Trump once belittled Rubio as “little Marco”. And Rubio once called Trump a “con artist”. However, the pair has mended, if not melded. What’s going on?
The Obstacles
An obscure rule prevents the President and Vice President from living in the same state.
But that is easily handled by one or the other moving. If it’s Marco, then another Republican Senate seat is up for grabs.
Assuming those obstacles are overcome, Rubio makes more much sense than Senator J.D. Vance of Ohio or Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina, both of which would also open up a Senate seat.
If a senator does not complete a term in office, a state may select an individual to serve out the remainder of the term or until a special election is held.
The Case for Rubio
The Wall Street Journal comments How Rubio Went From ‘Little Marco’ to Trump’s VP Shortlist
Rubio’s backers have pitched the former president on his attributes, such as his being the son of Cuban immigrants. He is charismatic and can appeal to both working-class and professional-sector voters, including Hispanics, according to his advocates. He has domestic- and foreign-policy credentials, withstood the scrutiny of a presidential campaign in 2016, and—as is crucial for Trump—looks the part.
“He is bilingual. He is extremely quick on his feet, really, really sharp. He has a great personal story as well,” said Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart (R., Fla.), a longtime Rubio ally. “One of the things that President Trump has been very clear about is that he wants somebody who, obviously in the worst-case scenario, could be president. Marco has all those things.”
Trump sees advantages to picking Rubio, people close to both men said, even as he hasn’t settled on a favorite, with a decision due by the time of the Republican convention in mid-July. He likes Rubio’s camera-friendly family, which includes four children, and thinks the fluent Spanish speaker could be an effective communicator on immigration. Trump has told people he likes how Rubio’s Cuban heritage makes him authentically anticommunist, as the former president seeks to paint Democrats as having been infected by the far left.
Some Republicans don’t see Rubio, whose political experience predates Trump’s, as the full-throated MAGA type as some others on Trump’s shortlist are, including Sen. J.D. Vance of Ohio. Years before Trump emerged, Rubio was seen as a next-generation leader for the GOP who spoke in sunny, uplifting terms and espoused traditional views. But with Trump’s victory, he adapted in both substance and style.
Years ago Rubio criticized Trump’s calls for mass deportation; now he echoes the former president’s rhetoric. “This is an invasion of the country, and it needs to be dealt with dramatically,” he said on NBC’s “Meet the Press” in May.
Once a leading voice for defending Ukraine, Rubio earlier this year voted against legislation that included billions in security aid, slamming the overall bill as “moral extortion.” He has pushed economic populism, taking aim at the decadeslong hollowing out of American manufacturing jobs at the expense of cheap goods from China. He has been at the vanguard of the widening rift between Republicans and big business, accusing major corporations of not acting in the best interests of the country and proposing curbs on corporate stock buybacks.
He has also become a fierce defender of Trump. When the former president was convicted by a New York jury, Rubio called President Biden a “demented man propped up by wicked & deranged people willing to destroy our country to remain in power” and said it was time to “fight fire with fire.” Rubio voted to certify Biden’s 2020 win but recently declined to say if he would accept the results of the coming election. On Spanish-language television, he pushed back on criticism of Trump’s description that illegal immigrants are “poisoning the blood” of the country.
The Republican Party is replete with critics turned Trump allies, including many on the vice presidential list. Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, the only Black Republican in the chamber, sharply criticized Trump’s views on race. Vance in 2016 deemed himself a “never Trump guy.”
Rubio called Trump a “con artist”—and worse. Asked about that now, Rubio says it was part of the heat of a campaign.
The Abortion Issue
I don’t think abortion will decide the election, but it could. In a very close election, many things could decide the election (or help decide the election).
Politico comments Rubio Spells Out his Position on Abortion.
Questioned — Rubio’s interview with CBS Miami’s Jim DeFede for a weekend election special found the senator pressed about whether he would favor a complete ban on abortion with no exceptions for rape, incest and human trafficking now that the Supreme Court has repealed Roe v. Wade.
Making it clear — Rubio said he favored such a ban, with the caveat that the issue should be dealt with by the states not the federal government. However, he also added that he would vote for exceptions because he recognized that not everyone shares his viewpoint.
What he said — “I am in favor of laws that protect human life. I do not believe that the dignity and the worth of human life is tied to the circumstances of their conception, but I recognize that’s not a majority position,” Rubio told DeFede. “This is not an easy issue. I never said this is an easy issue. It puts two fundamental rights in conflict — the right to choose of a woman and the right to live of an unborn human being.”
Reaction — Demings responded sharply on Twitter to the interview, writing that “Marco Rubio is obsessed with taking away our freedoms. Losing the right to choose means women’s lives are at risk, doctors could be thrown in jail, and victims of rape and incest forced to carry the seed of their rapist.”
