Will Trump face a serious primary challenge? (1 Viewer)

[unckeyherb]

Yes, it’s worth quoting the whole thing. It was pretty terrible.

Candy Crowley: Governor Romney, pay equity for women.

Mitt Romney: Thank you and important topic. And one which I learned a great deal about, particularly as I was serving as Governor of my state. Because I had the chance to pull together a Cabinet, and all of the applicants seemed to be men. And I went to my staff and I said: "How come all of the people for these jobs are all men?" They said: "Well, these are the people that have the qualifications." And I said: "Well gosh, can't we find some women that are also qualified?" And we took a concerted effort to go out and find women who had backgrounds that could be qualified to become members of our Cabinet. I went to a number of women's groups and said: "Can you help us find folks?" And they brought us whole binders full of women. I was proud of the fact that after I staffed my Cabinet, and my senior staff, the University of New York in Albany did a survey of all 50 states, and concluded that mine had more women in senior leadership positions than any other state in America.

What a monster.

 

[fatguyinalittlecoat]

Or innocent until proven guilty.

https://historyinpieces.com/research/nixon-approval-ratings

There was no such thing as Fox News or Breitbart or Rush Limbaugh during the Nixon administration.  I don't think this is a useful comparison.

 

[knowledge dropper]

Trump won`t run again.  

Exactly.  It’s a matter of when he makes this decision.  If he milks it until late in the primary process then the party is left with Pence.  It would be prudent to have a challenger in place.  

 

[timschochet]

Yes, it’s worth quoting the whole thing. It was pretty terrible.

Candy Crowley: Governor Romney, pay equity for women.

Mitt Romney: Thank you and important topic. And one which I learned a great deal about, particularly as I was serving as Governor of my state. Because I had the chance to pull together a Cabinet, and all of the applicants seemed to be men. And I went to my staff and I said: "How come all of the people for these jobs are all men?" They said: "Well, these are the people that have the qualifications." And I said: "Well gosh, can't we find some women that are also qualified?" And we took a concerted effort to go out and find women who had backgrounds that could be qualified to become members of our Cabinet. I went to a number of women's groups and said: "Can you help us find folks?" And they brought us whole binders full of women. I was proud of the fact that after I staffed my Cabinet, and my senior staff, the University of New York in Albany did a survey of all 50 states, and concluded that mine had more women in senior leadership positions than any other state in America.

Romney is another guy who might have made a good President, but we’ll never know because he was a lousy debater in front of a camera. 

I would argue that in terms of Presidential politics, television has not been good for this country. Since 1960 ones skills and talents are not enough: you need to be photogenic and have a “television personality.” Harry Truman, Eisenhower, Abe Lincoln didn’t have one. 

 

[BassNBrew]

Romney is another guy who might have made a good President, but we’ll never know because he was a lousy debater in front of a camera. 

I would argue that in terms of Presidential politics, television has not been good for this country. Since 1960 ones skills and talents are not enough: you need to be photogenic and have a “television personality.” Harry Truman, Eisenhower, Abe Lincoln didn’t have one. 

So you are saying Trump is photogenic.  ?

 

[timschochet]

So you are saying Trump is photogenic.  ?

He has a television personality. He’s good in front of a camera. So was Reagan, Clinton, Obama, JFK, etc. it’s become a requirement. 

 

[BassNBrew]

He has a television personality. He’s good in front of a camera. So was Reagan, Clinton, Obama, JFK, etc. it’s become a requirement. 

That's not what you said...

 you need to be photogenic and have a “television personality.”

Maybe you should have said...

you need to be photogenic OR have a “television personality.”

 you need to be photogenic OR run against a Bush and Clinton.

 

[timschochet]

That's not what you said...

Maybe you should have said...

Well all that helps. 

I do think that Trump is photogenic, in the broader sense of what that term means. 

 

[themeanmachine]

My initial gut reaction to the idea of Trump not running for re-election was "that's nuts, of course he'll run, or it would make him look like a quitter, or that he couldn't handle it".

But I also believe he never really wanted the job in the first place. He seems pretty miserable. He probably thinks having to put up with this job for the next 6 years sounds like torture. And that's before the House has started investigations and subpoenas and opening up his tax returns. So maybe you're right, he'll claim he's done all he can and Congress is impeding his ability to MAGA and he can do that more effectively from outside the White House.

But I still think it's more likely he runs, has no serious primary challengers, gets soundly defeated in popular vote but barely loses the electoral vote, declares it a sham and a fraud, refuses to concede the election and it turns into a nightmare.

