America not yet ready for President Castro. What a shame!

To be honest Julian Castro, likeable and brilliant politician though he is, never stood much chance of winnng the Democratic presidential nomination against his big-gun rivals, Joe Biden, Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders and Pete Buttigieg. But it's a day to be mourned that the United States will not have its very own President Castro. The other Castro, Fidel, would have turned in his grave which is no bad thing. Young Julian was the only Latino to be running for the top job and his decision to end his campaign, announced today, means the diversity spread has now been cut back. Castro, who served as housing and urban development secretary under Barack Obama, could still have a role to play in the 2020 election. He was once touted as a possible vice-presidential running mate to Hillary Clinton in 2016 and I guess could be picked by one of the surviving candidates when the nomination day gets closer. Vice President Castro would still sound pretty good! His decision to stop his campaign was wise. He had never attracted huge popular support or sufficient financial backing. But he always sounded pretty articulate and leaning towards the liberal side. But when you have Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren espousing the liberal causes he was always going to be an also ran. Now his supporters and financial backers have to decide who to turn to? Do they switch to Sanders or Warren or opt for a young same-generation candidate as Castro, such as Andrew Yang, 44, or Pete Buttigieg, 37, the now former mayor of South Bend, Indiana. Buttigieg is still raking in the donations and, despite his youth, he could well surge forward as the most popular candidate, taking Castro's supporters with him. Perhaps a Buttigieg/Castro ticket for 2020? That would be pretty dynamic and would make Donald Trump, 73, and Mike Pence, 60, look like two old-age pensioners. Would Trump fear a Buttigieg/Castro challenge more than, say, a Joe Biden/?? ticket? Biden cunningly has not rejected the idea of asking a Republican to be his running mate although he claims he can't think of anyone at this stage. But if he does it will have to be someone young and thrusting and popular, and maybe Latino to bring in the votes. Someone like Marco Rubio perhaps. He's 48, senator for Miami and highly ambitious. There you are Joe Biden. Marco Rubio as your running mate, if he would agree, would stir up your campaign nicely.