Florida’s other senator — GOP Sen. Rick Scott, who is in charge of the Republican campaign operation to retake the Senate, took a different stance than Rubio when asked about abortion earlier this month. During an interview on Bloomberg, Scott said “the country is pro-life” while adding “the country is for reasonable restrictions and reasonable exceptions.” He said a ban on abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy was “reasonable” but he did add that there should be exceptions for rape, incest and the life of the mother. “I think we all have to be compassionate about what these women are going through,” Scott said.
And the governor? — Where Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis stands at this point isn’t as clear. DeSantis said he was in favor of additional “pro-life protections” after the Supreme Court overturned Roe. He recently signed Florida’s ban on abortions after 15 weeks into law, but the governor has not articulated what other steps he would take or accept. During a press conference Tuesday, DeSantis said “the first thing” is to “defend what we’ve done,” a reference to the ongoing legal challenge to the new ban. “We want to make sure what we’ve done will stick,” said DeSantis, adding that the current law was “difficult to achieve.”
Tim Scott on Abortion
Michigan passed Proposition 3 which secures the right to reproductive freedom in Michigan, protecting abortion, prenatal care, birth control, and all reproductive health care. Scott would take that away.
Scott favors a constitutional amendment prohibiting abortion. That stance could cost Trump the state of Michigan and take Virginia out of play.
Heck, that stance could even cost Trump Pennsylvania.
Rubio is solidly anti-abortion but at least would leave it up to the states.
A constitutional amendment would have no chance, of course. But It would be a huge rally cry politically. Trump cannot afford Scott’s baggage on abortion. And Scott is a terrible speaker. That’s two strikes.
J.D. Vance on Abortion
In conservative Ohio, abortion rights activists passed a bill securing abortion with 57 percent approval.
The Hill commented JD Vance: Ohio’s Abortion Vote ‘Was a Gut Punch’
In a lengthy post online, Vance, who campaigned against the effort to ensure abortion access, attempted to parse out why the measure won with support from nearly 57 percent of voters.
“For pro lifers, last night was a gut punch. No sugar coating it,” he wrote.
Q: Did Vance learn anything? Change his mind?
A: Of course not. Here’s the deal: Old fogy white males fail to learn anything from history.
“The results in Ohio underscore what the vast majority of Americans believe: politicians should not interfere in decisions that should be between a woman and her doctor,” Vice President Harris said in a statement.
That is the only thing I recall ever agreeing with Kamala Harris on.
Trump would do well to pick a female VP running mate who is not a Neandertal on abortion.
Age and Other Things
Senator Marco Rubio is 53. Senator J.D. Vance is 39. Senator Tim Scott is 58. Tulsi Gabbard is 43.
Other than being the youngest, Vance offers nothing. A white male who want to abolish abortion brings nothing but huge negatives to the ticket.
In addition, Vance is the biggest MAGA in the group. That’s a decided disadvantage, assuming Trump would rather win than get adulations from the base.
Tim Scott is black. But in contrast to Rubio and Gabbard, he is a poor speaker coupled with a very discrediting stance on abortion.
Tulsi Gabbard Rings All Six Bells
Tusli is a woman, young, an amazing speaker, not MAGA, a person of color, and a moderate on abortion. She’s also attractive which may matter to a lot of men.
She rings six of six bells.
I believe Trump would win in a landslide if he picked Gabbard. The base would not like that pick, but so what? Is Trump seeking adulation or does he want to win?
I seriously don’t know.
Scott ticks precisely one bell. He’s black, Otherwise, Scott is all negative. I would be surprised if Trump was foolish enough to pick Scott.
I fail to see what, if anything ,Vance brings to the table. But I have not heard Vance speak. Perhaps I am missing something there, but otherwise Vance is a negative for at least 5 reasons.
Tulsi Gabbard Gives a Fabulous Speech at CPAC 2024
Please play that speech. It was electrifying. If you have already played it, do so again. I just did.
I discussed the speech on February 24, Tulsi Gabbard Gives a Fabulous Speech at CPAC 2024, What’s Next?
Some question what she brings to the table. For starters, she is a woman, without all the baggage, arrogance, and lighting rod qualities of Hillary.
Tulsi delivered an electrifying speech. Women are over half of the voting population.
Wikipedia notes Gabbard has generally supported legal abortion through the first 20 weeks of pregnancy, though her views on abortion have changed over time. That is a huge plus over the typical Republican Neandertal.
For more details, please see Wikipedia’s Political Opinions of Tulsi Gabbard.
She has switched opinions on a number of items, having even backed Bernie Sanders. The Republican base won’t like that, but so what, Trump was once a Democrat.
Where is the base going besides nowhere? The base will not decide the next election.
The more Trump can distance himself from the base, the better his chances.