 

[Bottomfeeder Sports]

...

So maybe you're right, he'll claim he's done all he can and Congress is impeding his ability to MAGA and he can do that more effectively from outside the White House.

...

I think it is more likely in a do not run situation that he claims he has successfully made America great again.  That he had done everything in just four years.  Done more in four years than any other president ever.  More in four than even those with eight or twelve - not many Americans know that we had a president with more than two terms  .  That while Trump could uniquely do more that we Americans just are not yet ready for that much "winning", that much "greatness".  

 

[the moops]

Well all that helps. 

I do think that Trump is photogenic, in the broader sense of what that term means. 

He is overweight, orange, and has a terrible combover. He mispeaks often, repeats himself, and has a below average vocabulary.

He is very much non photogenic

 

[roadkill1292]

But I still think it's more likely he runs, has no serious primary challengers, gets soundly defeated in popular vote but barely loses the electoral vote, declares it a sham and a fraud, refuses to concede the election and it turns into a nightmare.

You should post more (because not enough people here ever agree with me, dammit!). I used the interactive EC map and got the Dem candidate with a pretty reasonable result of 278-260 (Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin blue; Ohio, NC, Florida and Arizona red, which I think is a conservative call).  Dems will win the popular vote by six million this go round, I think.

 

[BassNBrew]

Well all that helps. 

I do think that Trump is photogenic, in the broader sense of what that term means. 

Broader like Jabba the Hut?

Well you thought Hillary was attractive so there's that...

 

[SaintsInDome2006]

He has a television personality. He’s good in front of a camera. So was Reagan, Clinton, Obama, JFK, etc. it’s become a requirement. 

Lord, you can’t put him in that class. He’s telegenic like Pat Sajak, or Carrot Top, or Andy ****, or Roseanne Barr. The guy was a tv celebrity who drew on shtick.

 

[jamny]

Jeff Flake Rules Out Running in 2020, But Hopes Another Republican Will Challenge Trump

(WASHINGTON) — Former Arizona Sen. Jeff Flake says he hopes a Republican will challenge President Donald Trump’s re-election bid, but it won’t be him.

Flake, who did not seek re-election in 2018, frequently tangled with Trump and often said he hoped a Republican would challenge Trump in 2020. Flake told “CBS This Morning” on Tuesday “that somebody won’t be me. I will not be a candidate.”

Flake retired this month and is now a CBS News contributor. He says that it’s “a difficult path” for any Republican to challenge Trump in a primary but that he still hopes someone will do so.

Flake was a U.S. senator from Arizona from 2013 to 2019. Previously, he represented Arizona’s 6th Congressional District in the House.

 

[SaintsInDome2006]

Former Arizona Sen. Jeff Flake says he hopes a Republican will challenge President Donald Trump’s re-election bid, but it won’t be him.

So endeth Jeff Flake, who did live up to his name after all.

 

[SWC]

the best thing that could happen for the future of the gop would be kasich trying to primary him losing and running as a third party to kill trump and end his reign of craptacuterror and then trying to reassemble the gop out of whatever is left start it over with a platform that can attract voters instead of hanging on to segments that are literally dying and have it end up as more than a 35 percent party take that to the bank brohans 

 

[ffldrew]

I think former Senator Bob Corker is the guy to do it if anyone is going to step up to the plate. 

 

[timschochet]

The short answer is no. Somebody may challenge him, and it might generate a lot of publicity, but it won’t be serious. 

Ronald Reagan in 1976 was the only time in the history of the Republican Party that the serving President ever faced a serious challenge (we can exclude Teddy Roosevelt in 1912 because he ran as an independent), and the difference then was that the base supported Reagan and not Ford. In this instance the base is firmly behind Trump. So there is no chance for a real challenge. 

 

[zftcg]

Yes, it’s worth quoting the whole thing. It was pretty terrible.

Candy Crowley: Governor Romney, pay equity for women.

Mitt Romney: Thank you and important topic. And one which I learned a great deal about, particularly as I was serving as Governor of my state. Because I had the chance to pull together a Cabinet, and all of the applicants seemed to be men. And I went to my staff and I said: "How come all of the people for these jobs are all men?" They said: "Well, these are the people that have the qualifications." And I said: "Well gosh, can't we find some women that are also qualified?" And we took a concerted effort to go out and find women who had backgrounds that could be qualified to become members of our Cabinet. I went to a number of women's groups and said: "Can you help us find folks?" And they brought us whole binders full of women. I was proud of the fact that after I staffed my Cabinet, and my senior staff, the University of New York in Albany did a survey of all 50 states, and concluded that mine had more women in senior leadership positions than any other state in America.

