In a Washington Post Op-Ed released on Monday, November 24, 2025, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear, a potential 2028 Democratic Presidential Candidate, called on Democrats, still celebrating their election victories earlier this month and political triumphs following the government shutdown to not just be the party of affordability but also the people that will promote aspiration.
This is a theme being picked up by other potential 2028 Presidential aspirants.
Senator Ruben Gallego spoke about the need to appeal to Americans aspirations in interviews last July.
Former Chicago Mayor, White House Chief of Staff, Japanese Ambassador, and Representative Rahm Emanuel penned an op-ed in the Wall Street called on Democrats to emphasize renewal of the American Dream.
It is a winning optimistic message that successful Democratic Presidential Candidates like Harry Truman, Lyndon Johnson, Hubert Humphrey, Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, and Joe Biden have well articulated.
In his op-ed Governor Beshear, in an appeal for Democrats to target rural communities betrayed by Trump and taken for granted by cultural warrior Republicans for decades, wrote:
"Tackling affordability is not enough. To truly lead again, Democrats must be the party of aspiration. When I look at our country, what worries me is the widespread belief that the American Dream is unattainable, even dead. This is the same American Dream — the promise that if you work hard and play by the rules, you can get ahead — that has inspired generations and lifted America to great heights..."
"Democrats should be the party that will make it possible to build a better life — one in which you’re not just making ends meet but setting your family up for long-term success."
"Trump has given Democrats a huge opening. He is making it so much harder for people to even get by. During the government shutdown, he was willing to use the hunger of Americans — including children and seniors — as a bargaining chip. It was cruel and wrong, and, importantly, it backfired. His One Big Ugly Bill will kick 17 million Americans, including 200,000 Kentuckians, off their health care and threatens to close 35 rural hospitals in the state, and 338 nationwide. His tariffs are jacking up prices across the board — for no reason."
"Let’s look at that ugly bill, the worst bill I’ve seen in my lifetime. It’s a slap in the face to rural America. Rural maternal health centers will be forced to close, which means that women will have to drive hours to give birth. Workforce productivity will drop as people who used to be able to see a specialist in their community are forced to travel, at the cost of a day’s work, for an appointment. In Kentucky alone, Trump’s bill could translate into lost jobs for 20,000 health care workers. Rural economies — countless coffee shops, local banks, insurance agencies — will take a hit."
"All of that moves the American Dream even further out of reach. By focusing on reviving it, Democrats can win back voters who have been leaving the party in droves..."
After speaking about how programs he championed in rural Kentucky communities paid political dividends for him, the Governor, like Senator Gallego, called on Democrats to speak authentically, straight, and less like a college professor or statistician, offered:
"...We’re not going to win the messaging battle if we say that Trump’s policies make people “food insecure.” No, they make people hungry. Kentucky was hit hard by the opioid epidemic. I didn’t lose friends and acquaintances to “substance use disorder”; I lost them to addiction. Addiction is hard, it’s mean, and it kills people. So when people triumph over it, we should give them the credit they deserve by calling it what it is..."
Beshear concluded his piece by stating, again drawing from experience, that Democrats need to be better at answering the question why, conveying:
"...Finally, we have to start communicating our “why.” For me, it’s my faith. I vetoed the nastiest piece of anti-LGBTQ legislation in the country knowing full well that the Republicans in the Kentucky legislature passed it to use in an election year. But tens of millions of dollars of misleading attack ads against me didn’t work. Why? Because I gave Kentuckians the respect of explaining my veto — that I believe all children are children of God and that I didn’t think the legislature should be picking on vulnerable kids. Democrats are good at explaining our “what.” Let’s get good at explaining our “why.”
Third Way Communications Director Kate deGruyter
Commenting to Blog for Arizona on Governor Beshear's op-ed, Third Way Senior Communications Director Kate deGruyter wrote:
"Beshear is right that Democrats have a real opening to reconnect with rural voters, who are being slammed by rising costs, saddled with unwanted tariffs, and abandoned by the Trump Administration. We can do that if we focus on their priorities and jettison the elitest language and therapy-speech that turns off the middle.