Gabbard would be an excellent pick who would genuinely bring some energy to the ticket beyond the base.
People Who Rent Will Decide the 2024 Presidential Election
On April 20, I commented People Who Rent Will Decide the 2024 Presidential Election
Economists say wages are now rising faster than the CPI. That’s not true for those who rent or wish to buy a house.
I did a follow-up post on June 19. Please consider Why Angry Renters Will Decide the Election, Take II
Who Are the Renters?
The answer is younger voters and blacks.And according to the National Association of Realtors, the homeownership rate among Black Americans is 44 percent whereas for White Americans it’s 72.7 percent.
That’s the largest Black-White homeownership rate gap in a decade.
The cost of rent has gone up at least 0.4 percent for 33 consecutive months. Young adults and blacks are priced out of a home and it shows up in the polls.
Voters under the age of 35 favor Trump. In 2020 they were over 80% for Biden. But they have their limits.
I do not think abortion will swing the election. But it could, in Michigan and Arizona. See The Abortion Issue Comes Alive in Arizona, It Could Cost Republicans Dearly
Tulsi is the best qualified VP pick to take abortion of the table, appeal to women, appeal to people of color, and appeal to young voters who may be for Trump but not enthusiastically so.
Can Biden Physically and Mentally Last All the Way to November?
On June 16, I asked Can Biden Physically and Mentally Last All the Way to November?
The short answer is not realistically. Yet that does not imply Biden will drop out. The long answer is complex. So, let’s honestly assess what’s happening.
Biden is increasingly incompetent and obviously so. Polls show Trump can and should (does not mean will) beat Biden. But what happens if Biden is forced out of the campaign?
I do not know how likely that is. However, it is very clear the odds are increasingly likely. Whether or not Trump can beat an alternate Democrat candidate depends on who that would be.
Trump must pick a VP candidate first, putting him at a first mover disadvantage. The only way to mitigate that first-mover disadvantage is for Trump to a VP running mate who rings all of the bells.
If not Tulsi, then who? Rubio would make a reasonable second choice.
They both live in Florida so it can’t be.
If you notice, it is RINO Republican media outlets (WSJ, FoxNews, Murdochs) that are pushing Rubio for VP. The GOP dinosaurs (like Ryan and Romney) want another controllable politician in the VP spot (like Pence), to undermine Trump’s reform efforts. I have some respect for Rubio, but he has deep ties to the RINO establishment, too, and cannot be trusted. We need a VP that will fight the deep state, not assist them. We are already quite close to a surveillance/police state where dissent is crushed with lawfare.
Gabbard would neutralize the argument that Kamala Harris is unqualified to be President should Biden not be able to finish his term. Harris is substantially more qualified that Gabbard.
Rubio is pro-Israel and pro-immigration. Immediately disqualified.
Gabbard if selected by Trump will be accepted by the Trumplicans due to their cult like worship of him.
The GOP power brokers, however, will not. Her finance and economic policies are not neoliberal. She doesn’t support foreign adventures. In some instances she endorses expansion of the welfare state and breaking up of the big banks among other measures that are not in keeping with the neoliberal philosophy.
She still has political ambitions and has opted to abandon the Democratic Party yet has not registered with the GOP. She is young and positioning herself IMHO for a 2028 run for the presidency waiting for the US economy house of cards to fall or experience an extreme downturn where she will likely most throw her hat in the ring.
She could return to the Democratic Party as the prodigal daughter that will rescue the Party and return it to its New Deal roots or pivot and run as a progressive GOP candidate in the spirit of the Fighting Bob La Follette and Hiram Johnson.
Would Tulsi accept the VP position if offered? If she is as strategic and as smart as I think she is she will inform Trump in advance that she is not interested but would consider a cabinet position as secretary at defense or state where her and Trump are aligned or at least share many of the same tenets.
I think Trump talks to former opponents/critics as a way to mend fences. I recall him meeting with Mitt Romney to discuss a possible cabinet position after the two had been at each other’s throats. Trump thinks he can change these actors and get along for mutual benefit. He is naive about how deep these politicians are in the pockets of their billionaire/trillionaire donors.
Sorry, I didn’t read any of the comments before posting but you missed one very obvious difference between Tulsi and Rubio. Tulsi is an avid anti foreign war interventionist and Rubio is a neocon despite his recent reluctance on Ukraine. Tulsi had it right from the start.
I also don’t think Rubio as a replacement president is a good thing. He is as establishment as they come and that does not bode well for Trumps future health. Tulsi is the opposite and the establishment would fear her much more as President.
Skeletons in closet = blackmailable
= 90% of congress.
Liddle Marco has always been on the “short” list. Pass.