Romney was like the Tobias Funke (not to be confused with @TobiasFunke) of politics. He would say things that weren't that awful in context, but sounded incredibly awkward, like "I'm not concerned about the very poor." In this case, his underlying point was fine (he had a good record of hiring women). He just picked the worst way possible to express it.

In the end, I'm afraid he blue himself.

 

[zftcg]

The short answer is no. Somebody may challenge him, and it might generate a lot of publicity, but it won’t be serious. 

Ronald Reagan in 1976 was the only time in the history of the Republican Party that the serving President ever faced a serious challenge (we can exclude Teddy Roosevelt in 1912 because he ran as an independent), and the difference then was that the base supported Reagan and not Ford. In this instance the base is firmly behind Trump. So there is no chance for a real challenge. 

Reagan lost because the Establishment was a lot more powerful back then. If that primary happens today he probably wins. Same with Mondale vs. Hart in 1984. In retrospect it's kind of amazing that Dems went with a dorky looking Minnesotan who had been VP under an unpopular one-term president over a young, attractive "ideas guy" like Hart.

 

[fatguyinalittlecoat]

The short answer is no. Somebody may challenge him, and it might generate a lot of publicity, but it won’t be serious. 

Ronald Reagan in 1976 was the only time in the history of the Republican Party that the serving President ever faced a serious challenge (we can exclude Teddy Roosevelt in 1912 because he ran as an independent), and the difference then was that the base supported Reagan and not Ford. In this instance the base is firmly behind Trump. So there is no chance for a real challenge. 

I agree if the election were held today but the primaries aren’t for a whole year.  By that time the economy could be tanking and we have a damning Mueller report and 1000 more scandals.

 

[BassNBrew]

The short answer is no. Somebody may challenge him, and it might generate a lot of publicity, but it won’t be serious. 

Ronald Reagan in 1976 was the only time in the history of the Republican Party that the serving President ever faced a serious challenge (we can exclude Teddy Roosevelt in 1912 because he ran as an independent), and the difference then was that the base supported Reagan and not Ford. In this instance the base is firmly behind Trump. So there is no chance for a real challenge. 

Care to define serious and possibly wager?

 

[timschochet]

Care to define serious and possibly wager?

No wager, only because I don’t want to ever be in the position of rooting for Trump. Frankly I’d love to be wrong. 

But for the sake of discussion, I’d define a serious challenge as Trump losing a single state primary or caucus, excluding the home state of the challenger. 

 

[BassNBrew]

No wager, only because I don’t want to ever be in the position of rooting for Trump. Frankly I’d love to be wrong. 

But for the sake of discussion, I’d define a serious challenge as Trump losing a single state primary or caucus, excluding the home state of the challenger. 

$50 bucks to the winner's charity?  Then you don't have to root for Trump.

 

[proteus126]

I wonder if Hogan has any real appetite for it?

 

[timschochet]

$50 bucks to the winner's charity?  Then you don't have to root for Trump.

OK. Let’s do it. 

 

[adonis]

Romney was like the Tobias Funke (not to be confused with @TobiasFunke) of politics. He would say things that weren't that awful in context, but sounded incredibly awkward, like "I'm not concerned about the very poor." In this case, his underlying point was fine (he had a good record of hiring women). He just picked the worst way possible to express it.

In the end, I'm afraid he blue himself.

Oh, I miss the days where folks had to be taken out of context to sound like idiots.

 

[randall146]

Chris Christie sounded like a candidate in his Morning Joe interview yesterday

 

[prefontaine]

Chris Christie sounded like a candidate in his Morning Joe interview yesterday

 

[AAABatteries]

In the end, I'm afraid he blue himself.

PHRASING!

 

[BassNBrew]

$50 bucks to the winner's charity?  Then you don't have to root for Trump.

OK. Let’s do it. 

Deal.

Are you taking any outs...Trump doesn't run, Trump is impeached, Trump dies, etc?

eta - You get to call the home state when/if the time comes.

 

[timschochet]

Deal.

Are you taking any outs...Trump doesn't run, Trump is impeached, Trump dies, etc?

eta - You get to call the home state when/if the time comes.

Nah. 

The home state is wherever the challenger is from. Kasich would be Ohio for example. 

 

[BassNBrew]

Nah. 

The home state is wherever the challenger is from. Kasich would be Ohio for example. 

And Clinton???

Obama???

 

[timschochet]

And Clinton???

Obama???

I don’t think either will be challenging President Trump for the Republican nomination. It would be funny if they did though...

