Do not read inevitability of Trump into this, half the Republican Party is still unconvinced of Trump for the nomination and we support DeSantis. This is a mere exercise in Trumpology.
Trump should ask himself: Are there no “suburban women” in red states, or in red counties in blue states? Don’t they vote for Republicans? If pro-life “anti-choice” Republicans are so bad how do they get any votes from ‘suburban women’ impliedly the code word for Republican-voters-if-only-it-were-not-for-the-abortion-issue?
We also wonder, what is the key criterion now for Trump in deciding on a VP – is it perhaps having never said “Trump lost” even though Trump has said as much? If that is the case it leaves out all of the debate participants of late. And now, whether or not that is the reason, it has been “confirmed” by Trump’s campaign that they can pound sand.
One thing we recommend to Trump, his VP pick needs to be a strong articulate pro-lifer, announced prior to the nomination process to allay concerns about him in the primary given his, surprise, inarticulate ways on the right to life (that and other issues).
Trump Crosses 7 Prominent Names Off His VP List .
As to the Mar-a-Lago course leader board, we note that many have said that this or that candidate for the Republican nomination for president is really running to be Trump’s pick for VP, auditioning as it were. We have engaged in a bit of that here as well. We have noted that Vivek Ramaswamy had seemed to be very gentle in any criticisms of Trump earlier on. Same for Tim Scott. But alas the official campaign report is that, so to speak, their apprentice auditions have been cancelled (link above). Look for Ramaswamy to be, shall we say, more critical of Trump unless of course he is angling for Secretary of This or That. Gone are a group, with a couple of negative exceptions, as pro-life as Trump, including Ramaswamy and more articulate than the leading candidate.
It will likely be a woman
So with all of the Republicans who honor Republican rules out of the picture, either for saying the anathema “Trump lost” or perhaps most telling, pleading support to the nominee of the party, (an oblique sign of disloyalty to Trump) . . . what about Kari Lake?
It is hard for fans of hers to know what campaign to send the checks to. Conservatives were importuned to cover costs for her challenge to the Arizona gubernatorial results. We may have even kicked in a few bucks for that. But more recently we are told she is running for the Senate. And yet she seems not willing to put a stop to rumors of being Trump’s VP pick. So what happened to her legal challenge — is it over/over? No more appeals? She should level with people if she has given up on the governor thing. Does she want to be Governor, Senator or VP?
As articulate as Lake is, precise diction with stiletto heels and word choices, she really hasn’t paid her dues to the party apparat or the body politic. People thought Sarah Palin was a superficial pick, she was not, and neither would Kari Lake be, given her abilities on the stump. But a jump from Phoenix area newscaster to unelected Arizona politician to VP candidate in about two years is not much of a concern for Trump we guess. She is over-the-top fan girl in some ways but she has more experience than Ramaswamy who is out anyway, being male and all. It is always delicious to see the media discount Lake as it impliedly denigrates their own. The only way the dominant liberal media can deal with her is to ignore her, which they will. So inspite of her ABILITY to skewer the media it only gets out at rally’s of people who are going to vote for Trump anyway.
Trump lawyer leaving courthouse. Seriously folks it was not an audition for The Apprentice
We can probably scratch Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds off the list also. Although she is plenty attractive, a pretty consistent plus for Trump when he picks his coterie, including his lawyers we note, Reynolds may have done the unpardonable:
Governor Reynolds was forthright in admonishing Trump, telling him that protecting unborn babies at any stage is not a terrible idea. You don’t dis The Donald. He is not in the mood. She seems to have disregarded the memo or something and while abiding by the Republican Party of Iowa admonition for leaders not to endorse lest they taint the independence of the Iowa Caucuses. The rule does not apply to defending against considered judgement of the Republican led legislature when Trump pops off about sensitive matters.
Trump’s clumsiness with the issue of abortion is the result of the superficiality of his political analysis. He thinks the abortion issue is his woman problem. But Trump’s problem with “suburban women”, young or old, is not issues per se, it is him, his countenance and life history. Instead of shaving that, he thinks he can get by by shaving issues.
Even though Democrat leaning women are misinformed, ignorant, hypocritical and superficial, they are what they are. They are likely going to vote Democrat, abortion is just agitprop. Voting Democrat is the perceived gravy train. Trump is going to get hardly any more of them no matter what he does. He might think he dampers hostility by tossing some babies out of the boat, but only at the expense of tempering enthusiasm from pro-family women on the edge due to the other aspects of his “women problem”. Democrats are going to focus on turning “their” women out and Trump cannot affect that much, Trump being Trump.
Trump should ask himself: Are there no “suburban women” in red states, red counties in Blue states anywhere? Don’t they vote for Republicans? If pro-life “anti-choice” Republicans are so bad how do they get any votes!
Take Iowa for example, for decades it was a purple state — a split US Senate, intermittent Democrat governor, mixed House delegations, a state legislature split, a horrible Supreme Court, a liberal AG entrenched for decades, the everyday media dominated by the liberal Des Moines Register and Lee Enterprises group, a public educational system considered tops decades ago descended to one that is barely average among a declining average.
But yet in 2022, POST DOBBS, one (aged male) US Senator up for reelection, the entire House delegation, most of the state legislature, a governor who by the way promoted and signed “6-week” heartbeat legislation, were all reelected — indeed the pro-life GOP advanced its standing, a virtual clean sweep. In some ways most significantly the AG office is now held by a pro-life proponent having defeated the incumbent. Only one “statewide”office is held by a Democrat – the Auditor of State position.
Abortion was practically the only issue the Democrats talked about in their campaigns in Iowa in 2022. It was featured in practically every communication they spewed. And yet the pro-life GOP advanced its standing. Pro-abortion already leaning Democrat suburban women and young, often welfare dependent women are going to vote Democrat, big surprise. It was not enough. Continue to defend the culture and the GOP will win.
People are longing for something and it is not abortion on demand, transgender insanity, open borders, cashless bail and deferred sentencing, runaway inflation, . . .try those on suburban women indeed all women whatever their zip code along with protecting life rather than running fearful that abortion on demand is the sine qua non for women votes. Trump shouldn’t bargain some girl babies out trying to entice older women.
So where does that leave Trump as to early picks for VP given recent developments. We doubt it will be a congressman but it could happen and likely a woman if he does pick one. Given the tendency to superficiality from the Donald (a concept with no small political cashe) our deflated dollar bill bet today is on South Dakota Governor Kristie Noem, who coincidently is not a superficial pick anyway, but our bet is subject to change tomorrow if Noem says something Trump does not like.
