from the South.
2020 is likely to be a street brawl with Trump and anyone not able to take a punch and effectively counterpunch will be in trouble quickly. None of the people mentioned have shown that combination. I did not say they would not make a good President, but they have to get elected first. Hillary should be taken as an expensive lesson- she was unelectable from jump street in a cycle the a Democrat’s should have been able to win in a walk.
14
Usually when I read your thoughtful pieces I am filled with anger, frustration and despair for they are about "President T" as he apparently now refers to himself. But this piece is uplifting, optimistic and worthy of hope. Not sure he is ready for the big stage but he would be a welcome relief in Washington compared to the other Mitch.
40
I think Mayor Landrieu and as many legitimate candidates as possible should run for the Democratic nomination.
Not because all of them can win, but to make the process as diverse and challenging as possible.
These candidacies can lay the foundation for future elected or appointed office.
For example, there are several Cabinet positions for which someone like Mayor Landrieu would be an excellent appointment.
32
@Didier
Great comment - so long as all of the candidates come together after the primaries.
1
This opinion piece pleased me because I like it. If anyone happens to wonder ‘what does it mean?’; notice, please, a difficulty for being genuinely candid, as opposed to a contrived candor while challenging the definition of the word ‘candor’, is tried to be expressed in the first sentence on my comment here. So, it may not be always easy. Besides, the degree of self-exposure for public figures, to all directions and aspects, is sky-high at anytime. In my sense, what the former Mayor said shows the presence of likability with candor, that is very high. Speaking of race with honestly would raise genuine misinterpretations or willful distortions. It is risky, especially for the social environment of today’s America can bring up an atmosphere of the ultra-touchy over anything, which depends on who said what. Ethnicities, GDP differentials in one’s origins, even individuals’ physical appearances with variety tend to become elements for judgments to make fixed genres, or confirm pre-conceptions; based on which one’s words are classified. Mitch Landrieu appears to be firm enough to not be afraid of throwing obvious compromises away. That is also what I became to like him for his straightforward self-contradiction as a rare appeal.
2
No, no, no to Mitch. I've voted for him and given him a little money. The way he handled the Confederate monuments was
very divisive and very disrespectful to those who opposed.
I will never vote for him again.
2
@betty
The civil war continues, even over 150 years later. The reason for the civil war was the South wanting to enshrine the institution of slavery and allow it to spread to future states. The leaders and advocates of secession made public pronouncements advocating these goals. The issue of the civil war was slavery and its proponents seceding from the United States. The civil war was not 'the war of Northern aggression' nor was it about states' rights in general. It was specifically about states' rights to hold other human beings in bondage, with the owners receiving free labor.
81
@tom boyd
Point well made. More important, however, is that the Civil War is still being fought, both in acts like voter suppression and unequal economic opportunity, and in the minds of many Southerners.
I suggest reading the book "Confederates in the Attic" by Tony Horwitz. A New Yorker returning form London after 15 years, tours 7 or 8 southern states asking people how the war of 167 years ago still resonates. Responses range from "not at all" to "alive and well."
It's clear why Landrieu's efforts to remove Confederate statues tools so many in the South. Hard to say he's ahead of his time, but clear that he's fighting deeply held resistance from more people than you'd think.
23
@betty
Care to explain? Sounds to me that no matter what he said you were going to be mad if it wasn't "Keep all the statues!"
6
If the long national nightmare that is Donald Trump is ever over, the most critical job facing whoever comes next is healing the wounds of a nation literally torn asunder, giving the country a unifying vision that makes us proud to be Americans again. If there is anyone out there who can do that better than Mitch Landrieu, anyone else who can replace outrage with inspiration as a reason to come to the polls, that person has yet to appear on our horizon.
49
@Steel Magnolia well said
2
@Steel Magnolia Totally agree.
1
Would love to see Mr. Landrieu in the next administration if not as POTUS. As for the candidate field I for one would like to see the septuagenarians stay out of it. Serve in another capacity please. Call it ageism or pragmatism, whichever your perspective.
26
Whatever Landrieu's virtues may be, he's a man and we've had enough male candidates for a good long while. The midterms proved what the Women's March suggested: that the future of the Democratic party and the progressive movement is female. Our candidates need to reflect that. I like the sound of a Harris/Gillibrand (or perhaps more likely Gillibrand/Harris) ticket, but the presidential candidate, at least, has to be a woman. HAS to be. Or we won't get the base mobilization we need against the turbocharged toxic masculinity mobilizing on the other side. Sorry, Mitch.