 

[The Future Champs]

Chris Christie sounded like a candidate in his Morning Joe interview yesterday

His own state hates him.  He might run, but it'll only be to get his name in the press.

 

[The General]

Hard to take Christie seriously after he has been Trump's lap cat for past 2 years,

 

[BassNBrew]

I don’t think either will be challenging President Trump for the Republican nomination. It would be funny if they did though...

Romney - Utah or Mass?

 

[timschochet]

Romney - Utah or Mass?

Utah

ETA but he’s not going to do it either

 

[roadkill1292]

I wonder if Hogan has any real appetite for it?

I was thinking about Larry Hogan, hugely popular in a blue state, this morning when talk radio was discussing his State of the State address. He's not challenging Trump next year, he can't win and he has a job until '22. If the Pubbies have gotten the crazy out of their systems by '24, though, he could be rested and ready to step up. His chances in '24 may hinge partly on this coming election -- if he's following Donald he would have a good chance. But if he's up against a Democratic incumbent, I don't think he can win unless the Dem president is a complete disaster. I forgot to look this up first, how old is he?

 

[jonessed]

I’m not convinced he’s even going to run.

 

[fatguyinalittlecoat]

I was thinking about Larry Hogan, hugely popular in a blue state, this morning when talk radio was discussing his State of the State address. He's not challenging Trump next year, he can't win and he has a job until '22. If the Pubbies have gotten the crazy out of their systems by '24, though, he could be rested and ready to step up. His chances in '24 may hinge partly on this coming election -- if he's following Donald he would have a good chance. But if he's up against a Democratic incumbent, I don't think he can win unless the Dem president is a complete disaster. I forgot to look this up first, how old is he?

Hogan would be 68 in 2024.  The Republican Party would need to undergo a radical transformation for him to be viable in the Republican primaries.

 

[Don Quixote]

I was thinking about Larry Hogan, hugely popular in a blue state, this morning when talk radio was discussing his State of the State address. He's not challenging Trump next year, he can't win and he has a job until '22. If the Pubbies have gotten the crazy out of their systems by '24, though, he could be rested and ready to step up. His chances in '24 may hinge partly on this coming election -- if he's following Donald he would have a good chance. But if he's up against a Democratic incumbent, I don't think he can win unless the Dem president is a complete disaster. I forgot to look this up first, how old is he?

I think 2020 would be Hogan's best chance as an anti-Trump alternative in a small field, based on what would probably be his message and tones.   I don't think his message would go far in 2024 where there is no Trump to contrast against (unless Trump Jr. is the leading candidate in the GOP field, and I just puked a little bit in my mouth writing that exception).

I'm not sure how well it does if it is just him and Trump either, though -- he can probably do well in NH/Iowa, but he probably starts losing big when they get to SC and the south.

 

[roadkill1292]

Hogan would be 68 in 2024.  The Republican Party would need to undergo a radical transformation for him to be viable in the Republican primaries.

If The Don gets trampled next November, that'll go a long way towards the transformation (I'm not confident of this, btw). The Pubbie contingent that can listen to Donald and think he makes sense when he's speaking is slowly slipping away from us; I don't know how crazy they can stay if they're getting their brains beat in every four years.

I didn't know Hogan was that old. That doesn't bode well for a run to the top. 

 

[fatguyinalittlecoat]

If The Don gets trampled next November, that'll go a long way towards the transformation (I'm not confident of this, btw). The Pubbie contingent that can listen to Donald and think he makes sense when he's speaking is slowly slipping away from us; I don't know how crazy they can stay if they're getting their brains beat in every four years.

As long as Fox News and other right wing media stay crazy, their viewers will stay crazy.

 

[zftcg]

I was thinking about Larry Hogan, hugely popular in a blue state, this morning when talk radio was discussing his State of the State address. He's not challenging Trump next year, he can't win and he has a job until '22. If the Pubbies have gotten the crazy out of their systems by '24, though, he could be rested and ready to step up. His chances in '24 may hinge partly on this coming election -- if he's following Donald he would have a good chance. But if he's up against a Democratic incumbent, I don't think he can win unless the Dem president is a complete disaster. I forgot to look this up first, how old is he?

I think Hogan can go one of two ways:

1. He has to realize his political future is probably over once he leaves office in '22. He's too liberal to ever get the GOP nomination for president, and he lives in a blue state with two entrenched Democratic senators (ask Phil Bredesen how well being a popular former governor serves you when running for a Senate seat in a state dominated by the opposing party). So he says "F### it" and challenges Trump on general principle. He knows he doesn't have much of a chance, but maybe he does surprisingly well and raises his profile.
   
2. Knowing the political angle is a dead end, he declines to run in order to avoid becoming a pariah and maintain future opportunities in either GOP cabinet appointments or lobbying.
   

I know which one I'm betting on him doing.

 

[jamny]

William Weld announces challenge to Trump in GOP primary

BOSTON — Former Massachusetts Gov. William Weld is officially challenging President Donald Trump in the 2020 Republican primary.

“I’m running for president of the United States,” Weld said Monday during an appearance on CNN. “I would be ashamed of myself if I didn’t raise my hand and run.”

Weld, 73, most recently ran as the running mate of 2016 Libertarian presidential nominee Gary Johnson. He served two terms as governor of Massachusetts in the 1990s, and was known as a fiscally conservative, socially moderate Republican. He re-registered as a Republican earlier this year in Canton, Mass., where he lives.

In his presidential announcement video, Weld touts his experience balancing the state budget and cutting taxes, as well as his record as U.S. attorney for Massachusetts under President Ronald Reagan. In the video, Weld also contrasts himself with the president through clips of Trump making fun of a disabled person and discussing grabbing women by the genitals.

Weld announced a presidential exploratory committee in February and has traveled to New Hampshire a number of times to explore a White House bid. He toured downtown Concord, N.H., with Republican National Committeeman Steve Duprey in March, and discussed the need for an impartial primary process. Despite Trump’s positive polling numbers among Republicans in early-voting states like New Hampshire, Weld has previously said he plans to garner support among independent and millennial voters during the primary.

 

[zftcg]

William Weld announces challenge to Trump in GOP primary

BOSTON — Former Massachusetts Gov. William Weld is officially challenging President Donald Trump in the 2020 Republican primary.

“I’m running for president of the United States,” Weld said Monday during an appearance on CNN. “I would be ashamed of myself if I didn’t raise my hand and run.”

Weld, 73, most recently ran as the running mate of 2016 Libertarian presidential nominee Gary Johnson. He served two terms as governor of Massachusetts in the 1990s, and was known as a fiscally conservative, socially moderate Republican. He re-registered as a Republican earlier this year in Canton, Mass., where he lives.

In his presidential announcement video, Weld touts his experience balancing the state budget and cutting taxes, as well as his record as U.S. attorney for Massachusetts under President Ronald Reagan. In the video, Weld also contrasts himself with the president through clips of Trump making fun of a disabled person and discussing grabbing women by the genitals.

Weld announced a presidential exploratory committee in February and has traveled to New Hampshire a number of times to explore a White House bid. He toured downtown Concord, N.H., with Republican National Committeeman Steve Duprey in March, and discussed the need for an impartial primary process. Despite Trump’s positive polling numbers among Republicans in early-voting states like New Hampshire, Weld has previously said he plans to garner support among independent and millennial voters during the primary.

Thank God voters finally have a septuagenarian white dude option.

 

[HellToupee]

William Weld announces challenge to Trump in GOP primary

BOSTON — Former Massachusetts Gov. William Weld is officially challenging President Donald Trump in the 2020 Republican primary.

“I’m running for president of the United States,” Weld said Monday during an appearance on CNN. “I would be ashamed of myself if I didn’t raise my hand and run.”

Weld, 73, most recently ran as the running mate of 2016 Libertarian presidential nominee Gary Johnson. He served two terms as governor of Massachusetts in the 1990s, and was known as a fiscally conservative, socially moderate Republican. He re-registered as a Republican earlier this year in Canton, Mass., where he lives.

In his presidential announcement video, Weld touts his experience balancing the state budget and cutting taxes, as well as his record as U.S. attorney for Massachusetts under President Ronald Reagan. In the video, Weld also contrasts himself with the president through clips of Trump making fun of a disabled person and discussing grabbing women by the genitals.

Weld announced a presidential exploratory committee in February and has traveled to New Hampshire a number of times to explore a White House bid. He toured downtown Concord, N.H., with Republican National Committeeman Steve Duprey in March, and discussed the need for an impartial primary process. Despite Trump’s positive polling numbers among Republicans in early-voting states like New Hampshire, Weld has previously said he plans to garner support among independent and millennial voters during the primary.

This isn’t a serious challenge 

 

[sho nuff]

I’m not convinced he’s even going to run.

If he isn't going to run for re-election...given the money raised and the timing right now...that would be pretty bad for the GOP.  He would be handing any democrat the office.

Their only plan right now is Trump and Trump only.