February 27, 2026
Well, AOC pretty much stuck a shiv into her nascent Presidential ambitions with her incredibly dumb comments in Munich. It was her moment to elevate to the global stage, instead she stuck her foot in her mouth and left it there. I’m sure you’ve read about it. Just consider…she thinks Venezuela is south of the equator. Can someone in her position, considering a run for President, be that uninformed? Didn’t hit the books late into the night prepping?
To be sure, AOC is not a dummy. She graduated cum laude from Boston University in 2011 with a bachelor’s degree in…get ready…international relations and economics. Might be helpful for her ambitions if she would actually use that degree? Or perhaps BU teaches “alternative world international relations.”
But her core issues are her problem on a national stage. Tell me if you’re ready to vote for this:
She advocates a progressive platform that includes support for worker cooperatives (shades of Moscow, 1917), Medicare for All, tuition-free public colleges, a jobs guarantee, a Green New Deal, and abolishing ICE. And she believes Venezuela is south of the equator.
So a few days after, AOC released a short video explaining her performance in Munich. She blames President Trump for it. I’m not even kidding.
Like the MN Gov, she is working on a long career as a trick Trivia question.
I found contrast in watching Marco Rubio’s speech in Munich. He is not operating even in the same planetary system as she. Here is a link to his speech, if you haven’t seen it. 25 minutes or so, well worth the listen.
So, all of this got me thinking about 2028. And I think the ticket will be Rubio/DeSantis. In part, because experience counts. As I’ve written before, I don’t think Mr. Vance will escape Mr. Trump’s orbit and I believe once Mr. Trump concludes his term, people will be ready to turn the page to something else.
And I’m just unaware of any other Republicans who can approach the resumes and gravitas of these two men. I’m biased, of course. DeSantis is our governor and he’s been first rate. Rubio was my Senator. But Rubio shows his talents increasingly well. DeSantis is of Italian and Irish descent, Mr. Rubio, Cuban (Hispanic vote…15% of the electorate).
The Democrats situation is more problematic. First, you want to believe that just as Mr. Trump’s following will diminish over time, you want to believe that the Democrats can reclaim their Party from the blunt skulls on the Far Left. They had better, because if they don’t, I fear for the Party’s future (and as I’ve always said, we need a strong opposition party, always). This is a center-right nation and so, Far Right and Far Left just doesn’t sell.
I would like to see Mr. Emmanuel run. I’ve spoken of him before. He’s capable and while I don’t want to see his political views holding the White House, he is not a radical. More a pragmatic leader. A leader with decades of experience and has always acquitted himself well. He would be a good choice.
As to a running mate, it thins out. Perhaps a moderate Governor, less likely a Senator, probably not a former national candidate. I’m just perplexed on but I’m going to assume they would like to give a woman the nod. Here’s some to consider, courtesy of Claude, identified as moderates:
In the Senate
- Jon Tester (Montana, recently retired)
- Mark Warner (Virginia)
- Kyrsten Sinema (left the party, became Independent)
In the House
- Henry Cuellar (Texas)
- Jared Golden (Maine)
- Josh Gottheimer (NJ) co-chairs the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus
- Abigail Spanberger (Virginia, now Governor)
Governors / Former Officials
- Gretchen Whitmer (Michigan)
- Roy Cooper (North Carolina)
- John Hickenlooper (Colorado, now Senator)
Gavin Newsom has exactly zero chance of winning (perhaps less). Mr. Newsom’s approach…making Trump the issue, is a losing strategy. And you know, I just paid $5.00/gallon for gas in Monterey…its $2.99 here in Florida and you’re not going to empty out the tiki bars down here to rush in and pay $5.00. California, despite all its wealth, has now slipped into an increasingly large budget deficit. The chances of the American people voting for that are zero as well. Newsom will punch himself out well before 2028.
He would do his Party a favor and stand aside and give air and room to viable candidates. But like Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer, he and they want to stay forever and blanket the next generation with suffocating oversight. It won’t work Governor; let it all go. You can’t win.
Kamala Harris has no chance. There is now too much baggage surrounding her and the country has already voted. Reps would carry Tim Walz medallions around their necks as a reminder since the Minn fraud case will be a lot of headline fodder soon. They would conflate him with her judgement in naming him. Pete Buttigeig is a decent man but can’t get elected on a national ticket.
In all, it’s a poser. For sure, I hope the right people step forward and provide loyal opposition. But to me, it’s difficult for them, I think.
For fun, I asked Claude to summarize current polling:
Kamala Harris leads the pack at 39%, followed by California Governor Gavin Newsom at 30%, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez at 12%, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro at 9%, and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker at 7% Newsweek, per a Harvard Harris poll from early February.
A separate Focaldata poll from February 10 showed similar results — Harris at 39%, Newsom at 21%, AOC at 10%, with Buttigieg and Shapiro each at 7%, and Arizona Senator Mark Kelly at 6%. Newsweek
Betting markets tell a different story though: Kalshi’s odds favor Newsom at 32%, with AOC at 9%, while Harris, Ossoff, and Shapiro are each at 7%. Markets may be discounting Harris’s ability to win a general election after 2024. Newsweek
Thoughts, questions, or reflections? I’d love to hear them. You can reach me anytime at anthony@workingprofit.com