2
I was so thrilled to see this headline. Over the past few weeks I've been wondering why, in the countless stories about possible Democratic candidates, Landrieu's name hasn't appeared. To my mind he is the only candidate with a chance of speaking to voters on the right, left, and center who are outraged by the state of politics in America and terrified that the future might be yet more grim. Have we really reached a point where the candidate most likely to have the broadest appeal is the least electable among the party's candidates? If that is the case, we can look forward to another four years of the illegitimate president, Donald Trump. Run Mitch Run!
13
Mitch's best quality is he gives good speeches. Otherwise, he's been a divisive mayor in New Orleans who mishandled his most iconic issue - removal of the Confederate monuments. Instead of trying to bring the community together over the issue, he vilified one side and left the city more divided.
He's not a good administrator and has never held a significant non-political job in his life. He's a professionally trained actor. A talker, not a worker.
Despite his political pedigree and the Landrieu name, the voters of New Orleans twice rejected his candidacy for mayor.
Buyer beware.
12
I really don't know a lot about him, except that I watched that speech -- which was WONDERFUL.
I do like the idea of having a president with some executive experience -- mayor or governor or cabinet-member.
If not running for president, maybe he would make a good VP candidate?
8
@Rachel Kreier I hope we have learned by now that giving good speeches is not what we need.
1
Oh Man! When I read the title I assumed it was about Mitch McConnell and my heart sank so much I didn't know I could revive :(
Mitch Landrieu is the kind of healer who will bring all kinds of people together. If he is not ready to run for President, he should be considered for VP, for sure.
33
The campaign itself is important, and challenging candidates can help frame the questions that the voters need answered.
I think Mitch Landrieu can provide an intelligent and dignified alternative to all those who will be tossing their hats into the ring.
I hope he runs.
It was the White South that gave Trump the victory, and someone needs to be able to speak with them, to heal the damage that Trump has done.
Hugh
10
“If I had my choice and I was flipping a coin, I would pick mayors before I would pick senators or congressmen.”
That old adage, “All politics are local”; comes to mind. I wonder is that a theory more adaptable to shorter term approaches or deriving more enduring outcomes—Statehood Vs. Federalism or Towns Vs. Statewide interests? President Clinton once remarked paraphrasing, “that the secret in wielding power is its point of focus and the more narrow the more effective.” The more advanced social/economic welfare that some European nations have achieved for their citizens seems to relie more on the sun than the moon. Mayors seem more dependent!
1
@Samuel Owen, I think Mayor Landrieu’s distinction was meant to be executive vs legislative experience.
2
I think that Landrieu would be a good candidate and should consider throwing his hat in the ring. The Dems need to run a mayor or a governor, someone who deals with multiple and conflicting constituencies, and not a member of Congress who, it seems, at least nowadays, must vote up or down according to ideology. Pragmatics and compromise are not inherently bad things, if they keep things moving forward. They are certainly better than stalemate, gridlock, and the tyranny of the majority.
14
I knew nothing about Mitch Landrieu before I read this article, and somehow I knew even less when I finished reading the article.
What policies does he favor? Radical centrist? What does that even mean besides a politician who evades talk of actual policy? Compromise? What does he compromise toward besides preserving his own 30 year political career?
Maybe guys like Landrieu are going out of fashion for a good reason.
20
@citybumpkin
It's rather unsurprising that someone actively denying that he is running for president would not take the time to lay out his policy positions.
It seems to me that Charles is highlighting the conversation concerning how the racial divide — with all of its complexities — might be constructively addressed and overcome, rather than exacerbated.
That would be a "radical" turn in the right direction, which is to me the central point of the article.
Some readers are unhappy with his handling of the Confederate statues, which only highlights how tricky (and inevitably 'divisive') a rejection of all forms of countenancing white supremacy continues to be.
Overcoming racial division will continue to be hard. Stoking it continues to be easy, though ultimately a losing strategy as well as a moral wrong that must be brought to an end.
But if you want to know more about Landrieu, there are plenty of resources at your fingertips
3
@citybumpkin
Read his book "In The Shadow of Statues: A White Southerner Confronts History" if you want to find out more about him.
@citybumpkinMaybe I’m misinterpreting Blow’s article here. But I thought this was a “nod nod wink wink I’m not running for President but I’m really thinking about it.”
