Who are the new Democratic stars? (POLL)

One as-yet-under-reported story of Tuesday's historic election is the new raft of Democratic stars that have vaunted themselves to the national stage. Sure, Barack Obama's a superstar, but how about Jon Tester? Or the photogenic, guitary-playing new governor of Maryland, Martin O'Malley? Or the first Muslim congressman in our history, Keith Ellison? And remember Eliot Spitzer? He's a governor now.

I'm sure there are many others-- future national spokesmen (and women), possible POTUS and VP picks. So who are the best of the lot? Who's overlooked? I've listed a few below, but I know it's an inadequate list.

Nice to see how much deeper the Democratic bench is now than the Republican.

•  Keith Ellison

  Sending the first Muslim-American to Congress sends a giant "f--- you!" to the GOP's politics of bigotry.

  by TDDVandy on Fri Nov 10, 2006 at 08:13:38 AM PDT

  •  And John Hall

    as guitary-playing guys go...

    by TDDVandy on Fri Nov 10, 2006 at 08:14:19 AM PDT

•  Why isn't Webb on the list?

  He's won over many fans here at Dkos.

  by xgz on Fri Nov 10, 2006 at 08:15:00 AM PDT

  •  Webb was brilliant this AM

    On Morning Edition he sounded all the right notes. He sounds soooooo "straight talking common man" - he's like a moderate/populist version of Feingold. He has a skill for cutting through the BS. I like Tester a lot, too, but he's just a bit too folksy for his own good almost. Spitzer is brilliant, and a potential future president, but he's a little too NY. Right now, the Democrats need to come across on national TV as a party that is not northeastern.

    Webb needs to get lotsa air time. Webb's emphasis is populist. He may be way to my right on military and foreign policy (though he's got enough common sense to have opposed the Iraq debacle early), but he emphasizes again and again that the most important problem in our nation right now is the class stratification that has accelerated in the past few years (speeding a three decade trend). This theme, which Webb sounds & Edwards sounds, is the correct theme, both morally and electorally for the Democratic Party at this point in history.

    On culture wars and (hard as it is for a peacenik like me to admit) on foreign policy, we need to be a big tent party.

    On economic justice, we need to speak with one clear, loud voice.

    by pHunbalanced on Fri Nov 10, 2006 at 08:38:21 AM PDT

•  I think it remains to be seen

  by TeresaInPa on Fri Nov 10, 2006 at 08:15:14 AM PDT

•  Spitzer isn't getting enough attention?

  Anyhoo, I don't think we can overstate just how important Webb's victory was, or the paradigm it provides us for implementing our values.

  by Geekesque on Fri Nov 10, 2006 at 08:29:13 AM PDT

•  Kirsten Gillibrand

  remember that name, folks!

  by LuLu on Fri Nov 10, 2006 at 08:33:18 AM PDT

•  Jim Webb

  by bincbom on Fri Nov 10, 2006 at 08:34:02 AM PDT

•  Sherod Brown of Ohio!

  N/T

  by Brother Dave on Fri Nov 10, 2006 at 08:37:05 AM PDT

  •  Yep.

    I forgot about him myself, but he is another one who comes across on squarely populist terms. He seems to be unlearning some of the politician-talk problems he used to have. Brown is the kind of midwestern populist (border south populists are good, too) who is the best face for the party right now.

    by pHunbalanced on Fri Nov 10, 2006 at 08:41:03 AM PDT

•  The "conservative Democratic wave"

  as represented by Carol Shea-Porter, Jerry McNerney, John Hall, Keith Ellison, Loebsack, Yarmuth (bunch of veritable Birchers they are, you know, the media tells me so).

  by ActivistGuy on Fri Nov 10, 2006 at 08:39:27 AM PDT

  •  Don't forget class warrior Jim Webb! eom

    by Geekesque on Fri Nov 10, 2006 at 08:41:17 AM PDT

    •  Webb has more class than Allen ever will.

      by Champurrado on Fri Nov 10, 2006 at 08:50:11 AM PDT

      •  And he's a true warrior. eom

        by Geekesque on Fri Nov 10, 2006 at 09:15:22 AM PDT

•  Deval Patrick?

  Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?

  by Nedsdag on Fri Nov 10, 2006 at 08:39:29 AM PDT

•  Every time I see Tester's name,

  no matter the context, I break out into a huge grin.  I just love that guy.

  by rina on Fri Nov 10, 2006 at 08:46:50 AM PDT

  •  What about Tester's glue fortune? (kidding)

    by Champurrado on Fri Nov 10, 2006 at 08:50:33 AM PDT

  •  I'm gonna go to the barber shop

    and request a flattop.

    However, on my 5'9", 170-pound frame, it won't look quite as good.

    by TDDVandy on Fri Nov 10, 2006 at 09:55:41 AM PDT

    •  Yeah, I can't see myself doing that.

      Not that there's anything wrong with girls having flat-tops, but it's just not for me :)

      I turns out that my mom's cousin grew up in Havre - Tester's hometown - so now I feel like he's family!

      by rina on Fri Nov 10, 2006 at 10:39:32 AM PDT

•  I read that Martin "JFK Jr." O'Malley was

  having more trouble running Baltimore than he let on. So I was as surprised as anyone that he won the governor's race. Any Marylanders out there care to summarize how he turned it around?

  by Champurrado on Fri Nov 10, 2006 at 08:52:15 AM PDT

  •  Running Baltimore is hard work

    Seriously though, running a big city which has been abandoned by white money is hard. Just ask Kurt Shmoke. Actually ask any mayor of Baltimore, Phillie, Detroit, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Milwaukee, Buffalo or St Louis. I hand it to big old industrial city mayors, they do some of the most important work in America against almost impossible odds. Being governor is easier because there's actually a tax base.

    by pHunbalanced on Fri Nov 10, 2006 at 08:59:36 AM PDT

•  Harold Ford????

  Tester.

  Organic farmer who's built like a tank, the kind of guy drunken frat boys probably tried to pick fights with in bars and then needed ambulatory care. He'll look good on Sunday mornings (that is, if they can pry the microphone out of Joe Biden's hands).

  by pletzs on Fri Nov 10, 2006 at 09:11:06 AM PDT

•  Tester's my guy

  I'm gonna be watching him very closely.

  (For one thing, he's the only person who won who I contributed to.  Texas, you see.)

  by Junior Bug on Fri Nov 10, 2006 at 09:11:06 AM PDT

•  asdf

  O'Malley and Spitzer are almost certain to be a future presidential candidates. Maybe Deval Patrick too.

  One two governors who'll get more prominence nationally are Chet Culver of Iowa and John Lynch of New Hampshire, principally because the size of the blue wave which swept their states give them a tremendous mandate for change and experimentation.

  New Congressman Ellsworth of Indiana will be a future candidate for statewide office.

  Herseth in South Dakota is likely running for Governor or Senate in 2010.

  Schuler could be making a move to replace Easley in '08.

  by Expo on Fri Nov 10, 2006 at 09:23:30 AM PDT

•  Jerry McNerney

  Nothing better than replacing Pombo with a wind farmer.

  by randompost on Fri Nov 10, 2006 at 10:05:32 AM PDT