Things can get so heavy that every now and again it’s necessary to take a break and at least pretend they might get back to normal someday. In that context, let’s imagine a presidential race in 2024 between two governors who couldn’t be more representative of the differences between their parties — Gavin Newson, the Democrat from California, and Ron DeSantis, the Republican from Florida.
They are currently positioning themselves as the possible presidential nominees next time around, and because of Joe Biden’s low approval numbers and the gathering legal storm facing Donald Trump, it is increasingly unlikely that we will see a rerun of the 2020 battle between those two.
Given how divided the country is, voters would no doubt welcome a generational turnaround from the two old men in favor of Newsom (54) vs. DeSantis (43). That would do nothing to reduce the divisions that plague us, of course, but at least the faces would be new.
If it happened and was a free, fair election, untainted by the voter restrictions and suspicious state and county officials busily being installed by the GOP, it would be a relief. But those are big “ifs.”
It’s too soon to predict whether either governor would run, let alone who would win if they did, but the mere prospect is a bit of a breath of fresh air given the torpid atmosphere of American politics.
And for one day, I prefer to think about that race instead of the coming apocalypse.
***
Today is my oldest son’s birthday. Happy Birthday, Dr. Peter T. Weir!
LATEST LINKS (40):
Shadow 2024 race: Newsom vs. DeSantis — The fight highlights how two young governors have captured the attention of their respective parties. (Politico)
Gov. Newsom urges Floridians to move to California where they 'believe in freedom' (Fox)
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Jan. 6 Panel Secures Deal for Cipollone to Be Interviewed (NYT)
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Bombshell Jan. 6 Testimony Could Hurt a Justice Department Prosecution (Politico)
Judges keeping Capitol riot trials in DC amid bias claims (AP)
7 Trump Allies Subpoenaed in Georgia Criminal Investigation (NYT)
Senator Lindsey Graham will not comply with subpoena in Georgia election probe. (Independent)
The Supreme Court’s next move might cripple our democracy (Edit Bd/WP)
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Real estate firm Cushman & Wakefield held in contempt for not turning over Trump documents (ABC)
The man accused of spraying gunfire into a July Fourth parade from a Chicago-area rooftop, turning a holiday celebration into a killing field, was due to make his first court appearance to face seven first-degree murder charges. The suspect slipped past the safeguards of an Illinois 'red flag' law designed to prevent people deemed to have violent tendencies from getting guns, officials revealed. (Reuters)
Panicked reactions show an America divided, anxious, and reluctant to trust (WP)
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Footage showed Carlos Santana waving to fans as he was taken off stage in the middle of a concert in Michigan on Tuesday night. Fans were asked to leave and to pray for Santana, who turns 75 later this month. His management later said he was suffering from heat exhaustion and dehydration. [HuffPost]
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