22 Comments

She won't beat Trump. No Republican will. He has total control over the base. Period.

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I hate to agree with you, as I’d love to see Trump “primaried”, but you are completely right, as is Chris: ain’t gonna happen!

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Her messaging has been inconsistent because she is a political chameleon, so it changes depending on the wind direction du jour.

That said, I don't think she's out to end American democracy.

Trump is.

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Chris, let me point out that most rank-and-file Republicans do not have a problem. They are all 100% Authoritarian MAGA. They elect these people to congress, vote for Trump, tell pollsters they support Trump. They go to evangelical churches where people believe Trump is Christ adjacent. The Nikki Haley Republican Party died along time ago. When people talk about Haley, etc. it’s like they are talking about the good ole days of going to Kmart or Woolworths. The Party of Reagan is no more.

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Oct 30, 2023·edited Oct 30, 2023

As you have pointed out many times Chris the 2024 election will be Biden v. Trump. Both are clearly on path to nomination and no one officially or unofficially in the competition is going to come in and change that. What I think is interesting with Haley (and Harris on Dem side) is having someone else there just in case. Trump could be in jail or have a heart attack in the coming months. Biden could have a stroke or a McConnell-like freeze up in front of the cameras. If those happen I would think having a #2 is important for that emergency situation (not likely, but you never know) even if that #2 is way down the list.

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Here's an early question for the mailbag. Putting aside all of the rhetoric, scare tactics, and whatever else, how disastrous - or not disastrous - do you think another Trump term in office would be for the country. I can't understand the appeal that he has but clearly about 50% of the population is okay with the idea so what are your thoughts on how that would play out?

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I think you’re buying into a media narrative if you think that “about 50% of the population is OK” with Trump. It’s closer to 25%, polls have proven over the last few election cycles to be wildly inaccurate, AND we’ve got over a year to go until the actual election.

Oh, and Trump and his advisers have made it quite clear what a Trump win will mean: the TRUE “weaponization” of DOJ and every other federal agency to Trump’s vengeance porn fantasies, the steady march into fanaticism by his Cult Members, regular outbreaks of citizen-on-citizen violence, and the slow strangling of American Democracy.

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50% of the population are the morons we all remember who slept through class and whose high grades were "C". They're also the victims of public miseducation that has downplayed any real understanding of "civics" (not that that many of my generation, who did get those classes, understood a word). They're also the 50% who depended for their life success on the accident of their birth as white people and they resent the hell out of losing that.

If you want to know what will happen ifr Trump wins, go google "the 2025 project". That should scare the crap out of you.

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One thing you haven’t mentioned is what happens when Trump goes after her. I don’t think it will be about the curtains. I don’t think he’ll have a hard time coming up with mocking lines. It might be fun.

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Well said. Of course I'd take Haley over Trump and pretty much every other Republican in the field. But she was our Governor (SC) and pretty much sucked. She absolutely hates unions or anything else that helps the middle class and the poor.

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Haley is interviewing for the 2024 VP role.... having her on his ticket would help Trump in 2024 ... she would then be a Presidential front runner for 2028

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Chris - I fear your analysis is spot on. Yes, Haley is doing better, however, it is mostly against the other also rans - it is not because she is taking away support from the front runner.

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RE: Nice photograph...the "Knowing Look of Haley!"

Classic example of the expression on a woman's face when catching an Old Dirt trying to look down her dress.

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She is the best shot.

Never

stop

trying.

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She's trotting herself out now for 2028, just likethe current Cali Governator, Gavin Newsom, is doing getting photos with himself and Chinese Premier Xi...

...that is if we still have an electoral system if the Wannbe Dictator wins in '24.

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Agree. Nobody will beat Trump. It will be Trump vs. Biden, all over again. I am not sure that Haley will be Trumps Veep pick, but think she is setting herself up for 2028.

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Nobody sees it, Chris. But they have to talk about it and pretend, because that's their job.

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founding

Excellent analysis of obvious situation.

Trump will be nominee, and there is no Republican ( unfortunately) who can come close to dislodging him.

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I wish this didn't have to be said, but a majority of what passes for a Republican today will never vote for a (non)white woman.

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You have to have a penis to attract Republican presidential votes. They won't vote for a woman of any color. Even the women.

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They have to be running for clear second place in the (hopefully very real) case that trump can't be the nominee. That or to position themselves for 2028.

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