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President Donald J. Trump is a problematic candidate and endorser, and he always has been, but are we really ready to quit him? I am not sure. He punches down and calling Ron DeSantis “Desantimonious” was a wholly unnecessary self-own. However, he is ready to go annihilation on the Deep State and that is necessary to preserve our Republic.
I wrote a post the other day, read it here, and named Trump villain number 2 in the midterm election issues. Wow, I took a lot of excrement for that. I do think that Trump was a villain, but that doesn’t mean that I am ready to quit DJT. Hale no.
One of my go-to writers, Don Surber, has woken up from the dream of Trump, quit him and moved on. Surber opened his recent post with:
I was in a bubble this year. Tuesday’s election busted it.
Hope is the thing with feathers. We were plucked.
We can talk about cheating and the fix being in and mail-in votes. We can go on and on about the deep state and the media. We can spend months in denial but the fact is, Americans do not want Donald John Trump to be their president.He did not save the Republican Party. He spent it.
Ira Stoll was cold in his assessment of the election.
He wrote, “Donald Trump is a drag in a general election in purple states.
Yes, Mr. Surber, we got plucked. By the same people who have been doing the plucking since President Ronald Reagan was a lifeguard. The same people who have always plucked. One day, maybe, we will stick those plucked feathers in our ears to block out the noise. Next Surber wrote:
“In Georgia, Republican Governor Brian Kemp, who Trump doesn’t like, won about 53% of the vote, while Republican Senate candidate Herschel Walker, who Trump likes, was at 48% or 49% of the vote. Likewise, in New Hampshire, Governor Chris Sununu, who has distanced himself from Trump, won with about 57% of the vote, while Republican Senate candidate Dan Bolduc, a Trump fan, attracted only about 44% of the vote. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, the Republican success story of the night, won reelection with roughly 59% of the vote despite being denounced by Trump as Ron De Sanctimonious.
“There are some outliers—J.D. Vance won the Ohio Senate race despite being allied with Trump—but overall, it was not a good night for Trump. Perhaps this realization will make Republican primary voters think twice before choosing Trump-allied candidates, or Trump himself, in primaries in 2024.”
The truth is not a warm puppy. It often is a snowman standing on a glacier. This is one of those times.
Governors Kemp, Sununu and DeSantis showed how Tuesday would have gone for Republicans without Trump. Republicans needed to gain 5 House seats. DeSantis delivered 4.
Brian Kemp won reelection because of his handling of the Covid pandemic. My Governor, Governor Bill Lee of Tennessee, also won reelection, I believe, because of his pandemic response. They didn’t need or want outside help. They had great stories to tell. On the other hand, the people of Illinois and Michigan are STOOPID AF for reelecting Whitmer and Pritzker. Can’t buy seeds to grow your own veggies? Oof.
I would have loved to see the American electorate utterly and completely repudiate every Democrat office holder and candidate. I think that’s what we are reacting to as we rail against Trump. Don’t get me wrong; I am disappointed every time Trump opens his mouth and shoves his own fist in it. I still hate the Desantimonious comment. It was awful. Would it have changed one vote? No, sir. That cake was baked quite a while ago. To paraphrase you: The truth is a warm puppy hanging off of an icicle on a glacier about to fall into the North Atlantic Ocean into freezing water, and there is a wall of pundits trying to prevent the puppy being saved. Yeah, it’s that bad. I still think Donald Trump is the man to take out those pundits and save the puppy. He won’t falter and he won’t quit.
We should all remember what they put Trump through. Remember Fiona Hill and Alexander Vindman with their testimonies before the House Joint Committees? They sounded like little piffles who thought they should be in charge of foreign policy. Remember everything they put Trump through? He didn’t let us down. And, he started pulling in more minorities to the Republican Party, also.
Surber also wrote:
Dr. Oz showed how it went with Trump. That’s how poisonous he has become in purple America. We, his fans, see the good in him and the evil in his enemies. But the majority doesn’t and never will. It is a sale that cannot be made. There will be no second term from The Donald.
It breaks my heart to see this. I wrote three books on the man. Looking for someone else — likely DeSantis — will cost me readers. As I said about the covid vaccine, you do you.
But Trump failed. He cost America the red tsunami we need to rein in Democrats.
Harris Rigby at Not the Bee wrote, “A red wave turned into a purple puddle, thanks to an orange man.”
I really wanted Trump to come back but I just don’t see it. He’s damaged goods, done in by Barack Obama and the FBI and the Washington media. Chuck Schumer warned Trump on TV two weeks before his inauguration, “You take on the intelligence community? They have six ways from Sunday of getting back at you.”
Did Trump fail? I am not sure. I know what the pundit class says. Whatever they say, I must question. I will still read Don Surber, not going to quit him because I disagree. Damaged goods can still be useful and good.
Also, I would argue that with hindsight the red wave never existed. What did local states do to change back the pandemic voting rules? Also, name a Republican President that the press and ruling class liked? For instance:
Let’s see how many punches DeSantis or his wife take before they throw in the towel. Mr. Surber is not alone:
I think a lot more Republicans share this sentiment than Mr. Trump recognizes. https://t.co/QWAoDJoIoH
— Brit Hume (@brithume) November 10, 2022
I will vote for the Republican Presidential candidate no matter who. Let’s not quit Trump just yet. Okay.
