You remember Chicken. Chicken is the game you play when two cars race towards one another headlong until one of them swerves to avoid mutual doom. The GOP is playing Chicken. Or, more accurately, it would be if two GOP candidates for the 2024 presidential ticket could actually get in motion at the same time and actually oppose one another.
Instead, what we have is Donald Trump, tepidly wheeling out of the GOP garages in South Carolina and New Hampshire, unopposed. Trump forced himself to get to these two states when recent polling showed him falling off in popularity and that’s how he spent Saturday.
The Lincoln Project put up a funny about it.
Trump’s only truth for the day. DeSantis doesn’t stand a chance. pic.twitter.com/0P5jqvpqBn
— The Lincoln Project (@ProjectLincoln) January 28, 2023
Trump did a lot of sniping at Ron DeSantis today. Politico:
On Saturday, Trump took his sharpest swings at DeSantis to date, accusing the governor of “trying to rewrite history” over his response to the Covid-19 pandemic. Trump said DeSantis, who has been openly skeptical about government efforts to vaccinate people against the virus, “promoted the vaccine as much as anyone.” He praised governors who did not close down their states, noting that DeSantis ordered the closure of beaches and business in some parts of the state.
“When I hear that he might [run] I think it’s very disloyal,” Trump said.
As for the polls showing DeSantis beating him in key nominating states, Trump was dismissive.
“He won’t be leading, I got him elected,” he said. “I’m the one that chose him.”
Well, that puts Trump on the same page with the Lincoln Project. He doesn’t think DeSantis can win the nomination and neither do they. But DeSantis has his allies. One assumes that he and they will do something proactive at some point. So far they’re like deer in the headlights, seemingly too stunned to do anything to stand up to Trump.
Remember, Ron to the Rescue, a super PAC formed after the midterms to boost DeSantis if he runs for president?
“We’re not never-Trumpers. We’re people who supported Trump. We love Trump. But we also know, more importantly, that we need to win. And Ron DeSantis has proven it time and time again now he can win elections,” [vice chair Pamela] Tucker said in an interview.
“We have to put a candidate there that can win and maybe draw some of the independents and some of the voters from the other side of the aisle. I think DeSantis is the runner for that,” [state rep Walter] Stapleton said. “But I’m always willing to see if Trump will change his tack … and come across more balanced and more reasonable.”
They’re still waiting for him to become presidential. Isn’t that darling? Let’s at least give it up to Paul Ryan at this point. Ryan kept waiting for Trump to become presidential too, but he finally gave up.
“They said ‘he’s not doing rallies, he is not campaigning. Maybe he’s lost his step,’” Trump said at a meeting of the New Hampshire Republican Party. “I’m more angry now, and I’m more committed now than I ever was.”
I believe he’s angrier than he’s ever been. That I do believe. Nobody with his level of legal problems wouldn’t be angry. And I believe he’s more committed, because I believe that Trump believes that if he could only pull off a 2016 miracle and get elected, that all his legal problems will be over.
I’m also wondering at this point if Trump might end up just walking to the GOP nomination unopposed. DeSantis is holding back and that’s not a good sign. Nikki Haley is not rational if she believes she’s a serious contender. You see how Pence and Pompeo are polling.
If DeSantis chickens out, and he very well may, Trump may just end up getting the GOP nomination, once again, by default.
Let’s give it a couple of more rallies. If Trump begins to pick up steam and DeSantis does zip, I think you’ll have your answer. DeSantis may reason that it’s best to let Trump have one last shot and then prepare to grab the GOP nomination in 2028. I presume it’s safe to assume that if Trump would run and lose in 2024, he would not seek the 2028 nomination? You never know. The watch word with Trump world is that the only thing to be sure of is that there’s nothing to be sure of.
Deer in the headlights is spot-on with how DeSantis has been handling his not so little Trump problem. He’s frozen in place. Deer In The Headlights. DITH. DITH DeSantis. Has a nice ring to it wouldn’t you say?
These people are no threats. The Man Who Will Never Be King Again is swirling a narcissistic black hole of spite, senility and ignorance to learn anything new. DeathSantis is a crasser version of Jeb(!), who will prove anything but strong outside of Florida. And both their rhetorics are helping to kill off, outright discredit or long-term imprison anyone who’d vote for them. Memo to anyone who insists on being a Republican under these circumstances: Congratulations, citizen, you just volunteered for hell.