I'm not joking at all.
I realize it's way too early, and there is no need to distract from the current imperative, which is a big victory in the midterm elections in '26, but the moment demands that we consider this man and the possibility.
For those who consider that the Democratic candidate at the head of the ticket in '28 should be a straight white male, Senator Kelly is your man. He is a proven national hero, driven by duty and honor, who has braved the worst physical and mental challenges this era produces and kept his sanity and his nose clean. Shot into space, shot at over Iraq, counseling the recovery of his wife after she was shot in the brain--these are a few of them.
Most recently, he took on the terror that is Trump 2.1. He was the front man for a group of military veterans in Congress who took out a public ad to warn our military not to obey illegal orders. Trump called the action sedition and requested the hanging of all nine of them. Wrong, and not happening, and Kelly has been out front and open, saying both that his group's actions were legal and that he's not afraid of the Wherever Man.
The veterans who made the ad--one can not call it a protest, nor was it anything more than a repetition of a portion of the training given to all military recruits, let's call it a Shout-Out--have been dodgy about whether they were thinking specifically when they made it about the criminal order to kill the survivors of one of the first bombings of Venezuelan boats on the high seas. They have not called the intrusion of the military into US cities an example of orders that were illegal, either, but they have stated simply that there is reason to think this administration may seek to misuse the military in the future. No doubt of that, and one can easily think of worse abuses that the White House might order. Trump may have criminal immunity for such orders, but those who carry them out do not. We will come back to the "Venezuelan initiative" in a moment.
Back to the point, though: Based on his record, Senator Kelly seems to be a centrist Democrat, loyal, but not particularly partisan, and uniquely able to communicate on the need for responsible gun regulation. He is not a career politician, but after some years--he was first elected in 2020, in a special election--he seems to be finding his voice, which is an authentic one. Not an intellectual-sounding one. The only issue on which I recall his being critical of Biden's administration was on the lack of action on the border--his border. Stop me if any of this is a negative.
I see only two drawbacks to his chances--apart from name recognition, which is suddenly flooding his way, right in his wheelhouse. One is that he is not one for self-promotion, and he doesn't show that burning desire for Presidential power. That, in reality, only makes him more attractive as someone truly fit for the job, but it could keep him completely out of the conversation (present company excepted). The other is that, prematurely bald, he might seem older than his 61 years. It might not seem young enough for some, but it's hardly "too old".
As for being a sitting Senator and thus disqualified based on the recent experience of failed Democratic Senators as Presidential candidates, I think that's pretty bogus: he's got more than his share of real-world experience, yet enough Washington time to know what is needed.. As far as I know, he is not owned by the corporations, and he has an amazing wife, former Representative Gabby Giffords.
Maybe I'm wrong, and it won't take a Washingtonian draft movement (as in, George W.) to get him to run. If he runs, the starting blocks for his run will be a sweeping Senate re-election win in the critical swing state of Arizona in 2026. I see the argument for his candidacy along the same line as that for Pennsylvania's Josh Shapiro, but Kelly is a superior prospect.
The Venezuela Gambit
What explains the recent rash of murderous attacks on boats coming off from the coast of Venezuela, heading north?
The opportunity to drive toward regime change, removing a military dictator and usurper with blood on his hands who's caused millions to flee and impoverished his country? No, that's more typical of Trump's foreign friends. He would emphatically be against that (then would go to sleep).
Looking to grab the enormous Venezuelan oil production and/or reserves (nationalized) for himself/the USA? No, not really any of those variations--we have plenty of reserves, and more being drilled domestically than needed. The Venezuelans would hardly look to give away their ownership, but instead would look toward better domestic distribution of the proceeds. Not interested.
Searching for active kinetic action for Pete Hegseth to use for military practice (after the domestic use failed to provoke sufficient resistance)? Without war? I suppose that is part of it, though why Venezuela? There are plenty of other alternatives still on the table, aren't they? (Greenland, Panama, Canada....) Certainly the continuing search for distractions contributes, and Trump is always ready to take credit for cruelty and brutality. He is also using this series of actions to probe a further extension of his powers to take actions beyond the rule of law and without any authorization beyond his own whim.
No, I think there is something more involved, something even more sinister. I look at the relatively minor Venezuelan component of the international drug trade, and its alleged association with current national government officials, and I draw a different conclusion. These guys are horning in on the existing cartel operations, and Trump/Hegshit are assets working for their benefit against the Venezuelan outlaws. See also the recent pardon of the Honduran government drug king.
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