China, the world’s largest buyer of soybeans imported no soybeans from the US in September and is now buying more from Argentina and Brazil instead of the US. Beef prices now sit at an unheard of $6.32 per pound for ground beef. Rural Americans, who have higher rates of heart disease, cancern, injury, and suicide death rates than urban Americans suffer the consequences of a devastating health gap that will be made worse by Republican health care cuts in Trump’s big ugly bill.
When we do those things, voters respond. Governors-elect Spanberger and Sherrill both were able to put up double-digit victories by moving Trump-voting counties back toward the Democrats and they both won over 7% of Trump supporters. For Democrats to win critical battleground states and races, we’ll need follow their example and focus on costs with ideas that can win the middle. That requires a positive vision to reward hard work so Americans can earn a good life where they live."
The 2028 Democratic candidate that the people feel speaks most authentically about American Renewal of the American Dream where people have an opportunity to realize their aspirations to be successful and a productive citizen and family member is the person most likely to win the party's nomination.
We at the Blog of Arizona wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving and Holiday season.
Fresh off a Democratic electoral victory that exceeded expectations on November 4, 2025, Third Way Senior Communications Director Kate deGruyter interviewed with Blog for Arizona and discussed the path forward for Democrats heading into the 2026, 2028 campaigns and beyond.
In the dynamics of Presidential politics, that includes supporting candidates that can win in the current Electoral Map in 2028 and the new one in 2032 when the census forces adjustments on the Electoral College map that will probably take away votes from blue and purple-blue leaning states and shifts them to red and solid purple/purple-leaning red states.
In her responses deGrutyer stressed that Democrats need to recruit pragmatic progressive candidates that can appeal and relate to voters in the center of the electorate and win the battle of reasonableness and the issue of affordability.
Third Way Communications Director Kate deGruyter
The questions and deGrutyer’s answers are below.
What are two lessons Democrats can learn from the Abigail Spanberger and Mikie Sherill gubernatorial victories?
“We saw clearly that you can be somebody who runs as a tough, pragmatist, and generate huge turnout and big results. I think that it is proof that moderates can win and flip key races if you look at some really important factors that they were able to do, that contributed to the size of their wins. They were able to flip red counties that have been won by Trump, and they moved dozens of them in the direction of Democrats. Spanberger swung 76 of 80 counties that went for Trump toward Democrats and flipped six from red to blue. Sherrill swung all eleven counties that voted for Trump back toward Democrats and flipped five. Flipping a Trump voter from red to blue is worth two because you deprive Republicans of a vote, and you add one to the Democratic column and so you see there the power of persuasion in building really significant victories for both of those campaigns, I think those were big, important things that Democrats should be looking to replicate. Moderates were overperformers, exceeding Harris’ margins, and we’re going to need candidates who can do that to win back a bunch of states that went in the red column in 2024.”
What are these two lessons Democrats can learn from Zohran Mamdani’s mayoral campaign and victory?
“In the modern era of campaigning, voters want candidates who are able to speak off the cuff on a whole bunch of issues. That’s something that he was able to do. He really was accessible. I think you saw that in a lot of the digital contents. He was out around the city, interacting with voters. He had that kind of happy warrior demeanor about him. I also think Democrats really need to be creative about finding ways to get their message out there In ways that showcase their personality and their passion while allowing them to really connect with the voters. I think you saw that in a lot of the digital content from his campaign.”
Anything else you would like to add?
“Even Mamdani had to move to the middle to win. We saw that he had a whole bunch of policies that came up again — just as we warned — as major liabilities and even in deep blue New York City, he had to walk away with from those positions. Now, I don't think that he's come far enough. Republicans are going to really work hard to continue to exploit the extreme DSA agenda. But he did that (went to the center) in that race as it was getting toward the close. And so certainly, I think making sure that candidates are tacking to the middle, and it's certainly a lot easier if you are somebody who is credibly making that case, is really important.”
What are at least two lessons Democrats can learn from the political inroads gains they made in local races across the country, like those in Mississippi, New Jersey, Georgia, and Pennsylvania?
