Posted on 03/05/2024 4:47:59 AM PST by Jim Noble
Now that the Supreme Court has unanimously destroyed the dreams of Davos to use January 6th as a means to keep him off the ballot, Donald Trump has passed the easiest of the hurdles in front of his returning to the White House.
Some things, politically, in the US still function.
This ruling was a lay-up. The SCOTUS had to rule decisively here.
Trump was never convicted of ‘insurrection.’ He was impeached and character-assassinated, sure, but none of that carries any weight of law. But, even if you somehow believe he was guilty of the crimes the Democrats accused him of, the facts of January 6th are so murky from that perspective, there was no way the SCOTUS could concoct a justification for his ballot disqualification.
At stake itself was the SCOTUS’ own validity as an institution. And if there is one thing I believe about organizations it is they always move to defend themselves if their leadership is honest.
Like it or not, the SCOTUS does not exist to enforce anyone’s opinion on reality. They exist to conclude whether an action is or is not constitutional. Did Trump ever lead an armed insurrection against the government? No.
Did he question a questionable election? Yes.
Is that unconstitutional? No.
Case closed.
But this case was an important first step to shut off the Nikki Haley insurgent strategy of handing delegates to her by default:
Take Trump off the ballot. She’s now the only “Repuglican” left to vote for. She gets to go to the convention with a bunch of unearned delegates to steal the election before November.
Oops. Now she gets further embarrassed on Super Tuesday.
Now the strategy backfires completely and he’s now Obi-Don Kenobi.
Unless somehow Jack Smith or the Fulton County Gang that Can’t Lie Straight put him in jail Trump is the GOP nominee.
So, now, how does Trump take this political resurrection and change the game completely?
With Biden’s disapproval rating reaching historic lows of 59% (6 out of 10 US votes HATE JOAH! Biii-Den!), the path to the White House for Trump goes through Vice-President Kamala Harris.
While conversations abound about subbing in Big Mike and/or Gavin Gruesome, the more likely threat from the DNC is Hillary, who is clearly angling back into the conversation as Biden falters.
But whoever Trump winds up running against, there is one person who Trump can leverage to drive even more people who hate him bat-shit crazy than he does.
And he knows who that is. So, as Primary Trump morphs, just like in 2016, into Candidate Trump, he will look to shore up his weaknesses.
Candidate Trump became a guy who preached bringing the US back from a dark place. He ran on a populist platform that incorporated the Bernie Bros (remember them) as well as the tradesmen.
He broke the Democrats’ Trinity of Victimhood – Unions, Minorities, young people — that was their base and squeaked to victory over The Hildabeast.
If you think it’s Trump’s team or even US ‘white hats’ pushing out this stuff about Biden, you may be missing the obvious player, Hillary.
If there is one thing I know for certain about Trump it is that he’s a master of media. He knows exactly how and when to push everyone’s buttons.
For that reason (and many others) Trump’s only real choice for running mate is Tulsi Gabbard.
At a minimum, right now, Trump is using Gabbard, bringing her into the VP conversation. She’s okay with this. She’s allowing herself to be used by him. It’s mutually beneficial.
I’m well on the record as being a Gabbard fan (some would say simp… whatever). It doesn’t matter whether you trust her or not. It’s not about you. It’s about perception. And, for better or worse, Gabbard has a now long track record of service to the country that is honest.
She was someone targeted from the beginning as someone the DNC could groom into shape. Young, attractive, woman of color, veteran. Boxes are ticking off left and right. And those are all attributes that she still has which Trump doesn’t.
When Hillary stole the 2016 primary from Bernie Sanders she resigned from the DNC. This is a woman who crossed Hillary Clinton and, so far, has lived to tell the tale. No mean feat in the 21st century.
Long story short, Gabbard has stones. Some would call them principles, but that’s a stretch to ascribe those to any politician. She told Davos to go scratch. She told Hillary to slag-off.
And in 2024, she’s an ex-Democrat ,on Fox News, headlining at CPAC etc. Is she a stalking horse for the establishment? I don’t think so. Is she a grifter who just wants to trade up from the collection of dead-enders that are the current Democrats? Maybe.
Again, I don’t care about these things, because here’s the real story.
Trump needs to run as a real Unity candidate. He’s destroyed the GOPe’s (GOP establishment) gaggle of neocons. Now, he needs to seal the deal with the emerging Radical Center I discussed in a recent article.
That {being for something better rather than against what is} becomes a decision point for a lot of people. It’s the moment when the established idea, brand, etc. wakes up to the threat and fights back. This is what the 16% chasm represents, that gulf between opposition and affirmation.
This is also what Davos and their ilk are truly exceptional at managing. They keep the Overton Window framed over irrelevant side issues to ensure that a new majority doesn’t “cross the 16% chasm,” by uniting over that better solution that doesn’t include them.
I’m calling this group they are afraid of, “The Radical Center.”
And every time I bring Gabbard up in the VP conversation I hear a whole lot of side issues discussed without actually addressing the core goals of how to save the country from collapsing into conflict.
So, allow me to make one of my lists of reasons why Trump has only one real choice for VP:
Former Democrat Congresswoman, veteran, former Trump critic. Loudly rejected the Democrats for becoming something unrecognizable Stood up to Hillary Clinton She destroyed Kamala Harris in a DNC debate Is fundamentally populist in most of her positions Is NOT dogmatic about key issues, having shifted off previous positions on guns, abortion, etc. Is not a warhawk, but rather supports Trump’s views on foreign policy She’s a negotiator and a moderate. She’s a patriot with a strong sense of honor and duty. Ran a pure grassroots campaign for President in 2020, no outside donor support. If you look at the totality of Gabbard’s record you see someone who is the opposite of Trump, but who winds up in the same place he did.
