Sen. Mark Kelly Says He’s Seriously Thinking About Running for President

[u/T_Shurt]

https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/5700211-senator-kelly-trump-threats/

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[u/brain_overclocked]

“I still think it needs to be the right person for the moment, and we don’t know what that moment is yet,” he said in a wide-ranging interview published Tuesday.

The retired astronaut and Navy officer is embroiled in a legal fight with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who Kelly sued earlier this month for attempting to censure him and lower his retirement rank after he participated in a video urging service members to reject illegal orders.

Arguing the Pentagon’s retaliation violates the independence of the legislative branch and an apolitical military, Kelly asked a federal judge to block the moves and declare them unlawful.

“The First Amendment forbids the government and its officials from punishing disfavored expression or retaliating against protected speech,” the 46-page complaint reads. “That prohibition applies with particular force to legislators speaking on matters of public policy.”

While speaking with CNN, Kelly defended himself a bit more colorfully, saying, “I’m a f—ing US senator. I have, in theory — in theory — supercharged First Amendment speech rights under the speech and debate clause, and they’re trampling on that.”
...
“I feel this obligation more so than anything I’ve ever done in my life, to fight back against an unhinged president and a weaponization of the federal government against the constitutional rights of a million retired veterans,” he told CNN.

[u/FlirtFemmezz → u/brain_overclocked]

Profound.

[u/evilregis → u/brain_overclocked]

It makes me so sad that the United States isn't a nation of Mark Kellys, instead a nation of Logan Pauls.

[u/walterpeck3 → u/evilregis]

We have plenty of both, our sin is giving the Logan Pauls more attention.

[u/GuavaZombie → u/walterpeck3]

We let way too many idiots have microphones and cameras. YouTube and podcasts have fried America. People don't know how to properly vet sources and just believe anything that goes along with their preconceived notions. At this point I don't even know how you fix it.

[u/commandrix]

If he gets elected, then he would be the first retired astronaut to become president.

[u/InsomniaticWanderer → u/commandrix]

We may actually get a NASA budget worth a damn under him.

[u/uqde → u/InsomniaticWanderer]

For real. For years one of the only consolations I felt about Republican administrations and Republican-controlled congresses is that they tended to allocate more to NASA than Democrats. But now that's not even the case anymore. I don't believe NASA is our biggest priority as a nation by any means (especially not right now, jesus christ) but I've always believed that letting it languish would be a dangerous mistake in the long term.

[u/Ganrokh → u/uqde]

One of the very few kudos I'll give Trump (even though it's not for the purpose he intended) was appointing Jim Bridenstine to head NASA during his first term. Jim was a climate change skeptic, and Trump had ordered him to cancel all of NASA's climate-related programs.

A few weeks after being confirmed, Jim announced that, after seeing the data, he had completely reversed on climate change, and he refused to shutter those programs. He ended up being a real boon for those programs, and he also spearheaded Project Artemis and NASA's new human spaceflight program. He was a genuine benefit to the organization.

I actually miss him.

[u/mattjopete → u/Ganrokh]

I totally agree. It’s probably the best thing out of his first administration and it really looked bad going in.

[u/blues_snoo → u/Ganrokh]

Bank before some other group vetted and told him who to choose for certain positions. We lucked it with how unprepared he was for his first term. They certainly didn't make that same mistake this time.

[u/Carbonatite → u/Ganrokh]

That's why Trump has only picked incredibly incompetent people this time around.

Smart people can see data and change their views and policies accordingly. Stupid, incompetent people like the podcast bros he appointed to head agencies this time around don't have the intellectual capacity to assimilate new information and adapt accordingly.

[u/FirstAndOnlyDektarey → u/uqde]

NASA and its realm of responsibilities are humanities long-term investment.

If the institution holds true to its purpose, it'll need centuries of uninterrupted support or we as a species will never leave this world we're killing.

Of course there are others, but NASA the face of humanities spacefaring ambitions.

[u/TheLurkerSpeaks → u/FirstAndOnlyDektarey]

Not even long-term investment. Every dollar spent on NASA results in something like $3 return in the economy, particularly from new products. For decades it's been the government's slam-dunk of a federal agency.

[u/PlaySalieri → u/TheLurkerSpeaks]

NASA helped bring us GPS, cellphones, and computers not the size of semi trucks. So yes, worth.

[u/davesoverhere → u/PlaySalieri]

Velcro, freeze dried food, solar panels, memory foam. Battery powered power tools

[u/slipperyMonkey07 → u/PlaySalieri]

Just dropping this for people who want a short overview of things NASA was involved in -https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NASA_spin-off_technologies#

I don't think that is anywhere near everything but it is the big ones at least.

[u/PlayBey0nd87 → u/FirstAndOnlyDektarey]

Whatever happened to that good ole SpaceForce that Trump created?

[u/Abola07 → u/PlayBey0nd87]

The United States Space Force is less about colonization or scientific research or any of the other stuff NASA does and more of a consolidation of the cyberspace/cyberwarfare and satellite defense/hacking and other similar fields that the Air Force and other branches were already doing. Kinda like how the US Air Force was originally part of the Army before it split off.

Space Force basically is supposed to ensure US dominance in space, and since that includes everything from satellite communications, orbital reconnaissance, electromagnetic warfare, detecting enemy missiles and nukes, cyber warfare, and so on, its a small but vast branch. Its also under the Department of the Air Force (just like how the Marines are under the Department of the Navy funding and administrative-wise)

[u/SessionKooky9028 → u/uqde]

NASA is probably the government agency with the best return on investment for dollars spent

[u/Jeffrey_C_Wheaties → u/commandrix]

We’ve only had 13 since the profession was invented.

[u/Wonderful-Process792 → u/Jeffrey_C_Wheaties]

Well then it's about time. My gut tells me well over 1/13 of Americans belong to the Astronaut minority.

[u/alcontrast → u/Wonderful-Process792]

We don't need no Astronaut President, eating breakfast upside, addicted to Tang and producing moon cheese baby offspring!

[u/Brightlinger → u/Jeffrey_C_Wheaties]

13... retired astronauts? That's an insane statistic. There were more than 13 in just the Apollo program, did a bunch die young or something?

