January 12, 2022

Trump does a 15-minute interview with NPR.

Full text here. It begins on the subject of covid: 
The vaccines, I recommend taking them, but I think that has to be an individual choice. I mean, it's got to be individual, but I recommend taking them. Many people recommend them. And if some people don't want, they shouldn't have to take them. They can't be mandated, as the expression goes. And I think that's very important. Personally, I feel very comfortable having taken them. I've had absolutely no reverberation....

But then it's all about the 2020 election results, with Trump sticking to his attack on the election and the interviewer, Steve Inskeep, pressuring him until  Trump cuts it off. A few highlights:

Why did Republican officials in Arizona accept the results then?

Because they're RINOs, and frankly, a lot of people are questioning that....
It is not true that there were far more votes than voters [in Philadelphia]. There was an early count. I've noticed you've talked about this in rallies and you've said, reportedly, this is true. I think even you know that that was an early report that was corrected later.

Well, you take a look at it. You take a look at Detroit. In fact, they even had a hard time getting people to sign off on it because it was so out of balance. They called it out of balance. So you take a look at it. You know the real truth, Steve, and this election was a rigged election.

Why is it that you think that the vast majority of your allies in the United States Senate are not standing behind you?...

Because Mitch McConnell is a loser. And frankly, Mitch McConnell, if he were on the other side and if Schumer were put in his position, he would have been fighting this like you've never seen before. He would have been fighting this, because when you look at it, and this is long — is a long way from over.... 
Let me ask you this question. How come Biden couldn't attract 20 people for a crowd? How come when he went to speak in different locations, nobody came to watch, but all of a sudden he got 80 million votes? Nobody believes that, Steve. Nobody believes that.

If you'll forgive me, maybe because the election was about you.... 

192 comments:

Gunner said...

If Trump does somehow win again, will he let Bob Woodward and every other lefty reporter park their butt in the White House a second time, interviewing people to write another smear book about him? Has he at least learned that lesson?

Tom T. said...

Trump did a lot to shake up the system, and maybe he can do so again in 2024, but if he lets himself get defined by backward-looking score-settling, I think he's going to lose a lot of his primary voters to DeSantis. He should only be hammering on the economy and the border right now.

RMc said...

Full text here.

Don't see it.

Iman said...

Ever-credible NPR…

Sigh…

motorrad said...

I would donate all of my 401K along with my pension and live on the streets at the homeless encampment I drive by daily if NPR would ask Hillary the same types of questions. Mrs. Clinton, why did you continue to push the Russian collusion theory for your defeat when you knew it was actually an opposition research operation funded by your campaign? With all due respect is it because the 2016 election was about you....

Jamie said...

Not 100% sure what that link is trying to take me to.

I just wish Trump would focus on the broad-daylight election misdeeds that made fraud so much easier to commit and harder to detect. Regardless of what happened on election night (though enough did happen that I still find it curious, and frustrating, that the Democrat side dismisses all of it so readily), the Democrats spent months ahead of time laying the groundwork for an election that could not be secured at the time and cannot now be verified as secure.

If all that wasn't deliberate, I'm still waiting to hear about plausible explanation for why they did it. And by "plausible explanation," I mean, for instance, "an explanation that doesn't claim that people of color cannot acquire a utility bill, much less a driver's license," or "an explanation that doesn't claim standing in line to vote is more dangerous than going to a crowded protest."

rhhardin said...

Trump is probably right but is showing that he doesn't understand the game. If you lose to fraud and you can't prove it, accept the loss. The real rules include using the media and the thumb on the sale and dummy ballot insertions that happened. So Trump was outsmarted.

Get better rules, like focus on chain of custody between now and next election. Make that the media focus.

Sebastian said...

“You take a look at it,” “Nobody believes that”

Weak.

"maybe because the election was about you"

Occasionally, even NPR is right.

Yes, there were shenanigans, yes, election procedures were changed illegally, and of course Dems are trying to degrade voting procedures as much as they can, but the election was about him and he lost. Not just in the sense that he didn't get enough votes, but also in not being prepared to deal with Dem cheating, in having an incompetent team representing him, and in not being precise in his own counterattack.

He is a loser. We need a winner.

tim maguire said...

I think the answer to 80 million votes for a doddering old fool nobody cares about is 17 votes for Biden and 79,999,983 votes against Trump. Good point though about the difference between Schumer and McConnell. Schumer is a better soldier for the raw interests of his party. McConnell, is a good parliamentary maneuverer, but not so good at public fights.

Dave Begley said...

Fuck NPR.

Tucker did a segment on NPR in the past week, and NPR has gone totally insane. All about trans and race.

One of Trump's biggest mistakes was failing to defund NPR. It is a third column.

And I for one, don't want Trump to run again. I want DeSantis. I can't stand Trump's manner of talking. I never have. Trump has too much baggage.

JZ said...

Interviewing Trump will be good for NPR's ratings. Can't think of any other reason to do it.

gilbar said...

does ANYONE think, that IF
you had to vote on election day
you had to be registered
you had to have your finger dyed, so you could Only vote once
???
does ANYONE think, that Trump wouldn't have won?

If,
in order to get more votes, you have to get votes from people that are Not inclined to vote...
because they don't care
because they are NOT registered
because they already voted
because they are not alive
because they do NOT exist

maybe, just maybe; you shouldn't BE President

Achilles said...


Because Mitch McConnell is a loser. And frankly, Mitch McConnell, if he were on the other side and if Schumer were put in his position, he would have been fighting this like you've never seen before.

This is why they hate Trump.

He pulled the masks off and showed everyone that McConell and the "Republicans" in DC are on the same team as Democrats.

Birches said...

Fulton County in Georgia was not honest. That much is true.

Biden keeps treating Georgia like a purple or blue state. The statewide elected officials aren't acting like it though. Even Stacy Abrams won't be seen with Biden.

rehajm said...

I suspect Ann gets some value from thinking this is some sort of definitive response to the rigged election conspiracists but there's not much here. Trump spouts some rhetoric and reporter spouts some half baked response. Boring...

Try and impress me with a takedown of Mollie's Rigged. I'll wait...

Achilles said...

"Why did Republican officials in Arizona accept the results then?"

Because they're RINOs, and frankly, a lot of people are questioning that....


Because the Republican Officials in Arizona work for the Oligarchs

Not for the people of Arizona.

The fraud was so blatant this time they could not cover it up with all of their government agencies and all of their control over the media.

And that Trump did this is why Trump is a better candidate than Desantis.

I have yet to see Desantis call out the RINO tritors who are the real culprits here.

They installed President Poopy Pants with Republicans, Not democrats.

Leland said...

There are no rational answers to that question, how did Biden get 80 million votes?

rehajm said...

How come when he went to speak in different locations, nobody came to watch, but all of a sudden he got 80 million votes?

The Team Biden campaign appearances were mask and distance theater, sir...

Team Biden got 80 million votes because 2020 refined a vote to mean many more things than the traditional definition of a vote...and when that still wasn't enough Elias et al had the right people counting and the right people defending the right people counting.

2022 will be a beta test for 2024, which is 2020 on steroids. Republicans need to come to play. Old school doesn't cut it anymore...

NorthOfTheOneOhOne said...

Link goes to Blogger homepage.

Robert Cook said...

It's funny, a loser--Trump--calling McConnell, still in office, a loser. (Not that McConnell is not a shit, as he certainly is.)

Trump always backs up his exaggerations, fabrications and lies with "lots of people are questioning/talking about/looking at/wondering about that (etc.)..." remarks. Who are these people, specifically? How many are "lots?" What is the nature of their questioning? Is it mere speculation or conspiracy theorizing, or is it based on hard data?

Fredrick said...

"If you'll forgive me, maybe because the election was about you..."

And now we all feel better with great gas prices, high inflation, and empty store shelves. At least we have open borders and a great victory in Afghanistan, which are great starts to the most popular vote getter in American history.

wendybar said...

There is no way the delusional old man pretending to be the president today got more votes than Saint Obama. No Way. Period.

Dave Begley said...

How could Trump be so stupid to do an interview with fucking NPR? No upside. Not a single NPR voter would ever vote for Trump. NOT A ONE.

It was the highlight of Steve Inskeep's life. That I can tell you.

MikeR said...

Democrats don't understand how convinced so many Republicans were and are that the election was fraudulent. We warned about it months before the election: Things were set up, ostensibly because of the pandemic, in a way that it would be impossible to tell if it had been done honestly. Then starting election night, there were hundreds, thousands of reports of major problems in critical areas, just pouring in from sides. We all understood that 90% of them wouldn't pan out, but it sure seemed like there were serious systemic problems. Then on very many of the cases, they didn't even try to check them out, just some judge ruled that it was "moot", don't bother me. Then there were all these hard time limits, sorry, you only have until __ to prove your case and we're really busy... Out of my jurisdiction... The election officials assure us...
At some point I stopped listening, it was so clear what was going to happen.
I have no idea if there was fraud. I've heard that there have been some serious audits since then that found nothing, and if so that's very good. I haven't really been following the details. But trust was destroyed and I can't blame anyone who feels that way. It became a major Democratic selling point that WE ALL KNOW there was no fraud and anyone who denies it is crazy and evil and trying to destroy democracy.

I have heard people say that the average Republican is just deluded; it's the leadership who are traitors, who tried to manipulate them to overturn a fair election. But Donald Trump was as deluded as anyone, and people who refuse to believe that are just fooling themselves.

Browndog said...

Trump still boasting "I saved 2 million lives". jfk. The first time I heard him say that at a campaign rally I thought "He sounds like a lib. Hopefully someone will talk to him". Nope, said it again at the next rally. No applause, dead air.

He got that figure from the Birx computer model--the one she insisted the White House use--the one her daughter was associated with.

As far as the election, what happened to the "Stop the Steal" fund? Reported to be upwards of #450M, run by Ronna Romney and Jared? Bought a couple half-assed, half-hearted lawsuits summarily dismissed?

Trump cowed to McConnell to the very end. Threatened Trump not to use his pardon power or the Senate will vote to convict and he won't be able to hold office again. What did Trump do? Pardoned democrats and rappers. Sold his soul for power. Like a lib.

I was on the Trump train when he was still polling at 3% among GOP candidates. Love the guy but Covid knocked him off his game, now Biden sits in his chair.

Just calling it how I see it.

MikeR said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Wince said...

If you'll forgive me, maybe because the election was about you....

More people voted to vote against Trump than for Obama, either time?

Dear corrupt left, go F yourselves said...

I do not dislike Trump, but I have no idea why so many of his blind faithful find what Trump says as special or super-hero-like? In this case -> boring and "well d'uh"

Dear corrupt left, go F yourselves said...

Trump is not articulate enough for me. He has the will, but he lacks the smarts to say it.
Many including me, find the 2020 election highly suspect. But at this point the only thing to do it make sure it never happens again.

The corrupt democrats are doing all they can to nationalize elections and remove all voter ID requirements - all while allowing illegal entrants to vote. It's as if the democrats are afraid of fair and honest elections. +++++++++++

Dear corrupt left, go F yourselves said...

