All over Washington right now a bunch of Republicans are silently and not so silently hoping Trump just croaks sometime between now and 2024 so they can avoid this whole question.
I’m not sure anything can stop Trump from doing things to hurt the GOP if he wants to do those things. The scenario where the party can breathe a sigh of relief is even less likely than one where Trump is convinced to do something or not do something.
It’s the scenario where a large number of Republicans start speaking openly and honestly about what and who DJT really is, and stick to that narrative no matter how many of them it hurts. The narrative where Trump isn’t terrible for the party and the country is one that stays strong because so few in the GOP are willing to challenge it. Perhaps if a large group of congresspersons and senators went on the record and said it over and over, “Donald Trump is bad for our party, and bad for our country, and he will throw elections to the other side rather than have even a minute of public humility,” and on and on, over and over, traveling around the country if need be, and talking to individual voters, groups, crowds, etc.
This will never happen, but if it happened, it might move the needle. Essentially, an intervention.
Would Trump cut a deal with DeSantis, or whoever, to exchange his endorsement for a pardon? I sometimes wonder if he wants to be president again as much as he wants to stay out of jail.
"But would Trump accept losing and putting his support behind DeSantis for the sake of the party’s electoral prospects?"
A thousand times no for the simple reason that Trump does not care about the party. Or the conservative movement or any of its positions with the exception of tax cuts for the rich since those benefit him personally. What people need to understand is that Donald Trump does not care about anything or anyone other than Donald Trump. Nothing and no one. Once you understand and accept that basic principle, everything he says and does makes absolute perfect sense.
I think Republicans’ best hope to keep him from running third party is to convince him the revenge wouldn’t be worth the cost to his image and brand. If he runs third party he’ll be three times a loser. If he loses the primary but backs the candidate vigorously he can take *some* credit if they win the general, so he’ll be more like one and a half times a loser.
Also, if he runs third party and it gives Biden the presidency, and especially if it causes infighting down ballot and keeps the Senate out of reach, he’ll be on every Republican voter’s mind every time a liberal policy gets passed. That doesn’t just hurt his legacy, it’ll hurt his bottom line. His grifting opportunities like those ridiculous Trump cards will dry up if enough people grow to resent the liberal policies his losing candidacy paved the way for.
There’s a pretty decent chance he already knows this and is bluffing, but just in case he’s not he needs people in his ear making sure he’s weighing the cost appropriately.
Hard to imagine DeSantis wanting to go up against Trump. His pattern thus far has been to avoid conflict with Don the Con. A divided GOP likely would lead to defeat in the general election - for Trump or DeSantis.
DeSantis is young and just got re-elected as governor. Time is on his side. But who knows how it will go down? The numbers are in DeSantis' favor.
When your Plan A is to hope someone croaks in mid-harangue, your retirement plan is obviously based on scratch offs and Powerball. This will not end well for the Republicans unless they grasp the nettle NOW and move forward. Oh, and crafting a platform that could actually HELP out the middle and working classes would really help!!
I don’t see Desantis beating Trump in the primary (assuming he doesn’t croak). Maybe if he gets indicted - but not sure that would slow him down (and might just be another selling point for the base).
I still don't think Trump wins a contested primary, though a heavily fragmented field does offer him some amount of hope.
But a loss means potential third party run, write-in candidacy, or simple throwing enough sour grapes to depress turnout.
The real hope they have is that multiple charges from multiple jurisdictions are filed, sufficient to essentially keep him from mustering a campaign and miring him down in defending himself from going to prison.
That doesn't exactly help their case in 24, where I think the odds of unseating Biden in the current configuration are pretty slim simply because it takes a lot of stars to align to unseat an incumbent even if the incumbent is unpopular two terms in. But Trump ending up in the slam does greatly assist the case for '28.
Any which way, screw 'em. The GOP is an entirely morally bankrupt organization that doesn't deserve a whiff of power anyway. They deserve this ongoing struggle with the cancers of their own creation.
“there could be another pledge.” Splrp, pfft, pffffft, bwah hahahaha. That’s rich! You knew, GOP. We warned you. You warned you what could happen if you put a poser in the Oval Office. You were warned what could happen when you twice failed to hold your poser accountable & tie off the infection.
“He sure picked up that habit later.” Hahaha brutal.
All over Washington right now a bunch of Republicans are silently and not so silently hoping Trump just croaks sometime between now and 2024 so they can avoid this whole question.
If I had any good ideas I wouldn't share them; I hope the GOP walks smack into a Trump disaster.
