Here’s a few short political takes and, perhaps, a prediction.
Trump will be the Republican nominee for President unless health, physical or mental stops him. If by any chance he is unable to keep campaigning, look to Nikki Haley or Tim Scott to start leading the Republican pack.
On the Democratic side, President Biden must stop running from the age issue and embrace it. Ronald Reagan is a perfect example of running and winning by embracing his age. A confident senior is a comforting voice in a storm of raging vitriol.
To other democrats pundits and elected officials: stop being spineless. When Biden’s age is brought up, pivot to Trump’s age and how much worse he is physically. Forget about what is going on in court. Talk about his tweets, his statements of violence, and the unrelenting hatred he spreads.
Biden will win a general election over Trump. Any other Republican has a shot, but Republicans keep shooting themselves in the ballot box with their Trumpian messaging. Ron DeSantis is proof of that (more later on him).
Republicans want to investigate Hunter Biden. Therefore, Democrats must start eyeing the Trump Children and their spouses and they must do it loudly every chance they get. In fact they should start any question on Hunter Biden by saying: “What about the $1 billion investment that Jared Kushner got from the murderous Saudi?” Yes, do the same thing to Republicans that they do to you!
Senator minority leader Mitch McConnell, who has recently had some health alarms, will not resign as many have suggested, but will serve out his term. McConnell who is all about power is looking to the 2024 general election. The possibility that Republicans may retake the Senate and him retiring as Senate Majority Leader is too good an opportunity for him to pass up.
And finally the “Don’t cry for me, Tallahassee,” moment. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and his race for the Republican Presidential nomination is toast. It seems that even Republicans felt his form of cultural firebranding was too extreme. In other words, the Republican party has learned that while an extreme position might do you some good within your own conservative state borders, it goes beyond the limits of most people’s humanity. Put even simpler: DeSantis’ views on the campaign trail were so extreme that his own party of extremists turned their backs on him. And here’s the fun part: rather than say it was his cultural positions that turned off Republican voters, the pundits said it was his personality and he was too stiff on the campaign trail. But we all know it was that he was too stiff in his positions.
Of course, the opinions expressed here are my own, and as this column has stated for many years, mark my words: there are only two institutions that are standing firm to protect our democracy. One is the United States Judiciary, and the other is independent media like the newspaper you are reading now. There is a stalemate in almost all parts of our federal and state body politic which leaves little room for debate or respectful discussion. Both the Courts and independent news media give a platform for people to present their cases to the public. Every other venue is little more than a one sided barrage of dribble.
Independent media provides this platform in the hopes that someday we as a nation will once again be a place for reasonable discussion on issues that will serve us all well as a united nation. I still believe that is true, and it is one reason we are still standing. As I’ve said many times, this is not the first backlash or populist political movement we’ve seen. Remember something called the Tea Party movement, the Moral Majority, or Anita Bryant? This too will pass.