7:28 - RH
Yep.

Dear corrupt left, go F yourselves said...

I don't much care for McConnell. I'd like to see him retire. However, if I have to go to war with someone, I'd probably pick McConnell.

Gerda Sprinchorn said...

Time for Trump to go away.

Dear corrupt left, go F yourselves said...

Trump made too many mistakes. He thought he was going to be treated like a celebrity. Loved by all. It's time for someone younger and articulate.

Also - when you lose your biggest fan (Ann Coulter) you fucked up.

Iman said...

Trump needs to understand: less is more.

The point has been made. Biden just gave what may’ve been the most divisive speech given by a major political figure in over a century… let Americans review it and come to their own conclusions on the worth of his presidency.

Dear corrupt left, go F yourselves said...

If it's Hillary and Trump again - crap.

If DeSantis is against Hillary - Hillary loses.

Rollo said...

I wish Trump were more of a fox than a lion (or hedgehog) and could modulate more, but it's not going to happen.

Why was the election, "all about" Trump anyway? Did the media have something to do with that? And is being (or pretending to be) utterly clueless about that a job requirement for media work?

Dear corrupt left, go F yourselves said...

After the Dems trash the filibuster and force their corrupt authoritarian no-ID required nationalized vote system in - Hillary will walk in. Her broke foundation needs the money.
- even if she loses in reality.

Achilles said...

Tom T. said...

Trump did a lot to shake up the system, and maybe he can do so again in 2024, but if he lets himself get defined by backward-looking score-settling, I think he's going to lose a lot of his primary voters to DeSantis. He should only be hammering on the economy and the border right now.


If Desantis plays nice with the GOPe then he is on the other side and will just slow push everything until a democrat gets elected after him.

Our real problems are the traitors in our midst. McConell. McCarthy. Kemp. Thune. Rubio. Romney. Cheney. Raffensburger.

etc.

etc.

etc.

Achilles said...

Can Of Cheese for Hunter said...

I don't much care for McConnell. I'd like to see him retire. However, if I have to go to war with someone, I'd probably pick McConnell.


It is called the stupid party for a reason.

And not just it's leaders.

Dear corrupt left, go F yourselves said...

The media desperately want Trump to run.
We all wonder why? /

Are you calling me Stupid, Achilles? - Bugger off, ya Trump-Humping weirdo.

rehajm said...

Our real problems are the traitors in our midst. McConell. McCarthy. Kemp. Thune. Rubio. Romney. Cheney. Raffensburger.

This is true. In theory the GOP could end up voting in critical mass for a squad-type faction to cause the old guard to tack. In practice it seems highly unlikely...

Rollo said...

Ann Coulter was Trump's biggest fan, also his most unstable one. "Don't date anyone crazier than you" works in politics as much as it does in romance. Her disaffection and defection had as much to do with her personality as with his policies and performance in office. I wonder if other presidents had their Coulters and if someone could write a book about it.

Maynard said...

The lack of enthusiasm for Trump here suggests that he needs to step away from the 2024 election as a candidate. He can do the country better service by raising money for Republicans who actually oppose the Democrat agenda.

BTW, McConnell is a wily weasel, but he is a mostly winning weasel who plays the game well. Trump is dumb by attacking McConnell. He needs him.

mccullough said...

Trump understands message discipline.

Trump changed the GOP. That’s his legacy.

No one misses Bush.

Achilles said...

Can Of Cheese for Hunter said...

The media desperately want Trump to run.
We all wonder why? /

Are you calling me Stupid, Achilles? - Bugger off, ya Trump-Humping weirdo.


I don't have to call you stupid.

How long have McConell and Cruz and Bush and Romney and the other politicians been screwing you before Trump came along?

And you want to go back to that?

You would still be defending Cheney if you could.

Cruz made it obvious who he works for. Now everyone wants to watch him ask questions about Ray Epps as if he wont just fuck us first chance he gets. He is a snake.

All of these people are snakes and Desantis plays nice on team Republican.

Nothing happened until Trump came along.

Nothing.

Explain the reasoning for going back to that.

Achilles said...

Maynard said...

The lack of enthusiasm for Trump here suggests that he needs to step away from the 2024 election as a candidate. He can do the country better service by raising money for Republicans who actually oppose the Democrat agenda.

BTW, McConnell is a wily weasel, but he is a mostly winning weasel who plays the game well. Trump is dumb by attacking McConnell. He needs him.



McConell is winning.

But who is he winning for? It certainly isn't the people that vote for him. What did the Republican party actually do before Trump?

Who passed Medicare Part B?

And who screwed Trump on Obamacare? It wasn't the democrats.

Who screwed Trump on the Budget? It wasn't the democrats.

Who screwed Trump on his cabinet picks? It wasn't the democrats.

Some republican voters are just as tribal and gullible as democrat voters.

Dear corrupt left, go F yourselves said...

Achilles - Trump screwed us all over when he refused to Fire all Obama hold-overs, he thought everyone would adore him, and Trump was blind-sided by Hillary's Russia Russia planted lie.
Trump could have made sure his DOJ filed charges against Hillary for her corrupt Private Server. He din not. Trump could have save Assange - he did not. and on and on...

All those Senators and congress critters you mention, went along with Trump's agenda 99% of the time. They helped us get the Supreme Court we have now. I am grateful Trump was president over Hillary but it is time for Trump to go away.


Andrew said...

Interesting that several of us who are/were open Trump supporters realize his time has passed.

I think Trump in 2016 was sui generis. It was a unique opportunity that will not present itself again. We need a fighter, like Trump, but someone with more self-control, political experience, and strategic vision. DeSantis fits the bill. Perhaps there are others out there, but I can't think of any. A few senators come to mind, but I doubt they would be effective as a President.

Trump had his chance, and he did the best he could under impossible circumstances. He exposed the depth of corruption in our government, media, and institutions for all to see. But what made him effective was also his undoing. The narcissism, the chaotic games, the governing by instinct, the constant punching down, etc. And I don't see that working effectively a second time, especially when his energy and stamina will be reduced by his age. Also, his enemies will be better prepared if he should win again.

It's been real, Pres. Trump, but its time for you to get off the stage. Thanks for your service.

Dear corrupt left, go F yourselves said...

Our nation is more than Trump v. McConnell..

Trump-humpers need to grow up and wake up to political reality.

wendybar said...

Sorry Cheese, but I agree with Achilles. The Rinos do nothing for us, except cave everytime to Democrats. Every time. They hated the Tea Party because they liked the perks they got. They are part of the Uni-party. Unless we get ALL new politicians, the ones still there aren't going to do shit. It will be the same old, same old. Trump forced the masks off, and yet....you want to go back to THAT??

Jefferson's Revenge said...

I do not believe Trump can win. He is fighting the last war. He can only win on the battlefield of ideas, energy and Biden/Democrat mistakes. Instead, he will fight on the battlefield of the last election being stolen. I am surprised he doesn't see that as a losing message. Personally, I think it was stolen but personal retribution is not possible. What needs to happen is that a R must become President with an energized R House and Senate and then we must have investigations that are not charades and people must be held accountable for everything from Russia collusion to the COVID screwup and beyond. That includes the media, Big Tech and the D establishment. If someone will lead, RINO's will follow. More than we need a Reagan as President, we need a Gingrich in the House.

wild chicken said...

"If you lose to fraud and you can't prove it, accept the loss."

Exactly. He lost me with all his trash talking about election fraud. Prove your case or go home.

There was even an appeals court in Penn that offered to hear evidence and Trump's team had nothing. It was all BS.

I hope they got a good retainer.

Dear corrupt left, go F yourselves said...

Wendy- Achilles -
If you all want to throw away these so-Called Rino's for Trump? Good luck.
Say hello to corruptocrats forever.

wendybar said...

We are already there, and were there before Trump. Just give the progressives what they want now, why bother with the theater?? We all know they will cave every time.

rcocean said...

I love how NPR BOLDS the "questions" and has Trump's answers in regular type. Also, it wasn't an interview - it was a debate, with the NPR guy speaking as much as Trump.

McConnell is a loser. Trump has that right. Chicom Mitch, Mittens, and the whole Senate gang were on pressing Trump to give up ONE WEEK after the election. Mittens was going on TV repeating the Democrat Talking point that the "Election was fair and square". We now know that McConnell was calling up Barr - behind Trump's back - saying he needed to go public and say the Election was without Fraud or irregularities. This was BEFORE and INVESTIGATION or any knowledge that this was true.

You just had SD's invisible Senator Mike Rounds going on a Sunday talk show and saying the election was "fair and square" and that "Trump must answer for Jan 6th if neccessary". There was ZERO reason to do that, unless it was to sabotage Trump.

That was Trump's problem. He kept endorsing these Republican Senators for re-election, kept taking Chicom Mitch's advice, kept trusting Ryan and McCarthy. And these assholes stabbed him, and his voters, in the back every chance they got.

The Bush-McCain-Mittens wing of the Republican party doesn't want to win or have power to accomplish things. THey are perfectly happy being the Democrats "Loyal Opposition" and looking out for Big Business and the Chamber of Commerce. And implementing their "invade the world, invite the world" strategy.

exhelodrvr1 said...

I agree that Trump was cheated out of the win, but that should not make him the default candidate in 2024. The Republicans have to be coldly logical about nominating whoever has the best chance to win. That could be Trump, but he should not be the auto-choice.

wendybar said...

Exactly rcocean!

Dear corrupt left, go F yourselves said...

After Hillary uses the corrupt vote system to march all over Trump , complaints about rinos will mean exactly squat.

rcocean said...

Ever since - at least - since 1996, the establishment conservatives kept telling us we had to support moderates and RINOs. We had to be "Pragmatic" because all that mattered was winning and the only way to win was to nominate McCain-Mittens-Dole types. Then Trump came along, and suddenly losing became a noble option. Suddenly, purity tests were in, and since Trump failed the purity test, it didn't matter if the Democrats won.

Trump forced them to take the mask off. And revel it was never about "Winning" or "Being pragmatic" it was always about electing RINOs and Uniparty types. Funny how so many of these NRO/Weekly Standard types are now Rooting for Joe Biden. That was the NEver trumpers true home.

readering said...

You have to admire Trump. Doing the same set night after night killed Bob Saget. But Trump seems to have lost weight and be getting stronger as he refines his set.

Achilles said...

Can Of Cheese for Hunter said...

Wendy- Achilles -
If you all want to throw away these so-Called Rino's for Trump? Good luck.
Say hello to corruptocrats forever.


Ok.

Go back and read your comments.

Read this comment you made.

Read what I am saying.

Read this comment again.

Read what Wendybar said.

Read this comment again.

You need to keep reading your comment over and over again until you figure out the mistake you made and have probably been making since 1988.

Dude1394 said...

Hopefully if Trump runs and wins again he will do a mass firing of everyone fireable. And I am not being hyperbolic. Then begin hiring them back if they are not democrats.

Yancey Ward said...

The one thing not done in any of the after-election "audits"- examining the signatures on the mail-in-ballot security envelopes and comparing them to the signatures in the voter registration file. The only time the examination was done was in the canvassing phase before the ballots were opened. We know from the public records that the rejection rates fell by a magnitude or more in every Democrat jurisdiction.

The Democrats cheated right out in the open- send out as many mail-in-ballots as they could, and harvest them up, fill them out, and drop them off. The only thing they couldn't do was forge all the signatures needed, but since they controlled the canvassing and signature verification in the urban areas, they simply stopped verifying signatures to make sure the ballots got counted.

Dear corrupt left, go F yourselves said...

Achilles - you're going to have to face that fact that not everyone worships Trump with blind faith.
I wish Trump were president right now. He's not. He's too old, uninspiring and inarticulate to win again. Wake up.

Achilles said...

exhelodrvr1 said...

I agree that Trump was cheated out of the win, but that should not make him the default candidate in 2024. The Republicans have to be coldly logical about nominating whoever has the best chance to win. That could be Trump, but he should not be the auto-choice.

So you think the most important thing is getting a republican in office?

You think the most important thing is the best chance to win?

If you pick form over substance you will get form. Lots and lots of form.

Achilles said...

Can Of Cheese for Hunter said...

Achilles - you're going to have to face that fact that not everyone worships Trump with blind faith.
I wish Trump were president right now. He's not. He's too old, uninspiring and inarticulate to win again. Wake up.


You are not reading your own comments.

You do not think about what you are saying nor do you address what I am saying.

I have said repeatedly that Trump is too nice and too much of a deal maker. I would vote for Pinochet before Trump.

But Trump knows who the enemy is and Desantis doesn't.

You refuse to accept that the Republican party has screwed you. Nobody wants to admit they are a patsy. But the longer you remain a patsy the worse it is.

Romney would have done more damage to our country after 2012 than Obama did. We would have had Carbon Credits and Open borders if Romney won and Republicans would have been blamed.

Spiros said...

Widespread vote-by-mail undermines ballot secrecy. Accordingly, Mr. Trump's focus should not be fraud but rather illicit interference such as bribing or intimidation. The Democratic Party's aim was to influence voter choice not to circumvent it. The Democratic Party wants to eliminate ballot secrecy, to "force voters to 'defend' their choice." The Democratic Party and Big Tech's digital robber barons want your family and your employer to know how you voted. How many of us filled out our mail in ballots at the kitchen table, in front of our spouses and children? Some of you people, relatively vulnerable, somewhat stupid, voters with domineering spouses or parents, clergy or employers voted for Biden out of fear!

This is bullsh*t. Our country rolled out the secret ballot during the Gilded Era. It was a time of extreme partisanship, shady campaign finance and inequality soaring to all-time highs. Sound familiar? People like John Stuart Mill (!!!) claimed the secrecy of the ballot would curb the power of landlords and the rampant vote-buying by the wealthy. It worked. There was an immediate reduction in election violence, intimidation and bribery. And the secret ballot ushered in the Progressive Era. I think we need to get rid of voting by mail ALTOGETHER and replace it with more convenient voting infrastructure.

AMDG said...

Leland said...
There are no rational answers to that question, how did Biden get 80 million votes?

1/12/22, 7:55 AM

Because 75 million of those votes were not for Biden, but against Trump. A rule of thumb is that if one of the candidates is a flaming ahole he is going to lose. Trump is the Alpha Centuri of aholes.

Dear corrupt left, go F yourselves said...

Achilles - The people of Utah need to dispense with Romney.
I am aware of political reality. If you want to trash the GOP non-stop - go right ahead.
Say hello to team Corruptocrat.

Dear corrupt left, go F yourselves said...

Hillary sees her opening.

Hillary should be in prison, facing her lies and criminal behavior. We no longer live in a nation of laws.

exhelodrvr1 said...

Achilles,
"So you think the most important thing is getting a republican in office?

You think the most important thing is the best chance to win?"

In 2024, the answers to those are yes and yes, because we can't afford another Democrat presidency. Trump carries too much baggage - a lot of it unfair, but baggage nonetheless.

Michael K said...

I agree that Trump was cheated out of the win, but that should not make him the default candidate in 2024. The Republicans have to be coldly logical about nominating whoever has the best chance to win. That could be Trump, but he should not be the auto-choice.

I agree with this. Time will tell as the 2022 election is still coming. Two things will happen. We will see how the GOP does in Congress and we will see how enthusiastic FL voters are about DeSantis. Both things will tell us a lot.

Achilles said...

Can Of Cheese for Hunter said...

Achilles - The people of Utah need to dispense with Romney.
I am aware of political reality. If you want to trash the GOP non-stop - go right ahead.
Say hello to team Corruptocrat.



McConell is the leader of team corruptocrat.

McCarthy is the chairman of the board.

They both undermined Trump's efforts to do what you wanted.

What you are saying just makes no sense from a rational point of view. You are Team Corruptocrat's biggest cheerleader right now.

Dear corrupt left, go F yourselves said...

I think hating the GOP to the point where you'd rather see a corrupt Democrat win is... Trumpian.

Drago said...

Can Of Cheese for Hunter: "If it's Hillary and Trump again - crap.
If DeSantis is against Hillary - Hillary loses.
1/12/22, 8:58 AM"

Can Of Cheese for Hunter: "After the Dems trash the filibuster and force their corrupt authoritarian no-ID required nationalized vote system in - Hillary will walk in. Her broke foundation needs the money.
- even if she loses in reality.

1/12/22, 9:00 AM"

Can Of Cheese for Hunter: "After Hillary uses the corrupt vote system to march all over Trump , complaints about rinos will mean exactly squat.
1/12/22, 9:30 AM"

Can of cheese, you are bit all over the playing field here....and the worst oversight is how so many of the corrupted republicans (Kemp/Raffensberger, Ducey/McCain AZ machine types) worked hand in glove with the democraticals to give them the corrupted voting system they wanted....just to get rid of Orange Man Bad.

And now the Rinos are worried that their allies on the dem side, once those dems tasted the sweet sweet nectar of completely obliterated voting controls, won't want to "reset" to the previous standard.

Yes, believe it or not, our rocket scientist Rino's are shocked, shocked, that the cheating they allowed their dem is now in danger of becoming permanent!

You can just hear the Rino's in the Senate lunchroom tut-tutting and harrumphing all over the place as their Washington Generals-controlled opposition status is now fully exposed to all.

Remember, it was McConnell and McCain and Rubio and Graham and Thune and Romney et al that directly and enthusiastically helped the democraticals and Hillary camp deliver the russia collusion debacle on our nation....and now all the Rino supporters want to sit back and say "lets not quibble about who empowered Pelosi and Schiffty-Schiff and Schumer and the deep staters and the lefty media to undermine a republican President, we have to get our next Romney lined up for coronation!".

Terrific.

wendybar said...

Hear!! Hear!!! Drago!!

Andrew said...

"But Trump knows who the enemy is and Desantis doesn't."

I doubt that. I think DeSantis is very aware of who his enemies are. But he exercises wisdom not to turn everything into a fight.

If DeSantis, or Trump, or whoever, becomes President, he will still have to work with Congress, including the Rinos and the moderates. Trump made enemies (or increased their animosity) unnecessarily, and he's still doing it. You go to war with the army you have, including Congress, state governors, etc. That means you have to play the political game, and be conciliatory if need be to move things forward. Reagan understood that (and yes, I know the 80s are over, and the nation has changed). Trump turned everything into a fight. He insulted people who could have been his allies. Why mock Sessions or Mattis, etc? You think Sessions is a Rino?
You think Mattis doesn't command respect across the board? Why not just shut up? His actions in Georgia during their election probably gave Congress to the Democrats. The man doesn't know that silence can be more effective than nonstop talking. His enemies and even potential allies will always get under his skin.

I'm not stupid or naive. I enjoyed Trump's presidency. I voted for him twice. But his interview with NPR is just one more proof that he is not able to overcome his limitations in order to strategize effectively. We need someone else going forward. DeSantis has a fighting spirit, but he isn't a narcissist. He is shrewd, and restrained when necessary. He chooses his fights wisely. I think he would be a formidable candidate, and an effective President.

John henry said...

 Dave Begley said...

One of Trump's biggest mistakes was failing to defund NPR. It is a third column

I recently read Marc fishers book on the history of commercial radio in the us. Excellent and I especially recommend it to anyone following the history of rock N roll in 500 trigger warnings

It has a lot about the rise of NPR from left wing/progressive college Stations.

You are absolutely right David. There is no excuse for a penny of taxpayer money to go to NPR. Never was, even less reason todau

John LGBTQBNY Henry

wendybar said...

And if DeSantis DOESN'T run, because he decides to stay Governor to be home to help his wife with her Cancer treatments....then what?? Everybody seems to think he is a shoe in, and we don't even know if he will run yet.

Drago said...

I agree that Trump was cheated out of the win, but that should not make him the default candidate in 2024. The Republicans have to be coldly logical about nominating whoever has the best chance to win. That could be Trump, but he should not be the auto-choice.

There is nothing "coldly logical" about this.

That's a ridiculous comment.

The primary electorate will be comprised of a now vastly more energized and populist republican base that is fully aware of just who is sucking up to the dems.

My real worry? The republican party apparatchiks will go Full Hillary-Controlled DNC Mode to ensure a non-Trump candidacy, assuming Trump runs.

If Rubio and Haley and the rest of the "Next in line to become a Romney/Bush type and stick a knife in the republican base" think they are going to reset to a 2012 primary dynamic they are out of their minds.

Has Trump lost ground since just Nov of 2020? Clearly yes, for all kinds if reasons, but he's STILL the ONLY one really pushing back against the dems in a big way...with DeSantis still earning his stripes and making many of us worried that its just for show. And Trump, as of today, would still win the nomination going away.

But let me guess, what the republicans need is another capitulation to the Open Borders Chamber of Commerce and another tax cut!

That'll do it!

Oh, and McCarthy's threats that he'll remove Schiffty-Schiff and Eric "fang fang" Swalwell and Ilhan "What's wrong with marrying your brother" Omar from committees if the republicans win?............

............lol. Pull the other one.

One fake "poll" from McCarthy's bestest buddy and roommate and landlord Frank Luntz will be all the cover McCarthy needs to not only NOT remove the democraticals, but actually to throw more republicans off committees.

Achilles said...

exhelodrvr1 said...

In 2024, the answers to those are yes and yes, because we can't afford another Democrat presidency. Trump carries too much baggage - a lot of it unfair, but baggage nonetheless.

So play this out.

Desantis is the nominee. Picks Nikki Haley for VP. Maybe Tom Cotton. Some Mike Pence clone. VICTORY for the GOPe!

First thing that happens is Black voters all go right back to the democrats. The working class goes right back to ignoring the Republican party.

They play nice with McConell and McCarthy. We get a tax cut. No real spending cuts because lets be honest here there will be no spending cuts.