First of all, Kamala Harris is not African-American and though it doesn't really matter to me, facts matter. She is my choice for President because of her background as Atty General of CA, and her combination of toughness, brains and support of progressive issues. She is a woman who could go toe to toe with Putin, as well be reasonable and innovative about immigration, climate change, health care and an increased minimum wage. After all, she is from California.
I hope to God that Biden and Elizabeth Warren don't run. They aren't Presidential material. Beto isn't ready. Sanders would not win, and I can't see him on the national stage.
The democrat that wins can put all of the progressives that Americans in general like in her/his cabinet. Especially those who can put together a strong, effective sustainable energy program/infrastructure push that will create millions of jobs.
At the very least Kamala should be a choice for a major spot in the cabinet or a top presidential aide. Same with Kirsten Gillibrand.
Bloomberg may also be able to win if running with a progressive and then fill his cabinet with progressives like Cory Booker, Jeff Merkley, Beto and Kristen Gillibrand, and all of the other great candidates/experts.
Sherrod Brown or Kennedy might also be able to pull this off.
But don't forget to back a candidate who is very concerned with sustainable energy--we really are poised for environmental disaster.
Sorry, Mitch would never win.
32
@GreenSpirit As you can see I am (formerly) from the Pacific Northwest but my Irish partner had a nervous breakdown of sorts and we jumped ship and moved to Ireland, back home for her.
I posted this a few days ago re the piece on Ohio. It was approved.
I am in favor of Senator Brown running for President of the U.S.
Over 30 years ago when he was Secretary of State (if I remember right) I had communications with him regarding a problem I was having with a new piece of legislation entitled, "The Amateur Sports Act of 1978." I'm not from Ohio and yet he was kind, approachable, and helpful. It appears he is the same man now as he was then. We civilized citizens cannot afford to let the entrenched leaders of the Democratic Party resort to one of the ancient party leaders to draw lots to determine who will run against frump or pinch.
There are comments here in this comment section which suggested a Biden/Brown ticket. I love Biden but Brown is the right choice for this time. I would vote for him.
13
@GreenSpirit,
Everyone on your list has provided us with examples of good reasons why they should not be president.
@GreenSpirit
Well Sanders is as big a demigod as Trump so of coarse he will run. He is partially responsible of the disaster of Trump. Fran Leibowitz got that 100% right in my opinion.
2
On an international news site I came across an interesting study. 70% of almost any society are what that writer referred to as structural conservatives. With that the writer meant, that this large majority does not care about politics, wants to just get on with their lives and does not inform itself at all or get involved unless an issue has a direct impact on their daily lives. Only 30% of people are actually political in a way that would be the requisite for a functioning democracy - understanding and informed about facts, choices, impacts.
This makes for easy picking of some very low hanging fruit if one is prepared to say and do anything and everything regardless of truth and consequences. The devious men and women of the R. party and their propaganda tv have embraced that strategy after the earnest Bob Dole failed and have not let it go since.
22
Let's see: thoughtful, pragmatic, well-spoken, decisive, actual executive experience, committed to racial justice, a healing, idealistic, but clear-eyed tone.
I'm with him.
53
As a New Orleans resident, I found that Mitch as Mayor neglected the fundamentals of City governing- mainly crime and a reliable water system. However, we do have bike lanes the other initiative that Mitch supported beyond the statue removals.
7
@Ann hmmm if this is accurate I would think that water and order of law are more important than bike lanes and statues for the next POTUS to have on his/her resume ! We need an intelligent hard worker UNDER 65 years of age, (I'm 72), that has some real experience with the world those of us outside of the beltway live in. Right now my choice is Senator Klobachur.
7
He is savvy, experienced, and ,more importantly, genuine from all I've read about him. He has intestinal fortitude too. V.P. would be a good option. He would be a strong asset.
15
Getting rid of Trumpism -- or at least maintaining it as a sort of Devil’s Island reserved for kooks and malcontents in need of close, careful watching -- will be a long, hard slog; although there are such things as self-limiting diseases, Trumpism is not one of them, so it will take someone young in spirit, physically appealing, brainy, idealistic, tough-minded and ruthless to start us on our way.
Obviously, someone who doesn’t think in traditional political party terms.
There are a number of possibilities.
An outsider, a Robert Kennedy, another Barack, maybe a Beto, maybe a woman, though I don’t see one on the horizon yet, someone moderate-center-right who is obsessed with fixing things, is willing to gamble on Medicare-for-all and a limited program of income supports; and is not adverse to abandoning failed programs like tax relief for billionaires as a means of controlling the national debt.