Looks like it is one of 3:
Sources close to the former president told NBC that Trump has chosen one of three candidates: Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH), Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) or Gov. Doug Burgum (R-ND). All of them have spoken ill of Trump previously, with Rubio and Burgum campaigning against him previously and Vance saying he was a “never-Trumper” before running for office. Sources added that the campaign wants someone who “won’t overshadow” Trump, but who will also lay the groundwork for the future of the GOP.
https://www.thedailybeast.com/former-president-donald-trump-says-he-made-his-vp-pick-has-yet-to-tell-them
It all feels like shifting deck chairs on the titanic:
Lest anyone think the problem is improving, this week the Congressional Budget Office released the latest bad news. The CBO now projects federal debt will reach $50.7 trillion in 2034 which will, if their other economic assumptions are correct, equal 122% of GDP. This is $2.4T more than the CBO said just four months ago because that projection included automatic budget cuts which Congress subsequently removed.
Looking only at FY 2024, the new CBO deficit projection is more than $400 billion larger than what the CBO said in February! If you want to get into the weeds, this Bloomberg article summarizes what happened. The part that caught my eye was an FDIC shortfall of (gasp!) $70 billion.
…
They also have a helpful new feature which allows you to go back and forward in time. You can see that total debt was almost $6 trillion in 2000. By 2016 it was ~$21 trillion. It is now almost $35 trillion and will easily be there by the end of the year.
But the shocker is what they project for 2028—$46 trillion in total debt plus another $4.4 trillion in state and local debt! And interest payments will be more than the total combined amount of Medicare and defense spending combined!
…
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This next part is critical. Read it carefully, then read it again.
“Perhaps more than anything else, failure to recognize the precariousness and fickleness of confidence—especially in cases in which large short-term debts need to be rolled over continuously—is the key factor that gives rise to the this-time-is-different syndrome. Highly indebted governments, banks, or corporations can seem to be merrily rolling along for an extended period, when bang!, confidence collapses, lenders disappear, and a crisis hits.
“Economic theory tells us that it is precisely the fickle nature of confidence, including its dependence on the public’s expectation of future events, that makes it so difficult to predict the timing of debt crises. High debt levels lead, in many mathematical economics models, to ‘multiple equilibria’ in which the debt level might be sustained—or might not be.
“Economists do not have a terribly good idea of what kinds of events shift confidence and of how to concretely assess confidence vulnerability. What one does see, again and again, in the history of financial crises is that when an accident is waiting to happen, it eventually does. When countries become too deeply indebted, they are headed for trouble. When debt-fueled asset price explosions seem too good to be true, they probably are. But the exact timing can be very difficult to guess, and a crisis that seems imminent can sometimes take years to ignite.”
Did you read it again? If not, then do so. Burn it into your memory. It is the crux of the issue.
…
We may not have that long, though. Something else could happen first: wars, terrorism, cyberattacks, another pandemic, natural disaster—many unpredictable events could suddenly necessitate sharply higher spending and borrowing. Even a garden-variety recession would be bad, reducing tax revenue while raising demand for safety net spending. Which, by the way, the CBO assumes no recession for the next 10 years. They can’t, of course, but is it realistic?
We are right to fear what is coming, but this is a particular kind of fear. The right word is “dread.” That’s when you know something is coming, but not how bad it will be. The feeling you get right before they prick your finger for a blood sample? That’s dread.
A debt crisis is coming. This time won’t be different.
https://www.mauldineconomics.com/frontlinethoughts/this-time-is-not-different
The GIGO principle applies to those estimates. Have they factored in that tax receipts might halve if/when a global economic crash followed by a long depression happens? Or if Taiwan is invaded the cost of war might blow out the defence budget at the same time global trade crashes? What are the feedback loops if the deficit rises to 10 trillion each year and consumers cut back their expenses on everything but essentials?
Whoever gets the top job for 2025-28 might just get a poisoned chalice of the economic crash that will beat the Great Depression
Exactly. Any black swan event has not been factored in. We know the policy will be similar to what we saw during covid. This is why I believe the Fed will not cut interest rates except for the next emergency. Powell specifically mentioned this when rate hikes started. The Fed and Treasury know the only tool in an emergency is more monetization and inflation. They would rather the economy glide into a recession even if it means slightly higher unemployment than now at the benefit of disinflation/deflation.
Dread is what I’ve been feeling over the last week after thinking about this. I don’t think the US will be out of this period until we have the political will to deal with the problem of debt that’s been created over the last 45 years. My forecast is 2033 which means there is a going to be a lot of pain once the dread starts in earnest.
The CBO sees the deficit reaching $1.92 trillion in 2024, up from $1.69 trillion in 2023, according to updated projections released in Washington Tuesday. The new estimate is more than $400 billion larger than what the CBO anticipated in February — in part reflecting additional spending, including aid for Ukraine, enacted since then, along with Biden administration student-loan relief measures.
