Karl Rove Praises the Three 2028 Democratic Presidential Hopefuls With a ‘Winning Formula’

LEFT: (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli, File) RIGHT: (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

Legendary GOP operative Karl Rove identified the three Democrats eyeing presidential campaigns who he believes “have elements of a winning formula” in a new Wall Street Journal column.

After observing that the Democratic Party remains less popular than both the GOP and President Donald Trump, Rove pinned the blame for its struggles on hysterical messaging and observed that the party was trying to get around its branding issue by running liberal candidates as independents rather than Democrats.

“While Mr. Schumer and others try mitigating their party’s toxicity by running independents in name only, smart Democrats understand their party needs a better message to attract voters. They don’t have the complete answer, but three possible Democratic 2028 hopefuls have elements of a winning formula,” submitted Rove. “Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear has the tone. Democrats must focus ‘on things that matter.’ ‘Talk like a normal human being,’ he says. ‘Don’t just talk about your policy points. Talk about your ‘why’ — and ‘the why has to be authentic.’ Of course in telling Democrats to be authentic, he should come across as such. That’s sometimes a problem for Mr. Beshear. He’s too wooden.”

Rove praised two other Democrats whom he views as being on the right track:

Sen. Cory Booker (D., N.J.) got the language right at last weekend’s Michigan Democratic Convention. He brought the crowd to their feet as he shouted, “Will you stand together, unified, strong—be the hope that people need?” He deliberately didn’t close with a [Tim] Walz– or [Chris] Murphy-like denunciation of Mr. Trump. He ended with a call for positive action.

And former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel makes a compelling, common-sense case for a new Democratic Party during every appearance and op-ed. He’s running more to the center, offering answers to real problems and criticizing his party for being out of step with middle America. Capturing the right tone matters, but substance does, too.

“These three are outliers within their party,” he concluded. “Democrats still have time to get things right for the midterms and 2028, but less than they think.”

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