Bolling: Here We Go Again
Well, it’s official. Former President Donald Trump has announced his candidacy for president in 2024.
I listened to some (not all) of Trump’s speech last night. It was, in typical Trump fashion, way too long! When he was staying on script, and talking about policy, I mostly agreed with him. But Trump can’t stay on script. He inevitably travels down rabbit holes, and that’s when he gets in trouble.
Let’s be clear. A Trump nomination would be a disaster for the Republican Party, but it could happen. And honestly, Trump doesn’t care. Everything Trump does is about Trump, and no one or nothing else.
Trump wants us to forget the fact that he is the most unpopular and divisive political figure in the U.S. today – a favorable rating of 37% and an unfavorable rating of 51%. Candidates like that simply cannot win in the critical swing states you must carry to win a presidential campaign.
He wants us to forget the fact that voters rejected his divisive approach to politics in 2018, 2020, and again in 2022.
Forget the fact that he is the subject of numerous pending civil lawsuits for his past business dealings.
Forget the fact that he is under active criminal investigation by the Department of Justice and could be indicted in the months to come.
Trump wants us to forget all these things and let him be the face of the GOP again in 2024.
Unfortunately, there are a lot of people in the Republican Party who still love Donald Trump, and they will no doubt support his effort to regain the presidency. But for all these reasons, the reality is that Trump cannot win a national election.
If Republicans choose to hitch their wagon to Trump in 2024, they will not only contribute to the continued decline of the Republican Party, but they will also contribute to the re-election of Joe Biden, and certain Democratic gains in the U.S. Senate and the House of Representatives.
There will be other choices for Republicans to consider in 2024. Choices that will govern the country in a conservative manner, which we all want; but choices that can also rebuild the Republican Party, restore its image, reconnect with voters we have lost in recent elections, and actually win a presidential campaign! At the end of the day, that’s where the focus should be.