A President who values business, but insists on shuffling the cards when dealing with business people.
A President open to bringing in an experienced hand like Michael Bloomberg to help him run things.
Beto and Bloomberg. That, in fact, is not a bad idea.
17
@A. Stanton
I very much doubt Mike Bloomberg will be anyone's VP.
He wants to be President, not Vice President.
2
Everything I've read about Mitch Landrieu makes me think we need more people like Mitch Landrieu. He hasn't been primping his image for national exposure; he's simply been doing the best he can with difficult decisions, and that has brought him into the national spotlight.
30
I have observed Mr. Landreau on various talk shows and like the way he speaks. He has a credibility that might actually gain some traction with the southern conservatives and others of the Trump Base that others the D's might offer don't have. Also, as the mayor of a large city he does have the experience of being a governmental administrator who actually had to do things. He certainly has a better background than the current POTUS.
To team him with someone else credible would be good- a name no one mentions, but who seems serious, and with good international experience is Sen Mark Warner of Virginia.
I know- two middle aged white guys, but they seem to be sober, realistic people that would manage all the various issues of our nation from climate change, to health care, race relations, international affairs. And return some dignity to the office of the President
19
I lived in the Mississippi Delta, near Greenville, for about seven years. The Confederate statues were so common, almost every little town had one, that they seemed as much of the south as magnolia trees and the Mississippi River itself. Until I read Mr. Landrieu's book, In the Shadow of Statues, I didn't understand the controversy over removing the statues. He explained it clearly and in a way that made me understand the meaning behind them. They weren't so much put up to honor the dead but to frighten the living. Mr. Landrieu explains it much better than I can. I would recommend his book to anyone interested in politics, or the South, or anyone who loves New Orleans.
165
@Linda
The book also includes his speech following the removal of the Confederate statues erected to reinforce Jim Crow in New Orleans. I think it is the finest speech in the history of this country of a white man truly empathizing with black folks. Unfortunately, we've seen in that past two years that Trump supporters are far too racist to vote for a uniter like Landrieu.
8
I worked in Mitch’s first campaign for mayor 24 years ago. He lost in the primary to Marc Morial, son of New Orleans’ first African-American mayor, Dutch Morial. Mitch has qualities you don't see in many people, let alone politicians. He is genuine, courteous, and, most of all, kind. He operates in a centrist way, but is no doubt a progressive. I left New Orleans over 20 years ago, so didn't get to see him close up when he ultimately ascended to the mayoralty. Even if had known nothing about his tenure as mayor, I would still know that he did an excellent job. He's not in it for himself.
128
@Clyde Nice post but how can a politician be both a centrist and a progressive?
There is a lot to like about Mr. Landrieu.
But this next presidential election is all about GOTV, and turning Florida and the rust belt back to blue and maybe poaching Arizona and Georgia if they don't rig the voting machines.
If you're going to try and thread that needle, better bets are Sherrod Brown or Deval Patrick.
I like Kamala Harris but still not sold, have to see more from her.
If you want to see Trump get reelected go ahead and run Biden, Bernie, Warren, Booker, Beto and the other dozen or so not ready for prime time Dems who think that anybody can be president now just because Trump won.
It doesn't work that way.
12
The real dilemma for Democrats right now is that a generic democrat beats Trump in polls and any of the two dozen or so announced or unannounced candidates would be preferable to Trump.
But generic doesn’t win elections and when the democratic nomination is winnowed down to three or four candidates, the attack machines on Fox News, nicknames floated by Trump and the evil genius of bringing out the base of a GOP taken over by Trumpism, most of these democrats won’t make the cut.
No matter if centrists like Landrieu get into this race, these next two years in the nominating process must be united that all losing candidates will support the nominee after what could be a bruising fight between moderates and progressives.
12
Sorry, Mr. Blow, but neither Corey Booker nor Duval Patrick are really good candidates to/for progressives, at least concerning progressive economics. Despite a good record as governor of Massachusetts Duval Patrick has chosen to throw in his lot with the Wall Street greed crowd, taking an executive position with Bain Capital, a leveraged buyout, private equity firm best known for being founded and headed for many years by Mitt Romney. According to Wikipedia, over one 8 year period of 77 deals done, 17 went bankrupt or out of business while Bain collected millions in fees. They say one is known by the company one keeps Emile Durkheim-Mr. Patrick has apparently made his choice. Like Hilary, he can't have it both ways. Regarding Sen. Booker, despite his current stances, one remembers him in 2012 advising Pres. Obama to avoid criticizing Wall Street, a significant source of support For Sen. Booker. We don't need another 'campaign-trail progressive'.
