Political Analyst Identifies For Mark Halperin Popular Democrats Not To Wager Heavily On For 2028 Race

A political analyst told Mark Halperin on Thursday that some prominent Democratic figures may not be safe bets for 2028.

During an appearance on Halperin’s “2WAY TONIGHT,” “Fight: Inside the Wildest Battle for the White House” co-author Jonathan Allen warned against overestimating candidates like Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom, former vice president and failed 2024 presidential candidate Kamala Harris and former Transportation secretary Pete Buttigieg. He said their profiles don’t necessarily translate into electoral success.

“Let me start with the back end first there. You couldn’t be right. I mean, the Democratic zoo is full of paper tigers,” Allen said. “We saw this perfect example last time around with Ron DeSantis. Everybody thought he was going to be a world beater, had the right resume, had the right supporters, had a lot of fundraising, and then he gets on the trail, and he looks terrible.”

Newsom, Allen said, appears wary of jumping into a crowded field where the odds of winning are slim.

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“As far as Newsom goes, I think he hasn’t made a decision yet. He is circumspect enough to think about the possibility that his next best move might not be running in a 20-candidate field for the Democratic nomination for president to maybe win a nomination to maybe win the presidency,” Allen said.

Allen added that Harris may lead on fundraising and name recognition, but questions about her electability linger.

“There are not a lot of people that are that circumspect. Most of them have been thinking about it their entire lives. They want to do it. They aim toward it. I think Harris is somebody who is definitely thinking about it, starts with a huge fundraising advantage over everybody else, name recognition advantage,” Allen said.

As for Buttigieg, Allen said he’s one of the few with recent national exposure, having served in former President Joe Biden’s cabinet. Still, Allen said, experience alone isn’t enough. (RELATED: ‘Red Flashing Warning’: Chris Cillizza Explains Why ‘Kamala Harris Absolutely Should Not’ Launch 2028 Bid)

“Pete Buttigieg, he’s going to be in Iowa, I think, later this week or early next week. He at least has some time on the national stage in the cabinet level to understand the kinds of things that Gretchen Whitmer might not have, which is how to not get co-opted by the other side,” Allen said.

Buttigieg is weighing a potential presidential bid and has already ruled out runs for governor or senator in Michigan, while Harris, according to several close allies who spoke to The New York Times on April 10, appears more interested in a 2026 gubernatorial campaign in California than another shot at the presidency. Newsom, meanwhile, has been positioning himself more aggressively on national issues, criticizing former President Joe Biden’s pardon of his son and using his podcast to call biological males in women’s sports “deeply unfair.”

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