Here’s something from the Lexington Herald Leader that we discussed in our most recent podcast:

If Andy Beshear truly wants to serve his country, if he really wants to help people, if his actual dedication is to the cause of freedom and equality for all – then absolutely none of us need him in the White House. We need him in the United States Senate. If you honestly care about women’s rights, immigrants’ rights, LGBTQ+ rights, or labor rights, or education or the economy… if you really and truly care about these issues, there is only one place we need Andy Beshear, and that is in the United States Senate. Not the White House. An imaginary ‘Beshear for President’ campaign platform is based on a fantasy – that this Democrat can win in a deep red state and thus… what? He will win all the red states? This mythology is sadly divorced from reality. And it is self-destructive.

The potential Democratic field for 2028 includes Gavin Newsom, Gretchen Whitmer, AOC, Mayor Pete, Gov. Shapiro and countless other firebrands, populists, centrists and weirdos. The chances of Andy surviving that field to win the nomination are not great. Is it possible? Dick Gephardt would say yes, but history would suggest otherwise. And the greatest argument in Andy’s favor — the best reason any of his supporters can muster for why he should run for President — is also the most obvious and undeniable reason for why he must not run for President. Andy Besehar is the term-limited Democratic governor of a red state. He has won the statewide vote TWICE. But if that is Andy’s greatest strength then the obvious question is why is he too scared to try to do it a third time? The White House is important. But if Mitch McConnell has taught any of us anything, no matter what we think about him, the true power lies in the Senate. And majority control of the Senate lies in the balance. Without the Senate, the next President — no matter which party they belong to — will struggle to enact their agenda. The Democrats lost two vitally important “red state” seats in the 2024 elections — Manchin in West Virginia and Tester in Montana. Losing Casey’s seat in Pennsylvania didn’t help, but it only underscores the countless reasons why if you really and truly believe Andy Beshear can win the state of Kentucky, then all you should be doing is begging him to run for Senate.

The ONLY way the Democratic Party can regain control of the Senate is if they can win a Senate seat in a red state. And if the best argument for a ‘Beshear for President’ campaign is that he can win a statewide election in a red state, then Beshear should run for Senate, not President. On top of everything else, Andy deciding NOW to enter the Senate race would immediately elevate his more-than-capable Lieutenant Governor, Jacqueline Coleman, to the Governor’s office, and help set her up for a successful 2027 gubernatorial campaign. Andy could literally swing control of the United States Senate and simultaneously help elect Kentucky’s 2nd ever female Governor and the first in over 40 years! During the last Governor’s race, Andy said he was committed to serving his full second term as Governor, and that’s great. It’s admirable! But when Andy said that, Mitch McConnell hadn’t announced his retirement and Donald Trump hadn’t been re-elected. If Andy Beshear actually cares about helping this country, then the single, obvious and only thing any of us need from him… is for him to run for and win McConnell’s seat. And if Beshear is too afraid to do that — to do what is right and what is necessary — because he is afraid that he might lose a Senate race in the state of Kentucky… then, let’s be real: If Andy Beshear can’t win a Kentucky Senate race, he isn’t going to win the White House.

Totally agree with everything said here, because we said the same thing in our podcast.

And one major thing in the political climate has changed.

This week, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker (what this with politicians and initials instead of first names … like JD Couchmaster?) blasted Republicans, the Space Nazi’s Orange Chia Pet’s administration and “Do Nothing Democrats” in a speech in New Hampshire.

If you haven’t seen it, here it is:

Great speech, but this also means Pritzker is running for president in 2028. And he’s a billionaire. Money for him is no object.

Gov. Andy can’t compete with that, but a run for the Senate will guarantee he gets millions in party money to take the red seat. Let’s face it, as much as you hate Mitch, he showed that being the majority or minority leader in the party will have more of an impact than being president.

So, Andy, take the Senate seat and work to get the Democratic leadership position. That’s where the real power lies, and Chuck Schumer has shown he doesn’t know how to wield it.

Is this really so hard to understand?