61
Mitch is somewhat ethereal. Not a word about economics. If people spend the majority of the day at work, cooperating with competent minorities, what else is there, there will be no time for recrimination.
Come on Mitch, if you want to gain traction nationally, speak from the heart.
7
Progressives get blamed for wanting to spend as much as republicans have already done through tax cuts and the war in Iraq. Democrats should not be running to simply clean up the financial mess that republicans have made. If you are a Democratic presidential candidate, strongly and fearlessly make the case for domestic spending that deals with climate change, jobs, healthcare and education. There are massive domestic problems that need solving and the Democrat candidate is going to have to fight through a massive headwind from the media and conservatives on spending. Don't be cowed by conservatives. Not to take anything away from Mitch, but I wold love to see a real progressive get the nomination.
45
Mitch Landrieu represents the best chance this country has for racial reconciliation and harmony. And his pragmatic approach to governing is especially needed in these divisive times. I hope he runs for president.
33
@DbB Not sure if you are new to the country, but we recently elected a mixed-race Hawaiian candidate as "the best chance this country has for racial reconciliation and harmony." It didn't work out. He simply carried out Bush Jr.'s policies of helping the rich, and helping overthrow leaders abroad leaving chaos. I don't remember any "racial reconciliation" either. Fool me once, shame on me. Fool me twice... nobody is votiing for "racial reconciliation" as a national priority anymore. These are competitive times with important national issues to face. Vote the person: not the gender or the skin tone or the pretty background myth.
1
Thank you for introducing Mitch Landrieu. He has the quality of maintaining the dignity of the South while using pragmatism to articulate and execute a vision to push into an inclusive future.
However, it’s too soon by about 8 or 9 months to sort candidates. Look at the headlines for this weekend alone- Crimea and immigrants trying to aggressively breach the Mexican-U.S. border. What else will arise? The Muller results and House investigations will likely also diminish the Trump allure.
I fully expect the U.S. to be on the brink of war when the 2020 campaign starts in earnest. Both China and Russia will see historical opportunities to grab territory they covet while the U.S. and “allies” are in political disarray and need time to agree and respond. If we’re on the brink of war, are parents in his base really going to eagerly send their children to be cannon fodder in a Trump "re-election" war?
My point is that who the Democrats consider viable will depend on the context of the time as well as personal charisma, personal political skills, and the credibility their experience and life-story bring to the political goals.
19
I agree we may we’ll be on the brink of war in 2020. A civil war.
"Radical Centrist" -- I like the ring of that.
I also like nuance. A "poetic speech about removing Confederate statues," sounds more like an invitation than an inflammation.
We came, oh, so close, with such powerful candidates in other nearby southern states. One wonders whether Abrams, and O'Rourke might have prevailed had they made similar choices to invite rather than inflame when asked about Stone Mountain in Atlanta, and "Take a Knee" on the football field.
7
Thank you for NOT writing about you-know-who, Mr. Blow.
It was refreshing reading about someone who cares about this country and its people. Whether Mitch runs for president or not is not really important as paying attention to the ideas and thoughts he expresses. I hope he continues to play a constructive role in whatever capacity he chooses.
292
Landrieu's Confederate monument speech has not seen its equal since he delivered it. The Democratic Party could do worse, much worse, than to nominate another candidate for president. Don't discount that possibility.
But, if a winning Democrat is the goal, I'm afraid Mitch has at least one more election cycle to endure before a seriously serious campaign might succeed.
At this point in the game, a Beto/Landrieu ticket stands an immeasurably better chance than does any with Mitch in the lead position. And imagine where we could be in 16 years if the afore-named pairing won in 2020.
43
The shallowness of the attention of the electorate weighs heavily in my pairing of Mr. Landrieu and Mr. O'Rourke. I would be deliriously happy with the pair in either of the two combinations of their names, but name recognition is at least 75% of the game, and with that being the case, it is wiser to bet on Beto in the lead role.
25
"...he really began to be talked about as a possible presidential contender when he moved to take down Confederate statues in the city and gave a powerful, poetic speech explaining why."