Some kabuki is done on the J6 protests. Ted Cruz gets the FBI to say "I can't comment on that." for 2 years.

Border laws are enforced for a few years. Maybe even some of the wall built.

Then republicans lose the house because they do nothing for 2 years but pass a tax cut and start a war or two.

So best case we spend 8 years with a republican president and the a pause button pressed on the Long March.

In 4 or 8 years the democrats will win the presidency again.

Will we be able to afford a democrat president then?

Wa St Blogger said...

One of the big problems we have in the political system is that the politicians do not represent the people voting for them. The challenge we have is determining what the best option as a voter is. Do we vote for Rinos because they will more often than not vote for things that give us what we want? OR do we vote for the guys that are true conservatives but probably will not win and might even be opposed by the Rinos? We might hope that we could vote for enough valid conservatives that we chase out the Rinos, or we could end up losing races and giving Dems more seats due to our purity tests. Over the short term, it would seem safest to go with the compromise Rino, but maybe in the long run we can purge the party of Rinos but take short term loses in the mean time. But then again, by allowing the dems a bigger foot print, they will continue to undermine democracy and make it harder to get even a Rino elected. No one answer is "right". Each has its risks and potential rewards.

Achilles said...

Can Of Cheese for Hunter said...

I think hating the GOP to the point where you'd rather see a corrupt Democrat win is... Trumpian.

Nice straw man.

You can retract that and apologize for resorting to bad faith or I will take off the gloves.

Temujin said...

Tom T @7:02 nails it. "Trump did a lot to shake up the system, and maybe he can do so again in 2024, but if he lets himself get defined by backward-looking score-settling, I think he's going to lose a lot of his primary voters to DeSantis. He should only be hammering on the economy and the border right now."

But that is Trump's achilles heel (with apologies to our Achilles). He cannot help himself. He sees a mirror and it stops him. He sees a mic and it stops him. Both remind him to look or talk about himself. He loses focus. The Democrats are severely wounded and it would be easy to rip them open for good. His path to a nomination and election would be so easy if he would get it- it's not all about him.

Drago said...

Andrew: "Trump made enemies (or increased their animosity) unnecessarily, and he's still doing it."

Yes.

Read that again.

And realize it was written in January of 2022 and not January of 2017....and try to grapple the level of delusion it took to write that given all that we know happened and is still happening.

Oh, well yeah, sure, the democraticals and republican establishment went Full Stasi and joined forces with the entirety of the federal law enforcement and intelligence agencies and foreign intelligence services to frame and attempt to prosecute a newly elected POTUS and destroy him and they used the entirety of Big Tech and legacy media to amplify those framing activities and to go after POTUS's family and any staff member who actually believed in the policies that the nation actually voted for and expected to see.

Shorter Andrew: Well, sure, that all happened, but can't we let bygones be bygones and, golly gee, did there have to be so many mean tweets?!!!

Hey Andrew, when they do it again to anyone who dares create change, are you going to abandon that candidate too and complain that the newer guy just "made too many enemies"...given that its the policy positions that will guarantee establishment emnity?

Incredible.

Conrad said...

'"The Democrats cheated right out in the open- send out as many mail-in-ballots as they could, and harvest them up, fill them out, and drop them off. The only thing they couldn't do was forge all the signatures needed, but since they controlled the canvassing and signature verification in the urban areas, they simply stopped verifying signatures to make sure the ballots got counted."

I think this is 100% right -- this, plus the unlawful changing of the rules to facilitate the above.

Elections traditionally have been about getting your people living out in the neighborhoods to a centralized polling location to cast their vote. Now, the whole process has been changed so that the votes are sent out into the neighborhoods in the first instance -- where there is no security and no controls -- and then having campaign workers/activists bring them back to the centralized location for counting. This new way is not only obviously less secure, it's DESIGNED to be less secure. Votes are "cast" completely out of sight of the election officials, poll-watchers, or fellow citizens. There are virtually no security safeguards, at least none that cannot be easily circumvented. In 2020, this new system yielded something like 20 million additional votes! Does anyone believe that changing the voting system in this way did not favor the Dems? And does anyone believe that that was not the ultimate goal?

Achilles said...

Nothing changes until McConell, McCarthy and all of their ilk are run out of the Republican party and it actually does what Republican voters want.

You all need to see the Long March for what it is and the role the Republican Party plays in it.

Dear corrupt left, go F yourselves said...

Achilles 10:28
- Your scenario is possibly true even if Trump is at the helm. Right?

Drago said...

One of Trump's biggest mistakes was failing to defund NPR. It is a third column

There was zero chance, ZERO, but only Absolutely Zero, that McConnell and Paul "how can I help get rid of Tucker Carlson from Fox News?" Ryan would have allowed that.

I just love that so many commenters have been around for decades as the Captured Republicans time and again refused to defund Public Radio, FOR DECADES, (remember Bob Dole making it a campaign issue in 1996?) but suddenly, Trump, who was the ONLY republican in DC who really did want to defund Public Radio, is now blamed for the DC republicans doing what DC republicans have always done.

Let me guess, it's now Officially True that its Trump's fault the backstabber-republican-hatin' John McCain sabotaged the repeal of obamacare?

Spoiler: McConnell already knew McCain was going to do that, as did other republicans who also wanted to keep obamacare, but McCain took the step that gave all the rest of the lying Rino's cover. Don't kid yourself. There were at least 15 other Republican Senators that wanted to keep obamacare.

And that works on the other side as well: Manchin and Sinema are taking the heat for about 5 to 10 other democrats depending on the issue: the Cheat By Vote stuff as well as nuking the filibuster.

Achilles said...

Drago said...

My real worry? The republican party apparatchiks will go Full Hillary-Controlled DNC Mode to ensure a non-Trump candidacy, assuming Trump runs.

It would be a replay of the 2012 Republican Primary.

And a replay of the 2012 General Election.

Just with an order of magnitude more energy and angst.

And the GOPe would be ecstatic with that result.

At that point Irish Democracy takes complete hold of our society and we go fully Low Trust.

Ann Althouse said...

Sorry about the bad link. Fixed

The software keeps corrupting my links. Can’t figure out why.

Dagwood said...

Achilles said...

So play this out.

Desantis is the nominee. Picks Nikki Haley for VP. Maybe Tom Cotton. Some Mike Pence clone. VICTORY for the GOPe!

First thing that happens is Black voters all go right back to the democrats. The working class goes right back to ignoring the Republican party.



Looks like you're accusing working class and black voters of being as closed-minded as you are.

Dear corrupt left, go F yourselves said...

Drago

My real worry? The republican party apparatchiks will go Full Hillary-Controlled DNC Mode to ensure a non-Trump candidacy, assuming Trump runs.

We know The pedophile Lincoln Project will go fully Hillary. We know Bill Kristol will go full Hillary.

Please name the exact people who will go full-Hillary. Do you actually think Cruz, Nikki Haley or Rubio will support Hillary? If you do - say so.

McCain is dead now.

exhelodrvr1 said...

Achilles,

If Trump is nominated, and loses, then what?

I'll go with an 80% chance of a Desantis win over a 50% chance of a Trump win.

Drago said...

Temujin: " The Democrats are severely wounded and it would be easy to rip them open for good."

LOL

Lets try this one more time: a significant, if not majority, portion of the elected republicans DON'T WANT to "rip them (dems) open for good".

Quite the opposite.

Graham and McConnell and Romney and Thune and Cassidy etc want to help the democraticals create a fully weaponized state against the republican base....all the while appearing to be against it.

You think its an accident that McCain and McConnell and Ryan and Graham and Burr, to name a few, weren't gleeful at the prospect of using the govt against Trump and his family and supporters? You think the republicans aren't working overtime behind the scenes to allow the DOJ to create their new "anti-terrorism" department which will target all conservatives?

Time to wake up.

Andrew said...

"Shorter Andrew: Well, sure, that all happened, but can't we let bygones be bygones and, golly gee, did there have to be so many mean tweets?!!!"

If that's your takeaway from my comments here, you are not as smart as you think you are. I never said anything close to what you describe. Please, grow up.

Andrew said...

"Shorter Andrew: Well, sure, that all happened, but can't we let bygones be bygones and, golly gee, did there have to be so many mean tweets?!!!"

If that's your takeaway from my comments here, you are not as smart as you think you are. I never said anything close to what you describe. Please, grow up.

Dear corrupt left, go F yourselves said...

If you're too blind to see that McConnell is the reason we have the Supreme Court we have, then I cannot help you.

McConnell pisses me off too, in many ways - but not because he doesn't
suck up to Trump.

Achilles said...

Can Of Cheese for Hunter said...

Achilles 10:28
- Your scenario is possibly true even if Trump is at the helm. Right?


Maybe a 6 sigma chance.

So in other words no.

Trump has adapted faster than any other republican in the office. You all compare him to some mythical beast and pretend Desantis or whatever chimera you believe in exists. They are all following his lead.

I expect Trump to hold a grudge. He was far to pragmatic and accommodating before and he was rewarded for that with betrayal by everyone in DC. He has made all of the perfect enemies.

We would at best be hoping that Desantis builds up that angst and frustration. But my guess is that Desantis will not fight the machine. He has lived inside the machine all his life.

We need someone to go to DC with fire and brimstone in mind. The city needs to be turned into a parking lot. All of those agencies need to be eliminated or moved to different parts of the country.

I don't think Trump is the perfect tool. If he could nominate Pinochet as his VP that would convince me. I still think he will try to play too nice.

But he wont play nice with the FBI. I don't think the agency would survive him. That would be a start.

Drago said...

Ann Althouse: "Sorry about the bad link. Fixed

The software keeps corrupting my links. Can’t figure out why."

I doubt the FBI will be very forthcoming on how their software plugins are impacting your links.

Douglas B. Levene said...

Thank you for your service, Mr. Trump. Now, please go away.

Drago said...

Douglas B. Levene: "Thank you for your service, Mr. Trump. Now, please go away."

Oh, are you back to further mischaracterize phone call transcripts? Because you'd be just the guy to do it!

And since when do democraticals dictate who opposition candidates will be?

Spoiler: Hillary thought she could, which led to the Hillary Campaign/DNC "Pied Piper" strategy in which the dem-aligned media "pumped up Trump" (do you really think its an accident Trump was all over MSNBC and CNN for free media?) at Hillary's behest because she and her "crack staff of the best and the brightest" (yes, I almost wasn't able to finish writing that without collapsing in paroxysms of laughter) thought Trump was a sure loser.

Related: Jimmy Carter and his staff also thought Reagan would be much easier to beat than Bush The Elder.

Notice any pattern to these historical data points?

Drago said...

Andrew: "If that's your takeaway from my comments here, you are not as smart as you think you are. I never said anything close to what you describe. Please, grow up."

That is certainly one of my takeaways, justifiably so, though not the primary one.

As for "growing up", growth comes in all forms. A few of which might benefit you.

John henry said...

In a few more weeks pedj will be TRUTH.