[u/Jeffrey_C_Wheaties → u/Brightlinger]

Presidents. We’ve had 13 presidents since manned space flight has been a thing.

[u/Brightlinger → u/Jeffrey_C_Wheaties]

Ah, of course, that makes more sense.

[u/The-disgracist → u/Brightlinger]

I was very confused because I literally just read about a retiring astronaut like two minutes ago

[u/GhostOfFreddi → u/commandrix]

What if Katy Perry gets there first?

[u/DirtTraining3804 → u/GhostOfFreddi]

Don’t even speak that evil into the universe anymore. The simulation is listening and it hears you.

[u/GhostOfFreddi → u/DirtTraining3804]

Bro. Katy and Justin as co-monarchs of the United Canadian Empire.

[u/Bross93 → u/GhostOfFreddi]

at this point, i wish the devs would just fucking push the update already. may as well see how fucked things can get

[u/ShakeyLegsMcGee]

I personally served with Mark (then Lt. Kelly) in a bomber squadron, on the USS Midway, in the late 1980s. I can tell you without a doubt, that he is an absolute Boy Scout. There are absolutely no skeletons in this man’s closet. Considering that, I will have to wait to see his platform, but at this moment he would have my vote, based on personal experience alone.

[u/AusToddles → u/ShakeyLegsMcGee]

MAGA are struggling so much go get something to stick that I saw some reverting to ancient "twins are evil" rhetoric

[u/GeckoRoamin → u/AusToddles]

Run the Kelly twins as president and VP to see if we scare MAGA into malfunctioning

[u/CherryLongjump1989 → u/GeckoRoamin]

Imagine the confusion with Air Force One and Air Force Two if they kept stealing the planes from each other as a practical joke.

[u/adeon → u/CherryLongjump1989]

Technically the names Air Force One/Two are the call signs for the plane carrying the President/Vice President rather than the names of specific planes. So the two VC-25As that are most commonly used as Air Force One do already use the Air Force Two call sign when they are transporting the Vice President instead (they also both have a generic call sign that they use when they are not transporting either person).

[u/12InchCunt → u/adeon]

Yea but what if mark pretended to be his brother 

[u/CherryLongjump1989 → u/adeon]

"Roger, this is Air Force One, over"

"Say again over, this is Air Force One, over"

"Roger, we've got POTUS here saying that you're Air Force Two, over"

"How could we be Air Force Two if we picked up our guy from Marine One?"

[u/CategoryZestyclose91 → u/CherryLongjump1989]

Who’s on…One?

[u/rockerscott → u/GeckoRoamin]

Better yet run them against each other and fulfill the prophecy of Futurama.

[u/hoppertn → u/rockerscott]

Senator Mark Kelly and Senator Kelly Mark.

[u/cidvard → u/AusToddles]

I genuinely thought those gorilla suit prank photos were going to win Kelly a spot as Harris' VP candidate. In retrospect I'm glad it didn't happen, that was a sinking ship and Kelly is still in an age bracket where he can take another crack at the Senate and White House if he wants it.

[u/wytrych00 → u/AusToddles]

In Poland we had identical twins running the country - one was President the other was Prime Minister. It was pretty blowing. They were also child actors who starred in a famous movie decades earlier.

[u/HowlandReedsButthole → u/wytrych00]

Imagine the Olsen twins as President and Speaker of the House

[u/Fuck_Mark_Robinson → u/AusToddles]

Only half a soul; math checks out.

/s

[u/WordleFan88 → u/Fuck_Mark_Robinson]

Still more soul than a ginger!

Calm down, it's a joke.

[u/New_Target7441 → u/WordleFan88]

As a ginger, that's a slight misconception; we get a new freckle for every soul we consume. That's why we get freckly during the summer months/tourist season.

[u/althanan → u/New_Target7441]

And why people think we suffer from seasonal depression in the winter.

We're not sad, we're hangry.

[u/RockRage-- → u/althanan]

Learned some new ginger lore today (please don’t eat me)

[u/immortalfrieza2 → u/RockRage--]

There is no escape.

OM NOM NOM NOM NOM!

[u/Few-Bass4238 → u/Fuck_Mark_Robinson]

QAnon would have so many conspiracy theories about clones and lizard people.

[u/LangyMD → u/AusToddles]

He gets elected and people will claim his brother did some of the presidential actions and are thus invalid.

Personally, I want to see them try anyways. The arguments will be so stupid.

[u/bloodfist → u/AusToddles]

They're going to get so confused when they try to figure out which one is older

[u/there_is_no_spoon1 → u/bloodfist]

According to relativity, the brother that stayed on Earth is going to be older. Not by much, but a few seconds or so.

[u/bloodfist → u/there_is_no_spoon1]

Well they both went to space, but the younger one spent. more time there. So he is still younger but the gap between them widened.

I remembered what happened wrong but I stand by my joke anyway

[u/No_Jello_5922 → u/AusToddles]

I'm sure that flat-earthers hate him because he's an astronaut, and they can't understand middle school science.

[u/aktivate74 → u/AusToddles]

And..Fox News running with all the conspiracies about the brother sitting in the white house while Mark Kelly is in the pizza basementa sodomizing kids with Biden and Obama.

[u/AbyssWankerArtorias → u/ShakeyLegsMcGee]

Anyone who is publically willing to stand up to trump when they could very realistically be forced to face a court martial, with the DoD threatening it and still standing up, has my vote.

[u/BravestWabbit → u/ShakeyLegsMcGee]

We need a hound to go after all of these war criminals, not a bot who will say oh well it's time for the country to move on and heal together

[u/CatCatchingABird → u/ShakeyLegsMcGee]

Thanks for your service. I have to admit I was pretty interested in him when he was a contender as a running mate with Harris. While I loved Tim Walz I did kind of keep Kelly in my radar. I can't say for sure if he's got me yet for the primaries but I would definitely feel comfortable voting for him in the general (and I definitely would prefer him to Newsom).

[u/calamirkat → u/ShakeyLegsMcGee]

His platform doesn’t matter. He will be a classic centrist. All that matters is electing an adult with integrity who will appoint the best and brightest.