On a personal note: Happy 247th birthday of the Marines to my Dad, who is standing a Heavenly post. Semper Fidelis, indeed.
Featured Image: Gage Skidmore/flickr.com/cropped/Creative Commons
Lloyd says: I think it is time…past time really…to dump Trump. If he were a strong leader, with hopes of being president again, he could have promoted Republican candidates in such a way that they could have surged into control of Congress with that “red wave” that we were looking for. But, no….He let his ego and smart mouth help to defeat the party. Shame on him. (I know…I shouldn’t say that…Trump knows not the meaning of shame!)
Christopher Whitaker says: I don’t disagree that Trump’s ego gets in the way of his common sense, but I DO disagree that he needs to “go away.” Trump is a phenomenal motivator, he gets people energized to campaign and vote. However, I think he also needs to realize that he is not going to be the President or the Top Dog anymore; the Left is too dialed in on exploiting his flaws and weak points. However, he would be spectacular as the “King-Maker,” the man behind the throne moving the various pieces into place. Whether or not he would accept this role, I can’t say, but it would keep him in the spotlight. He would thus remain helpful to the Conservative/non-Republican-Establishment cause, as well as attracting and deflecting all the nastiness the Left throws.
JAW3 says: Trump deserves another run, IMO. I say let the voters decide in the primaries. Then the people will decide and not the pundit class. IMO. And I will vote enthusiastically for Trump or Desantis whomever prevails.
Kevin says: This post excites me. What was that song by Tammy Wynette …
Sometimes it’s hard to be a woman
Giving all your love to just one man
You’ll have bad times
And he’ll have good times
Doin’ things that you don’t understand
But if you love him
You’ll forgive him
Even though he’s hard to understand
And if you love him
Oh, be proud of him
‘Cause after all, he’s just a man
Yeah, TFG (the F@#king Genius) is just a man. A mentally unstable, narcissist psychopath who is going to run the republican party into the ground … and that excites me.
ChiChiTatas says: Trump’s hubris is going to be his undoing. Just ya wait and see.
Lemuel Ricafort Vargas says: Ill ask this question to all those who wants Ron DeSantis to run: Read somewhere that the Never Trumpers, especially the Lincoln Project, would like DeSantis to run for POTUS in 2024. Why would they do that? Not to denigrate him but it could be that he is a politician and thus much easier to persuade to do something their way. The Donald, however, is not a politician (he is a businessman) and also a billionaire to boot and thus much more difficult to persuade.
Wat Tyler says: Sadly Surber is right. Only being re-elected in 2020 would get Trump a second term, and he’s now been throughly poisoned. Time to move along.
Milwaukee says: I feel the pain. On the one hand Trump has done some truly wonderful things. on the other, the press has poisoned the well with him so thoroughly he may have been damaged beyond healing.
In July I drove from Texas to Oregon to visit my son. He’s looking to view the pee tapes. Like teaching horses to whistle, I let it go.
“On the other hand, the people of Illinois and Michigan are STOOPID AF for reelecting Whitmer and Pritzker. ” I would plead on their behalf. For decades Cook County has dominated Illinois state elections. Control Cook County and 5 or 6 other counties, and winning state elections is easy-peasy. In Michigan, I’m sure, a small number of Democrat controlled locations dominate the state. Plus, in Michigan, sources report vote dumps in 2022 like those witnessed in 2020. So, no, the voters aren’t responsible for this election. They are responsible for not rising up sooner to regain control of the legislature and judiciary. Michigan had several excellent Republican candidates thrown off before the primary.
Illinois has a movement to split up the state… independent minded counties want freedom from corrupt, Democrat controlled cities.
My suspicion is the prior to the Warren Court, state senate districts had geographic dimensions, as does the United States Senate. Not sure how to undo that mess. While we’re at it, the Progressives gave took selection of US senators from the state legislatures to popular election. The longest serving senators have all been after that change.
The guy couldn’t beat Sleepy Joe Biden. Have you forgotten? And if you’d like to alienate more voters, chime in with the election-cheating bullshit.
DeSantis is all the Trump with none of the pussy grabbing and mean tweets. We need to concentrate on winning 2024 and Trump isn’t the vehicle.
elHombre says: The only issue is whether Trump is an electoral plus or a minus. He has done some great things including highlighting Democrat/Deep State/ leftmedia corruption and election fraud.
Nevertheless, he is evidently a liability in several states without which the Republicans can’t win. Although it is arguable that the Democrats with the approval of the leftmedia and their amoral base will steal the important elections.
Frank Hammond says: President Trump didi not spend ONE cent on the candidates he endorsed – Trump is sitting on over $150 Million in his campaign fund. He could have spent $$ in New Hampshire and pushed General Bolduc to victory.
Same with Herschel Walker – not one dime from DJT.
I will not vote for Trump in 2024.