“It is possible with the right candidate to compete in deep red states. We had Democrats in Arkansas, North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa, Missouri, Louisiana not that long ago. Those states were represented by Democrats at the federal level, and so that shows that we've got to be focused on putting up good candidates for office and expecting that they can win if they are focused on the things that matter most to voters like rising prices and energy costs, thinking about Georgia, was super important. I think was a factor also in New Jersey, where energy costs are really rising. And public safety, I think, is really important. We saw a Democrat flipped a seat held by a MAGA Sheriff in Bucks County, Pennsylvania which is one of those key places in Pennsylvania that folks have really looked to as a kind of seat that Democrats used to perform well and where we had lost. The candidate who won is somebody with a military background, some strong credentials on public safety. And yet they were still able to make an affirmative case as a Democrat, that they could better represent their community in a way that wasn't playing into the chaos and the excesses that we've been seeing in the Trump approach to widespread deportations. I think those are some good lessons for Democrats.”
What are least three issues Democrats should advance in their Affordability Agenda?
“I think healthcare costs are going to continue to be a really important conversation. It is going to be imperative on Democrats to make the case over the next year, as voters experience significant price increases in the coverage that their families need to make very clear that Donald Trump and the Republican Party is responsible for the significant cost increase that they're going to be paying. That is going to be a live issue. Obviously, you know, there's the expectation that the Senate will have a vote, and so there will be at least some people who have to go on the record about that. But it was Trump's own pollster earlier this summer who had said what a political liability these increases from the expiration of these tax credits would be for Republican candidates. We've got to be pressing the case to voters that we are the ones fighting for their costs, and that Republicans are responsible for the huge increase in costs.”
“Energy costs are also going to continue to be a hot conversation, and so I think that's something that we need to be talking about, as part of our agenda.
And I would say, broadly, there is a sense in the electorate that they are working hard, and they can't get ahead. We need a new generation of ideas about how we help make the American Dream real for workers today. How do we make homeownership real —something that, frankly, a generation of Millennials feels like is outreach for them? So, you know, we had some ideas that we put out calling for a Homebuilder in Chief and building 12 million new homes in the next administration. There's lots of conversations about how do you build more houses? We need more homes that are going to help families feel like they can access the American Dream and owning a home is a key piece of that. Healthcare, which we already talked about, is a key piece of what Americans think about is kind of and evidence of a good middle class life and thinking about how we continue to help them feel like if they work hard and play by the rules, like they've got a fair share, and they can get ahead. I think that is something where we're going to need to be continuing to generate a lot more ideas.”
I saw a piece from Mr. Horowitz at your organization, promoting Apprenticeships. Would that be part of the forward agenda?
"Yes. There are a huge number of Americans who don't have a college degree and are trying to figure out how they access the skills and training to succeed. Apprenticeships are important. They are a way that you can be earning money while your building skills. It can be something that if you're somebody who is mid-career and trying to get ahead that you can do as part of building your skills. I think that’s very important and also sort of showcasing that we are thinking about how we are building opportunity for folks who don't have a college degree. And there are a whole bunch of skilled trades where we are in very dire need of workers to meet the growing demand. I think apprenticeships are a very important piece."
How about Universal childcare and preschool?
“There is a whole generation of families that are two parent households, and I've had this conversation recently with current candidates, that know nothing structurally has changed from the time when we had one parent working households and stay at home moms to where we now have two parent working households as the norm. It is putting a huge burden on working families to figure out how they're going to juggle picking up kids from school, cobbling together childcare in the late afternoon and over school breaks. If you're somebody who works shifts, having childcare on nights or on weekends, being able to work and also ensure that your kids are cared for and at the right place. I think child care is certainly an important piece of that of the affordability agenda and making sure that we have high quality care, But also meeting the variable kind of needs across the workforce is going to be really important.”
Is there anything not covered in the first four questions that you would like the readers to know about last Tuesday's election and moving forward to 2026?
“As we look ahead to how Democrats keep building on the momentum from the last election, it is true that the electorate the Democrats are going to have to win to take back power is just much more competitive than what we saw in New York City. So it is really important to look at the model that you can use to replicate in places like Arizona, where, frankly, very conservative voters outnumber than number of very liberal voters. That’s true in every single battleground state, that is a mathematical reality.”