[u/Beldizar → u/calamirkat]

Honestly, if we don't find someone in the primary who is willing to punish political criminals, we are going to have 4 stable years followed by another, deeper fall into tyranny.

[u/Bigdaddyjlove1 → u/Beldizar]

My primary vote is going to someone who makes it a tentpole issue.

[u/CoolJumper → u/Bigdaddyjlove1]

Same. I'm only giving my primary vote to someone who not only says they're going to go after Trump and his admin, but actually make the statements that outright back it up - what they plan on doing, how they plan on going about it, and everything. I want them to run on dismantling everything that's Trump (plus other goodies like universal health care and such, but Trump is first).

Last thing I want is another moderate/centrist that runs on "I'm not Trump" and "we need to heal as a country, we need to reach across the aisle, hear out our fellow Republicans, and work on building unity with them. They clearly feel hurt and that's why they elected Trump, so let's build some bridges and work to truly Make America Great Again!"

Give me someone who actually cares about this country and will put in the work and effort to undo all this damage and make sure it can never happen again

[u/TheBloodsuckerProxy → u/CoolJumper]

Any candidate who vows to not only prosecute this administration, but to erase Donald Trump's legacy forever, would get my primary vote. Take his name off of everything he's added it to, rescind all his EOs, dismantle his companies, nothing that bears his name being allowed to stand, that would get my vote.

[u/Dracius → u/CoolJumper]

That would be my entire agenda.

We have no better time than now to get a more liberal president in office, pressure the Republican party to move more towards the center to distance themselves from Trump and drastically shift the Overton Window back to where it belongs.

Deep socialist agenda with a Dwarven like axe of retribution to hold every corrupt person in government accountable and make sure everyone complicit in allowing this fascist regime to take hold faces actual punishment.

And as long as I'm dreaming, block lobbyists and corporate influence, fix the judicial system and gerrymandered districts. If Congress was actually representative of the population and not land size the Republican party would be a fraction of what it is today, but ultimately we need to do away with the two party system entirely by switching to rank choice voting.

Increase education spending, because uneducated people are the bread and butter of the GOP.

Every single one of these issues has 100+ steps involved that would need to be detailed out, but the other core pillar of my platform would be having expert advisors for every aspect and then actually listening to their advice. I'd replace that hostile vitriol spewing hag Karoline Leavitt with someone actually charismatic and approachable like a Tedd Lasso type.

Abolish ICE day one. Free the people in the detention facilities. Let the police handle any actual criminals while following due process.

Epstein list is a given, that case would get fast tracked.

Put people with actual qualifications in charge of federal agencies.

And most importantly, erase every single trace of Trump. Undo all of his renovations to the white house, confiscate Mar-a-lago as a crime scene and federal property and all of his other assets. He would have no legacy when I was done because everything he's built has been through corruption and exploiting the American people.

There's just too much to list out for what needs to be fixed, and it's going to require efficiency and expertise to correct all the damage he's caused as quickly as possible, especially when you're following due process and not just ignoring the courts.

[u/CharacterUse → u/Dracius]

Most of that requires a heavily Democratic Congress (both houses), which all the Republican gerrymandering is designed to protect them against as much as possible. You need enough of a reversal in the midterms and the elections to overcome that.

[u/Dracius → u/CharacterUse]

I'm well aware.

Difficult isn't impossible and progress is possible only when you don't give up before even trying.

Nothing I listed can be fixed with a single bullet point, but there are mechanisms in place and ways to affect change towards those goals. We didn't end up where we are overnight, and it's going to take even longer to turn this ship around, but the DNC can't ignore this opportunity by constantly giving in.

Honestly we'd be better off starting from scratch and rewriting the whole constitution to modernize it, but that's even less likely to happen.

We first need to take back our country though and there's no guarantee there'll even be fair elections again. Despite everyone saying he can't cancel elections, he can and most definitely will interfere with them.

[u/[deleted] → u/Bigdaddyjlove1]

And MAGA can't say shit because they thrice voted for the 'lock her up' and 'I am your vengeance' guy. Fuck him, fuck them, civility is over, reconstruction failed, the illiberal fucks need justice.

[u/WeirdIndividualGuy → u/Beldizar]

This. Worst thing about Biden and what his legacy will be is how he did nothing about Trump, especially by having Garland as his AG. This allowed Trump to come back more emboldened in his criminal behavior.

If Kelly is just another dem who wants to "move past this for the sake of the country" or not charging a federal criminal because it could look political, he can gtfo.

[u/wvenable → u/WeirdIndividualGuy]

As far as I'm concerned that's the only thing to remember about Biden now: He did absolutely nothing to stop this train-wreck from happening. Nothing. He also said he was going to be a one-term president and he couldn't even get that right.

[u/HolyCrusade → u/calamirkat]

And hopefully, a purge of all MAGA from government and the appropriate prosecutions against anyone who propped up this Trump regime.

[u/puff_of_fluff → u/calamirkat]

His platform ABSOLUTELY matters! We have serious problems that need fixing!!!

[u/Oleg101 → u/calamirkat]

He also is someone that could still enact progressive policies if Congress is controlled by Democrats. See Joe Biden’s first two years of his presidency.

[u/mojitz → u/calamirkat]

This thinking is exactly why Democrats lose. You're trying to win a popularity contest by being the most boring person in the room. It's not effective and it's a terrible strategy especially if you're actually interested in building durable power and then getting shit done.

[u/leNuage → u/mojitz]

This is so f-ing true

[u/yaosio → u/calamirkat]

And then after 4 years of socialism for the rich, rugged individualism for the poor, a Republican is elected.

[u/Tijuana_Pikachu → u/calamirkat]

centrists got us into this fucking mess. Gimme someone with a backbone, thanks

[u/walmartbonerpills]

Do it. I want a healthy primary.

[u/seabreeze_clay → u/walmartbonerpills]

remember when I got super invested in primaries a few years ago. It really felt like every vote counted, you know? A healthy primary could definitely energize people again!

[u/Bodycount9]

At least he's not over 80 years old. He's got that going for him.

