Premier Rock Forum

People are talking up deSantis as a potential presidential candidate but is that really going to fly? He has none of Trump's charisma and winkingly transgressive sense of mischief that people enjoy, and he seems to be actively hostile to the views of the majority of mainstream Americans, especially young people. Could he really get to the White House on a campaign of Get Off My Lawn 2024?

Even setting aside the fact that Trump will drop napalm on anyone who attempts to steal his spotlight. I guess we're all hoping that this is the moment we dreamed would come: Republicans in a position where they can't win with Trump and also can't rid themselves of Trump.

Maybe, but who knows. Scott Walker, of all people, was once “the clear front-runner” years before the actual primaries. Same with Hillary in 2006, before Obama came along.

Among the GOP’s big worries is that Trump would run as an independent, just out of spite, if anyone else becomes the golden boy. One can only dream.

I don't know if Trump would do that or not, but it was always going to be a messy divorce. Republican leadership always knew Trump doesn't give fuck #1 about the Republican party. It's hilarious watching them go "hey, how come he never used any of those political donations he's raking in to help our candidates?"

They must be hoping he dies before he splits the party.

I suspect that a number of them both (a) want to insist publicly that Trump is being subjected to a witch hunt while (b) hoping beyond hope that the prosecutions succeed. They are cowards from tip to toe.

Now that it seems pretty clear that the midterms weren't a complete disaster, I'm looking forward to not excessively worrying about the US government, at least for maybe a few days.

Past that, I'm torn between looking forward to Trump burning everything (particularly anyone else running for the Republican presidential nomination) to the ground, but terrified that the probability of Trump becoming president again is greater than 0.

Wood Goblin wrote: Mon Nov 14, 2022 2:54 pm Among the GOP’s big worries is that Trump would run as an independent, just out of spite, if anyone else becomes the golden boy. One can only dream.

I think a Trump spite campaign is pretty likely. He's been relegated to persona non grata by the establishment.

The ratings on the debates will go up up up!

Krev wrote: Mon Nov 14, 2022 4:01 pm

Wood Goblin wrote: Mon Nov 14, 2022 2:54 pm Among the GOP’s big worries is that Trump would run as an independent, just out of spite, if anyone else becomes the golden boy. One can only dream.

I think a Trump spite campaign is pretty likely. He's been relegated to persona non grata by the establishment.

Yep, yet he still has millions of hardcore followers so Rupert Murdoch can't just make him go away with the flick of a switch like he wants to.

I would bust out the popcorn, but the Democrats aren't in that much better of a position really (talk of whether Biden should run again in 2024, is Kamala a suitable VP, etc)

penningtron wrote: Tue Nov 15, 2022 8:39 am I would bust out the popcorn, but the Democrats aren't in that much better of a position really (talk of whether Biden should run again in 2024, is Kamala a suitable VP, etc)

Just when it seemed like it was okay to exhale for a moment...

I think it comes down to whether or not Biden wants to run again.

Biden wasn't and still isn't my first choice, but if he chooses to run for re-election, I think it would do more damage than good to have a Democrat run against him in the primary election.

I feel similarly about Kamala as the VP. It'd probably make things worse for Biden to replace her.

If Biden doesn't run again, I really have no idea how things will play out.

With Trump running a spite campaign as an Independent, the Democrats could probably run a head floating in a jar of formaldehyde and beat (presumably) DeSantis.