“It’s not who we are.”
We’ve all heard senile president Joe Biden mumble these exact words. The incompetent and always bewildered chief executive employs the saying whenever he’s attempting to make a point highlighting some woke fantasy -- such as claiming that systemic racism exists, or that horsebound border agents shouldn’t enforce the law, or that climate change is steadily ruining the earth -- intentionally leaving undefined who the “we” is in the phrase, or bothering to explain what it is that we “are” in this context. Confused?
At any rate, last week when Senate Republicans caved, again, on another important political battle (in this case, forcing the Democrats to raise the debt ceiling all by themselves and therefore own the consequences of their spending) under the “leadership” of Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, it became clear that this is “who we are” if you’re an establishment Republican.
Put another way, you can label the GOP establishment as: “Caves are us”, or “Blinky is our favorite Pacman ghost”, or “Dial one for a capitulation”, or “Click here to flip the bird in conservatives’ faces”, or “Don’t worry Democrats, there’s no resolve (testosterone?) on this side of the aisle”, or “This way to surrender field”, or “We’ll give you whatever Chucky Schumer demands”, or “Want to talk spending? How long until the national debt grows so large it takes on a name and personality of its own?”
As conservatives, we’re conditioned to this type of gutless and cowardly behavior among the ruling class. It’s the reason why a sixty-nine-year-old lifetime real estate developer, reality TV star and tabloid celebrity outsider like Donald Trump was able to boast about running against the Republican establishment and the Democrats and then proceed to capture the GOP presidential nomination on his first foray into the political realm.
As would be expected, former President Trump wasn’t wild about McConnell’s latest sellout. In typical fashion, Trump blasted the “Murder Turtle” and called for new party leadership in the senate. In this sense, McConnell is an easy target. But semi-regular establishment white flag waving is only leading to greater “fears” among the soft underbelly groups that Trump will definitely run again in 2024.
With each bow to the uncompromising Democrats, it makes Trump’s future participation all the more certain. #NeverTrump Republicans won’t like it. Neither would most Democrats.
“Democrats are worried about another White House bid by former President Trump, something that is appearing increasingly likely on the eve of an Iowa rally by the leading potential GOP candidate.
“Democrats say Trump can’t be taken for granted. While some are confident a new Trump candidacy would bring out a wave of Democratic voters to defeat him, others are worried he could return to power. And that’s enough to bring shudders to most in the party.
“’There's not a strategist or insider that I'm hanging out with who would like to see Donald Trump running again,’ said Rachel Bitecofer, a Democratic pollster. ‘Nobody should think he would be a weak nominee.’ Bitecofer and other Democrats still traumatized by Trump’s surprise win in 2016, his four years in office and his near-miss defeat last year say he’s proven time and again that he can be competitive, particularly when the odds are stacked against him.”
Yes indeed. Not only competitive, but a winner who draws people by the tens of thousands wherever he goes, not only for the substance of his message, but also for the pure entertainment value of his presentation. The master showman burst onto the scene with largescale rallies in 2015, largely disdaining the hand-shaking, flesh pressing retail politics in places like Iowa and New Hampshire.
The ever-astute Trump gambled that there was a groundswell of anti-establishment angst in the voting public and the people ate up his every word. Formerly heavy Democrat strongholds turned Trumpian-red virtually overnight, and the candidate’s populist appeal brought out a lot of people who had never voted before, too.
This time, Trump wouldn’t even need to think about barnstorming to every Iowa county (he didn’t do it last time, either). His popularity in the state virtually guarantees a win there, and only a fool would bet against the former president’s chances in the other early primary states, too. The GOP nomination race would be over by Super Tuesday, and Trump could then turn his full attention to senile Joe or whoever else the Democrats dredge up to run.
After two terms of the race-baiting phony Barack Obama, Trump had plenty to talk about in his 2016 effort. In 2024, the candidate will not only relive the past campaign against the establishment, he’ll be buoyed by rehashing bumbling Joe Biden’s multitude of failures and his various defeats of the Republican establishment. If it could be said that Trump was the ultimate outsider in his first run, he could reharness that spirit in his next one as well. 2020 will still be fresh on everyone’s mind and Trump won’t let anyone forget, even if they seek to avoid the subject.
Parnes’ article quoted a couple Democrats who seemed anxious to have Trump make another try at regaining the White House. They reasoned that Trump would energize the Democrat base like none other, leading to a repeat of their 2020 triumph (or debacle, depending on who you ask). These people are fools. Trump represents almost certain defeat for the Democrats, for several reasons.
First, Democrats claimed that Trump would prove to be a disaster to down ballot Republican hopes in 2020. The “blue wave” forecasted by polls didn’t materialize. Republicans gained over a dozen House seats, retained large majorities of state legislature control and governorships and held their own in the U.S. Senate (which subsequently collapsed on January 5 in Georgia). There’s simply no reason to believe a Trump 2024 candidacy would motivate a winning coalition of voters to not only reject him (again?), but beg for more congressional tyranny from the likes of “Chucky” Schumer and Nancy Pelosi (or more likely, her successor after Democrats lose the Speakership in 2022).
Second, Republicans need not fear awakening the Democrat base because here’s thinking that Trump’s name on the ballot would accelerate the gradual migration of traditional Democrat constituencies -- union workers (not the bosses), African-Americans and Hispanics, to name a few -- into the Republican column.
Joe Biden’s complete failure at the southern border is alarming to some liberals as well as conservatives. With hundreds of thousands of migrants knocking on the proverbial door -- or breaking it down, in the recent case of the Haitians at Del Rio, Texas -- Democrats will not be able to escape the impression that they’re pro-alien and anti-American. This, along with all Democrats continuing to pound the racism angle, will drive larger percentages of turned-off minority voters to the GOP, where Trump will be waiting to welcome them with open arms.
Will education-minded minorities continue to back do-nothing Democrats who seek to impose critical race theory and cede control of schools to teachers’ unions? This is certain to be an issue in 2024, which will aid the Republican challenger.
Third, Joe Biden, should he opt to run for reelection, will be a historically weak candidate. This is true whether Trump is the GOP candidate or not. Polls amply demonstrate that Americans notice how pathetic Biden has been in his short time as president. There’s also very little room for the near-octogenarian to improve his standing. All Republicans need to do is mention “Afghanistan” and “southern border” and it’s over for Joe. He’s always been an idiot, but it wasn’t until recently that his numerous flaws were fully exposed for all to see.
Vice President Kamala Harris wouldn’t improve things for the Democrats. She’s an empty shell of a politician, an unlikable air-brain who is purposely being hidden from public view because she’s so wretched. Beyond Harris, who would fill Joe’s shoes? Pete Buttigieg, the homosexual boy wonder? AOC, the environmentalist/socialist wacko nut job?
Lastly, Americans will be desperate for someone to stop the steady decline of culture and our country’s institutions after Joe Biden. The current president makes Jimmy Carter look like a great guy and happy-go-lucky personality. Trump represents optimism and a chance to save America. Democrats are gloomy and pessimistic and authoritarian. They’re nasty and mean, too.
It's very difficult to define “who we are,” but it’s not hard to see that conservatives have had it with the wishy-washy leadership (or lack of it) from Mitch McConnell. The always feckless Republican establishment and Joe Biden’s treacherous ineptitude is combining to steer former president Trump into the 2024 race. Trump’s enemies should be worried, indeed.
2020 election
debt ceiling
Mitch McConnell
GOP establishment
2024 GOP presidential candidates
2024 GOP primaries
Trump Iowa Speech
Joe Biden administration
Let's Go Brandon!
Kamala Harris