I’m not sure anything can stop Trump from doing things to hurt the GOP if he wants to do those things. The scenario where the party can breathe a sigh of relief is even less likely than one where Trump is convinced to do something or not do something.
It’s the scenario where a large number of Republicans start speaking openly and honestly about what and who DJT really is, and stick to that narrative no matter how many of them it hurts. The narrative where Trump isn’t terrible for the party and the country is one that stays strong because so few in the GOP are willing to challenge it. Perhaps if a large group of congresspersons and senators went on the record and said it over and over, “Donald Trump is bad for our party, and bad for our country, and he will throw elections to the other side rather than have even a minute of public humility,” and on and on, over and over, traveling around the country if need be, and talking to individual voters, groups, crowds, etc.
This will never happen, but if it happened, it might move the needle. Essentially, an intervention.
It doesn’t make any difference. A Party that would nominate DeSantis is as morally bankrupt as one that would nominate Trump.
Would Trump cut a deal with DeSantis, or whoever, to exchange his endorsement for a pardon? I sometimes wonder if he wants to be president again as much as he wants to stay out of jail.
"But would Trump accept losing and putting his support behind DeSantis for the sake of the party’s electoral prospects?"
A thousand times no for the simple reason that Trump does not care about the party. Or the conservative movement or any of its positions with the exception of tax cuts for the rich since those benefit him personally. What people need to understand is that Donald Trump does not care about anything or anyone other than Donald Trump. Nothing and no one. Once you understand and accept that basic principle, everything he says and does makes absolute perfect sense.
I think Republicans’ best hope to keep him from running third party is to convince him the revenge wouldn’t be worth the cost to his image and brand. If he runs third party he’ll be three times a loser. If he loses the primary but backs the candidate vigorously he can take *some* credit if they win the general, so he’ll be more like one and a half times a loser.
Also, if he runs third party and it gives Biden the presidency, and especially if it causes infighting down ballot and keeps the Senate out of reach, he’ll be on every Republican voter’s mind every time a liberal policy gets passed. That doesn’t just hurt his legacy, it’ll hurt his bottom line. His grifting opportunities like those ridiculous Trump cards will dry up if enough people grow to resent the liberal policies his losing candidacy paved the way for.
There’s a pretty decent chance he already knows this and is bluffing, but just in case he’s not he needs people in his ear making sure he’s weighing the cost appropriately.
Now that I think about this some more - If the GOP wants him gone, they need to fully and publicly support all the ongoing legal cases against him.
Hard to imagine DeSantis wanting to go up against Trump. His pattern thus far has been to avoid conflict with Don the Con. A divided GOP likely would lead to defeat in the general election - for Trump or DeSantis.
DeSantis is young and just got re-elected as governor. Time is on his side. But who knows how it will go down? The numbers are in DeSantis' favor.
Why would we want DeSantis? He’s even worse than Trump.
Joe,
When your Plan A is to hope someone croaks in mid-harangue, your retirement plan is obviously based on scratch offs and Powerball. This will not end well for the Republicans unless they grasp the nettle NOW and move forward. Oh, and crafting a platform that could actually HELP out the middle and working classes would really help!!
Tom Cannon
Asheville, NC
I don’t see Desantis beating Trump in the primary (assuming he doesn’t croak). Maybe if he gets indicted - but not sure that would slow him down (and might just be another selling point for the base).
How can the GOP avoid a 2024 Trump disaster?
Find a way to get rid of him. Now. The sooner the better.
If that means party leaders bad mouth Trump openly, do it. Whatever it takes.
Trump is a ball and chain on the GOP.
I still don't think Trump wins a contested primary, though a heavily fragmented field does offer him some amount of hope.
But a loss means potential third party run, write-in candidacy, or simple throwing enough sour grapes to depress turnout.
The real hope they have is that multiple charges from multiple jurisdictions are filed, sufficient to essentially keep him from mustering a campaign and miring him down in defending himself from going to prison.
That doesn't exactly help their case in 24, where I think the odds of unseating Biden in the current configuration are pretty slim simply because it takes a lot of stars to align to unseat an incumbent even if the incumbent is unpopular two terms in. But Trump ending up in the slam does greatly assist the case for '28.
Any which way, screw 'em. The GOP is an entirely morally bankrupt organization that doesn't deserve a whiff of power anyway. They deserve this ongoing struggle with the cancers of their own creation.
“there could be another pledge.” Splrp, pfft, pffffft, bwah hahahaha. That’s rich! You knew, GOP. We warned you. You warned you what could happen if you put a poser in the Oval Office. You were warned what could happen when you twice failed to hold your poser accountable & tie off the infection.