Or at least www.truthsocial.com but pedjt will be branded as "truth"

He should use the TRUTH to promote primary against every single incumbent dem or repub in either house

If any incumbent survives the primary go after them in them in the general. All incumbents, both parties.

Total scorched earth.

Kill the uniparty.

Probably need to prioritize. Do it based on seniority.

John LGBTQBNY Henry

If any incumbent survives

Browndog said...

The FBI/DOJ were working on an "Insurance Policy" to prevent Trump from winning in 2016 while he was still a long shot at getting the GOP nomination.

What do you think the commie apparatus is up to now?

Achilles said...

Can Of Cheese for Hunter said...

If you're too blind to see that McConnell is the reason we have the Supreme Court we have, then I cannot help you.

McConnell pisses me off too, in many ways - but not because he doesn't
suck up to Trump.


Oh my god.

What has the Supreme Court done that makes you think they are not part of the problem?

Are you serious right now?

Kavanaugh and Barrett are absolute betrayals. The Federalist Society slipped those crap weasels to Trump and he went to bat for them.

What have they actually done? They are still splitting the baby on Obamacare, Roe, Kelo.

And the Aristocracy has done just as much to build your tribal affiliation to "Republicans" as they did to build prog tribal affiliation.

Every "conservative" institution in DC is corrupt and owned by aristocracy money. That you continue to support them after 50 years of obvious betrayal is ridiculous.

Achilles said...

Dagwood said...

Looks like you're accusing working class and black voters of being as closed-minded as you are.

I am accusing them of noticing that the GOPe has screwed them over.

The GOPe is racist, and they have been the pivotal element shipping jobs over seas.

The GOPe is also quite supportive of open borders.

So there is absolutely zero reason why Black people or the working class should support any republican apparatchik.

Drago said...

exhelodrvr1: "Achilles,

If Trump is nominated, and loses, then what?

I'll go with an 80% chance of a Desantis win over a 50% chance of a Trump win."

First off, neither you nor anyone else knows what the lay of the land will be in 24 months, so the percentages you offer are irrelevant. Secondly, DeSantis has already said, and its wise strategically at this point, that if Trump runs, he won't. Thirdly........well, I guess I don't need a "thirdly".

I'm inclined to go with Achilles on his DeSantis assessment: DeSantis is certainly doing and saying things in ways that are not just good policy but also demonstrate a political nimbleness and flexibility that is thus far (Warning: Stand By For Hyperbole) Napoleanic in its dynamism. Particularly with the media.

Always deeply enjoyable.

However, can we trust DeSantis to execute like this at the Federal level when the entirety of the govt is working to undermine him and potentially drive him from office with corrupt law enforcement and intelligence practices given DeSantis having been traditionally seen as basically an establishment guy?

Has DeSantis truly internalize what is happening to the republic and if so, is he really ready to fight it across all dimensions?

He's a very smart guy...so there's no way he doesn't see it and understand it....but will he really fight it?

That is unknown.

Scott Patton said...

"maybe because the election was about you"
He's so vain.

Scott Patton said...

"maybe because the election was about you"
He's so vain

Harsh Pencil said...

rhhardin said...

Trump is probably right but is showing that he doesn't understand the game. If you lose to fraud and you can't prove it, accept the loss. The real rules include using the media and the thumb on the sale and dummy ballot insertions that happened. So Trump was outsmarted.

Get better rules, like focus on chain of custody between now and next election. Make that the media focus.


This. Trump lost the election under the only rules that matter, and all he can do is whine like a 10-year old girl that it was "unfair" which is one of his favorite words, and one actual mentally stable adults avoid.

Achilles said...

exhelodrvr1 said...

Achilles,

If Trump is nominated, and loses, then what?

I'll go with an 80% chance of a Desantis win over a 50% chance of a Trump win.


You are listening to the media as if they are a source of information and this leads you to an erroneous conclusion.

Trump got more votes than any person in the history of this country. He had a higher approval rating among republicans than Reagan. He brought millions of people into the party.

Trump would easily get more votes than Desantis.

There is a reason for this.

The people on this blog have a massive blind spot. This is not a socio-economically diverse group of people. 95% of us are probably all in the same quintile of income and we all come from the same socio-economic tribe. We are all very interested in politics and our education levels are much higher than norm.

We have no real connection to the 50% of the population that makes up the lowest income groups. I make special efforts to go out and find these people and interact but there are still huge barriers to this interaction. These people do not live and breath politics like we do. They do not really care. Most of them want to go to work, go home, crack open a beer and watch a football game.

These people like Trump in a way that doesn't make sense to you people.

It is an Idiocracy effect.

You sneer at low information voters. But they are the majority.

farmgirl said...

“ Trump turned everything into a fight.”

I don’t believe that. He’s always ready for a fight, but the guy was harassed from day one- over every little thing. And his wife and kids, never left alone. I got so sick of that!! It’ll happen again, too. The media are twisted.

I suppose I shouldn’t go all Nervous Nelly that conservative souls inter fight; I’ve just not seen it up close, I guess. Where I come from, we conservative souls rest in e/others’ presence and smile and nod a lot. It’s a relief to find a kindred spirit.

1) we vote for who we believe is the best choice in the primary- like last time
2) we accept the results- like last time
3) we vote for our candidate- like last time

It’ll be interesting to see who the demo candidate will be: it may be an unknown.

In the end- not voting is not an option.

Yancey Ward said...

I guess I will wait to see what happens in Ron DeSantis' re-election campaign this Fall, and how it compares to his winning campaign in 2018 before I jump off the Trump wagon and onto DeSantis' wagon. My worry is this- it very well may be that Trump is sui generis. You ask, "What did Trump do that made him unique electorally?" My answer is this- he put states like Iowa and Ohio deep into Republican territory- he did the same with Florida, and he made Wisconsin, Michigan, and Pennsylvania competitive electorally. Before Trump, Nevada, Virginia, Iowa, and New Hampshire were already lost at the presidential level, and it appeared that Florida and North Carolina were on their way to being reliably blue in the presidential elections as long as the Democrat could win the popular vote nationwide (i.e. Democrat leaning).

You tell me a normal GOP candidate like a Marco Rubio can win Iowa, Ohio, Florida, Georgia, and Arizona, right? Ok, I will grant that assumption. Now you tell how they win enough states that are left to win the electoral college, because the above isn't enough. Every Democrat since 1988 has won Wisconsin, Michigan, and Pennsylvania except for Shelob in 2016. None of those races were really close except for Wisconsin in 2000 and 2004.

Trump showed how to pick the electoral lock the Democrats have at the presidential level- since 2000, several former red states are now reliably blue- only Donald Trump in 2016 and 2020 changed the course of any state's drift to the left. Who among the successors can repeat that feat?

farmgirl said...

I bet the base Achilles mentioned will double down on Trump if he runs.

Yancey Ward said...

"I agree with this. Time will tell as the 2022 election is still coming. Two things will happen. We will see how the GOP does in Congress and we will see how enthusiastic FL voters are about DeSantis. Both things will tell us a lot."

I agree with Michael K.

Browndog said...

Trump got more votes than any person in the history of this country. He had a higher approval rating among republicans than Reagan. He brought millions of people into the party.

Yes, and Basement Dementia beat it by 6 million votes. If they cram through HR-1 Can of Peaches(D) would get 86 million votes in 2024. And no, Trump SC justices will not help. Another 2 sentence dismissal--no standing.

Even without HR-1, I'd like someone to explain to me how the next Trump election will be any different from the last one.

farmgirl said...

How could Hillary! even be considered viable now that her creation of the Steele dossier is public knowledge?
Or is that a stupid question b/c there’s no such thing as Facts…

exhelodrvr1 said...

Achilles,
"You sneer at low information voters."

Not at all. You, on the other hand, seem to be ignoring the fact that these "low information voters" are bombarded by the heavily Democratic mainstream media and education system, and their default position will be anti-Trump. Desantis will face less of that, because it will take time for the media to switch to another target. And Desantis will also turn off fewer voters than Trump will.

Achilles said...

Browndog said...

Even without HR-1, I'd like someone to explain to me how the next Trump election will be any different from the last one.

And you could explain how Desantis could win without Michigan and Pennsylvania and Wisconsin on the table. I don't think Desantis would have much chance in North Carolina either. Or Nevada.

Yancey Ward said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Yancey Ward said...

"Even without HR-1, I'd like someone to explain to me how the next Trump election will be any different from the last one."

It might not be, but a different candidate ain't going to change that up either if it does come to pass that mail in voting predominates. We can gather clues this coming Fall. I do know that several states the Republicans control have tightened up mail-in-balloting, including Georgia, but I expect a full on legal assault on those new rules, and none of this tightening up happened in states Trump lost to Biden except for Georgia.

I am going to put my predictions for the Fall right here- the Republicans lose the Senate as the Democrats take Wisconsin and Pennsylvania seats up for election, and hold onto New Hampshire and Nevada. They might even take the North Carolina seat and hold onto the Georgia and Arizona seats. In the House, Republicans make modest gains everywhere except for New York and California, where they lose a net 10 seats, just enough to keep the Democrats in control. In the governor governors races, DeSantis wins by 2% only, and Abrams beats Kent in Georgia.

By 2024, Puerto Rico and and D.C. are new US states after the filibuster is ended over Joe Manchin's dead body. HR1 is passed, and SCOTUS is neutered by adding 3 new justices. It won't matter who the Republicans pick as a candidate- they will never win the presidency again in my lifetime or anyone else here.

Achilles said...

exhelodrvr1 said...

Achilles,
"You sneer at low information voters."

Not at all. You, on the other hand, seem to be ignoring the fact that these "low information voters" are bombarded by the heavily Democratic mainstream media and education system, and their default position will be anti-Trump. Desantis will face less of that, because it will take time for the media to switch to another target. And Desantis will also turn off fewer voters than Trump will.

You predict they will act according to your tribal prejudices.

I point out what actually happened.

You make the call.

Michael K said...

My real worry? The republican party apparatchiks will go Full Hillary-Controlled DNC Mode to ensure a non-Trump candidacy, assuming Trump runs.

If Rubio and Haley and the rest of the "Next in line to become a Romney/Bush type and stick a knife in the republican base" think they are going to reset to a 2012 primary dynamic they are out of their minds.


I tend to agree with this. Trump was betrayed by uniparty members who will betray him again.

Robert Cook said...

"How could Trump be so stupid ...?"

Well...that's always the question.

John henry said...

Yancey Ward said...

By 2024, Puerto Rico and and D.C. are new US state

Care to bet?

NONE of our politicians want statehood. Including those pols in the New Progressive Party (npp) which pretends to be in favor of statehood.

For statehood to happen the Puerto Rican government has to ask for it first. In 50 years of npp swapping power with the commonwealth party (pdp) they never have.

We've had a dozen or so referenda not counting the quadtennial elections statehood has never gotten a majority

I'd need some sort of realistic explanation of how it could happen

John LGBTQBNY Henry

Robert Cook said...

"Our real problems are the traitors in our midst. McConell. McCarthy. Kemp. Thune. Rubio. Romney. Cheney. Raffensburger."

