Dean Phillips starts calling New Hampshire Dems as primary chatter heats up

[riversedge]

Source: politico








The Minnesota Democrat is now taking concrete steps towards challenging Joe Biden.


By Elena Schneider and Nicholas Wu

10/13/2023 05:59 PM EDT

Rep. Dean Phillips has begun making calls to Democratic operatives and officials in New Hampshire, the latest step he’s taken toward launching a primary challenge against President Joe Biden.
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“I called Chairman Buckley yesterday to introduce myself as I contemplate entering the Democratic primary,” he said. “It was a very friendly conversation.”

Phillips said he has also reached out to potential staffers in the state.

The Minnesota Democrat has regularly called for Biden to face a 2024 primary challenger, criticizing the president for not “pass[ing] the torch” to the next generation of Democratic leaders. Phillips withdrew from House Democratic leadership earlier this month, amid concern that his flirtation with a primary bid was causing a distraction. He has met with Democratic donors over the summer about a potential run.

“He’s doing the things you would do if you’re running — or if you’ve not officially decided and you’re trying to check what the reception would be,” said a New Hampshire Democrat operative, granted anonymity to discuss the issue candidly.

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Read more: https://www.politico.com/news/2023/10/13/dean-phillips-new-hampshire-dems-00121555

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Link to tweet

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[peppertree]

1. Sheila Jackson-Lee's face says it all

"Boy - hush."

[riversedge]

10. Doesn't that look like Nancy Pelosi almost directly behind him?? .......

My guess it that Phillips was not talking about taking on pres. Biden at this presser. Just a guess.

[peppertree]

14. True

Still - it does give the impression he was droning on, and probably likes to hear himself talk just a little too much.

Whatever his virtues though, he should know better than this.

A needless primary challenge can only weaken an incumbent president - it's just a question of how much. And he knows that.

[mountain grammy]

20. She is giving him "the look"

and I am too... ugh.

[peppertree]

22. You know that's right

Having grown up in Mi'ssippi, my favorite schoolteachers were black ladies.

They were very affectionate when you were doing right - which made "the look" all that much more noticeable when you were doing wrong.

Usually followed by a "not today, honey."

And that's what our friend Mr. Phillips needs right now.

[PlutosHeart]

2. O G no

Again?

He doesn't have the experience. And he is casting doubt. What the heck?????

[Ocelot II]

3. He's a good Congressman and he should keep *that* job.

I hope the state party and his constitutents sit on him, hard.

[riversedge]

8. "Phillips, meanwhile, drew his own primary challenger this week when Ron Harris, a DNC executive com

Phillips will be a busy man--


..............
FRom the article:

Phillips, meanwhile, drew his own primary challenger this week when Ron Harris, a DNC executive committee member, announced a bid for Phillips’ congressional seat.
............

[PlutosHeart]

23. Will it be after he looses

that he will then switch Parties? Indie perhaps?

Everything has failed the smell test here.

[OAITW r.2.0]

4. I wonder what PAC is funding this vanity run?

Love to see the donor list.

[Lonestarblue]

9. You're missing a word--what Republican PAC is funding his run.

Most people have never heard of this man, myself included. He has no national name recognition. The right wing knows Trump will lose to Biden. That’s why I suspect there may be some Republicans in the background paying for this, whether he knows it or not. No Labels is another Republican-funded effort to divide the Democratic vote. And Kennedy knew he would not win in a primary so he’s now running as an independent. All f this smells of Republican dirty tricks, just as they recruited the Democratic state Senator in North Carolina, and the when she won she switched parties to give them a veto proof majority.

[OAITW r.2.0]

12. The donors would certainly be interesting.

And I suspect that you are entirely correct. Is Dean so naive that he doesn't understand political reality?

[Ocelot II]

13. I very much doubt that the GOP is involved. Phillips is a solid Democrat.

He's not my rep (mine is Ilhan Omar), but he represents an adjacent district and I'm familiar with him and his work. He's good at his job, consistently liberal, and I can't imagine that he'd take funding from GOPers. But unfortunately he's gotten a big head - Democrats aren't immune to ego tripping. I just hope he gets the message that he's not helping and he won't get anywhere.

[4lbs]

5. When Biden easily wins the Democratic nomination, and the state of Minnesota,

Mr. Phillips will be an outcast, alone on an island.

What do his fellow Minnesotans have to say about it?

What does Senator Amy Klobuchar have to say?

What does fellow Rep Ilhan Omar have to say?

[BaronChocula]

7. I suppose they're betting on

not having to say anything at all about this soon-to-fade blip.

[4lbs]

11. It will be ironic when Biden wins the 2024 Democratic primary in Minnesota

and Mr. Phillips won't even be that blip as you said.

Biden won Minnesota in 2020, and all those people he beat won't be going against him now.