His speech impressed me a lot. But that was well, light years earlier than now, by Trump time.
Which means, so much has happened that would he actually be able to out primary the well-known African American candidates you cite, Charles?
I wouldn't rule it out because of his frankness and his record. Not that I'm placing bets--I'm not.
But in a field as crowded as Black Friday stores were last week, no one potential candidate stands out. Some have charisma but no resume, some the resume but no charisma.
I hope he proceeds with more definite plans for the racial reconciliation institute before seriously considering a run. That way he develops even more credibility as a healer.
While I'm not sure wider tolerance for white supremacy would lead to world war, Landrieu is correct to say the nation can't afford to let it flourish any more than antisemitism--no accident the two forms of hate usually occur together.
We need more political leaders like Mitch: honest, blunt, and most important, morally persuasive.
149
@ChristineMcM - Kamala Harris is not African American even though Vogue Magazine described her as "black" in an article I dug up this morning. A commenter, Green something, pointed that out early this morning noting that Harris mother came to the US from India.
Before submitting comments on this subject I tried to fine genome/detailed lines of descent information about the other two but found little that is useful. All this points again to the absurdity of the USCB system, in which the one-drop principle makes a person "black" no matter what the exact color their skin is or what their genome analysis tells us.
I sent this reply in part because submissions asking for definitions of race routinely are rejected.
Larry L.
4
@Larry Lundgren: Kamala Harris was born of a Tamil Indian mother and a Jamaican father. Curious about your reply, I checked an interesting article from USA today that reports the definitions of "African American" are changing with the influx of immigrants to the US, then citizens, of Caribbean origin. In a sense of course, they may be considered Africans of the Americas. The article is posted here: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2018/02/21/black-history-african-american-definition/1002344001/
Look, I don't care where people come from or the color of their skin. All I know is that people of darker skin are routinely referred to as blacks. I wasn't sure of the other part of your post, about USCB--are you referring to college entrance information?
I wish the US were a colorblind nation, but of course, that is totally wishful thinking. Mitch Landrieu is trying to heal the legacy of slavery in the south, but there are pockets of racism all over the US, and today, everything is far worse because of the demagoguery and "wink-nod" dog whistles of various Republicans candidates in the last election.
1
@ChristineMcM - -Christine I do not care where they come from either. I suggest you look at Dorothy Roberts' TED talk since she specifically explains that in the US people are "seen as black" and since black is a USCB race category US medical researchers continue to treat black race as a genetic variable.
As for USCB I have filed 100s of comments since 2013 pointing to the essential book by Kenneth Prewitt, former USCB Director, in which Chapter 11 is devoted to a proposal to end the USCB system. Not one single Times article ever mentions this book. Professor Roberts makes the same argument in "Fatal Invention-How Science, Politics, and Big Business Re-create Race in the Twenty-First Century". Not once has her book been mentioned.
The new editor of Race/Related, Lauretta Charlton tells me that Dorothy Roberts is her good friend so I hope the Times will finally deal with this subject.
Nations cannot be color blind and there is no reason for individuals to be color blind. But skin color has no value in assigning people to "races". Adrian Piper, the subject of 2 recent interviews in the Times explained that she fled to Germany to save her life from Americans who wanted to put her in race boxes. I recommend those 2 interviews and the books I name.
Larry L.
Nice piece. What Mr. Blow calls "effective centrism" does have its virtues. Hopefully, this is a phrase that we will see used much more widely in the future whether it is describing Mitch or another Centrist.
24
Mitch Landrieu is a poet and bon vivant, a wise philosopher who acquired his knowledge and wisdom before dotage, a true American hero. He has courage. He has heart. He understands what ails us. We are all human and are all of us frail. But who better to lead us? He might save the nation from itself.
131
A nice piece, but beyond that some rare but important nuance applied to "centrism," including whether or not a potential candidate is or is not a "radical centrist." We need more of this, including whether there are potentially helpful quiet dynamics between centrism and liberalism. They may not be as far apart as conventional wisdom would have it, particularly as things evolve and deals get formed.
One caveat in the subtitle, though, although the author may not have been the one who chose it: "Certainty" is seen as inherently a good thing; and, indeed, candidates all seem to be expected to give their views with total certainty.
In contrast, most of the solutions to our complex problems involve large amounts of uncertainty; polices, particularly innovative ones, may have unanticipated effects, which require monitoring and adjustments; the world and society change constantly; and compromises often involve unpredictable amounts of give-&-take.
