A potential Democratic Candidate for the general election

Seth Moulton.  Who? Seth Moulton.

An alpha male. A good matchup against Trump. He may be the strongest possible candidate: a "generic Democrat" who looks and sounds like a president. 

Democrats have a problem with their current announced candidates. There is something "wrong" with everyone. Not actually wrong--not at all--but an area of election vulnerability. Something for people of prejudice to dislike.

Candidates are characterized as too old, too female, too feminist, too black, too boring, too liberal, too Latino, too young, too gay, too boyish.

Those identity characteristics may be primary election benefits and qualifiers for most Democrats.  But what helps in getting Democratic primary traction creates a general election problem, because it represents the Democratic commitment to identity, i.e. identity other than heterosexual white male.

Prejudice is real. Democrats make prejudice and the disadvantage it gives to various categories of people part of their party message. The Democratic party approach may be to lean in, and nominate a candidate who in some way represents a rejection of that prejudice, i.e. a woman or person of color, or in the case of Kamala Harris, both.

But the electorate is still majority white. Trump appeals to that endemic prejudice and current demographics. Prejudice is not necessarily realized or acknowledged by people who have it. It shows up in polls in disguise. A candidate isn't "likable." A candidate seems "shrill" or "mean." A candidate seems "weak." There was "something about" Hillary or Warren people didn't like. The "Obama-birtherism" meme got traction.

The Access Hollywood tape was actually a mixed signal. Yes, Trump was revealed openly as an aggressive, vulgar oaf, but he was simultaneously shown to be strong, decisive, confident, a man who took what he wanted. It was an expression of masculine strength, of an old fashioned aggressive way. A majority of white women did not recoil; they supported him. White males supported Trump with huge, election-winning margins.

This should not surprise Democrats. It is they who identify widespread racial prejudice, misogyny, and white male privilege. They are right, and Trump profited from it.

One of the ways prejudice is expressed is in difficulty seeing or accepting women and people of color as leaders.


As plausible Commanders in Chief. As a person who can stand up for America.

Gifted as Obama was as a politician, he carried the burden of white Americans seeing him as weak, "feckless," a poor leader. Leaders in America have traditionally been white men. Older people have that conditioning.

There is a look, a masculine look. A military look. A deep voiced, big adams apple, square jaw, high testosterone look. That is what leaders look like.

Seth Moulton was in fact a Marine officer who saw wartime tours of duty in Iraq. No bone spurs. He looks and sounds like a tough warrior.  He is on the Armed Services Committee. He graduated from Harvard College in physics, then has a joint degree from Harvard's Business School and JFK School of government. He is married and has a child.  He is 41 years old, the age of JFK when he was elected.

It is a distinguished biography.

Politically, he holds the typical suite of policies held by nationally prominent Democrats. Pro choice, pro gun control, etc. It makes his policies unexceptional, and therefore his candidacy about character and leadership and electability.

He is positioned as a "moderate" Democrat, and is rated as the 32nd most bi-partisan Democrat. That may be a problem in the Democratic primary, but would position him about where Joe Biden is--but without the Joe Biden problem of age, history of past votes, and a history of gaffes and presidential election defeats.

Would Democrats accept a young, military veteran, gaffe-free Joe Biden?  Maybe not, but the very liberal Bernie/Warren/Harris space is crowded, so Moulton has a lane.

He has an opportunity. I have not heard him speak at length. If he can sound like an inspiring leader, with the oratorical skills of a JFK or Obama, he could take his potential and put it into practice. He has an opportunity to "wow" people.

We may see if he can do it.