Democrat Rep. Dean Phillips has jumped into the 2024 presidential race.

Who? I happen to know because he represents a district that used to be represented by my acquaintance Erik Paulsen.

Phillips, a Democrat congressman from Minnesota, represents the western suburbs of Minneapolis. His district is white, wealthy, highly educated, and has trended liberal over the past couple of decades. Formerly a Republican bastion, it has become solidly Democrat as the business/college-educated class has moved Left.

Phillips is more the traditional liberal than the firebrand kind of Leftist that Ilhan Omar is. Their districts abut each other but are worlds apart in the things that matter. Ironically, together they represent the two parts of the odd coalition that the Democrat Party has become. The liberal-leaning professional class sees themselves as the virtuous champions of the oppressed class who are quite comfortable in their wealthy communities and the professional victims who spend their lives protesting against the White privilege of the wealthy professional classes.

Together they make up the Democrat Party.

Phillips has been hinting about a run for a while now, but he has yet to announce officially. But as former local reporter and now liberal radio host Jason DeRusha reported, Phillips is clearly in the race.

SPOTTED: The Dean Phillips for President bus is already on the road. Photo from my friend Amy Waller, who sells German wine, on the road in Ohio. Bus says “Make America Affordable Again” and uses his slogan “Everyone’s Invited!” Website isn’t live, but just registered 10/12. pic.twitter.com/cT44n4Eo0x

— Jason DeRusha (@DeRushaJ) October 24, 2023

Phillips looks like he is going to run as a slightly more conservative Democrat, in the sense that he will focus on economic rather than social issues. He has been critical of President Biden, and with the exit of Robert Kennedy Jr. from the Democrat race, he obviously sees an opening within the party to challenge Biden.

Somebody has to. Biden is crashing.

Not that it is easy to challenge a sitting president, and it’s pretty clear that Phillips is a very, very long shot. Nobody has a clue who he is, and it’s not clear that he has a lane within the Democrat Party. The professional business class is a key part of the Democrat coalition, but also the weaker part when it comes to actual electoral politics. All the energy is on the radical Left.

You might think that the defection from Biden of the Hamas supporters creates an opening, but if so that opening is not exactly tailor-made for Phillips. He is an active Jew and a Board Member of Temple Israel, a liberal synagog in Minneapolis.

Phillips, at least by resume, looks like he would be a good candidate to appeal to moderate voters, although he lacks the charisma that is impossible to measure but still a vital component of a successful campaign. He is basically a boring guy.

Phillips will have money. He is heir to the Phillips distilling fortune. While not exactly AB InBev, Phillips has provided significant wealth. Not enough to self-fund a campaign, but Phillips does have a nice nest egg.

I would have to assume that Phillips is betting on a long shot and hopes to at least increase his visibility within the Party. This seems like a stupid strategy, given that any more Biden stumbles will draw in major figures like Gavin Newsom, leaving Phillips in the dust.

At least Phillips will get a nice bus out of the deal.