Let’s set aside the discussion on the possibilities that the Democrats will rig the 2024 Presidential elections for just a moment and focus on some recent news that can reshape the Republican Party as it moves inevitably to Election Day ’24.
With that prospect looming on the near horizon, we are starting to hear and see the anti-Trump beat begin in the media. The media loves the beat and will look for any and all potential candidates who are willing to try and knock the “King” off the hill!
I might just add that since Trump left the stage the “fake news” media has missed him terribly. So deep is their grief that they have fallen into complete disarray. CNN is in shambles with their leaders leaving and MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow and in-resident racist Joy Reid are gone or leaving …
… and Morning Joe --- well, he is in deep denial and is stuck with Mika, who is equally depressed --- but I digress.
We have emerging on the political stage some of the “Never Trumpers” who think the Republican Party is just pining away for them. Like things are not already bad enough with Joe Biden, we have the curtain going up on two of our favorite politicians … Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger. Now, we all know that the animosity between Trump and Cheney is palpable. Cheney showed her true colors when she voted to impeach the President elected by the people. But, the final nail in the coffin came when she agreed to serve on Nancy Pelosi’s illegitimate Jan 6th Select Committee. Cheney’s participation in this travesty of justice is intended to give it bipartisan legitimacy despite the fact that Pelosi herself picked the Republicans on the Committee and not the House Minority Leader. It is clear that you can always count on Cheney … especially if it can be deemed anti-Trump.
Accompanying Cheney in the pursuit of whatever it is Pelosi ‘s Committee is pursuing, we have our other always unreliable Republican Adam Kinzinger.
Now, keep in mind that this is the elected official who can’t help but cry, in public – on stage -- when confronted with harsh facts! Can you imagine for just a second how this sobbing marshmallow of a man would do in a one-on-one with the likes of Vladimir Putin? I believe that we have hit the bottom on the international stage with Biden and his entire Administration … but, an Adam Kinzinger --- well, that could establish a new low across the board. That brings me to the man who is just an O’Malley wannabe … none other than Maryland’s own Larry Hogan.
Now understand, Larry Hogan holds the reputation of being the most popular governor in the State of Maryland. But, wait just a second – let’s look at that again. Most popular – with who? Maybe some Republican voters, but certainly with a lot of Democrat voters – and you know it has to be that way in deep blue Maryland. When 70% of registered voters say they like you and only 30% of all registered voters in the state are Republicans --- well, you have to have a lot of Dems voting you up. And that is most likely the case. So, what is it that they like about Hogan? Could it be that his legislature is comprised of a super majority of Democrats?! YES! Therefore, no matter what he proposes or vetoes --- the super majority Dems simply defeat, ignore or override. We can see this in action with the fight over the gerrymandering of Maryland voting districts. Hogan proposes and his legislature disposes. Gerrymandering is in the hands of the Democrats … and Hogan can’t stop it … and the Dems love him for it.
Now, Hogan thinks he wants to meet Trump … or any other Republican candidate for that matter … on the national stage having declined a chance to run for the United States Senate noting “I feel I am more an executive than a legislator.” One thing is for sure --- as it was once conveyed to me by a sitting Maryland Congressman – ‘Hogan may be a Maryland Republican, but he is not a national Republican.’ That said, I would expect that a presidential run by Hogan may come to the same ignominious end as Martin O’Malley’s – his predecessor in the Governor’s Mansion.
After all that … what do Republicans have to be on the alert for in 2024? We need to be sure that we do not allow those who have been disloyal to the party to split tickets, dilute votes and cause us to end up with a candidate that could be easily defeated. We need to stay focused on policy and not personality. You can see what it got us the last time. Mr. Nice Guy is going to drive us into the ground, if he does not first get us involved in World War III. It’s his policy that is driving inflation. Gas prices, food prices, goods and services -- are all driven by policy. NATO confrontations with Russia – driven by policy. An obvious bad deal with Iran – once again, policy driven. It was not so long ago that America was energy independent, industries were returning to our shores, the shelves in the food markets were full, wages for working people were rising and the Black and Latino communities were on the rise as well.
If it is not Donald Trump – so, be it. If that is the will of Republicans, I can live with it. But, if not Trump, it must be a Trump-like candidate. One with the policy goals that Trump had and the will to carry those policies out. The candidate must have an America First agenda if we are to recover our national pride and place as the leader of the world. What we can be sure of at this point is that none of the three wannabes can fulfill that role. Who it will be is up to the voters … we must not get distracted. We need a leader!
I am reminded of something my Tac Officer in Officer Candidate School used to say: “Remember Candidate – it’s only the lead dog that gets a change of scenery!”