“And so, thinking about what we can do to win over enough voters in the middle to ensure that we get a victory is the thing that must be driving Democrats every day. At the presidential level, only one Democrat has been able to win the White House since 1980 without hitting a supermajority of moderate voters. And that was Barack Obama, who was a generational talent and an historic figure with his election, and even he won 56 percent of moderate voters.”
“In 2024, Democrats lost the battle of reasonableness, and so showing voters that we are focused on their priorities that we have ideas that are going to fix problems of high costs and going to make it easier for working families to get ahead. We've got to do so in a way that is building our coalition because, looking a few years down the road, Democrats can win every single battleground state and after the next census, the expectation is that only going to be worth I think 256 electoral votes. And so to get to 270, we’re also going to have to run the table in all of those states that we lost last election, and we're going to have to be able to run and win in states that are even redder. We should be looking at who is able to win red and purple states. What is the model to do that is going to be how we set ourselves up, not just for a single election result where we win but really rebuilding a durable winning coalition that is going to be the mission over the next, not just one cycle, but several cycles.”
Democrats have a tradition on souring on Presidents of their party in real time despite their records of accomplishments when those Chief Executives follow predecessors who are the parties versions of dream leaders.
Take Harry Truman.
Constantly criticized for not being on the same level or aura as Franklin Delano Roosevelt, it would take one or two generations for people and historians to acknowledge that the Man from Missouri had presided over the end of the Second World War and opening years of the Cold one with strength, vision, and decisiveness.
The Truman Doctrine, the Marshall Plan, the recognition of Israel, the creation of N.A.T.O., the Berlin Airlift, the Fair Deal which included a call for Americans to get universal and affordable health care, the GI Bill, the Point Four Program, the racial integration of the armed forces, and the intervention in Korea which told the Communist Bloc that collective security were not just words and appeasement on a grand scale would no longer be tolerated.
Those were all Truman achievements that helped shape the modern United States and International Order.
Take Lyndon Johnson.
Like Truman, thrust into power after the tragic death of his predecessor, John F. Kennedy, the actual master of the art of the deal initiated monumental Great Society and War on Poverty legislation that resulted in Civil and Voting Rights, Head Start, Medicare, Medicaid, Job Corps, food stamps, housing assistance, the first Black person (Thurgood Marshall) on the Supreme Court, and the beginnings of the environmental movement that Nixon would finish.
While his domestic record was clearly superior to Kennedy, Johnson, because of the myth of Camelot, the backlash from street riots in America's streets, and the war in Vietnam that he intensified after inheriting the mess from Eisenhower and Kennedy, clouded his substantial legacy of helping shape programs that Americans rely on today and treasure.
Take Jimmy Carter.
Presiding in a time of energy inflation that started in the Johnson Administration that was caused by postwar prosperity, OPEC flexing its muscles, and the Iranian Revolution, Carter also had a record of accomplishments that included the creation of ten million jobs, the creation of the Departments of Energy and Education, and peace between Egypt and Israel.
Unfortunately, his rigid personality along with the Iranian Hostage Crisis and rising inflation made people yearn for the return of the Kennedy mantle, divided the Democratic Party, and brought on the Ages of Reagan, Bush, and Trump which over the last 45 years, through four Republican Presidencies, has sought to undo every progressive measure embraced by Republican and Democratic Presidents since the end of the Gilded Age.
Fast forward to 2025 and consider the below record of former President Joe Biden.
A record number of Minority and Women Judicial Appointees to the Bench including the first Black Woman to the United States Supreme Court.
Close to 17 million jobs were created. In fact, there is no month in the Biden/Harris Administration where there was negative job growth. There was no recession during the Biden/Harris years.
Overseeing the end of the Coronavirus Pandemic with the American Rescue Plan which distributed vaccinations, helped fund schools and public safety.
A cabinet and White House team where no one has a criminal record and no one was pushed out due to scandal.
Major investments in clean energy programs.
A Bipartisan Infrastructure program that is delivering results across all parts of the country.
Expanding the Obamacare/Affordable Care Act Health Marketplaces.
Standing up to the Russian invasion of Ukraine and expanding N.A.T.O.
The CHIPs and Science Act is a boon to American Manufacturing.
Reducing prescription drug prices for seniors.
Rising wages.
Falling inflation.