This comment is a naked expression of the fanatic mentality: disagreement is seen as traitorous.

Achilles said...

Yancey Ward said...

It might not be, but a different candidate ain't going to change that up either if it does come to pass that mail in voting predominates. We can gather clues this coming Fall. I do know that several states the Republicans control have tightened up mail-in-balloting, including Georgia, but I expect a full on legal assault on those new rules, and none of this tightening up happened in states Trump lost to Biden except for Georgia.


Too pessimistic.

Ted Cruz got slapped by a giant helping of backlash from his constituents. I believe he is a snake and a plant but he is the one the Uniparty is trying to run in front of the J6 investigation.

Ted could have just misread the situation and actually still have a soul. But he has been in DC for so long and done so little that actually mattered that I don't believe it.

The republicans are being forced to pretend much harder than ever.

They were forced to address this because most of the country can identify a Reichstag fire when they see one. The blood libels and lies surrounding J6 just pile on top of the Russian Collusion lies and the Kavanaugh rape lies and the Ukraine lies and the Hunter Biden Lies.

There are just too many lies for the system to hold up. People are going to start withholding taxes soon. The US cannot survive the rates of tax avoidance that are common in Europe.

Red States are going to ignore the feds and all the productive people will end up in red states.

They will not be able to corrupt the army fast enough to turn it on the population.

Rabel said...

I follow the news, and other than his actions on Covid, I know almost nothing about Ron DeSantis. I'm not nearly ready to drop the Happy Warrior who sacrificed so much personally to stop the Progressives from destroying the USA and who saved the country from Hillary Clinton - who would now be entering the sixth year of her Presidency.

Trump 2024!

Dear corrupt left, go F yourselves said...

If everyone is a betrayal, Achilles - I suggest you sit it out or vote 3rd party.

Viva Trump! The all powerful king.

Achilles said...

John henry said...

I'd need some sort of realistic explanation of how it could happen

The Uniparty has put us under a blatantly unconstitutional vaccine mandate.

The question isn't really how anymore with forces this venal and corrupt.

It is always a question of wills when you can ignore the words on a piece of paper.

Dear corrupt left, go F yourselves said...

Yancey Ward goes there @ 12:05

I think that is a very real possibility. Certainly in the works with team-D.

Dear corrupt left, go F yourselves said...

@ Browndog

Even without HR-1, I'd like someone to explain to me how the next Trump election will be any different from the last one.


I'd be curious to hear that explanation as well. (this time with age 75 word salad)

*** Knowing that the Supreme Court cannot over-turn an election without massive layers of lawyers and evidence where all the dots are connected. and probably not even then. The Supreme court cannot over turn an election because sez so. (2020 -all those lawyers willing to help Trump were threatened)

Andrew said...

By the way, if Trump is the nominee in '24, I'll still vote for him in a heartbeat.

But my expectations for him to have a successful second term will be low. The idea that this time he'll succeed in razing institutions to the ground, destroying the FBI, etc., that's just a pipedream.

Drago said...

Can Of Cheese for Hunter: "If everyone is a betrayal, Achilles - I suggest you sit it out or vote 3rd party.

Viva Trump! The all powerful king."

This is becoming too personal for you. I'm betting you and Achilles (and me for that matter) don't fundamentally disagree on many, if any, policy issues.

However, Achilles and I, possibly due to some significant overlapping real world strategy training/experience etc have a similar approach in how we look at the "facts on the ground".

Achilles is completely correct that right now, no other republican in sight can even hope to continue growing the working class (minority and anglo) republican base vote, which is the very lifeblood of a dynamic and not-just-surviving-but-thriving republican party.

Will Trump continue to incrementally lose some of the "educated" suburban white chick vote by any potential 2024 race?

Almost certainly. But those votes have been trending blue for some time.

People think Youngkin's win in VA signalled a potential formulaic "success story" because several of the richest DC suburbs went less "blue" than before because of Woke-ageddon in the schools system and that the secret sauce to that "formula" working nationwide is voting in a slick, "non-threatening" republican.

That won't work across the industrial midwest/swing states. Too many working class votes and historical non-voters will disappear if Trump OR someone who appears to be the same kind of fighter for America isn't on the ballot.

So far, its too early for DeSantis and there is no one else waiting in the wings to pick up that mantle. They have all been cowed by threats coming from the bureaucratic state and weaponized departments.

So, here's hoping DeSantis can out-Trump Trump but in a DeSantis way, but if he can't, then who is the nominee if not Trump?

Nikki Haley?

LOL

Achilles said...

Can Of Cheese for Hunter said...

If everyone is a betrayal, Achilles - I suggest you sit it out or vote 3rd party.

Viva Trump! The all powerful king.



I see that you are doubling down on your bad faith. If you want to ascribe thoughts that are not my own to me that is on you.

That reflects the complete vapidity of your arguments. It also puts you in the same column as Ken B and Freder Frederson.

So as I promised I will now honestly describe the problem.

You are the reason that the GOPe has screwed us all. Stupid voters that will support any person with an R next to their name are the problem. They have been from the beginning.

You are a tribal thinker. You cannot think outside the needs of the tribe or in any systemic way.

And when someone outside the tribe, like Trump, comes in and embarrasses the leaders of your tribe you lash out. Trump actually did what the leaders of the Republican party have always said they supported and he pulled the masks off the traitors and liars.

You refuse to notice the mote in your own eye.

Drago said...

Andrew: "By the way, if Trump is the nominee in '24, I'll still vote for him in a heartbeat.

But my expectations for him to have a successful second term will be low. The idea that this time he'll succeed in razing institutions to the ground, destroying the FBI, etc., that's just a pipedream."

Fair enough.

Browndog said...

I want DeSantis to stay in Florida to preserve Federalism.

I want Trump to run in a fair election. He's not going to get one. EVER.

Drago said...

Robert Cook: "This comment is a naked expression of the fanatic mentality: disagreement is seen as traitorous."

Note to self: Stalinists are now big on "disagreement is totally cool".

Discuss.

Achilles said...

Robert Cook said...

"Our real problems are the traitors in our midst. McConell. McCarthy. Kemp. Thune. Rubio. Romney. Cheney. Raffensburger."

This comment is a naked expression of the fanatic mentality: disagreement is seen as traitorous.

Even Cook, who pushes for murderous marxist policies, knows at some level that he needs the GOPe to make his dreams of blood and starvation come true.

Drago said...

Browndog: "I want Trump to run in a fair election. He's not going to get one. EVER."

It's not just Trump....but its true that there will be more "republican" GOPe-ers working happily with democraticals behind the scenes to help the democraticals beat Trump than probably any other republican.

Is that really a Trump "problem", or a GOPe problem?

Yancey Ward said...

"We've had a dozen or so referenda not counting the quadtennial elections statehood has never gotten a majority

I'd need some sort of realistic explanation of how it could happen"


Until the filibuster in the Senate is axed, statehood was and is never a realistic possibility. My observation is that people tend to choose with enthusiasm an alternative to an impossible selection. Once both selections are possible, then things change. Additionally, the Democrats, in a position to actually admit PR, will buy enough votes on the island to make it happen.

Left Bank of the Charles said...

I’ve noticed that the term RINO (Republican in Name Only) is used in reference to politicians who are actually Republicans by people who want to be called Conservatives because they don’t share the traditional Main Street ideology of the Republican Party.

But what happens if the RINOs form a third party? They could run Liz Cheney in 2024.

wendybar said...

Achilles @ 12:40 pm....EXACTLY. That is why we are where we are now. Voting the same losers in term after term...and getting worse every year...We had REAL change. The Never Trumpers couldn't have THAT. They want to keep the status quo.

wendybar said...

Left Bank of the Charles said...
I’ve noticed that the term RINO (Republican in Name Only) is used in reference to politicians who are actually Republicans by people who want to be called Conservatives because they don’t share the traditional Main Street ideology of the Republican Party.

I am an independent who has been voting Republican. Until they give me a reason TO vote for them, my vote is up in the air (not that it counts anyways, because in 2020 my mail in vote DIDN'T count and I have no idea why)

wendybar said...

But what happens if the RINOs form a third party? They could run Liz Cheney in 2024.

And all the left will run to vote her in, now that she is one of them.

Doug said...

Trump ain't afraid a no NPR.

farmgirl said...

https://www.theblaze.com/media-silent-on-cardona-nsba-letter-story

These parents aren’t your run-of-the-mill “low info” voters. May be an opportunity for red-pilled moments… no one likes to be targeted as a domestic terrorist…

Michael K said...

But what happens if the RINOs form a third party? They could run Liz Cheney in 2024.

They could. They might even get more votes than the usual Libertarian candidate.

Mrs. X said...

We need a fighter, like Trump, but someone with more self-control, political experience, and strategic vision.

There is no such person. DeSantis is not that person, and he’s the only possible name on the list. There’s Trump, with his many, many flaws and then there are the surrender monkeys. I could be wrong—I’d like to be wrong, but I don’t think so.

Harsh Pencil said...

I agree that whether Desantis or another non-Trump Republican can pull in enough non-traditional Republican voters in important states is indeed an open question. That is, Trump indeed attracts a segment to the Republican ticket that others might not. But it is also certain that Trump repels a lot of voters who would otherwise vote Republican, and at least in 2020 under the actual rules, he lost. Maybe we get some data in 2022, like Desantis's reelection campaign, which helps make clearer which effect is bigger 

Drago said...

Left Bank of the Charles: "I’ve noticed that the term RINO (Republican in Name Only) is used in reference to politicians who are actually Republicans by people who want to be called Conservatives because they don’t share the traditional Main Street ideology of the Republican Party."

Other Things Left Bank Has "Noticed" In The Past:
- Trump/Russia Collusion
- Secret Server Communications between Trump Tower and Alfa Bank
- Michael Cohen traveling to Prague to meet Russian Connections
- Putin changed vote totals in the US to install Trump
- The Hillary dossier was proven accurate
- Adam Schiff totally saw incontrovertible "evidence" of Trump Russia collusion
- etc etc etc

Discuss

Drago said...

Harsh Pencil: "Maybe we get some data in 2022, like Desantis's reelection campaign, which helps make clearer which effect is bigger"

Difficult to extrapolate a Florida Gov result to working class minorities across the nation and in particular the midwest.

But if that's all we'll have, and it is, then that's all we'll have until post-2022 polling is conducted by reputable groups (Trafalgar/Rich Baris, a couple others) to indicate what kind of additional movement towards DeSantis might be happening.

However, never lose sight of the fact that for most of those suburban women who nominally register as republicans but love them some abortion and gatherings with dems, all it will take to pry them off a DeSantis candidacy is a few tiki torch parades by democraticals to make the Karen/Wine Club set abandon DeSantis for whatever democratical flavor of the month is put up.

Drago said...

Mrs. X: "There is no such person. DeSantis is not that person, and he’s the only possible name on the list. There’s Trump, with his many, many flaws and then there are the surrender monkeys. I could be wrong—I’d like to be wrong, but I don’t think so."

Summed up nicely.

Harsh Pencil said...

Desantis, as far as I can tell, has been a successful governor. Trump, except where McConnell was calling the shots as in judges and the tax cut bill (which in cutting the corporate tax and limiting SALT deductions was very good), was a pretty unsuccessful president. His executive appointments were mostly awful, even as judged by Trump after the fact. Everyone he hires in the end disappoints him. (Nothing is, ever, ever, ever, his fault).

The basic facts are that while Trump actually loves America (which is more than you can say for most Democrats), he's a solipsistic nutcase who can't govern well. (And yes, I voted for him twice and will do so again if he is the nominee).

Achilles said...

I think Trump in 2016 was sui generis. It was a unique opportunity that will not present itself again. We need a fighter, like Trump, but someone with more self-control, political experience, and strategic vision. DeSantis fits the bill.

"Self control" and "political experience" are traits that are negatively correlated with "fighter." Almost antithetical really.

And there is zero evidence that Desantis has more strategic Vision than Trump. Desantis is following in Trump's wake. Desantis has done nothing outside of government. He has been a politician from the start.

Trump has demonstrated infinitely more strategic vision than Desantis.

The problem with Trump is he is too nice. Desantis is a clear step in the wrong direction.

The people who are trying to abandon Trump for a more milktoast politician just don't have the wherewithal to take down the forces arrayed against us.

They will chase Unicorn farts and shit strawberry ice cream like this forever.

PB said...

Vaccination for a disease stemming from a virus that 99.7% of all people survive should definitely be a decision between the individual and their healthcare professional, and not mandated for all.

Doing some math: The CDC now admits that 75% of Covid19 deaths involved 4 or more comorbidities, then extrapolating out, an additional 75% of the remaining for 3, 75% of the next remaining for 2, and 75% of the last remaining for 1 comorbidity, you end up with only about 0.6% of the deaths have no known cormorbidity associated with them. That means 0.6% of the 0.3% who die have no comorbidity, or 0.018%. An incredibly small number over which to destroy economies and societies.

Essential takeaway. The only ones who are at risk are those with co-morbidities. You and your doctor should be aware of them and taking actions to protect yourself should not be mandated by the state.

rehajm said...

What do you think the commie apparatus is up to now?

Another big lie coming. A Russian collusion, J6, covid level lie.

narciso said...

meanwhile


https://www.zerohedge.com/political/biden-admin-cuts-floridas-weekly-monoclonal-shipment-half

Conrad said...

The reason one MIGHT expect Trump to win in 2024 despite what happened in 2020 has to do with "events on the ground." Clearly, a large chunk of Biden's public support has dissipated because of what a godawful president he is. Moreover, his party is currently in clutches of a band of woke ideologues who seem to be almost purposefully trying to offend the sensibilities of traditional Dem voters and independents. I'm not saying Trump would be a shoo-in against Biden or whoever they run in his place; but the idea that we're predestined to witness the same voters voting the same way in 2024 as in 2020 seems to assume that the Dems are incapable of losing electoral support, while Trump will inevitably lose some of his support because he'll (uniquely?) be older.

Dear corrupt left, go F yourselves said...

F Trump?

My vaccine status is no ones business.

Hannity is Trump's biggest fan. Just yesterday Hannity said on his show that his vaccine status is not anyone's business.

Now Trump is calling people "gutless" if they don't share it.

wow.

Tim Hogan
@timjhogan
TRUMP says “I've had the booster,” and says he’s seen politicians asked the same, but dodge.

“The answer is yes, but they don't want to say it. Because they're gutless… Whether you had it or not. Say it.”

"The vaccine has saved tens of millions of people throughout the world."


Do we need this crap?

Dear corrupt left, go F yourselves said...

Hillary V Trump again?

Fuck off. I'm leaving the US. A egotistical moron and a Crook. another Democrat crook.

Dear corrupt left, go F yourselves said...

Trump pulls a Ted Cruz and shits the bed.

Readering said...

Interesting that so many folks here seem to think the Democrats have no one including Biden and the Republicans no one besides Trump. I think both parties have many suitable candidates under the age of 70.

Achilles said...

Can Of Cheese for Hunter said...

Do we need this crap?

April wants Desantis corronated.

So much so that it is off to the Daily Beast for support and spin on an interview where the full transcript is available.

We are choosing someone to go into the lion's den and fight the most corrupt and most powerful government institutions every built in the history of the human race.

We need nasty. We need dirty. We need hair pulling and eye gouging.

If Desantis can beat Trump let's see it. If he can't beat Trump, which is more likely, then deal with it.

And we need someone who has been betrayed by the GOPe already.

The real problem is you are not interested in fighting that corruption.

You are interested in your tribe winning. You would really like to go on that cruise ship with the cool serious well spoken dapper conservatives.

You want to send Desantis up there to play nice with the same people that have been screwing you over since Reagan was replaced by Bush.

Really we don't need you guys. You make dumb choices and will vote for Trump anyways because he has an R next to his name. You people are the reason Romney won in 2012 and the reason Obama won reelection.

Achilles said...

Right now Constitutional Carry is buried in the Florida Senate.

It is being blocked in the Florida Senate.

By Republicans.

If Ron Desantis wants to actually pass Constitutional Carry he will have to call out and primary several entrenched Republicans in the Florida Senate.

If he cannot do this he is not the person to fix DC.

And he has not done this yet.

Lurker21 said...

I think Trump was referring to politicians, not to ordinary citizens. If you are an elected official telling people to get the vaccine and the booster, you should probably say whether you've taken it or not. Not that this is really a big deal that I'd talk about if I were Trump.


Trump may not win next time. Even people who were willing to re-elect him, might not want to go through all the uproar all over again, but I can't help thinking that he's owed something. For starters, an admission that his handling of COVID wasn't worse than that of any other world leader. Then a recognition that he wasn't a failure as president, let alone a traitor. Maybe even a recognition that he wasn't worse than the Democrats he ran against. If Trump were to get that, maybe he (and we) could move on. But he's not going to get it -- not in his lifetime anyway.

rcocean said...

The Rinos do nothing for us, except cave everytime to Democrats. Every time. They hated the Tea Party because they liked the perks they got. They are part of the Uni-party. Unless we get ALL new politicians, the ones still there aren't going to do shit. It will be the same old, same old. Trump forced the masks off, and yet....you want to go back to THAT??

Yep. The fakes still want to be led by fakes. Winning? Who cares.

Lurker21 said...

>>I’ve noticed that the term RINO (Republican in Name Only) is used in reference to politicians who are actually Republicans by people who want to be called Conservatives because they don’t share the traditional Main Street ideology of the Republican Party.

First of all, Do RINOs favor the "traditional Main Street ideology of the Republican Party" or the traditional Wall Street ideology of the Republican Party?

Secondly, what is a "Main Street ideology"? One person likes cheap labor but doesn't like foreign imports. Another opposes mass illegal immigration but doesn't mind cheap foreign products. One person loves both. One person hates both. Not much room for a traditional ideology there.

Third, distaste for the Republican Establishment goes along with dislike of free market absolutism, multinational corporations and Movement Conservatism, to the point where the word conservative has become problematic.

Apparently some in Congress adopted the label "Main Street Republicans" because they opposed the social conservatives and libertarians of the right wing. Were they really "Main Street Republicans"? Were they appropriating a label that didn't really belong to them? In any case, those days are over, and neither the social conservatives or the libertarians are as well defined, cohesive, or powerful as they once were.

If "Main Street Republicans" are critical of massive illegal immigration, rampant deindustrialization, and foreign military adventures, they won't have much of a problem with Trump's policies. If they are just in favor of the Republican Establishment and the political status quo, Trump supporters will have a problem with them. So maybe "Main Street ideology" and "Main Street Republicans" have also become problematic phrases that ought to be discarded.

>>But what happens if the RINOs form a third party? They could run Liz Cheney in 2024.

>And all the left will run to vote her in, now that she is one of them.


If there's still a Republican Establishment they will take care to hold someone as compromised as Liz Cheney at arm's length, if not much further away. That's all the more true for Democrats and the left.

The MSNBC Republicans might try to nominate her, but only people who actually appear on MSNBC or in the Bulwark will actually vote for her. Maybe the people who gave us David French and Evan McMullin should nominate Bill Kristol or Jonah Goldberg. At least the laughs would be appreciated.

Drago said...

Harsh Pencil: "The basic facts are that while Trump actually loves America (which is more than you can say for most Democrats), he's a solipsistic nutcase who can't govern well. (And yes, I voted for him twice and will do so again if he is the nominee)."

The GOP earned the nickname "The Stupid Party" over 40 years ago. But that's all Trump's fault now.

This has all been hashed out ad nauseum. No, Trump did not have any decent early appointees and certainly none that supported the policies that won the election because McConnell would not allow him to have an appointee progress thru to confirmation unless they were milquetoast losers acceptable to the republican majority that was by and large on board with the russia collusion hoax.

That's how you ended up with the first wave and second wave and third wave of appointees.

Next time, if Trump or even DeSantis were to win, they should enter office knowing McConnell will work with dems to sabotage them and thus Trump/DeSantis should be prepared to simply create a round robin team of Temporary political appointees for every appointed position to bypass the McConnell and the Romney's, assuming Romney has time to participate in hearings at all since he is fond of marching in Black Lives Matter rallies.

Drago said...

Can of Cheese: "Hannity is Trump's biggest fan. "

Hannity is Lindsay Graham's biggest fan...as well as an FBI fanboy (given his family connection).

And Graham was at Ground Zero of the GOPe/dem aligned effort to push the hoax dossier/hoax investigation to a "remove Trump" conclusion.

After the incredibly dense Graham figured out he had been played (wink wink), he shifted to Lindsay 2.0 Mode and became that "fighter" that everyone wants....just long enough to get reelected and then he became the biggest enabler of Joe Biden rapidly restocking the court with far left loonies.

But give it a couple of weeks and there will be commenters here blaming Graham's democratical suck-upiness on Trump because, apparently, that's a thing now.

Drago said...

Can of Cheese: "Do we need this crap?"

Compared to what? McConnell cutting back door deals with Schumer so the dems never have to compromise with republicans on raising the debt ceiling?

Republicans in AZ and a few other states, where they have the majority, doing their best to minimize democrat losses in redistricting? Republicans sucking up to Big Tech as Big Tech silences conservative voices everywhere?

Duh. Trump is defending Warp Speed because no other republicans are. Trump is defending his support of the vaccine development that everyone said was impossible because no other republicans are.

Meanwhile, we've got idiot senators Romney and Round's praising our "free and fair elections" and marching with BLM.

Hey, Can of Cheese, do you think you could maybe spare a moment or two to criticize those guys, or are they off limits because they are "respectable" republicans?

Drago said...

Hey, remember way back when McConnell and Ryan teamed up to make sure there was no funding for building the wall?

Guess what?

McConnell and Ryan doing that is now Trump's fault too!!

