Next week, the 2024 MAGA/GOP race for the presidential nomination will fill out as Ron DeSantis, Tim Scott and Chris Christie join Donald Trump, Nikki Haley, Vivek Ramaswamy and Asa Hutchison as declared candidates.
DeSantis, the oddball governor of Florida, who believes that “never backing down” is virtuous, is announcing his candidacy a week after his vituperative idiocy and revenge campaign against Disney cost Florida 2,000 six-figure jobs and a billion-dollar development. Politics is a brutal business and the presidential arena is next level.
Here is the deal. DeSantis had an open lane to the Republican nomination in December. He squandered it. It is a moment that will never return. This man will never be elected president.
He eats pudding with his fingers. And there’s more…watch this Meidas Touch ad showing him wipe snot on a voter and laugh in a manner that is deeply disturbing!
A political thoroughbred he is not.
Chris Christie is similar to DeSantis in the sense that he once had an open window and clear lane to the GOP nomination. It was his for the taking in 2012. He hesitated. The moment is lost forever. Unlike DeSantis, Christie can be warm and engaging one- on-one. He is genuinely funny and can be devastating in a debate.
Another person who once had a moment was Marco Rubio. The week before the New Hampshire primary in 2016 Rubio had real momentum. He was on track to win — which would have killed off Trump. Chris Christie finished him off in a full frontal attack that ended Rubio’s campaign. It was the debate version of a murder-suicide.
Christie is employing a version of the John McCain 2008 campaign. He will plant his flag in New Hampshire and wait for Trump. His efforts will be sustained by the largesse of his friend and supporter Steve Cohen, the billionaire owner of the New York Mets. Christie won’t be the nominee, but he could play a role in making someone else the Trump slayer. He will go after Trump viciously and personally. He’s also the only GOP candidate who has said that he is “born again never Trump.”
Tim Scott is likely going to be the primary alternative to Trump, and will displace Ron DeSantis in the number two position in the months ahead. I wrote about him here:
While this is happening, two other monumentally significant events are moving forward.
First, the completely artificial and self-manufactured debt ceiling crisis continues to move closer to the edge of the cliff. This is a self-induced crisis caused by America’s extremist GOP/MAGA majority in the US House. This is what ‘MTG economics’ looks like. I am extremely worried about the likelihood of a catastrophic default that will cause chaos, while working to the advantage of the chaos candidate Donald Trump.
Secondly, No Labels continues the process of securing ballot access in all 50 states for the purposes of running what they call a “unity” ticket. Should such a third-party candidacy manifest itself it will profoundly alter the dynamics of the coming election, and dramatically expand the number of competitive states that the Biden campaign must win to secure 270 electoral votes. It is increasingly likely that this scenario could become real in the months ahead. The Biden team will need to be prepared to win under this scenario, which appears to be coming a reality.
The political season is off to a very slow start, but it is going to come full force eventually. The simple truth is that Donald Trump has not retired. His disgrace has not disqualified him. His sedition has not ruined him. He has not been permanently repudiated. He is back. Anyone who says he can’t be elected President isn’t just a fool, but a dangerous one. The race is just getting started. It’s going to twist and turn in a lot of directions that very few people in the media are talking about. Buckle up.
I think you nailed it. Christy is devastating in a debate if he wants to be and it sure looks like he wants to be. I think we are in for a really entertaining season. Sort of like the Romans enjoyed without the blood. Is Christy capable of eliminating Trump? Maybe. That third party effort is really scary to me because it will take from both sides but many more democrat leaning independents will go third party than republican leaning independents. God help us if that third party brings us another Trump administration.
You didn’t mention on a mission from God, Mike Pence. All of it is really a nightmare, Steve. What a mess.