Trump is gonna pick whoever he thinks will get him the votes. Just like all elections its far left far right until election time then both parties fight for the middle. All these people want the vp job and will say whatever it takes to get there.
Occam’s razor. Well put.
i don’t give a hoot, hell i live in NYC and see freaks everyday. but this would kill trump with his base.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-p3MmQyfg9Y
The VP pick is really important in this election. Due to Trumps age it’s realistic the VP will be President during Trumps term. He needs a woman of color. There is a rumor floating that Hillary will replace Biden and Kamala remain VP.
I started that rumor.
Rubio is a non-starter for 12th amendment reasons. Forget the ABC article about Cheney. Rubio is a sitting senator. How deep-state, politically expedient could he get to declare himself a resident of another state? And Trump isn’t going to move, either. Too, dancing around the Constitution, violating the spirit of the Constitution, pegs the off-brand meter.
And, so far as all this image/identity stuff (“X is a woman!” “Y is Hispanic!” “Z is Black!”), consider this posh DJT:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zx1cXptLTN8
Now generalize from that video. In your head, listen and watch Biden’s presser, KJP, mouthing Trump’s words. Piece of cake. And, why would a political group not replace their guy’s front man function with a gob of identity-politics video avatars mouthing their group’s positions? It’s what they do with real people now.
I agree, Tulsi is so hands-down the best VP pick that I wonder why the decision hasn’t already been taken. She’s more than-MAGA-enough, with a cautious foreign policy stance that fits very well with America First. She’s libertarian enough to reassure women who want their private parts left alone by the state. Trump may worry that Gabbard will overshadow him. So be it. It’ll be a test of what he’s worth if he can make this excellent choice.
Tulsi was blatantly anti-2A for most of her life, until she suddenly flipped and began believing in gun rights shortly after converting from blue to red. A terrible pick for V.P.!
Lots of women won’t vote for a woman just because she is a woman. DEI is going out of style.
lots of women hate women. wisdom is old as dirt.
Agree. I don’t think women get along with one another as much people think. I only found this out after I got married. My wife interacts with lots of women on her job and effectively tells me they all feel one way privately and behave the opposite around each other. I told it goes back to all women being inherently insecure because they evolved to attract a mate to procreate. She said I was not wrong.
Trump/Tulsi would be a killer ticket… literally for Trump.
The D used whores and Dr Ford to shoot down Trump and the supreme court. Women lib and abortion are behind the curve. If Trump wins he will have a kitchen cabinet. The days of a boardroom with 30/40 “experts” on live tv are over. He will use his instinct. He will be like his dad, the old fashion way
First off assume Biden makes it through debate night without self destructing.
Trump just has to tell the truth, Biden is a radical progressive left wing nut job.
Those voters who are looking for someone aligned with their beliefs and want some representation in the country that they live in, just need a Presidential ticket which reflects those same values.
Economics is a major factor however even larger is the lack of normalcy as most people view things under Biden as coo coo bird time.
Any VP choice must have a solid compass of what was once middle American values. This would show Trump was serious about rebuilding that middle class which made America flourish.
Trump underestimated Biden in their first debate four years ago. He came out really aggressively and tried to trip-up Sleepy Joe. This strategy failed. Biden kept his cool and didn’t stumble, while Trump looked like a high school locker room douchebag. In the end, none of this political theatre matters because most people already know who they’re voting for regardless of debate performance.
I agree most people know who they are voting for.
But there is a lot of interest in seeing what Biden looks like on stage and whether he is mentally and physically fit. I suggest that is what people will be tuning in for.
They said this in 2020 also. But Trump is also 4 years older. We all are 🙂
Yep. This isn’t 2020. But Trump still thinks it is. I predict neither guy will win the debate and it will be a snoozer. I think Biden will end up looking alright by the fall. And as inflation cools further things will look better by election day. Biden has luck on his side. The guy never ceases to amaze me with how many political lives he has had.
There is a big difference between then and now.
No one in their right mind was able to understand just how colossal a Fraud Biden was.
After this length of time there is no doubt that everything about Biden is Fraudulent.
The American people have had their eyes opened Wide..
add: Who would believe that a man who has trouble completing a sentence is also running the executive branch of US Government?
That the story line continues Biden is in control of his faculties is Fraud story #1
By definition, the majority of Americans have average intelligence or below average intelligence. Most of them don’t pay much attention to politics. And when they do, they believe what they see and hear on the mainstream media. The mainstream is still 99% anti-Trump.
The literacy rate in the USA is 85% (down from 97% in 1789). That means 15% of American adults can’t read. And the majority of literate Americans don’t like to read unless it is about a product or vacation they want to buy. Additionally, people with down syndrome and schizophrenia have a right to vote in the USA.
