What the Democrats need to do to win, With Virginia Congressman Don Beyer. [25:22-30:27]

I'd say the same thing I say today is because I've always felt that we were the party that represented the little guy. We're the ones who cared about everybody and the people left behind. I think Franklin Roosevelt, for example, are Lyndon Johnson. And yet right now, the little guy votes for Republicans. The blue collar workers, the even many of Latino and African-American men voting for Trump. So somehow we've lost the position where I think our hearts and our minds really are. And so that's the messaging, James. I would like to see is reaffirming that we're for the people versus the powerful. And we want to represent the people. And maybe that was another one of the factors that led to the disaster of 2024. The Democrats were not articulating that message to people who were left left behind and left out. Yeah, and it's not just there's not just like the people on minimum wage. There's all kinds of people making $50,000 a year or $70,000 a year. Who feel left behind? Because they can't afford the college education. They can't afford to buy a house. They're struggling to make ends meet. As we look at the American economy, our upper middle class has blossomed. And we have more than 1,000 billionaires. But there's an awful lot of Americans who don't feel any better than they did in the mid 1970s. And don't have much hope for their prospects in the years to come. Those are the people that we need to represent. How about, again, the Congressman, you and I are of a certain generation, right? Which has done great things and we're proud of who we are. But does the party need to do a better job maybe of putting up some new voices, younger voices, more energetic voices? Yeah, and I think we are. I mean, we just have, for example, Robert Garcia, a young youngster who is 47, but young coming from California, taking over the oversight committee, if Jasmine Crockett who's young and fiery out there, there are a whole crop, at least I see it mostly through the house because that's where I go every day. But we have a bunch of people in their 30s and 40s right now who are smart and caring and articulate. And the number that are my age are dwindling quickly as we should. Yeah. And there are younger pressure voices among those who are looking at 2028 as Congressman mainly among our governors. If you look at Wes Moore, Josh Birol, writer, Andy Bussier, Jamie Pritzker, Gavin Newsom. Do you have a favorite among that gang? Yeah, my favorite is always going to be Pete Buttigieg. Really? Yeah. I should have mentioned him. He's great. I love. I think Pete, no one is as articulate as Pete. No, no one can better express what's going on in America and the Democratic Party and solutions. I also, he's just a very good person. I know he has the hurdle of being a married gay man in a country that is much more accepting of same-sex marriage and of people's sexual orientation. Then they were 10 or 20 years ago. I'm hoping that they're ready for Pete. But, but we'll see. Right. That's interesting. You believe Americans are more ready for a married gay man than a black woman to be president of the United States or any woman to be president of the United States. Yeah. I hate to tell you this, but yes, I do. We look at Trump put Scott Bessent in his Treasury Secretary and I haven't heard anybody. Any Republican, not even Laura Lumer say he should go because he's gay. Yeah. If he escaped Laura Lumer, right? There are many other gay men and women in better Trump appointees. That's fine. I want. I want there to be greater social acceptance. I wish there were greater social acceptance of the notion of a woman as president. One of the interesting thoughts, comments that came out of the 2024 election was the same percentage of Americans voted against having Hillary as president as voted against having Kamala as president. That was the burden maybe. Speaking of Kamala Harris congressman, we know what decision she made last week. Not to run for governor of California. And you've indicated your preference for 2028 would be Pete. But what's your advice to Kamala Harris? Should she go for it again? Is that good for the party? Well, I don't think. Yeah. I think competition is great for the party. We're a democracy. We need to hear from everybody. What happened to her wasn't really fair. She got eight or nine weeks to try to put together president or campaign after years of being left in the closet by herself. She did. And she was lost by 1.4%. Imagine if she had a whole year to run. I say, my of all these people, I'll be working hard for whoever gets the nomination in the meantime.