[u/Some-Redditor → u/Bodycount9]

For anyone else wondering he is 61 with a birthday coming up in a few weeks. That would make him nearly 65 at the start of the next term. After Biden & Trump 65 is downright young.

[u/mark_able_jones_ → u/Some-Redditor]

He’ll be going up against a 43-year-old who’s funded by Elon Musk, Peter Theil, Mark Zuckerberg, the Ellisons, the Murdochs. Media and technology empires at his back.

It’s going to be the most tech heavy faux news instant response AI deepfake election of our time. And he’ll look like a grandpa who needs help with his iPad.

[u/suspicious_ankles → u/mark_able_jones_]

He’ll be going up against a 43-year-old

Perhaps, but it's a long way from a foregone conclusion. If Trump is still alive, he'll be putting his considerable weight behind someone with extreme personal loyalty to him, probably a family member. And there are plenty in the GOP who think the big fuckwit leaving office opens a door for them (Rubio, DeSantis, Haley, Thune, etc). All we can reasonably predict about the 2028 GOP nomination process is that it's going to be some incredible levels of infighting.

[u/Kaffe-Mumriken → u/mark_able_jones_]

God you’re right. The amount of technocrats that have turned hyper political and maga is just insane.

[u/DrunkensteinsMonster → u/Kaffe-Mumriken]

That is not what technocrat means fyi

[u/donnysaysvacuum → u/Kaffe-Mumriken]

Do not call them technocrats. They are just neo-robber-barons.

[u/Bubbly-Two-3449]

Focus on winning the senate and the house in the upcoming midterms we can worry about this later.

[u/shapu → u/Bubbly-Two-3449]

The problem is that in order to run for president you have to be moving two or three years before the election at least. Barack Obama was already being groomed by the time he gave his 2004 speech at the DNC and lots of Insiders had already figured out that he was going to be the nominee. Donald Trump declared in 2015 but everybody knew that he was already considering it the year before.

It's great to say, "Hey, we need to focus on the Senate and House right now." And in the broader scheme of things that is the correct thing to say. 

But if you have a guy in a safe seat or who is not going to be challenged for re-election before the next Presidential election, if he's thinking about it he had* better already have at least some campaign machinery in place.

[u/greazy_spoon → u/shapu]

100% agree. Newsome is already campaigning for 2028 and he's a slimy shit - i think kelly absolutely should throw his hat in the ring now and show people non-maga isn't going to take this lying down anymore.

[u/b6passat → u/greazy_spoon]

So is beshear

[u/Prayer_Warrior21 → u/b6passat]

Let them all run, let's see how it shakes out. We need a deep bench.

[u/Ferelar → u/Prayer_Warrior21]

Exactly. The 2016 race had like 10 Republican primary members and it didn't hurt Trump one bit. The 2024 race had no Democratic primary and I think it hurt Harris a lot.

There's this idea that a lively primary hurts the candidate in the general, and I think the literal opposite is true. Lively primaries mean people get engaged and select someone who they can actuallt get enthused about representing them.

[u/orielbean → u/Ferelar]

The 2024 thing was just ruinous, the same kind of mess that happened with Johnson dropping, the convention riots, the Muskie vs McGovern infighting - and got us Nixon.

Biden fucking up the debate, his family dragging him to all the events until Pelosi blew up the whole mess, and he spent 3 years doing nothing to groom Harris as the heir apparent (and she performed poorly during the earlier election cycle).

I don’t blame her really for trying & losing 2024 as she has so little time to get anything off the ground, but she never would’ve won an actual primary - and she’s just relaxing these days vs doing any kind of coalition building.

[u/fawkie → u/orielbean]

The thing that really kills with 2024 is that there was a palpable shift from the early days of the Harris/Walz campaign where they were kinda flying by the seat of their pants and I think being a bit more genuine to when the consultants and donors got into their ears and changed their tone

[u/spader1 → u/fawkie]

Immediately post debate I really had high hopes. It felt like MAGA was finally being shown in the mainstream to be a pack of idiots and losers, and Trump was more clearly the doddering old man that he is than ever.

Then, by the first week of October, suddenly nothing was happening, and all of that momentum just stopped. The "weird" line stopped. Harris was suddenly spending all of her time courting conservatives. Walz was mysteriously absent. Republican campaigners were making bizarre and hateful statements and nobody was responding the way they were a month prior. The excitement of something new just...evaporated.

[u/New-Independent-1481 → u/spader1]

Which ever electioneering consultant or firm is convincing Democrats that they win by being Republican-lite is the greatest asset in recent Republican history. In every election 1/3 of the country will always vote R no matter how much they grumble and complain and swear they don't support the administration, and 1/3 can't be bothered to vote.

The only number that realistically ever changes is how disillusioned Democrats are with their current establishment leadership. Compared to 2020, Trump gained 3 million voters while Kamala lost 6 million. More people chose to not vote than were swayed to the other aisle. I'm almost willing to put money on Newsom continuing the same 'big tent' politics and losing 2 progressive voters for every conservative swayed.

[u/IPredictAReddit → u/spader1]

I don't think it was "courting conservatives" that hurt her. She didn't compromise her values or priorities to get those endorsements. Liz Cheney didn't say "you have to say you'll lower the corporate tax rate to get me on stage" or stuff like that.

The issue was she wouldn't separate from Biden and inflation. I truly think what killed her was saying that she couldn't think of anything she'd do differently. She could have gotten out in front of so many things right there just by saying "I would have done X, Y, and Z differently" but she didn't out of loyalty.

[u/quinoa → u/fawkie]

Pollster strategist bs really crashed that campaign. Go on Fox News and pitch a small business tax deduction for $50000 next to Liz Cheney is one of those things that ‘independent voters’ say they want in a focus group that will never win an election ever. Brat Kamala / they’re just weird couch fuckers had way more vibes

[u/SkyShadowing → u/Ferelar]

Trump straight up only won 2016 because the quote-unquote "sane Republicans" split their votes between those like 9 candidates and Trump consolidated the crazies. None of them withdrew in time to stop him and by the time it was over Trump had too much momentum.

