Jay Inslee is the Governor of Washington, and he’s running for President. He deserves serious consideration.
He’s a Climate Change Warrior. It’s his one issue, and he knows it well. He’s in the weeds on it, and he can go high when FEPOTUS goes low. Not only that. He can explain it in a way that even a Luddite Real Estate Salesman can understand. Inslee has the kind of game that could give Trump a run in the red states. That’s a winning formula.
Inslee is promoting himself as a one-issue guy, although that doesn’t do him justice. He explains that environmental policy is also job policy and education policy. After he opens on the environment, he pivots to these more accessible issues. He comes across like a seasoned, well-rounded intelligent guy who can put some meat on the progressive skeleton.
Inslee served two terms in Congress. He can speak about the federal government with some authority. His pitch about Congress is that the filibuster has to go to get environmentally positive laws on the books.
Inslee plays like someone who knows the business and how things get done. If he gets a hearing, he might find some traction. If he is the standard bearer, he has the kind of game to take Trump on. He won’t get bullied, that’s for sure
Getting some traction though is Inslee’s biggest hurdle. He slots into the middle-aged, white guy niche with Beto O’Rourke, who is already establishing himself as a formidable candidate. Beto’s sucking up money like a Roomba, and has some mojo reminiscent of Obama and Bill Clinton. Inslee has more substance, less charisma.
Too bad, it’s not even clear that the middle-aged, white guy will be this year’s model. Cory Booker, Kamala Harris and Joaquin Castro are off and running. The Democrats need to win back Michigan, Wisconsin, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Florida.
The glass ceiling division, Senators Warren, Gillibrand and Klobuchar. Each of them has a strong progressive agenda, with Klobuchar a popular midwestern figure.
Then there’s Bernie and maybe Biden, a slightly more seasoned variant.
A total of 22 candidates so far, and it’s early still it’s too early to draw any conclusions about who can win beat the Groper. The Democrats must win back Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Florida to be assured of victory. Whoever runs strongly through middle America will be athe Democrat to beat. In a one-issue race, it’s the only issue that counts.
Evan Sarzin is the author of Hard Bop Piano and Bud Powell published by Gerard & Sarzin Music Publishing. He writes and publishes Revolted Colonies (http://revoltedcolonies.com).