Politically, she is someone who neuters all of the Democrats’ screeching about Trump hating women, being a Nahtsi, and dog whistling for the alt-Right.
If he picks Gabbard as his running mate he neuters all of those narratives with normies, softens Trump’s bombast, while leaving the media and Davos with nothing but “he’s pandering” as their fall back position.
That will backfire on them hard and they will take the bait, hook, line, and sinker.
And, like her or not, Gabbard is no Sarah Palin for them to pick apart. She’s seasoned at this level of the game.
Lastly, she is Globalist/Neocon Insurance as Trump is more compromised on this front than she is. And when you run through the Senate right now, who can you point to that doesn’t have huge stalking-horse-for-globalist vibes? Rubio? Scott? Rick or Tim?
Go through the Senate of possible people to succeed Trump and give me a good name you can trust to survive even the transition period between November and January.
If you could then some of them would have already tried for the job during the primaries. None of them wanted the Ron DeSantis treatment.
Of all the options for Trump only Gabbard is the person who can reach out to voters that matter, the ones in swing states/counties who are looking for our politics to focus on country first and ideology second.
The fundamental problem with all of this is that Trump is not a hard-ass. He’s a deal-maker. Gabbard is a consensus-builder. We need a hard-ass. You go to war with the Generals you have and the army you’ve built, not the ones you want.
Trump isn’t the General for this war I want, he’s the one I’ve got. And if my alternative is Harris, Gruesome, or Hitlary, then I want Trump to have the best possible VP for the job. I don’t want Mike Pence 2.0, which is how I see any of the mannequins in the Senate.
Will Trump do this? I have no idea. Should he do it? I honestly don’t think he has a real choice.
Sorry, but not sorry.
No democommies, ever!!!!
Trump was not a politician.
He should therefore pick a normal everyday guy or gal to be on the ticket.
Someone that believes in his positions.
Someone that will carry those beliefs into 2028.
No more career politicians.
Remember JFK; Nixon; Reagan; and Trump.
The uniparty always wants to shackle a reformer with a deep state VP who operates to dilute the reform during (e.g. Pence), undo it after (Bush Sr.), or if the reformer can’t be tamed, take over (LBJ, Ford).
The Dems, on the other hand, smartly pick their VP to be a person who is insurance to the Pres — people were frightened to try and justly remove Obama because of Biden, and Biden because of Harris.
The right pick for Trump is someone who guarantees there won’t be any more impeachment, 25th A, or worse ‘remedies’ for him because then they’ll get that VP.
” He was impeached”
No, he was not. The corrupt House merely voted to send articles of impeachment to the Senate for trial and they found Trump not guilty.
Hawley
“I do not agree. Byron Donalds would be a far better pick. He can articulate MAGA. I don’t think Tulsi can.”
Byron Donalds would be a great pick. And... unlike Tulsi, he has never been a DemocRat.
“One factor to consider is that the Democrats may be waiting to decide on whether or not to run Biden based in part on who Trump’s VP pick is. And the longer they wait, the more locked in on Biden they get, which for our side is a good thing.
Plus, the longer Trump can wait to decide, the more publicity our side gets, which for our side is a good thing.”
Excellent points to be considered. Thanks.
“There is really only one choice of a conservative woman with the street creds for the base and a nationally recognized figure for the independents. That is Gov. Kristi Noem.
I like Gabbard as a person. But not as a Vice President. She would make a great cabinet official where she is following the principles of the commander and chief. But she is too liberal to be a safe choice for VP.”
Totally agree on both points. I wouldn’t trust Tulsi with VP, but Noem seems like a solid, safe choice. I would still prefer a male VP, however. I keep thinking about that “heartbeat away” aspect and I don’t think a female would project the strength this nation would need should the unthinkable occur.
Gabbard is a trojan horse. If Trump picks her, he will lose half of his base, including me.
Interesting take. So you believe Reagan was a fake conservative and a slimy dishonest politician? The reality is that people’s views DO change over time for personal reasons. Reagan went from liberal to conservative after he was audited by the IRS.
“.....Reagan went from liberal to conservative...”
His policies/beliefs never changed.....The Ronald said...
“I didn’t leave the Democratic party, the Democratic Party left me.”
JFK would also be a “conservative” today.
Life is complicated.
He has some good points for Tulsi.
But I prefer a governor VP, not a legislator like Tulsi. Governors have proven to be better Presidents than legislators.
I’m a Kristi Noem stan for VP. She’s a solid conservative and a good governor. That’s enough for me.
Interesting take.
Reagan proved himself over many years, and was never a communist to begin with.
The hard-core leftist Gabbard suddenly going on a speaking tour to announce her convenient conversion away from communism would be a different matter entirely. That would simply be slimy politics at its worst.
Think with the big head, RainMan.
“Trump was never convicted of ‘insurrection.”
He didn’t need to be.
To be clear I support Trump 1000%. Just pointing out that they didn’t need a conviction to do the unconstitutional thing they did.
Reagan was a former-Democrat who had established himself as a conservative after years of work. Gabbard has only done the first step. The second step takes time to establish credibility and not look like a rank opportunist.
If Trump named her VP and something happened to Trump in his second term so Gabbard succeeded him, in all likelihood, the WH would have been effectively surrendered to the progressive wing of the Democrat party. Gabbard's lifetime ACU rating is 7.6% which is barely above the members of the Squad. She backed Bernie Sanders. Her hatred of the Democrat establishment might have more to do with her progressive instincts than being an indicator that she is turning conservative. She sets of alarm bells with me.
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