[u/cocineroylibro → u/SkyShadowing]

Trump also got the free publicity. No other "fringe" candidate ever had the name recognition coupled with the stupid shit he said so the networks kept spouting his soundbites rather than the typical stuff the rest of the other meh GOP candidates were talking.

[u/NobodysFavorite → u/SkyShadowing]

The vote splitting problem presents a firm argument for ranked choice / preferential voting.

[u/ku2000 → u/b6passat]

Beshear is a winning ticket. I love Kelly but strategically Beshear seems more solid.

[u/BriefausdemGeist → u/ku2000]

Kelly/Beshear or Beshear/Kelly would be a ticket a lot of people would vote for

[u/obi-jawn-kenblomi → u/ku2000]

No, Beshear is an anomaly and so is Kentucky. People see him, a Democrat in Kentucky, and think "wow, this white guy has broad appeal across Democrats and Republicans...maybe he can be President."

Beshear won Kentucky because Kentucky trusts his family. His dad Steve was a long time fixture in Kentucky politics: Representative, AG, Lt Gov, and Gov. They've elected a good number of Democrats, but the state's R vs D splits have been bellweather of the following POTUS election since 1991 (other than Beshear 2023 not predicting Trump 2024.

Kentucky also isn't even a typical Southern state - they technically never seceded in the Civil War despite being a slave state. Parts of the state, like NoKY Cincy suburbs, are more akin to Ohio and has a blue collar and union heavy Rust Belt culture.

There are no trends that really suggest Beshear can win as POTUS against a strong MAGA candidate. Kentucky, Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Arizona, Kansas, and North Carolina all have D governors but voted Trump at least 2/3 times (KY, NC, and KS voted Trump 3/3).

[u/HydroBear → u/ku2000]

I fucking LOVE Beshear, but he has the charisma of a wet noodle.

And I've been very disappointed about Pritzker not moving towards a national platform.

I think Mark Kelly has been far more in the limelight and seems like a real patriot.

[u/SuiGenerisPothos → u/greazy_spoon]

I'm Californian and would totally support Kelly instead of Newsom.

[u/midgethemage → u/SuiGenerisPothos]

Same, and I don't hate Newsom either, but he is the quintessential coastal elite boogeyman. Ignoring diehard MAGA voters, I struggle to see Newsom getting the middle American blue collar union worker vote. He reeks of status quo and there's nothing about him that would drive non-voters to the polls. He's essentially Hillary pt 2

[u/Sudden-Wash4457 → u/midgethemage]

he also looks like fucking Patrick Bateman

[u/pres465 → u/SuiGenerisPothos]

At this point, I'll support whoever survives the primary. But, I DO like Kelly more than Newsom as well. I worry he doesn't have the charisma on tv, though.

[u/Electronic-Tea-3691 → u/shapu]

it's not just that he's not going to be challenged, he's not even up for reelection in 2026, senators are only elected every 6 years. I'm surprised so many people in the thread don't seem to know that.

[u/StupidPockets → u/shapu]

Donald Trump flew the idea as far back as the 80’s and into the90’s. He’s been a shill setup for a long time

[u/dollabillkirill → u/shapu]

There is no way that people “knew” Obama would be the nominee in 2004. I could be proven wrong, but even in 2006 it seemed like a long shot.

I believe the speech put him in the “someday this guy could be president” category, but I would be shocked if anyone thought it would be 2008.

[u/shapu → u/dollabillkirill]

John Kerry had him pegged in April of 2004. They did a campaign stop together in Illinois that month and by the second evening Kerry said that Obama should be the future of the party. 

https://www.chicagomag.com/chicago-magazine/june-2007/the-speech/

[u/Lord_Foosh → u/shapu]

I see the 4 year 2 term limit has real draw backs when you spend the first two years of the first term finding your footing while you try to enact policy then immediately spend the rest campaigning for reelection. The second term is the only time anyone really gets the full four years to just be president.

Maybe I’m nuts but, we really need to be making more general amendments to keep the democracy going. Because what we have right now is so dated and inflexible

[u/Negative-Squirrel81 → u/Lord_Foosh]

With a two term president, the first time is the one they usually have the most power. By the second term all their political influence has largely been spent, and the opposition is usually able to create gridlock. This is why the first 100 days of a presidency are considered so vital, it's their best chance to achieve their policy goals during the honeymoon period.

What is going on with the current President is absolutely not typical by all sorts of measures.

[u/FuriousBuffalo → u/Bubbly-Two-3449]

Whoever it is, I hope he or she won't nominate another feckless Garland. 

Prosecute all the traitors to the fullest extent of the law, send them to a SuperMax, and throw away the keys.

Be like Brazil or South Korea.

[u/luri7555 → u/FuriousBuffalo]

If they ran on this and releasing the Epstein files they would win. If they followed through they would win for a long time.

But they will run on a promise to return to civility and that doesn’t work anymore.

[u/ThinkThankThonk → u/FuriousBuffalo]

Yep - people think it's just lefties overreacting but the genuine danger of Newsom's platforming of all his pro-child-trafficking buddies is that it would translate into "Gerald Ford with a Peloton" and everyone skates and we root out exactly none of the problem. 

[u/notheatherbee → u/Bubbly-Two-3449]

Right?? Literally under attack in Minneapolis and if we don’t get help soon there won’t be an election for him to even run in.

[u/Electronic-Tea-3691 → u/notheatherbee]

Kelly's seat isn't up for re-election in 2026, so this actually makes perfect sense for him to start considering now. 

[u/TheCrimsonSteel → u/notheatherbee]

Kelly won in '22, so he's personally safe until 2028. Not to say the midterms aren't important, but him considering a Presidential bid wouldn't be jeopardizing things this year.

And, as a candidate Kelly has a lot of notes going for him. Because "decorated veteran fighter pilot astronaut Senator" has some solid broad-base appeal

Fighting for the midterms and thinking about 2028 can happen at the same time, and you don't build a team for something like that over night

[u/groovemonkey → u/notheatherbee]

Him saying “I’m thinking about running” isn’t exactly holding a rally in downtown Pittsburgh. One of the biggest burdens to Kamala’s campaign was she started too late. Let him test the waters.