So, he should get maybe 95% of the Democratic vote in Minnesota, if not all of it.

His two biggest challengers from 2020 will no longer be his rivals in 2024.

Bernie Sanders has publicly endorsed Biden.

Elizabeth Warren was in his cabinet for a while and she worked with him when both were in the Obama administration.


The other two challengers won't be there this time, presumably, either.

Michael Bloomberg won't go against him.

Amy Klobuchar withdrew before the 2020 primary but not in time to have her name removed from the ballot. I don't think she'll try to challenge him this time.

[BaronChocula]

15. Agreed!

Phillips is trying to cash in on the hand-ringing over Biden's age. Even if that's still an issue voters are considering:
1. Most people will still push the lever for the person they think has the most cachet and that's usually the incumbent. Even in Minn.

2. All of those 2020 Biden opponents have his back enough for there to be no worry.

This guy might just be looking for a book deal, TV deal, or maybe he lost a bar bet.

[4lbs]

16. Yeah, this "too old" issue is getting umm... old, really quickly.

In 1983, Reagan was supposedly "too old"

Even as far back as 1982, a majority of voters didn't want Reagan to seek a second term. Even Independents and some Republicans didn't want Reagan again.


Then, what happened in the 1984 Republican primary and general election?

Reagan got almost 99% of the GOP vote then, and he crushed Mondale in the 1984 general election, winning 49 states to 1.


Not too old then eh?

[PlutosHeart]

26. Wasn't Amy his advocate

to get him placed on committees? in Washington? Thought Amy was a fan. Maybe he promised her VP position.

[4lbs]

27. She originally was a Democratic candidate in 2020, but dropped out after several

primaries didn't go her way (she wound up maybe 4th or 5th in most of them).

Yeah, Ms. Klobuchar praised his UN speech he gave, as well as some other policies he enacted. She was a VP candidate, but backed out after some protests about racial justice. Then she urged Biden to pick a woman of color, which he did in Kamala Harris.

As I said, it seems all his competitors in 2020, won't be there in 2024.

So, Biden won the 2020 Minnesota primary, but will likely get well over 95% now, being the incumbent President.

Any primary challenger will have a massive uphill climb.

It seems Phillips' main reason is the "he's too old" thing again. Which is really growing tiresome.

I said the same things were said on the other side, about Reagan in 1982 and 1983. Then he went on and crushed everyone in his path. I think Biden will do the same in 2024.

[PlutosHeart]

28. I am aware of her attempted run.

Listened to her whole event online as well. I was meaning Phillips would like to nominate Amy. She might not go for it but yes, they have ties.
In fact first met her at a DFL dinner fundraiser before her first run.

Noticed Dean started publicly with this whole thing right after his "trip". Not sure what that means but I noticed it.

May be safe but he casts a bad image imho at the moment.

[4lbs]

29. Yeah, it appears Ms. Klobuchar won't accept any VP invite on his ticket.

He would need to win the primary first, before even considering a VP nomination, anyway.

It wasn't until Biden was the 2020 Democratic nominee after securing enough delegates, that they focused on his VP pick.

This is why I also asked aboutf Ms. Klobuchar and Ms. Omar's thoughts since they are fellow Minnesota DFL members.

[4lbs]

6. Also, there seems to be some blowback already regarding this.

https://www.nbcnews.com/meet-the-press/meetthepressblog/rep-dean-phillips-faces-primary-challenger-calling-biden-opponent-rcna120232

October 13, 2023

Rep. Dean Phillips faces primary challenger after calling for Biden opponent

Ron Harris, a Democratic National Committee member, announced Friday that he'll run for Phillips' Minnesota House seat.

[DemocraticPatriot]

19. Good.

[PlutosHeart]

25. "I listen to normal Americans every day"

He id definitely hanging around the wrong bunch. Oops! They have money!

[LiberalFighter]

17. Who?

Even with social media I doubt he would get enough name recognition to get above 1%.

[DemocraticPatriot]

18. Dean WHO ???

(yeah, I know who he is, sorta--- a Democratic house back-bencher)


There was once a GOP congressman who contested Nixon's renomination in 1972....

Does anyone remember his name now?

only deep political history hacks like me...

I don't know exactly how he fared in the primaries,
but it obviously was not very good.....

(He serves as an 'object lesson' about the rule that incumbent Presidents tend to LOSE re-election if challenged for their renomination by a 'viable and credible candidate'--- key words being viable and credible....)


The 1972 GOP challenger was named McCarthy or something like that....

[MistakenLamb]

21. the only person who succeeding Biden in 2024 if he can't run

is Kamala Harris. So tired of elected officials in my own fucking party diminishing the work and power of the MVP

[PlutosHeart]

24. His actions

make our MN Party look bad and vulnerable. Bad optics all the way.