I started a Cooper for President boom.

I blogged and tweeted about Governor Roy Cooper as a possible candidate in 2028, and it got more responses than anything I’ve ever done.

For the record, I didn’t check first with the Governor’s team.

And I may have to go into hiding from First Lady Kristin Bernhardt Cooper.

Most people agreed with Congressman Jim Clyburn that Cooper would be a great presidential candidate.

But one Republican carped, “Based on what?”

Based on this:

First, electability. Cooper has won six statewide elections – two for governor and four for attorney general. Before that, he won three elections to the state House – unseating an incumbent Democrat in the first – and four to the state Senate.

With the possible exception of Secretary of State Elaine Marshall, he’s won more votes than any North Carolinian in history.

And he’s a popular Democratic governor in a Southern state.

Second, his record.

He’s stood up to Republicans in the legislature: for public schools, for reproductive rights, for a clean-energy economy and for equal rights and justice for all.

He hasn’t just fought bad things. He’s done good things, like forcing the legislature to expand Medicaid.

He and scrappy, unified Democratic legislators made Medicaid expansion something Republicans had to be for. He out-maneuvered, out-politicked and out-communicated them.

That took savvy, political skill and steely resolve.

It means 400,000 North Carolinians are getting good health care for the first time. It’s changing lives and saving lives.

Cooper isn’t the kind of politician who’ll leap into a presidential campaign November 6.

But history may knock at the door, and when it does, you have to answer.