Plus, our brains come close to being error machines, putting a premium on learning, reflection, adaptation, and...humility. So the current political culture has to change in yet another way to allow for humble candidates, or those who can distinguish between, say, certain values they espouse and facts they cite, versus complex problems they wish to tackle.
We can do with a lot less "certainty," which consciously or not hides doubts. Being certain about inherently uncertain things is not an admirable quality in a President.
6
It is unfortunate that the democratic response to an extremely right wing dominance of the country is to move to the right. I guess Reagan was correct, the corporations are good, the people bad and lazy. What is a centrist but someone who agrees with their opponent?
16
@Chris I wish I had the time or talent to answer your question in detail. Suffice it to say that there can be many positions that lie between progressive and conservatives. Here is one. Conservatives want all medical care to be privatized. Progressives want single payer. Centrists want to defend and enhance the ACA (Obamacare) and support universal care or Medicare for all. Centrists are liberals and support civil liberties, gay marriage, choice for women, a fair minimum wage and and spending on infrastructure. They tend to avoid identity politics and feel that there are core values of our country worth defending. Progressives argue for radical redistribution of wealth and conflate patriotism with nationalism . They tend to view our country in the worst possible way and often mock those most hurt by our economy. Those are just some differences.
23
@Jake Seems to me you describe centrists as progressives. Single payer IS Medicare for all. You mention nothing that a progressive is not in favor of. If a centrist supports gay marriage and advocates pulling down Confederate statues, is he not guilty of identity politics (in the mind of the right)? A centrist would no more approve of the recent tax cut to billionaires (leading to $1.5 trillion in additional debt) than a progressive would. And it is conservatives who conflate patriotism with nationalism; progressives know well the difference! Our country under Trump has a lot to answer for, starting with the numerous senseless actions that lead to making the planet uninhabitable by humans. As for mocking those most hurt, to the extent this occurs at all, it is because the ones who hurt are supporting more pain from Trump rather than seeking solutions from the party that actually wants to help them. (Oh, and which party mocks NFL players who protest the unjust killing of innocent blacks at the hands of law enforcement?) Those are just some of the similarities.
5
@John B “Progressives” in the American sense are those who call themselves socialists without acknowledging the terrible historical baggage of this word. They are those who shamelessly insist that the Nordic countries are socialist when the democratic socialist party in Norway has a whopping 6 percent of the popular vote. They are those who call for censorship of the social media, yell at speakers on college campuses, and peddle kangaroo courts in the disguise of protecting victims’ rights. They push for Medicare for all without even realizing that the NHS model of single payer is not the only, or the most efficient, one. They accuse their opponents of moral corruption, while refusing to see their own. Yes, all those are “soft” issues but historical experience teaches us that what starts with culture wars quickly devolves into real oppression. If the Democrats run a socialist, I am voting for Trump.
1
While Landrieu seems a lot like the real deal and the Democrats
are beginning to deepen their bench of candidates, the small sample of comments below predicts the predictable Democratic
readiness, willingness and ability to divide and conquer themselves to defeat through pettiness, bickering and lack of consensus. Of course, it's too soon to tell, but they'd better get it together sooner rather than later.
28
I have a bit of a family connection here. My grandmother- we called her Nanny- lived in San Antonio, but loved New Orleans, and was a close friend of Fats Waller. They were both piano prodigies, and played grand piano duets atop a hotel in the summertime.
Nanny ran away from a lily white finishing school in Kentucky when she was 19 so she could hook up with a gambler. They traveled the South and West, playing piano in honky tonks and whorehouses, or sell Colliers Encyclopedias door to door when gigs were scarce.
We all loved New Orleans, and knew that its tradition of racial harmony and mixed race citizens preceded even the Civil War.
I know little about Landrieu, but would vote for him on one condition: he sheds any relationships with the oil companies, who must be brought to heel. If he does that, he could be the one to save us from the horrific future we are currently hurtling toward. Tough to do in Louisiana, but if he does so it would make that stance all the stronger.
72
Mitch has qualities other candidates at the top of heap, black and white do not have. He is relatively detached from who begins the long road, cures the vacant promise of social cohesion. Binding wounds not a path for transactional politics and labels. Pragmatism is a way of looking at the world around you, seeking solutions that fit the issue. Non-partisan, the goal or gauge of progress rests on achieving the common good.
