If there is one thing that I’m quite sure people are sick of talking about, it is the 2022 election. With the runoff election in Georgia extending an already-long campaign season, I think most Americans are sick and tired of talking about the election of 2022. For goodness’ sake, can we please stop talking about the election of 2022?

Which, of course, brings me to the election of 2024.

At this point, we don’t really know if President Joe Biden is going to run for reelection. He is making all the right moves for someone who will run, but until we hear him actually declare his candidacy we can’t know for sure. And not that he’s asked me lately, but I think the best thing for him to do, for the country and for his party, would be to announce he will not be seeking a second term.

Though I’m a big Biden fan (by any objective standard, he’s been quite successful), I think that 82 years old is just too old to be a candidate for the presidency. Though Biden is remarkably fit and agile mentally and physically, he would be 86 at the end of a second term, and I do think it is time to turn to younger leaders. Heck, I’m about to turn 65, so I’m no spring chicken myself, but I do think it would be best for Biden to decline a second-term nomination.

So where does that leave the Dems for 2024? Well, like lots of folks, I’ve been thinking about this and I have a few ideas, the first three of which are quite familiar to Colorado Politics readers.

I have a very simple criteria in mind for whom I believe should run for the presidency. First and foremost, he or she should be capable of doing the toughest job in the world quite well. That eliminates people like, say, a certain former president with legal issues, but I digress. My second condition is that the person must be able to actually win an election. Back in 1972, when I was a junior high kid volunteering for Democratic nominee George McGovern, I believed in his policy positions, but I never did think he could win. We must not make that mistake again. So, sorry Bernie Sanders, you can’t win nationally (I think I just heard a giant eyeroll from some of my liberal friends).

First up, my top choice would be my old boss, U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet. I know first-hand his intellect and good character. Bennet is brilliant and was successful in the private sector before entering (involuntarily) the political world. Bennet had a very brief and ineffective run for the White House in 2020, but with more time to plan and to communicate his vision to the voters, he likely would do much better, as he is both qualified and electable.

Next up is John Hickenlooper, the other U.S. senator from the Centennial State. Hick has a great record in the private sector, and as a former two-term governor, he would bring an especially impressive background to the challenge of governance. Hick is certainly qualified, and his strong business owner background might have a strong appeal for unaffiliated voters.

I’d like to add my old friend U.S. Rep.Jason Crow to this list, but I think he needs to run later, perhaps in 2028 or so, depending on what happens. He would be a terrific candidate as he already is a great congressman and war hero, but I think his time is not yet here.

My final Colorado choice is Jared Polis. Polis, like Bennet and Hickenlooper, has a great business background. Heck, by some standards, Polis is the best businessman in office, with the tremendous success of his businesses and his acumen in spotting opportunities. He has been a terrific governor, and now safely reelected to a second term, his mind might well wander to future opportunities.

So, Polis is certainly qualified for the presidency and would be a strong and capable leader. I hate that I have to even mention this, but there might be an issue as to his electability. Is our nation ready to elect the first openly gay president? I actually think the answer is yes. During his recent reelection campaign, the focus was on the issues. Though there were, of course, some slimy people on the far right who demonstrated their bigotry with snarky and vile social media posts, for the most part, the question was about Polis and his policies, which is a very good sign, in my view. I think we are ready, nationally, to toss another bigotry on the ash heap, at least on the presidential level.

So, though I am certainly biased, I do think Colorado has three great leaders who would make fine presidents and who are electable (four, if you count Crow for later). There are certainly other folks who need to be on the list of possible POTUSs, but I’ll not go into much detail about them, given that this is Colorado Politics after all (ed: good).

My longer list includes Pete Buttigieg, who is remarkable along a number of criteria. Vice President Kamala Harris is certainly in the mix, though she has maintained a much lower profile than I expected. This could be in part due to her need to stay close to the Senate, to break any 50-50 ties that pop up. Happily, with the Georgia runoff, the Dems now have a 51-49 edge, so Harris can cut that tie for the most part.

I’m also a huge fan of Michigan (my home state) Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who may, frankly, be the strongest Democratic candidate out there, should Biden step aside. Whitmer has weathered a remarkable and brutal series of attacks from the far right with grace and skill and the voters of Michigan recently agreed. And back in 2008, during my own failed campaign for congress, I shared a bus ride with Minnesota U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, and boy is she impressive. Klobuchar is super smart and is a very able campaigner. She’d be great.

So, there you have it: a list you didn’t ask for, and way before you wanted to see it. But as painful as it is to say, the 2024 campaign is already upon us. So, buckle up and get ready for some presidential politics.

Hal Bidlack is a retired professor of political science and a retired Air Force lieutenant colonel who taught more than 17 years at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs.