Trump has been widely successful at capturing the black heart and sociopathic soul of the Republican party. Few would have imagined, as the polyester-haired, pussy grabber descended his gaudy escalator in 2015, that he would crush independence in the GOP. And have the party’s leaders and luminaries lining up to kiss his ass.
Who foresaw that this satanic malevolence would inspire America’s conservative evangelicals to kneel at his feet and kiss the ring? And who imagined that QAnon would revere him as a pedophile-fighting Messiah? It is too bad for him he left it so late.
But any hopes that, at his literal or political passing, the right will awaken from the nightmare - and the GOP would recommit themselves to traditional conservatism - are in vain. I do not know who the next guy will be. But I do know that they will continue Trumpism and the nihilistic policies of MAGA.
Trump got the ball rolling as America approached the verge of autocracy much as Lenin did in a Russia on the brink of revolution — which raises the question of who will play Stalin in this updated tale of tyranny writ large.
Lenin died of a stroke at 54. Trump seems to be going strong, but he is 76. I suppose he could last another decade — he would then be the same age as his father was when diagnosed with dementia — but will he? I would not bet on it. Or even of him being the GOP’s candidate in 2024.
Multiple bankruptcies and lawsuits have hardly dented his progress. Now, however, it looks like he could be in real trouble. The AG's case against his business in New York State is civil. And Allen Weiselberg, the ex-Trump Org. CFO has stymied the Manhattan DA's criminal case by his willingness to fall on his sword to protect his long-time boss. But Trump’s election-rigging case in Georgia has real legs. And the Mar-a-Lago purloined documents and possible espionage case look grim for him.
This raises two questions. If Trump does not make it to the 2024 starting line, does he have a future as the ultimate influencer? Or will the new guy be able to peel the base away and divert them from the lion in winter?
The current front runner to be the next guy is Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. He has amassed a shite-ton of money — $178 million— ostensibly for his reelection campaign. But he is creaming Crist and will have most of that left for 2024. His ploy to sponsor a trip for 48 undocumented aliens from Texas to Martha’s Vineyard has shown his willingness to do the wrong thing to get ahead. It turns out this did not work as well as expected — but we all make mistakes in the early innings.
Among the other governors eyeballing the brass ring is Texas Governor Greg Abbott. However, he does not have the sociopathic appeal of DeSantis. Virginia Governor, Glen Youngkin, is also making the rounds and revealing his MAGA soul. He ran as a “who’s Trump?” candidate to win his state-wide office. But to burnish his national cred, he has since traveled to Arizona to stump for one of Trump’s fiercest election-denying, nut-job supporters, Kari Lake.
Occupying the small-state-hopeful spot — like Bill Clinton in 1992 — is South Dakota Governor, Kristi Noem. She played all the right ‘personal freedom’ notes as she resisted medical advice to do something about the COVID pandemic. And she is an extremist in the anti-choice war. Her biggest scandal is that she got the 30-year state employee who denied her daughter a real-estate appraisal license fired. The state had to pay $200,000 to settle that unpleasantness
Also under consideration — for no longer than a second — are current and former Mid-Atlantic/Northeastern GOP Governors such as Marland’s Larry Hogan, New Hampshire’s Chris Sununu, and New Jersey’s Chris Christie. If you like long shots, bet what you will soon forget you lost.
In the Senate, Ted Cruz would not doubt like to take another run at it — he did finish second in 2016. He may also get Trump’s support as Mango sees DeSantis as a rival rather than a successor. Another 2016 loser, Marco Rubio, would probably try again. Although, nothing makes him stand out. He has tried by co-sponsoring Lindsey Graham’s attempt to federalize abortion restrictions. But he has the appeal of two-day-old fish.
Josh Hawley has said all the right (wrong?) things to ingratiate himself with the base. And his almost Nazi salute to the J6 rioters has become a lasting meme among America’s Brown Shirts. Tom Cotton wants the job. But he has the same failings as Marco Rubio. He has all the nasty qualities - but they are expressed better by others.
Rick Scott was making some noise until he disappeared $10s of millions of Republican Senate campaign funds. Tim Scott is the party’s great Black hope. Will the racists back him? It is one thing to cynically run Hershel Walker in Georgia to siphon off Democratic Black voters. But how would Scott do in whiter swing states primaries in Arizona or Pennsylvania?
As for US Representatives, I do not see any candidates. Gun to head and forced to pick one, I would say Dan Crenshaw with zero enthusiasm. This is nothing new, as the US House has only been the previous highest office for two presidents — Abraham Lincoln and James Garfield (coincidentally both assassinated — whatever that signifies)
Among non-elected officials, the newly svelte Mike Pompeo lusts after the job. But he lacks the sizzle the cultish base needs in their guy. Besides, the boring non-MAGA, conservative white voters (if there are any left) already have Mike Pence.
Nikki Haley could have claimed two firsts. The first woman and the first Republican person of color to be President. But word has surfaced that Trump may have rejected her as Secretary of State because of her 'complexion'. Fact or fiction — who can tell? I suppose a non-viable Trump could back her as she has shed all pretense of independent thought to become a remora suckerfish to his whale shark. But kissing ass is equally likely to engender scorn as it is to win his approval.
And as for non-politicians, I suppose another charismatic (actual) billionaire could pop up. And I am sure Don Jr. entertains coke-fueled fantasies about the position. But these are the unrealistic candidates thrown into the mix by people stirring the pot and late-night drunks.