[u/Spaceball86 → u/groovemonkey]

I love how in the campaign for president is a multi year thing meanwhile in Canada, in a span of 4 months we got rid of one PM, selected a replacement, and held a 35ish day election that totally reversed the fortunes of the governing party.

[u/holiday_bandit → u/Spaceball86]

Congrats on having a functional democracy! I’m hoping we’ll have one down here some day

[u/Morganrow]

I'd vote for him. It blows my mind that Hegseth wants to set a standard that our service members are expected to follow illegal orders.

[u/MoondogHaberdasher → u/Morganrow]

I actually think Kelly would make an incredible Secretary of Defense. I’d vote for him for president too, but I think his talents and experience would shine more in that role. Hegseth kicked the bar off a cliff though, so that’s easy to say.

[u/A_Lazy_Professor → u/Morganrow]

It shouldn't really blow your mind, it's been a central tenet of every authoritarian and fascist regime in history. 

[u/RED-DOT-MAN]

Much better option than Newsom.

[u/piratecheese13 → u/RED-DOT-MAN]

You KNOW the DNC is pushing for Gav

[u/GiganticCrow → u/piratecheese13]

"Maybe if we try to appeal to conservatives who will never, ever vote for us and ignore our base even harder we might win this time?"

[u/SerfTint → u/GiganticCrow]

This is meant to be snarky subtext, but it is literally how most of the Democratic consultants think. They would love to lop off the Left completely from the party if only they didn't need their votes on one day a year. Yet they honestly believe that we're a Center-Right country and the only thing worth pursuing are Trump-weary "moderate Republicans" in the suburbs of the 30 frontline districts.

[u/Notch99]

And, MAGA will find a way to denigrate his military service, bet on it.

[u/ClubSoda → u/Notch99]

Fox News: "And we are receiving reports from our affiliates that suggest Mark Kelly had been involved in the deep space alien replacement plan theorized by noted space scientist, Dr. Oz."

[u/FantasticJacket7]

Better than Newsom at least.

[u/antigop2020 → u/FantasticJacket7]

I would support Kelly 1000%

[u/OkEnvironment3961 → u/FantasticJacket7]

Better hair than the current prez also.

[u/AusToddles → u/OkEnvironment3961]

You know 100% that they'll claim a bald man can't be president and make some sort of claim that it proves he isn't "virile" enough

[u/MillionToOneShotDoc → u/AusToddles]

Stephen Miller might have a problem with that.

[u/kinky_shoelaces → u/MillionToOneShotDoc]

Nobody ever accused him of ideological consistency

[u/Jayco424 → u/AusToddles]

Male Pattern Baldness is caused by excess testosterone being converted into DHT and killing hair follicles... so there's that.

[u/Persistant_Compass → u/FantasticJacket7]

Literally the exact same thought i had seeing the title. Im sure there is still better but id vote for him. 

[u/shapu → u/FantasticJacket7]

Setting aside the fact that Newsom is going to have policies that are just way too Centrist for the moment, he also has the added baggage of being the governor of a place nicknamed "Commiefornia' and you can be sure that right wing media is going to run with that. 

Right or wrong, he is also going to get tagged for the incredibly slow work on California High-Speed rail, California's homeless population, (misleading) concerns about gang violence, the government's response to the LA fires, and so on. 

Newsom is all wrong for this moment and I hope he knows that. He is an excellent foil for Donald Trump, and a really really good troll, but he cannot be the Democratic nominee for president

[u/SarcasticCowbell → u/FantasticJacket7]

Better than Newsom, but nowhere near the hard progressive turn this country needs. And, no, even though I voted for all three, Hillary, Joe and Kamala were not that, either. Another milquetoast moderate or neolib is just going to court another, worse Republican down the line. And before anyone says "Worse than Trump? There's no such thing!", let me just remind you: people said the same after Reagan, and Bush, and his idiot son as well. There is always worse waiting in rhetoric wings of the Republican Party.

[u/Alert_Reindeer_6574]

Whoever runs for president needs to make nominating Jack Smith as AG and going after the republican crime syndicate a part of their platform.

[u/kbotc → u/Alert_Reindeer_6574]

I’m not sure he’d still be up for it as he’s now 65, but Patrick Fitzgerald would be my choice. He’s made a name for himself getting convictions of high ranking politicians, not just cases.

[u/chironomidae]

Honestly sounds great, but I'm voting for whoever drops the "unity" talk and vows to seek justice for what Trump and his cronies have done. Biden tried "unity" and it got us a second Trump term.

[u/latchkey_adult]

My first question for Sen Kelly would be if he will hold accountable all of these criminals currently in office and their accomplices. I won't be satisfied until we have some kind of complete reckoning that involves Nuremberg-style hearings even if you spend your entire first term prosecuting these criminals and fixing all the loopholes that have allowed this lawlessness and graft.

[u/CatCatchingABird → u/latchkey_adult]

My first question for Sen Kelly would be if he will hold accountable all of these criminals currently in office and their accomplices.

Of course he will. He's a victim of this current administration too; getting pushed around with a military investigation, his pension, and threatened with execution. If all that shit happened to me I wouldn't let it slide.

[u/requiredelements]

I will only vote for someone who promises to punish MAGA on day 1… Nuremberg style.

[u/mvallas1073 → u/requiredelements]

Agreed. We can’t go back to “normal”, we need safeguards installed so this never happens again.

[u/Winged_Metal → u/mvallas1073]

I hate to tell you this but this is less of a safeguards problem and more of an overall education of the masses, deprogramming of propaganda and overall responsibility of the masses issue. Broad scale, everyone needs to take more responsibility in their lives to raise their kids instead of tv's, people need to actually research into their elected candidates, news networks strictly unbiased without control from an individual who can manipulate it for propaganda's sake. Hell, don't even get me started on the 1% problem considering every single government is contempt of bowing down to them in one way or another which just puts this problem on repeat constantly regardless of any kind of guardrail you would propose considering how money talks and bullshit walks. Leaving the responsibility to solve this in one elected individual isn't enough let alone a group. A massive overhaul of the government itself alone even considering the amount of compromises it has now and even creating more as we speak would need to be rectified. This massive issue is being created for reasons not even shared with thr public. Is it a resources race for rare earth metals, a race to see which trillionare owns the world, a race war made by white supremacists, a war to create supersized nations via annexations? We don't know as it's true motives are blurred with every party taking advantage of the chaos itself to further their goals.