Quick everyone, we have to elect more Ryan's and McConnell's if we are going to be able to enact conservative policies like building the wall and securing our southern borde......er....uh....oh.

Mutaman said...

motorrad said...

"I would donate all of my 401K along with my pension and live on the streets at the homeless encampment I drive by daily if NPR would ask Hillary the same types of questions. "

Is that the same Hillary who testified under oath for 11 hours before congress? Or am I thinking of somebody else?

~ Gordon Pasha said...

Leland posted

80 million votes is not the same as 80 million voters.

Maynard said...

Is that the same Hillary who testified under oath for 11 hours before congress? Or am I thinking of somebody else?

"What does it matter?," she shrieked to Congress and us all.

Narayanan said...

Achilles said...
"Why did Republican officials in Arizona accept the results then?"

Because they're RINOs, and frankly, a lot of people are questioning that....


Because the Republican Officials in Arizona work for the Oligarchs

And that Trump did this is why Trump is a better candidate than Desantis.

I have yet to see Desantis call out the RINO tritors who are the real culprits here.

They installed President Poopy Pants with Republicans, Not democrats.
--------
Q to Achilles and other commenters scholars political astutementairans:

other than DECORUM much prized by the RINO traitors - was there any need for R to be physically present in US Capitol on Jan 6? their seats were secure since The new Congress convenes on the first business day of January following its election. So the 117th Congress was convened on January 3, 2021.

I would have been on the street on Jan 6 if I were an elected R

Browndog said...

Trump/Cruz caused a civil war among conservatives. Many conservative blogs/publications ripped apart, many wound up a heap of ashes.

Reading these comments, we're headed for another with Trump/DeSantis.

Oh, well.

Mutaman said...

"What does it matter?," she shrieked to Congress and us all.

Under oath. Subject to cross. For 11 hours.
https://scdp.org/scdp-news/press-releases/scdp-statement-on-trey-gowdys-conduct-as-chair-of-the-select-committee-on-benghazi/

Ray - SoCal said...

It's HUGE that NPR actually had Trump on for ANYTHING!!!

And bringing up the Election Fraud is AMAZING! People/Organizations have been deplatformed over Election Fraud Claims. Even mentioning it tarred people as being a loony, and right wing insurrectionist. This is a major shift in the Overton Window.

Trump has been de-personed / deplatformed by FaceBook and Twitter made Public Enemy #1 due to his "Insurrection" and "Coup Attempt" of Jan. 6th, as well as Election Integrity Denialism.

Achilles comment is so true and very perceptive:
The republicans are being forced to pretend much harder than ever.

If Trump's candidates succeed in the mid terms this will have a huge impact. The big challenge is can Trump gaining control of the various GOP fund raising machine that keeps the RINO / Establishment GOP in Power.

I wish Trump had spoken up more for the people being mistreated for Jan. 6th, and still in Prison, with the full force of the government being used against them is shameful. The Silence of almost EVERY Elected GOP on this is very telling.

Michael K said...

That is, Trump indeed attracts a segment to the Republican ticket that others might not. But it is also certain that Trump repels a lot of voters who would otherwise vote Republican, and at least in 2020 under the actual rules, he lost.

I'm not sure the suburban white ladies, like Ann, are going to vote R any time soon. Abortion is a sacrament and liberal pieties are very attractive. Maybe $6 gas will affect them or $6 a pound hamburger.

As for losing in 2020 "by the actual rules," I am not as certain as you are.

rcocean said...

Its amazing that people have the memories of gnats. McConnell and Republican Senate along with Ryan were against almost everything Trump wanted to do, except cut taxes. These losers didn't even fight to repeal Obamacare. They also supported covertly or overtly Russia-Trump collusion and the 2 impeachment trials which were over nothing. Ryan and 40 R imcumbents bailed out in 2018 because having power wasn't what they wanted. They did NOT want to pass the Trump agenda, they wanted to cut deals with the D's. And please the big donors.

If the R's win the Senate/House in 2023, what will McConnell/McCarthy do? Answer: Nothing. Well, maybe cut taxes for the rich again in exchange for whatever Biden wants to trade. If you liked the 2021 and 2013-2015, just keep voting for people like Mittens, McConnell, Miss Lindsey, Collins, Sasse, Thune, etc.

Indigo Red said...

NPR and Inskeep tried for 15 years to interview Trump. They scheduled 15 minutes and Trump hung up on NPR after 9-1/2 minutes. Cellphones are disappointing and unsatisfying. No more slammed handsets into the cradle anymore.

Greg The Class Traitor said...

Why is it that you think that the vast majority of your allies in the United States Senate are not standing behind you?

His allies are standing behind him.

The rest of the GOP is more interested in keeping the grift flowing, and Trump got in the way of that

Greg The Class Traitor said...

It is not true that there were far more votes than voters [in Philadelphia]. There was an early count.

Correct response:
1: if the count in Philadelphia was honest, why did the Philadelphia "vote counters" have to put the poll watchers where they couldn't monitor the count?
2: So, that was an "early count", before they brought in all the extra ballots on Election Night after they "shut down the count" and kicked out everyone who could have stopped them from bring in more ballots?

Sorry, NPR, but when people act like they're stealing an election, you really should believe them

Harsh Pencil said...

Michael K: "As for losing in 2020 'by the actual rules,' I am not as certain as you are."

What I meant by "the actual rules" are the rules of the entire meta-game, including influencing who does the counting. These are the only rules that matter, and under those rules, he lost.

Greg The Class Traitor said...

rcocean said...
If you liked the 2021 and 2013-2015, just keep voting for people like ..., Collins, ..., etc.

Collins is far and away the most conservative Senator we can get from Maine. It makes perfect sense to vote for her.

The rest? They should all get nuked in their next Primary. I expect Mukowski to get the boot this year, and Mittens to be a one term Senator.

Greg The Class Traitor said...

Yancey Ward said...
Trump showed how to pick the electoral lock the Democrats have at the presidential level- since 2000, several former red states are now reliably blue- only Donald Trump in 2016 and 2020 changed the course of any state's drift to the left. Who among the successors can repeat that feat?

In an honest election?
WWC voted for Trump in 2016, and got higher employment and pay raises
WWC didn't vote for Trump quite as hard in 2020, got Biden, and is getting horribly screwed

I expect Evers and Whitmer to lose, I expect the GOP candidate to win PA Gov, I think there's at least a 40% chance that Walz loses.
Unlike you, I expect the GOP to win the Senate and the House this year.

I also expect that GOP protesters will riot if Philly, Milwaukee, Detroit, Fulton, or Madison try to "shut down the vote count" Election Night and kick out the poll watchers. And by that I mean the protesters who will be set up right outside the vote counting places.

I expect the GOP Senate and Gov candidates will have lawyers fighting replications of every bit of fraud the Dems pulled in 2020 in all the States where tech Dems pulled off their successful steals, and filing suits well before the elections.

PA does not have legal "anyone can vote absentee" ballots, it says so right there in the PA Constitution. The PA SC dodged that with latches in 2020, there will be lawsuits about this year well before the election.

And I do not see the GOP Legislature passing a Constitutional Amendment to change that.

I expect Perdue to beat Kemp in the Primary, and then beat Abrams, and Warnock to also lose.

NH has a lot of WWC voters, so I expect the GOP to pick up the Senate seat there. (NH has a GOP controlled State House, Senate, and Gov. Gov race is every 2 years. Going from 2018 to 2020, the Dems picked up another 2,000 votes, and the GOP Governor picked up an additional 200,000)

If my predictions are correct, I expect that Trump or DeSantis will win in 2024. If your predictions are correct, I expect us to have a bloody civil war

Greg The Class Traitor said...

Harsh Pencil said...
Michael K: "As for losing in 2020 'by the actual rules,' I am not as certain as you are."

What I meant by "the actual rules" are the rules of the entire meta-game, including influencing who does the counting. These are the only rules that matter, and under those rules, he lost.


Well, if by "the actual rules" you mean "by vote fraud", then you need to work on your definitions.

Greg The Class Traitor said...

http://ace.mu.nu/archives/397350.php
New from @QuinnipiacPoll:

Biden's approval rating is down to 33%, with 53% disapproving of his job performance.

That's a 3-percentage-point decline from his 36% approval rating in the same poll in November. The new poll was taken Jan. 7 to Jan. 10.

It's a triple-whammy for Biden. His handling of ...

- the economy: 34% approve, while 57% disapprove;
- foreign policy: 35% approve, while 54% disapprove;
- the response to the coronavirus: 39% approve, while 55% disapprove.


Oh, and:
In the same poll during the same time in his presidency (Quinnipiac, 1/2018 ), Trump's approval rating was at 38/57 -- 5 points higher than Biden.

48% approved of Trump's handling of the economy after his first year versus 34% for Biden: a 14-point gap.


"If you'll forgive me, maybe because the election was about you"
Well, chum, the 2022 and 2024 elections are going to be about Biden*, who's currently lower than Trump (than Trump ever was, IIRC. "33% approve" is really low, especially when it's from the Left leaning Quinnipiac)
https://thefederalist.com/2020/11/04/quinnipiacs-pollster-refuses-to-say-whether-hell-resign-after-botching-2020-election-polls/

Michael McNeil said...

Because 75 million of those votes were not for Biden, but against Trump. A rule of thumb is that if one of the candidates is a flaming ahole he is going to lose. Trump is the Alpha Cent[a]uri of aholes.

Interesting choice of stars used for illustration. As it happens, though — unlike our sun, Alpha Centauri (whose system is the nearest stellar system to the sun's) is a double star (not counting far away, dim Proxima Centauri, as the most distant, third component of the α-Cen system) — but one might note that neither of α Centauri's principal components (‘A’ nor ‘B’ much less Proxima) are particularly “flaming” as bright stars go.

Alpha Centauri A (a.k.a. Rigel Kent, its official IAU name) is a so-called G-type star much like the sun — a stellar type often termed a “yellow dwarf.” α-Cen B (a.k.a. Toliman) is an even dimmer, smaller, dwarf-ier (K-type) star — bright only by comparison with Proxima (an even tinier, type-M, “red dwarf”). The composite of all these individual component brightnesses means that the α Cen system has an inherent luminosity about 1.5 times that of the sun.

This is actually relatively dim on the interstellar scene — that's why such stars along with the sun are termed “dwarfs” — and implies that Alpha Centauri (with all its stellar components foreshortened by distance into one) can be seen as a fairly bright (“first magnitude,” visually single) “star” only from the perspective of our sun system, located a “mere” 4 light years away.

For comparison, e.g., the prominent star Rigel in the constellation Orion shines (as seen from Earth) as an even brighter, first magnitude (actually magnitude 0) star — but Rigel's location some 800 (not 4!) light years away from us, together with its apparent great brightness across such a vast distance, requires that its inherent luminosity be some 80,000 times greater than Alpha Centauri's!

By this criterion, therefore, it doesn't sound like Trump is much of an “ahole” — compared with the real “flaming” ones we see around us.

Drago said...

Michael McNeil arrives late and steals the win!