Quote:
Originally Posted by Solecismic
Because of the margin of his win and his apparent reputation, a year ago I wondered about him. Could he finally get his party past Trump?
Then he took on Disney. OK, whatever. People I know with kids are more concerned about the price of a visit than their kids being taken aside and groomed by Goofy. Seemed like a bad issue to hang a campaign on.
Now he's just trying to be Trump, but without the charisma. He's got a nickname for Trump ("Old Orange"), which feels like he took a focus group and picked the nickname that evoked the most halfhearted chuckles without offending anyone. And he's all-in on culture wars, which helps our country about as much as you'd think it would.
I think he's done. Complete self-implosion, coming at Trump from the wrong side with the wrong message. He got the most pictures marching in the right parades in New Hampshire this week, but it won't be enough.
I have no idea what the rest of them are doing. Scott got a boost for standing up to the women of the View. But that's not a presidential campaign. I think Haley is in Witness Protection right now. Pence is doing exactly what he needs to do to finish in third place down the road. And then there are a bunch of others fighting to claim a stray delegate or two. Even the Professor and Mary Ann had a better chance of winning.
Meanwhile, Trump draws 50,000 in South Carolina where they boo the local senator who isn't even running this time... the primary system has to be the worst system imaginable for picking leaders.
|
It's crazy because Trump has mostly been sleepwalking so far and has sounded more like the typical politician that the MAGA voters usually hate this time around.
There's a path to a non-MAGA GOP win, but it's going to take charisma and the courage to go directly at Trump, highlight his weaknesses and point out that he's lost far more than he's won and taken the party backwards in some areas. Unfortunately, no one seems to check one of those boxes let alone both. Well, maybe Christie for the first one but he lacks charisma and was a damaged politician before this primary.