True Statesmen, none currently available, would value consensus over occasional or transitory victories. I am thinking about Mitt not Mitch. Romney took a knee during the most turbulent, troubling of Trump days. The GOP surrendered principle and lost its voice to Trumpism.
Mitch should consider a primary run. Beto should likewise. Southern progressives represent change void of convulsions. Lurching to the left is tempting given issues like climate, health care, wage inequality and immigration.
The gut question concerns whether free market economics as currently practiced inflicts mortal wounds on our democracy. Funding and dividing the economic pie in one way or another involves the major issues of the day. We need to face those facts and have that debate. Cortez sees the challenge more clearly than Booker and Harris.
18
@texsun
Great assessment of Mitch Landrieu!
He will be a good candidate, if elected, a great president!
1
Mr. Landrieu is one of the most measured and inspiring individuals I have heard. He speaks on a level that reaches out to the individual to pause and think, not simply react with emotion. If he is not ready or willing for a brutal presidential campaign, I think he would be well placed as Attorney General.
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@Carolyn
I was so impressed by your description of Mitch Landrieu. I have been feeling exactly that way. But you lost me when you wrote, "If he is not ready or willing for a brutal presidential campaign." He should be encouraged, pushed into running. Potential A.G.s are a dime a dozen.
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I'd much rather have Sherrod Brown
Who over his Senate years shown
An Ohio winner
Will crush Trump for dinner
Progressive in action and tone.
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@Larry Eisenberg. Hi Larry. I posted this a few days back re the article on Ohio. It was approved. I thought you might find favor in it. Cheers
leo LaBranche | port Townsend, wa
I am in favor of Senator Brown running for President of the U.S.
Over 30 years ago when he was Secretary of State (if I remember right) I had communications with him regarding a problem I was having with a new piece of legislation entitled, "The Amateur Sports Act of 1978." I'm not from Ohio and yet he was kind, approachable, and helpful. It appears he is the same man now as he was then. We civilized citizens cannot afford to let the entrenched leaders of the Democratic Party resort to one of the ancient party leaders to draw lots to determine who will run against frump or pinch.
There are comments here in this comment section which suggested a Biden/Brown ticket. I love Biden but Brown is the right choice for this time. I would vote for him.
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@Larry Eisenberg
Larry, I have enormous respect for you. But I disagree with you here. Sen. Brown is too unimpressive; very little gravitas.
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@Larry Eisenberg, Sherrod Brown/Kamala Harris or Kirsten Gillibrand would make a great ticket. But so would many others!
I am so glad to read this article and see that Mitch Landrieu is admired by a NYTimes columnist whom I also admire. I heard Mr. Landrieu speak a few months ago and was struck by his easy manner, his obvious intelligence and his pragmatism. He and John Hickenlooper, governor of Colorado, are the two bright stars of this election season. They are my top two choices to run for President in 2020.
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Mitch Landrieu, thankfully, never accepted as inevitable that a liberal running in the South would meet defeat. That determination, and willingness to serve as a moderate who represents a wide spectrum of constituents, make him a top contender for 2020.
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I doubt Mitch could win a statewide election in Louisiana.
@NM
Why not run Hillary again? She's got those three million votes in her pocket already. And Bill was the original "white savior" (the first "black" president, remember?) Hillary also should still have that campaign ad indicating she will save us from nuclear war. So why start from scratch?
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You can easily be a ''centrist'' (or pragmatist) at the local or state level, but no longer at the federal level.
The republican party has effectively made it ultra partisan to the point that even if you are a Democrat in power, but do not have a 60 vote threshold in the Senate, that your vision will be completely blocked.
It used to be, that Democrats (in general) would try to hold the line on some social issues or funding, so that republicans could always have their tax cuts. (with an expanded military of course)
Even that is no longer possible, since republicans want their tax cut for millionaires, want their wars AND want to eliminate the social safety net, and now health care especially.
THAT is why Progressives are on the rise and why they are winning elections. We just aren't going to be walked all over any more.
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Does Centrist mean that women will no longer have control over their own bodies?
That's what "centrist" means to some "centrist" Democrats--selling out women for political gain.
Where does he stand on this issue?
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@FunkyIrishman
I'm OK with that as long as the dems actually get something passed. Anything passed. They have had a hard time helping the 99%ers over the last 50 years.
ObamaCare does not count. It stinks thanks mostly to the big money lobbyists that forced the dems to hold back critical items.
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@FunkyIrishman Wow, that was spot on, I love it!
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