We will know, in a few days, if the Republican nomination race for President is over. If all the polls are right and Donald Trump sweeps to a huge and glorious victory in Iowa, then, barring some unforeseen catastrophe, he WILL be the Republican candidate for President in November. If there is an upset, or if the vote is close, then the contest may get exceedingly interesting over the next few weeks and months. Iowa will answer this for us.
There seemingly exists, among Democrats, two schools of thought about the Trump nomination: those who are scared to death that he WON’T win the nomination, and those who are scared to death that he WILL. Both schools are pinning their hopes on Trump’s legal problems, and his possible exclusion from some state ballots.
The first school assuredly wants Trump to be chosen because they don’t believe he has a prayer of winning the Presidency again. They think the American people will never send Trump back to Washington. Thus, they (via their Democratic Party media allies) are constantly broadcasting all of Trump’s legal difficulties, hoping such will build sympathy for him among Republican voters and thus ensure his nomination. This strategy seems to be working. The more mud they throw at Trump legally, the higher his numbers go. But it is critical to realize these Democrats are using the “justice” system not to keep Trump from running for President but to guarantee that he will and that he receives the Republican nomination. Sort of “reverse psychology.”
The other school of Democrats wants all these legal problems, etc., to keep Trump from obtaining the nomination because they genuinely fear that he, indeed, might be re-elected President. They hate his guts with a passion that is almost beyond belief. But this cadre of Democrats looks at Joe Biden, and they know he has been a horrible, very disliked President whose unpopularity is rising. They haven’t yet been able to get rid of him and may not be able to do so. They have a right to fear that Trump might win the Presidency again. The only person on the planet that Trump could defeat in November is Biden, and even that isn’t a given. So, these Democrats prefer just to keep Trump off the ballot. If they can do so, then he obviously has no hope of winning the Presidency again.
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But Democrats aren’t going to select the Republican nominee; Republicans are. Iowa appears to be crucial. If we can trust the polls, Mr. Trump will win that caucus decisively, and his momentum will be virtually unstoppable. I say “if” the polls are accurate; from history, we know that can be problematic. But it is a little difficult to believe that they could be 20 or 30 points off. Maybe 5 or 6, but not double-digits. However, voters can be fickle and unpredictable thus we must await their verdict.
Frankly, I’m a little nonplussed at how dominant Mr. Trump’s support seems to be. There are obviously many Republicans who truly believe he is the best choice the party has for President, and I don’t begrudge them. I have no grievance against their opinion. I believe Donald Trump was a very good President, the best since Ronald Reagan. I suspect he would be a very good President again, obviously far superior to any Democrat. But we must admit that Mr. Trump, character-wise, is...the south end of a northbound Appaloosa. Now, that doesn’t bother Trump-devoted Republicans; well and good. But it does bother countless Americans (including many Republicans) who will never vote for him because of it. If he does win the nomination, he starts out in a huge hole; it’s not just Democrats who won’t vote for him, but many, many others whom Trump has irredeemably offended by his obnoxious, off-putting manner, mouth, and behavior. It IS a problem and shouldn’t be ignored.
Most Republicans will support Trump if he is the nominee. But I do wonder. Republicans have an excellent, conservative candidate who doesn’t have an ounce of Mr. Trump’s baggage. I’m speaking of Ron DeSantis, of course. He is the best, most successful governor in America. He has solid, unbending, trustworthy, conservative values. He destroyed Leftist Gavin Newsom in debate, and has proven himself superior to every other Republican candidate in the primary debates. Why is he so far behind—in the polls—when his Republican, conservative credentials are impeccable? Where does this idolatrous adulation of Donald Trump come from? If we want “America First,” then we need to put America first and go with our best, most electable candidate. Mind-empty Democrats obviously would not vote for DeSantis, but he also hasn’t enraged and repulsed all the people Trump has with his mouth and behavior. Again, I’m a little nonplussed about this entire conundrum.
That is if DeSantis really IS that far behind. I have nothing other than a small anecdote, but here it is.
I can’t read all the comments that good Townhall readers make to my columns. I appreciate all the insights of readers, but I simply cannot read them all. But I do read many of them, and Mr. DeSantis—among my commenters—seems to have tremendous support, yea, probably 3 to 1 greater than Trump. Again, among my commenters. That means nothing, of course, in the long run. Except that Townhall readers are among the most loyal conservatives in the country. Most of them like Trump—as I do—but simply prefer DeSantis, thinking he is the better choice to win in November. And the most trustworthy conservative. I agree with them.
Maybe the pro-Trump people don’t like me and don’t read my columns; that is possible. And I will say this: it does appear that Mr. Trump will win in Iowa.
But I won’t be surprised if DeSantis does.
Subscribe to my substack mklewis929.substack.com for lots more on Leftism, our Founding Fathers, Bible studies, and true freedom. Follow me on Twitter: @thailandmkl. Read my Western novels, Whitewater , River Bend, Return to River Bend, and Allie’s Dilemma, all available on Amazon. And God Bless America!
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