PRETENDERS
Newsom (fascist apologist, weak, squandered his credibility).
Pete (ties to McKinsey, will be eaten alive by populists, not straight)
Booker (owned by big pharma, all sizzle no steak, washed up before his filibuster and hasn't made news since, not white)
Warren (looks old, no charisma, not male)
CONTENDERS
Walz (the peak of the Kamala Harris campaign's momentum, but looks old and might not actually want to be president)
JB Pritzker (compassionate, strong as hell, clearly wants the job but can be criticized for his wealth and is a health risk due to his size)
Beshear (proven he can win in a red state, young and handsome, but may be too moderate)
Shapiro (strong in a swing state, skilled orator, but would alienate young voters and has baggage relating to the death of Ellen Greenberg)
Ossoff (from a swing state, also well spoken, and much younger than Shapiro, but could be too moderate for young voters and the party may not want him abandoning a hard-fought senate seat in a state where Warnock barely held onto his seat)
ONES TO WATCH
AOC (Needs a stint in the Senate or as Governor but she is the de-facto leader of the party, so watch what she does in 2028 with that power)
Crockett (Not in the squad, but knows how to attack and has risen to stardom because of it)
Talarico (Needs an opportunity to transition from TX Lege to Congress, watch to see if he gets to speak at the DNC)