Up and Coming Weekly is a weekly publication in Fayetteville, NC and Fort Bragg, NC area offering local news, views, arts, entertainment and community event and business information.
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WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM JUNE 15 - 21, 2022 UCW 23 Some people are asking if North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper might be the Democrats' best presidential candidate in 2024. Not likely, you say, Joe Biden is pres- ident. And every first-term Democratic president in modern times has run for reelection. ere have been no serious chal- lenges for Democratic incumbents seeking their party nomination, with one exception. In 1980 Ted Kennedy challenged Jimmy Carter. Although Biden has not announced his candi- dacy, it would be fair to assume that he will run and will be the Democratic nominee. Even so, people are talking about other possibilities. In an article titled "ere Has to Be a Backup Plan" in the June 5 edition of New York magazine, Gabriel Debene- detti wrote about a gathering of the national Democratic Establishment held in North Carolina at Pinehurst in April. He called the attendees an "un- settled cross section of the Democratic Establishment." Debenedetti explained, "e lob- byists, donors, staffers and elected officials were gathering for the spring policy meeting of the Dem- ocratic Governors Asso- ciation, and the scheduled sessions concerned such topics as health care and diversity in governance." But there was also talk about politics, including worried conversations about the midterm elec- tions in November. Conversations shifted from "grim-the midterms-to grimmer." e grim refers to the prospects for this fall's elections. e "grimmer" for them was "the state of the party's plan- ning for 2024, when Biden will stand for reelection on the eve of his 82nd birthday." Although there was no serious question raised about Biden's inten- tion to be a candidate for reelection in 2024, some of those gathered in Pinehurst were "calculating contingen- cies: If Biden's health turned, or if his polling truly collapsed, which of the party's governors might step up and save them from electoral ruin-and the nightmare of a Trump comeback?" "Roy Cooper — the conference's host, who had twice won North Carolina in the same years the swing state was carried by Donald Trump — was the most frequent topic of shadow-campaign chatter," wrote Debenedetti. Other governors were mentioned, too: Phil Mur- phy, from New Jersey; J. B. Pritzker, Illinois; Jared Polis, Colorado: Gavin Newsom, California; and Gretchen Whitmer, Michigan. Bernie Sanders sent word that he also might be avail- able for another run. And there are plenty more including Vice President Kamala Harris, Secretary of Transpor- tation Pete Buttigieg, Senators Amy Klobuchar, Corey Booker, Elizabeth Warren and California Rep. Ro Khan- na. Many more are in the wings. But Cooper has something the other possible contenders lack. He is a Southerner. And Democrats will remember that beginning with Harry Truman, and until Barack Obama, every winning Democratic presidential candidate, except John Kennedy, had a Southern connection: Harry Tru- man (1948), Lyndon Johnson (1964), Jimmy Carter (1976), and Bill Clinton (1992). Include Al Gore if you count his popular vote victory in 2000. How do you explain their success? First, they learned to respond to the challenges in their states with prag- matic rather than doctrinaire solutions that did not frighten conservatives. Second, they learned to gain the sup- port of Black voters and open doors with opportunities for them. Democratic governors of southern states are a vanishing breed. Two other Southern governors, John Bel Edwards of Louisiana and Andrew Beshear of Kentucky join Cooper in this small group. Like Cooper, they must work with Republican dominated legislatures. Edwards, has a progres- sive record, but because he signed a very restrictive abortion law he prob- ably would lose the support of many Democrats. Andy Beshear is up for a tough reelection battle in Kentucky in 2023, one that will almost certainly preclude his preparing for a presidential run. us, if Biden is not a candidate for reelection in 2024 and the Democrats want to try their winning Southern governor formula again, they have one choice. Roy Cooper. LITERATURE Roy Cooper for president? by D.G. MARTIN D.G. MARTIN, Host of PBS-NC's Bookwatch. COMMENTS? Editor@upand- comingweekly.com. 910-484-6200. 2022 Best of Fayetteville Special Edition • Coming September 28, 2022 Advertise & promote your business all year long eectively and aordably! Advertise, market and promote your business in the most popular, most read edition of the year! For more information, rates and deadlines call (910) 484-6200 RESERVE YOUR SPACE TODAY! SPECIAL EDITION Published, Distributed and Online in the Fayetteville, Ft. Bragg and Cumberland County area ALL YEAR! Cumberland County's Community Newspaper 2 2 N D ANNU A L SP E C I A L E D I T I O N ATTENTION LOCAL BUSINESSES... NEED CUSTOMERS? Look forward to seeing you soon. Great Time to do your personal and upcoming holiday shopping. ese are one-of-a-kind made by our own designers. 700 Ramsey St. Fayetteville, NC 28301 Flowers Express What Words Cannot Time for our Summer Clearance Sale SILK arrangements for every day and seasonal are 50% o. Bring this Ad for an additional 5% o. .com www.FloralArtsNC 910.822.0425 Gov. Roy Cooper