You are overestimating the awakening of the masses.
Yeh that is the downside of living this long. Have been witness to what you describe.
There was a time that people actually attempted to improve their ability to think and held that as a desirable goal to attain. It was an objective of education to educate.
That is probably the best reason I can think of for Trump to select a Woman with a Brain as his running mate. A Terrific role model to follow even if they just do not get Trump.. Too many woman have lost all contact with their rational minds and deal only in emotion and feel good analysis. Fair amount of men have gone out to lunch as well, never to return.
Brain fog and vertigo are bigger than abortion. Sham courts are red lines. Don’t fall in love with Tulsi. She is bs. Youngkin is the best option R got. The question is if he wants. If Biden incapacitated Younkin will beat Gamala. He will follow Trump econ legacy.
Trump, who is running on draining the swamp, seems intent on once again surround himself with swamp creatures. The broader question is “is this all the better America can due for Presidential candidates?”
It’s a sad and silly state of affairs when the abortion issue becomes such a big factor in election. Of course its an irrelevant, wedge issue that plays on identity politics. I don’t see why Republicans are so concerned if Democrats want to limit their numbers through abortion. I’m all for nirth control for Democrats.
Why do women who never had an abortion or will ever have one care so much about abortion. It obvious that its because the pop culture has trained them to feel that way. Pavlov would be proud.
Alex i caught a bit of a discussion a month or so ago. Cant remember podcast or news outlet. The author was discussing his book. From what caught of the discussion. After Nixon know one wanted to vote for a republican. The republican politicians resorted to culture wars to get votes. Pretty much seems that way. Since ive been following politics 25 years. Seem the topics never change. Abortion/ gun rights/ immigration/ god in schools/. You can prob change gay rights to transgender these days. Cant remember the guys name. Maybe do a search if interested. .
Maybe this is a ploy to pick someone for VP. If these delegates didn’t pick Trump, the convention will be quite chaotic. As always the true far right fear Trump is aligned with too much of the deep state. Effectively these are the same electors that likely wanted the election overturned in 2020.
https://www.msn.com/en-ie/news/politics/trump-campaign-seeks-to-head-off-convention-revolt-from-its-right-flank/ar-BB1oGNzp
What’s missing here is the VP candidate is effectively the 2028 GOP nominee for President. While there are many reasons to like Gabbard, I wouldn’t vote for her as President…so why have her as VP now for political expediency? Little Marco is a nod to throwing not just a bone but a big steak to the MIC neocons?
i generally vote on the right/red side of the ballot & i would vote for Gabbard as President…
…and i would NEVER vote for Rubio for any public office, period.
yes, Rubio is a swampReptile neoCon MIC toadie.
the neoCons need DJT, but DJT doesn’t need the neoCons – 2016 proved this in spades.
someone like Gabbard as VP – a GOP VP – could be transformational for US politics… and god knows our politics need something transformational.
“…someone like Gabbard as VP – a GOP VP – could be transformational for US politics…”
Lol….that’s a hoot. It hilarious to me that people think one person is gonna change an entire system built around grift. I’m old enough to remember when Trump got elected. Everybody kept telling me he was the smartest guy alive. That his presidency would be “transformational”. He was gonna “drain the swamp”. When I would ask questions I would get weird looks followed by a reply stating “I just didn’t understand”, Trump was playing 4D chess or some super duper smart person shit that my feable intellect couldn’t comprehend. What a crock of shit. People will believe anything if someone promises them salvation.
Left, Right, Communist, Libertarian, Conservative, Progressive, Anarchist, etc…..everybody is looking for an earthly savior. Only you can make better. Stop looking to these sociopaths to improve your life situation. Doing so ensure perpetual disappointment.
??
you’re the one who sounds disappointed & bitter… don’t ever realize it.
Marco Rubio = establishmentSwamp neoCon puppet.
he would be a terrible choice for VP/running mate. this is another Reagan/Bush (populist winner/neoCon loser) bargain that guarantees neoConSwamp control of the country for another decade or more.
any legacy that Trump might earn in a second term would evaporate the minute he leaves office.
the neoCon swampEstablishment needs DJT far more than DJT needs them. Trump would be a fool to trade long-term legacy for some empty promises.
I think there’s the possibility Trump doesn’t nominate anyone as VP until he has to. And then he could rotate VPs constantly to ensure no one turns against him. He will be very distrusting of everyone after Pence. Trump should make a show about picking the VP. The Apprentice – VP edition. That would be the greatest TV show ever.
ha ha ha. i love it. make the circus of season 2024 even better………..trump is pt barnum and stands for nothing. a pure nihilist. biden is standard uniparty war mongering imperialist.
We are left with no good options while shifting deck hands on the titanic.
