Some Democrats are reportedly growing interested in grabbing someone not currently running for president to be the party's out-of-left-field 2020 nominee.
For an article published Thursday, The New York Times interviewed 93 Democratic superdelegates, finding that Democratic establishment leaders are "not just worried about Mr. Sanders' candidacy, but are also willing to risk intraparty damage to stop his nomination at the national convention in July if they get the chance."
Amid these fears, Democrats have reportedly "placed a steady stream of calls" to Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) suggesting he could "emerge as a white knight nominee at a brokered convention." Brown passed on a 2020 run, deciding "the best place" for him would be in the Senate.
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Democrats are "urging" former President Barack Obama to get involved and "broker a truce," the Times also writes, but beyond that, Democratic National Committee member William Owen suggested tapping former first lady Michelle Obama as vice president, saying "she's the only person I can think of who can unify the party and help us win" an election that's "about saving the world."
Other superdelegates are reportedly floating the idea of Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) getting back in the mix, while Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.) rattled off a whole bunch of suggestions for a surprise nominee including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), somebody "that could win and we could all get behind and celebrate."
Regardless, of the 93 superdelegates the Times interviewed, only nine said Sanders should become the nominee based on arriving to the convention with a plurality but not a majority, with Rep. Veronica Escobar (D-Texas.) saying, "If 60 percent is not with Bernie Sanders, I think that says something, I really do."
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