Falling illegal border crossings as a result of the President having to take Executive Action after Republicans obstructed bipartisan immigration reform and torpedoed, at Trump’s request, a border security deal.
Falling crime rates except for Donald Trump’s legal issues.
The first gun safety legislation in 30 years.
Increased health care protections for veterans.
Record numbers of small business start-ups.
The expansion of the Child Tax Credit until Republicans and Joe Manchin took it away.
In virtually all vital metrics, the Biden/Harris Administration had a record that the country had not seen from a Democrat since Lyndon Johnson and they left the country better off than when they found it.
In terms of the number of accomplishments, it surpasses Barack Obamas who Democratic Party faithful still fawn over and invite to speak at campaign events despite his legislative effectiveness largely diminishing after his second year in office.
It is important to recognize that History, like the title in the late David McCullough's last published work, and how accurately it is recounted and taught, does matter.
Unfortunately, several members of the Democratic establishment have ignored the importance of history and succumbed to MAGA inspired talking points that Biden/Harris mismanaged the influx of illegal immigrants, the spiking of inflation, and the assertion that the 46th President was not up to the job.
They appear to be similar although Biden never had ICE kidnap people off the street, including American Citizens, without due process and shove them into domestic concentration camps.
Unlike Biden, whose inflation was mostly caused by the immediate getting back to work stage following the Coronavirus and was falling to acceptable levels, Trump created his inflationary bump with his tariffs that have been passed onto the American Consumer.
How about those pictures of Trump dosing off at official functions? Never mind when he talks he lies when he is not rambling incoherent statements.
From News 18
Since the time he has left office, there have been several leading Democrats who have defended the Biden/Harris historical record.
Two days after Biden left office, Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego penned an op-ed thanking the 46th President for all he did in infrastructure, Inflation Reduction, and the CHIPS and Science Act.
In June, when CNN's Jake Tapper's hit job on Biden, Original Sin, came out, former President Bill Clinton and Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett rushed to his defense.
Recently, the divisions on the Biden legacy have surfaced again after appearances by California Governor Gavin Newsom on Meet the Press and Senator Ruben Gallego at a Crooked Con event in early November.
"I've been privileged to our relationship with the president. I spent almost two hours with him in December right before during the transition in the Oval Office. And my experience. His expression gave me no pause, no doubt. Let me finish. I was proud to stand there, Proud to make the case for 15.4 million jobs. Proud to make the case for the CHIPS and science act, the industrial policy that was worker centered. Proud to make the case for an infrastructure package that actually delivered a real bill and is delivering real jobs all across this country. Proud to stand tall as he was a counter preventing point to President XI and what they're doing in low carbon green growth and how they're going to dominate the future as it relates to Green Energy, and he was a counter preventing point. I was proud of the fact that he supported 400 bipartisan bills that did more for vets and has started to address the issue of gun violence. I was proud of that legislative package of accomplishments."
"The one exception as it relates to the interaction I had with him that gave me pause was the fundraiser in Southern California...All of us were a little taken it back, but we also were mindful that he had been to Europe twice In about a week and for the grace of God, go any of us with jet lag and being exhausted. That person came back on that debate night and that..."
"...He was going to make the right decision. And so, for me, it wasn't my job to go out there. My job was to let him give him the space...I have a different approach to all this... So many of the attributes of my father... Reminds me of Joe Biden... He was going to make the right decision. He did...But the bottom line I was proud and continue to be proud to make a case for his record, and certainly in contrast to the record of this President... I think my focus was frankly situational. It was making sure Donald Trump didn't get back into office to experience everything that we're experiencing today, and there was no interaction (with Biden) I had that suggested otherwise."
It is a pity Welker has never, as far as this writer knows, had the guts to publicly question Republicans if they had similar concerns about Mr. Trump's capacity to serve.
To be fair, the great majority of Trump's first term cabinet, including his first Vice President and second Chief of Staff, was screaming from the hill tops in saying that the twice impeached 45th White House Chief Executive was, based on their historical experience, not fit for a return trip to the Oval Office and the people, fueled by a politically terrifying education and historical illiteracy gap, ignored them.
On the flip side, Arizona Senator Ruben Gallego came onto the receiving end of Biden loyalist bashing when he, at a Crooked Con event, mocked the political decision to tout the Biden/Harris Infrastructure Act.