OT – looks like Putin wants another cold war with the US. He’s effectively garnered the support of China and North Korea to keep the US at bay. Putin is still playing 4D chess. It is likely only a matter of time before nuclear weapons are pointed at the US from Cuba. This time Putin won’t blink the way Krushchev did. The US will soon be surrounded with few good options. And there are plenty of Russian citizens living in the US as spies. Likewise with Chinese citizens in the US. Putin is thinking he is doing to the US what the US is doing to Russia. Expect instability until 2033 and possible fall of the US government.
Putin sucks at chess. Should be clear to most by now.
Really ? Wasn’t he supposed to be dead by now ? Or overthrown? Putin is bringing the game to the shores of the US rather than having it be at the doorstep of the Kremlin as it was in 2010s.
It took till the end of WW II before Hitler eliminated himself so Putin has a couple more years and then bye-bye Putin. He made a chess move that exposed his king expecting his adversaries not to notice but they did. Like many smart people, he thought he was smarter than everyone else. Do you think that a warship, a sub, a tanker and a tug sent to Cuba are a threat to us? His visit to North Korea resulted in South Korea sending more arms to Ukraine and Japan upping their military budget. Russia is trying to use sabotage in European and US arms factories and that resulted in the US and Europe removing all restrictions on using their weapons in Russian territory. Some chess player!
Read a book Casual. Khrushchev did not blink. “After several tense days, Soviet premier Nikita Khrushchev agreed, to Kennedy’s satisfaction, to remove the missiles in exchange for official American recognition of Fidel Castro’s government in Cuba, the end of the quarantine, and the removal of American nuclear missiles from North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)– …”
Gabbard is a losing pick by the way. She may or may not be a Russian plant but Trump really needs to pick someone that could be President. Gabbard doesn’t have that level of leadership.
On the other side, I would not at all be surprised if Biden steps aside and the super delegates pick Hilary Clinton as their nominee. Not saying this will happen but if Bidens health takes a turn for the worse anything is possible.
Effectively both candidates need an out as they both may not be fit to serve for their own specific cases. Trump bc he’s under prosecution and Biden because he is just old. I do expect the debates to be sort of useless as the people that have not made up their minds aren’t going to vote for either. A lower turnout favors the incumbent.
“Gabbard is a losing pick by the way. She may or may not be a Russian plan”
Are you really as nuts as you sound?
Tulsi Gabbard could very well be part of the Russian Collusion that we heard about ad nauseum for 3 solid years.
No. You still don’t believe there is foreign meddling in elections do you ? Do you think covid was accidental that it happen when it did ?
Casual, America is the biggest meddler by far in foreign elections. The thought that Russia could significantly affect ours is laughable when it’s documented that we actually instigated coups is other countries including Ukraine.
“health takes a turn for the worse” How much worse can it get? You mean dead?
I haven’t seen any signs of serious health issues. No worse than any other 84 year old.
..needs to pick someone that could be President. Gabbard doesn’t have that level of leadership.”
???
If she can navigate airplane steps, she’s obviously darned near overqualified to “lead” this dump.
Reality is that there is NO meaningful difference between ANY candidate EITHER of the two monkey-parties will, nor even can, field. Regardless of who “wins” the silly reality show, nothing of any importance will differ more than a percent or three, from what would be the case if anyone else realistic “won.” Even if Maduro won, or Milei, it still wouldn’t make any appreciable difference.
Silly election campaigns aside, NONE of them stand for anything at all, aside from continued perpetuation of the same, dysfunctional, purely destructive “system” which achieves nothing of any value, but instead just further enshrine the destructive political class’ own privileges.
Ron Paul would at least have tried to make “some” difference. But a nation of well indoctrinated idiots obviously will; now as then; continue to idiot. And no matter what idiots falling down stairs say about idiots drinking bleach and vise versa, they both still remain; as far as anything meaningful goes; both the same: Just two idiots, idioting it up at others’ expense.
In order to win the election Trump has to pick a mainstream Republican. This is the only way he has a shot of winning back those Republcans he’s lost. The party apparatus (effectively hid kids and their spouses) are back to keeping Trump’s worst tendencies away. This is a good thing for the country if he wins or cannot serve bc he is in jail.
Thats what go us Pence The Traitor.
Say no to Rino’s
“Gabbard would be an excellent pick who would genuinely bring some energy to the ticket beyond the base.”
I think this comment fundamentally misunderstands Donald J. Trump. The idea that he would bring a VP on the ticket who might possibly upstage him is deluded. Tulsi is her own woman. She won’t simply look up at him adoringly as he spouts nonsense like Pence did.
I think Trump’s biggest requirement is obedience. He learned that last time!
He obeyed Dr Faust and Steve Mnuchin. He isn’t solitaire.