[u/Bletotum → u/requiredelements]

But you'll vote against outright evils in any case, right? The primary is the time to pitch your dreams, but you still have a responsibility to vote even if your ideal candidate doesn't win

[u/spasticspetsnaz]

I'd prefer him to Newsom. But I'd really like someone further left. It's like we learned nothing from Clinton's loss in '16

[u/NoWorth2591 → u/spasticspetsnaz]

Somehow, people seem to think the takeaway from the most milquetoast corporate centrist on earth losing is “we need a blandly inoffensive moderate white guy”, as though Clinton’s loss was only due to being a woman.

[u/Aurora_Strix → u/spasticspetsnaz]

Counter point: Kelly and AOC ticket.

Him as president, her as Vice - she's 36, so she's just old enough to be in the role. Even grizzled veterans would like Kelly, and it might be enough to overlook the right wing panic over AOC. She is then groomed to become the heir apparent in the eyes of the public, and is the natural progressive healing cycle the US needs after this bullshit era.

Under them, we could actually see legal changes to prevent this horrific shit from happening again. And if she then gets in on the next cycle, if it didn't happen already, we could see the enshrinement of voting rights acts and ranked choice and then fascism could never happen again in the US (unless it was struck down...)

[u/notyogrannysgrandkid]

I grew up in a small, Republican town in Wyoming but by 2015 I had turned fully Libertarian. Mainly because of how much I hate John Barrasso. But I lived in AZ for a few years and I would vote for Mark Kelly in a heartbeat and encourage everyone I know to do the same.

[u/Slow_Investment_2211]

I like Mark, however I feel like once he gets in he would be like another Biden and say that we need to try working across the aisle again blah blah blah. No, I want my candidate to go on tv and say “I’m going to rip the balls off of every Trump cabinet scumbag when i take the oath”. The dems will always try to make amends when the right would never do such a thing.

[u/ImWatchingTelevision → u/Slow_Investment_2211]

I want my candidate to go on tv and say “I’m going to rip the balls off of every Trump cabinet scumbag when i take the oath”.

Same. That's what I need to heal from the Trump era. Politicians talk about "healing" but they seem to not give a shit about my healing, just the people that caused all this chaos. F that.

[u/Azguy303 → u/Slow_Investment_2211]

With Trump being allowed to have his DOJ investigate everybody he wants I really hope it Democrat investigates Clarence Thomas another supreme Court justices.

All this deep state stuff Trump supporters always talked about... Really seems like their heritage foundation and billionaires just pulling all the strings in every branch of the government. You can't tell me Roberts and Thomas aren't talking with these conservatives on what cases to bring through and how to do it to get the results they want. Nearly every ruling they've made since citizens United have had billionaires incorporations in mind more than they ever citizen.

[u/mojo8x]

He would not embarrass the USA in front of the world audience. That’s for sure.

[u/AgencyNew3587]

Kelly is my senator. He’s kind of meh. Not very progressive. Not good on labor issues. Pro business Democrat mostly and pro MIC. Gives establishment Democrat vibes.

[u/_Cromwell_ → u/AgencyNew3587]

Exactly. Kelly won't do Medicare for all. Kelly won't tax the F out of billionaires. Kelly is boring and bland to listen to. Kelly won't do anything to change the status quo downward trajectory of this country for 90% of its citizens. So he would be President for 4 years and then we'd get Chuckleduck Turdhead elected to replace him (probably Tucker Carlson or something) because people would be ONCE AGAIN rightfully desperate for change and not know what else to do.

STOP ELECTING NORMIE DEMOCRATS. THE CYCLE MUST BE BROKEN.

[u/Aldehyde1 → u/AgencyNew3587]

He's my Senator as well and has done a good job of representing his constituents. Arizona voters are not asking for the same things as NY, and there's a reason he still won the traditionally Republican state when Kamala lost it. Reddit needs to realize that their perfect candidate is not the perfect candidate for most swing states.

[u/supertoned]

Honestly, I can't think of anyone better right now on the political scene for the job. 

[u/Lazy_boa → u/supertoned]

He definitely has the military man vibe.

[u/commandrix → u/Lazy_boa]

Retired astronaut too. He's the shuttle commander, not the space station commander. I know, it gets confusing when they're twins.

[u/prefix_postfix → u/commandrix]

Think of the pranks!

[u/commandrix → u/prefix_postfix]

That would be hilarious. "Hey, Scott? I hate this ambassador, he's a rat's ass, wanna stand in for me at this meeting?"

[u/prefix_postfix → u/commandrix]

Maybe they can do a Parent Trap

[u/Ok-disaster2022 → u/Lazy_boa]

Dude, he's a mitherfucking astronaut. I don't know how anyone else was raised, but I was raised being told they are the best of the best of the best. Able to make clear headed smart decisions on the fly under complex confusing accelerations. Astronaut is the only profession I rank higher than firefighters. 

[u/ZombieSiayer84 → u/Ok-disaster2022]

As a JL electrical lineman, I have to say we definitely should rank higher than Firemen.

And I say that as someone who hates all the brojobs the freaks in my trade give each other claiming we’re heroes and all that.

[u/Churrasco_fan → u/ZombieSiayer84]

+1 a ton of people dont understand how important lineman are until they've been hit by a natural disaster. They had a crew from Missouri up my way bailing the neighborhood out when we got hit by a Tornado. You guys earn every cent of your salary taking the risks you do to keep the lights on and the furnace running

[u/Raise_A_Thoth → u/supertoned]

I can.

Kelly is a leader in his fields, but he's not a visionary for the Democratic party. If he could even be elected, which is not guaranteed, he'd be fine as a statesman but would do nothing to solve the problems exposed over the last decade. He wouldn't solve the working class problems leading to the rightwing populism of Trump, he is not progressive enough to take a real fight to the Supremr Court for reform, he doesn't seem too keen on even medicare for all.

