This is corporate media just setting candidates for us.

I agree with this evaluation.

but keep in mind that 2028 is in 3 years, no one is running at this moment or declared

I'm aware and I think this is already a strategic mis-step. They needed to begin campaigning the day that Trump won. This is how Mamdani won. Its how Bernie came within a hogs breath of toppling the Clinton dynasty from within their own party. They didn't wait, they went to work. People powered campaigns operate in a fundamentally different manner and need more time to get going. However, they have the advantage that they exponentiate in how they scale. While they simultaneously take longer to get going, they're practically impossible to stop once they do. If Bernie had even one more month, maybe two more months to campaign in the run up to the 2016 primary, we wouldn't be having this conversation.

Right now no progressive/ grass-roots populist has thrown their had in the ring and I think this is a mistake.

I would sacrifice Jon's pleasure for the sake of the country. He's a good person and believe in him. If he announced, everyone who knows up from down wouldn't bother competing, outside of the Democratic primary where people might try to move him in some positions. But it would be a fools errand and a waste of political capitol to try and beat them, for either Republicans or Democrats.

I had this perspective until I started watching him again recently. I know my politics have moved left since I grew up listening to him. But he's stood still. It's kind of painful to watch how much he loses the forest for the trees on every single issue. Feels like he's a gatekeeper at this point. Basically keeping a large portion of millennials from being moved further left.

He'd be the best president in my lifetime if he won. But, that bar is in the dirt.

Stewart would not run,

Stewart might run. They're closer to running than they've ever been before.

Not with that attitude. Stewart will run if we need him, and we might.

I think it would be hard to talk Stewart into running but only because an election and presidency would be so draining for him.

Consider planning ahead to campaign/ volunteer for them. Also, plan the uncomfortable work of converting your friends, family, strange cousins, neighbors, people at the bus stop, everyone you can to vote for AOC.

Donations are great and important, but at the end of the day, its people power that wins elections. Actual humans contacting other humans they know and explaining why they should support the candidate.

but you’d have to talk the DNC into it

I don't think they could stop Jon Stewart. Not even close. And the lesson on why they can't stop him is something ANY progressive looking to challenge to the DNC would need to keep in mind. The DNC seems to only be able to shut down threats from within the DNC. Jon would be operating outside of their power structure.

So who is it you think would outperform Stewart?