Mendenhall says: However, he is ready to go annihilation on the Deep State
Apparently he’s going annihilation on the two most successful Republican politicians (DeSantis and Youngkin) first. He’s blowing up any chance of dealing with the deep state because his ego can’t handle a perceived threat from younger, successful leaders. It should be apparent now to even the most deluded Trump cultist that there is no way he will ever again win a national election. He seems determined to take the Republican party down with him, which some might say is necessary, but he’s also going to damage/destroy young, dynamic leaders with serious records who could really do important work. The fact that so many still support him is one of the most discouraging things to come from this disastrous election.
Alpheus says: For all the blame people are trying to place on Trump, I have to ask: what did Republicans do to deserve the votes they needed to win? Sure, they highlighted crime and inflation, but what did they want to do about it? To what degree did Republicans fail because they failed to message?
This isn’t just looking back on this last election night. I remember seeing a couple of calls, here and there, trying to warn Republicans that they needed to be more than just the “At least we aren’t the Democrats” Party. And it’s very clear that they failed to be more than that.
As for President Trump? I don’t blame him so much for the losses — although some people have a point or two in that favor — but I am put off by his attempt to attach DeSantis, both just before, and just after, the election. I know he’s a “junk yard attack dog” who will attack friends just as readily as enemies, and we may need such a person, but the timing of this kind of low blow is what deeply rubs me the wrong way. Had President Trump waited three or four months, I’d have no problem with it, even as someone prone to like DeSantis as a Presidential Candidate — the race for President needs to get heated at some point, after all — but now was not the time.
Having said that, too many people say they have “Trump fatigue” and then blame him for all the chaos swirling around him. President Trump is not the source of chaos — he absorbs it. The source of the chaos is Democrats — and because of this, chaos is always going to swirl around every Republican candidate for President. If we don’t come to terms with this, and perhaps even revel in it, we’re going to select weak Republicans who can’t deal with the chaos and thus end up sinking into obscurity.
That isn’t to say President Trump isn’t the right candidate to handle this chaos — he has his pros and cons — but it is to say that we need to accept that every Republican Presidential Candidate, from here on out, is going to be swirling in chaos, and so the question isn’t “can’t we find an orderly Presidential Candidate?” — the question is “Who’s the best at concentrating the chaos and throwing it back into the face of those creating it?”
DeNihilist says: Calling the other sides voters stupid is a sign of ignorance, imho.
They are not stupid, they are comfortable and their lives are good.
I came to this insight about 3 months ago when I attended a dinner party.
The hosts parents were there. The father is a retired RCMP officer.
He has a good pension, made wise investments and is living the retirement life that most people dream of.
He is not stupid!
But he hates Trump and any one who may upset the apple cart.
In Canada the socialist Liberals are known as the Natural Governing Party because they have held the reigns of power for most of the past 100 years.
Though their policies and the clown leading them at the moment are antithetical to our (the right) way of seeing life, our country is prosperous and most people are comfortable here.
In a sense, Canada is very conservative, because the majority does not want too much change.
I see your Democrat voters in the same light.
They are comfortable.
They are fine with all the lose of liberty, the freak show legislation, etc. because their lives are good enough,
Deborah B. says: I am tired of the Trump bashing. There is a coordinated effort from McConnell’s band of globalist RINOs and corporate elite to crush Trump AND his supporters. The reason that Bolduc and others did not win was that the mainstream RNC pulled their support from MAGA candidates. Republicans in Michigan and Pennsylvania don’t know how to fight dirty which is the only way to beat Democrats. As in 2020 there are several factors in failure. Now that Walker is in a runoff, all of a sudden McConnell is endorsing all kinds of support for him.
I was a regular reader at Redstate.com (Townhall media) and in the two days since election day they have had multiple articles blaming and trashing Trump. I am done with them. I hope VG continues to be “fair and balanced”.
Cato says: I’ve got to take issue with this sentence in your post: “Let’s see how many punches DeSantis or his wife take before they throw in the towel. “
Well, they’ve taken more punches than probably all other American governors combined, and never faltered once. It doesn’t get much worse than being called “DeathSantis” (or “DeSatan” as his recent opponent Crist called him). He stood up to Disney – Disney! – and won. He’s not afraid to take on the hottest of hot button issues (transgenderism, CRT, immigration) and not just with rhetoric but with legislative and administrative action. He leads with actions, not just words, so effectively that other GOP governors started adopting his policies. He’s without a doubt the most vilified politician in America besides Trump. And instead of losing re-election as Trump did, he vastly outperformed his first election. I just don’t see how much more DeSantis can do to prove his bona fides than he’s done.
Plus: he’s young, has a beautiful family, not a whiff of scandal, served in the military and in Congress, and won’t be a lame duck on day one the way Trump will.
I don’t like Trump bashing either, I don’t trust the NeverTrumpers one bit. But we absolutely must win the next election. We need to think about what’s best for America rather than for one man or another. I wish I could wave a wand and make Trump president. But I can’t. Trump had the advantages of novelty and surprise in 2016. It was a once in a lifetime event. The deep state will have had 8 years to prepare for him. If this week’s election went better for his candidates, I’d still support him. But the magic is gone. Everything he says or does now is practically s parody now. What was once fun and refreshing is now tired and embarrassing. It’s time to move on.
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