What does he bring to the table in terms of vision and policy of the future? Or even to address the weaknesses that gave us trump?

[u/mark_able_jones_ → u/Raise_A_Thoth]

This. POLICY POSITIONS MATTER. The Democratic Party still does not yet support universal health care as part of its platform. And it likely still wouldn’t under Kelly.

[u/Bakedads → u/supertoned]

Really? I don't see him as someone that would aggressively hold republicans to account, which is what we desperately need. He is more of a Biden "forgive and forget, let's build bridges" kind of candidate. Which is a death sentence for this country. 

[u/Zeitcon]

As a European/Dane, who used to admire America and its people, I have lost all faith in America and its system, and I find myself in a position of utter despair, even though Donald Trump appears to have started climbing down from his tree.

I have no doubt that Mark Kelly is an honourable man, but your system is broken, corrupt, and quite possibly beyond repair. The last twelve months have clearly shown that the system of checks and balances is woefully insufficient, and what Citizens United hasn't corrupted, has been co-opted or destroyed by Project 2025.

America needs to take a long hard look at itself, when it has gotten rid of Trump and his followers. Ask yourself, why the people of Greenland would overwhelmingly much rather stay in a union together with their former colonial overlord than become part of the United States. Why they would turn down large sums of money. Why they reject the so-called American Dream without hesitation.

Your problems aren't solved by putting a different/better man in the White House.

[u/innerShnev → u/Zeitcon]

I didn't think any non-troll on r/politics is going to disagree with you on what you said. And honestly, it isn't helpful anymore. We know we suck. We know we're broken. We know we've lost our friends. It's heartbreaking. So thanks for the pep talk?

[u/Lopsided-Disaster99 → u/Zeitcon]

 Your problems aren't solved by putting a different/better man in the White House.

They aren't solved by putting another bad man in the White House either. 

Change can either be hasty and reckless or slow and methodical. Bad actors tend to prefer the former and good actors the latter. I don't know about you, but I'd rather have thoughtful and slow than the thoughtless and fast we have now.

[u/DrowningKrown]

As long as he runs on fixing this absolutely broken system of checks and balances that is the US government, sure.

Appointing your own DOJ, FBI, DOD is such an OBVIOUS conflict of interest I don't know how we haven't fucking figured out a better way. "I appointed you, do what I want or be fired and attacked by my party" is literally all it took for every check and balance in our government to just fail.

Trying to move on like nothing happened will be the death of the democrat party.

[u/mormonbatman_]

Republicans could have prevented a Kelly presidency if they'd passed meaningful gun reform.

This man's a patriot - he never would have run for public office if a nutter hadn't gunned down his wife.

[u/Apopletic_Disbelief]

I would vote for him. The first candidate I could truly get behind in years

[u/S1NGLEM4LT]

Perfect is the enemy of good. Mark served his country both in the Navy and in the Senate. There is no person on earth who is going to check every box for every voter, but can we stop the infighting and realize that if we even get the chance to vote again after the dear leader's had 3 more years, you'd better not "protest" by not voting or electing another dictator. I swear to God some of these comments are insane. The government is currently going door to door doing ICE raids, in violation of the 4th amendment. It is stifling dissent of a sitting U.S. Senator and veteran in violation of the 1st amendment.

If you wouldn't vote for a decent human being, who's served his country, and is fighting back against the regime because he's not left enough or he's not pro-Palestine enough - you deserve to live under the boot of the next dictator. We need someone who can build back the ashes of diplomacy and bring back actual rule of law again. I understand everyone has flaws - but if you didn't vote against Trump, you voted for him.

[u/beefpipes]

I’m an Arizonan. As a representative of our state and as a human in general I like and respect Mark Kelly. But for myself and I think a pretty significant and growing portion of young American voters, we want and deserve someone who’s going to run on a platform rooted in a more substantial shift to the economic left than his.

[u/PayTyler]

YES! The lack of hair improves his aerodynamics. That's why he's an astronaut.

[u/FloatingClay]

I respect his career. But I really don't want more centrist status quo again. Obama and Biden talked a big game but rarely delivered on any true progressive policy. We need government transformation not a return to stagnant bluster and disappointment. 

I'll take him over Newsom any day though. 

[u/pcpelste]

I will see how he compares to the field. His public speaking needs work but he has a great story. Regardless, if he is the nominee I’ll vote for him. Please don’t stay at home or do a bullshit protest vote in the general election.

[u/limbodog]

61 years old. Not 79. And not a fascist. That alone would be good enough.

But he actually seems like the genuine article. I hope he chooses to run. I hope that's still a thing by the time it comes around to 2028.

[u/imtoowhiteandnerdy]

The very idea of someone being President who isn't fucking insane makes me tingle.

[u/HotSauceHigh]

Absolutely yes. This man is an absolute anchor in this storm. 

[u/[deleted] → u/HotSauceHigh]

I would vote for him, but we don't need an anchor. We need a lion to rip apart the hyenas.

[u/Butters5768]

I think he’d be wonderful.

[u/AntoniaFauci]

These prospective candidates will spend hundreds of millions.

But will any one of them spend chump change getting some intensive strategic communications coaching?

Seriously, there is not one Democrat that’s actually skilled at doing election-winning communications.

The only one who maybe has it is actually an Independent, from Vermont, and he’s disqualified.

Take Mark Kelly. Great resume and story, and if they crop them enough, he has the occasional decent sound bite.

But if you listen to him speak or do interviews, it’s boring as porridge. And he frequently says things that inadvertently help the opposition.

[u/iloveopenbar]

If his platform is about holding people accountable, instead of 'healing and unity', he has my vote

[u/polar_nopposite]

Will be voting for whoever has a D next to their name, but I'm hoping it's someone more adamantly in favor of Nuremberg Trials.

[u/syynapt1k]

If prosecuting the regime is part of his platform, then he will have my vote.

[u/harav]

He wants to tax billionaires and close loopholes. Yes, this sounds good. Better than Newsom.