Free Republic

The question Republicans are asking is: Can Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-Fla.) win the White House in 2024? A better, more precise question is: Can he win suburban voters in Pennsylvania? It’s a question all prospective GOP primary candidates should answer. Suburbanites are swing voters, while urban dwellers trend Democratic and rural residents are overwhelmingly Republican. Therefore, in battleground Pennsylvania, the candidate who captures the suburban vote increases his or her chances of winning the state’s 19 electoral votes to reach the 270 votes required to win the presidency. Thus, for Republicans itching to win back the White House, the eventual...

The calendar says 2023, but politically, it’s 2024. Therefore, at the beginning of this volatile two-year presidential campaign cycle, expect at least half of the predictions and prognostications to be inoperative by January 2024. (But we don’t know which half!)My speculation about a small fraction of the half likely to be valid a year from now concerns two names on The Hill’s recent report, “GOP Rankings: The Republicans most likely to be the party’s 2024 presidential nominee.” Ranked fifth was former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who leads former Vice President Mike Pence, in seventh place.These distinguished “formers” from President...

The best historical example demonstrating how our presidential election cycle has been extended to the point of absurdity is from March 31, 1968. In a nationally televised address about the Vietnam War, President Lyndon B. Johnson dropped a political bombshell by announcing, “I shall not seek, and I will not accept, the nomination of my party for another term as your president." LBJ was weary of the war’s divisiveness and the toll it had taken on his presidency. Moreover, he was certain he would lose re-election because, according to Gallup (the gold standard of polling in 1968), his March job...

A new study released last week included new evidence that links and further authenticates two holy relics that millions of Christians believe offer physical proof of the crucifixion, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. But before we explore the research and the relics, let us recall a New Testament passage concerning faith in Christ and the need for physical evidence. I mean the familiar story of “doubting Thomas” (John 20:24–29). The apostle Thomas was absent when the resurrected Christ appeared to some of the apostles. On hearing the astonishing news, Thomas declared, “Unless I see the nail marks in...

Is Trump warming to Kasich as his running mate after the last debate? If Donald Trump manages to win the Republican presidential nomination (and this is becoming less of an “if” with each passing day), then he must select a vice-presidential running mate. Surely it will be tough for The Donald to share the national ticket with anyone, but at least he will still be on top. With this decision potentially on the horizon, did Trump spontaneously drop a hint about who could be on his veep short-list during Thursday night’s Republican debate? The answer is yes. Read more at:...

Last weekend I had the pleasure of attending the annual conservative RedState Gathering, where nine Republican presidential candidates gave fiery speeches. Although all were very impressive speakers, I kept applying the “Buckley rule” — these days, generally thought of as “nominate the most conservative candidate who is electable” — and did not feel confident that any of them could actually win the White House in 2016.