Mark Kelly is the Antidote to Trumpism
As pressure mounts on President Biden to suspend his campaign, speculation about a viable successor has dominated the news cycle. Should the crown be handed directly to his vice president, Kamala Harris? Should Democrats hold some sort of miniature primary to let voters or even delegates decide on a nominee? Should the left be concerned about backlash if Harris or another heir apparent is overlooked? This is all noise. The only thing that matters is winning. Trumpism is viewed as an existential threat to our country by most of the citizenry left and center alike, and there is only one candidate who can stop it cold — the anti-Trump, Mark Kelly.
By all measures, the left and “Never Trump” center are running against a villain, and to beat him, they will need a hero. In Kelly, they have that champion. Where Trump has weakness, Kelly has strength. Where Trump had “bone spurs,” Kelly had two deployments to the Persian Gulf. Where Trump had extramarital affairs while his wife was pregnant, Kelly had devotion to his wife through tragedy. Where Trump had a “smart uncle,” Kelly had a master’s degree in aeronautical engineering. Where Trump had his reality TV show, Kelly had his time in orbit. Where Trump has bombast and divisive rhetoric, Kelly has prudence and inclusion. To continue with our biological metaphor, Mark Kelly is like an antibody that has an answer for every spike protein in the MAGA repertoire.
For the undecided and independent, he provides an “other” option to Trump without sacrificing many of the characteristics they seek in a candidate. Toughness, check. Military experience, check. Family values, check. Moderate politics, check. These are values they may not see in more left-leaning politicians. He gives them an out.
For liberals, he may not seem to be the ideal candidate — his policies are nearly right down the middle of the political ideology of the country — but unlike Manchin, Sinema, and others, he has never outright rejected major Democratic legislation. He is a party man, and they should be able to rally around that. Add a Whitmer or Warnock to the ticket, and he will generate even more enthusiasm.
So what about the numbers? Well…the numbers are good. Kelly outperforms Biden by five points against Trump in swing states, and Harris by nearly the same. He also leads the pack among other names being thrown around, like Whitmer, Moore, and Shapiro. It makes sense given his resume. The man is a literal American hero, and people know it. He was an astronaut, sure, but it may have been his devotion to his wife, former Sen. Gabby Giffords, that solidified his persona in the American mind. After the tragic shooting that left her gravely wounded and six others killed, he guided her through a challenging recovery and eventually took up her political banner in Arizona.
Speaking of Arizona, it is a swing state, and if Kelly runs, he will likely go a long way to deliver it. If he is able to add a Rust Belt Democrat like Whitmer or Shapiro, he will likely deliver two. And as for the rest of them, he gives a great Trump alternative to working-class voters who may not be enthusiastic about Trump but blame inflation or the border crisis on the current administration. In other words, Kelly can be both a safe candidate for liberal voters and a change candidate for moderate Democrats and Republicans.
If the left and center want to beat the juggernaut that is MAGA, they are going to need to fight hard and be honest with themselves. While it may be someone else’s turn to run in political and media circles, for the electorate there is only one choice. That choice is American Hero, Arizona Senator Mark Kelly.