In his comments, which the above excerpt were taken after he began:
"Let's not lie to ourselves Because the big lie around infrastructure is this is really going to get people jazzed, and I remember talking to the Biden people and talking ... and saying "No, it's not...It's not going to get people excited because it's going to take forever to get built, and no ones going to know who did it. I'm sure you think that's the case, but lying to yourself does not mean that lie is actually going to come true... It was just really crazy...We lie to ourselves to believe that's actually going to effectively actually change the the politics. It was crazy to see."
This is an Instagram post Gallego made in January, 2025 touting the Infrastructure Law.
Following the condemnation of Gallego for his remarks, he did post a response, stating:
"That is not all what was said. We both said it was a good thing but that it wasn’t what was going to drive people to the polls. I told Democrats, House leadership and Senate leadership that. While running with Biden, Harris in Arizona I actually saw it not working in the field."
Coming to Gallego's defense, Third Way Executive Director Kate deGrutyer commented to Blog for Arizona:
"I think it was an important accomplishment to pass a big infrastructure bill but it is undeniable that the Biden Administration did not capitalize on the opportunity. Clearly, the President was not able to get out and leverage the bully pulpit of the presidency to get his message out there. We have to acknowledge that reality. But his administration also squandered the opportunity to show what government could do and I will give you two examples. We saw how important broadband was during COVID and the law included $40 billion to get more people connected. But three years later, not one person got internet access from those funds. Another big priority was to build out a national network of chargers to support the adoption of electric vehicles. But just 56 charging stations were built in three years. Democrats made big promises and Americans did not witness any tangible results. We need to write a new story. One where government succeeds in making life better and fix problems that frustrate voters. Voters have heard big promises for a long time. We've got to make results a much bigger part of the conversation."
Ironically, columnist and CNN pundit Fareed Zakaria articulated a similar position to deGruyter in a recent column, calling for Democrats to demonstrate that they can provide both good and smart government, writing in his concluding remarks:
"...Democrats too often appear like dithering technocrats. Americans do not hate government; they hate government that doesn’t work. They will support ambitious programs if they believe they will be implemented competently — as they did with the New Deal and the interstate highways. But when government seems incapable of building housing, fixing schools or balancing budgets, even sympathetic voters lose faith. If Democrats want to rebuild that faith, they must rediscover the lost art of competence. And they can prove it to the entire nation by governing well in the places — big cities — where they’re in charge. Fix the schools before promising new subsidies. Change housing rules before asking for rent freezes. And tear down the scaffolding. American liberalism once stood for a confident creed — that smart policy, executed by capable hands, could make people’s lives better. Americans want that but they watch Democrats in action and ask, like Casey Stengel more than 60 years ago about the hapless New York Mets, 'Can’t anyone here play this game?'"
While these are important historical lessons and relevant factors that need to be considered when assessing what has worked and what can be improved in developing future policies, recruiting future candidates, and devising future effective governing strategies, it is essential to recognize and celebrate the positive historical achievements of your leaders and elders statesmen as well as the areas they erred, especially when the list of accomplishments clearly supplants the list of mistakes.
One last point showing that "History Matters" is Senator Gallego's point that "No one is going to know who did it" is the below picture.
From the New York Times
Or this one.
From Facebook
The title of the late David McCullough's book "History Matters" is on point here.
Donald Trump and his Project 2025 MAGA Fascist soulmates clearly understands this.
That is why they are spending their time rewriting history and taking credit for a law the man who regularly boasted about infrastructure week but had nothing to do with the passage of the actual legislation.
Democrats need to reconcile and band together with regard to the successful Biden/Harris Legacy.
It, despite some errors and mistakes, is largely a proud one to boast about.
Democrats need to stop pounding on their own.
MAGA Republicans do not seem to have that problem and they, without reservation, back their man, despite his impeachable, criminal, and incompetent managing of the country.
Biden did not commit impeachable offenses.
He did not commit treason.
He and his team managed the nation well.
Historians, in the latest polling, ranked Biden 14th and Trump 45th, dead last.
It is about time Democrats unite and celebrate Joe Biden the way historians already have and stop dumping on him by only harping about h