Tulsi Gabbard can never overcome her strong left positions. As a dem she was completely anti-2A, but suddenly flipped when she switched from blue to red. No one will trust her.
“I think this comment fundamentally misunderstands Donald J. Trump.”
When did I say I thought Trump would do what I suggested?
I have many times stated that Trump wants loyalty more than he wants to win.
My pick would have Trump winning in a landslide.
That does not suggest I believe he will. But until he names it’s a possibility.
I’m afraid here you may be right. Face to face with Gabbard, Trump may suffer the political equivalent of weenie-shrink. Trump didn’t deliver much of anything in his first four years. The VP choice is an early signal of whether this time might be different.
I agree that Rubio is a better choice for VP than Vance. The state residency isn’t a big obstacle unless neither wants to relocate.
None of the listed VP candidates sticks-out as an embarrassment. The only embarrassment on the ticket will be Trump.
Republicans had the better part of 3 years to come-up with another presidential candidate, and they blew it. A VP candidate who profiles well as the next presidential candidate would benefit the republicans in possibly this election and again 4 years down the road.
Trump might be an embarrassment, but to fight him with Stalinist courts is a threat to freedom. Next week he might leave a political will and an economic plan that will guide a future president. It’s a little bit raw and radical, but it might work with a few adjustments, either by R or the D.
There isn’t any evidence known to prove Trump engaged in insurrectionist activity leading to 1/6. I never thought he did any such thing based on my own biases. However, it played-out like a president, voted out of office, who didn’t want to give-up his power.
There are republicans who don’t support Trump because they don’t like his judgment. This lack of support could make a difference in swing states.
Trump could lose to a capable democrat, but for now, at least, he’s running against Joe Biden.
Democrats in Florida are crushed at least through the next election cycle if Rubio’s Senate seat goes up for grabs in a special election.
The best the Florida Democrats have come up with to run against Rick Scott is a failed one term Congresswoman from Dade County, elected in 2018 and sent packing in 2020.
The incompetence of the Democratic Party in Florida is breath-taking. Most of time that can’t even find, much less fund, a candidate.
The Democrats in Florida went for “making history” with their candidate for Governor in 2018, Andrew Gillum. This involved burning some rising stars, and old school party hands. The bench is now empty and the party could face being out of power in the state for at least a decade if not longer.
Florida will be under water by then and a lot of old people will die.
I want Tulsi too, but feel like she will turn off Trump’s base, or at least the anti-abortion hardliners.
A lot of people have expressed to me that she has not paid her dues as a conservative and isn’t even a registered Republican.
If Trump can pitch a ticket as a national unity ticket in some way he can overcome that to an extent but it’s way out of character and as they say, “if you’re explaining, you’re losing”.
Tulsi is bs. According to the 12th Amendment Trump and Rubio is a prohibited pair. If Trump jailed who else ?
Tulsi being picked won’t cause many or any of the MAGA crowd to vote for Biden, maybe a few will just not bother to vote. But her being the VP pick will cause a number of Never Trumpers to vote for Trump in the hopes that Trump ends up resigning and Tulsi becoming POTUS.
But her biggest plus is she will pull the middle ground moderates and Independents over to vote for Trump over Biden.
Correct
she’s hare krishna. not a shot in hell trump picks her. would scare away millions
Tulsi would bring in a lot of independents and is generally respected. She also I believe is the best female presidential material we have. I do like Rubio’s position on stock buybacks but not his foreign policy stances.
Rubio has the qualifications but locks Trump in with Men..
Men are going with Trump as they tend to be the ones paying Bills. When you have to pay the monthlies Biden remains a disaster.
Blacks although they have been moving towards Trump are still stuck in denial about what Biden has done to them.
Key demographic of Woman would flock to a solid plain spoken Female vice president.
Sarah Huckabee Sanders ticks all the boxes.
Governor, common sense, articulate, knows the issues, Midwest, works well with Trump and he would not have to watch for a knife in his back from her.
Sanders also stands for Family values and wants Boys to be Boys and Girls to be Girls.
First time I have heard Tulsi Gabbard speak. She is very articulate and compelling. Has a bit of an angry style, though….kind of reminds me of Michelle Obama.
Rubio was complaining about how our ability to use the dollar payments system as a cudgel is waning
Yeah because the US has overplayed its hand and abused that power, which should be used sparingly
But we have little children in charge of the US now. And Rubio fits in just fine with them
Also, Whoever is Trumps VP if he somehow miraculously overcomes the Security State trying to steal the election from him, will be doomed by the Depression that is coming during the next Presidential term
It would frankly be better to just let the Dems run the doom that is coming and let them take the blame that is their due anyway
Mr Saban, a movie producer, Univisin owner, might become the new Spanish conquistador. Univision is the most important TV network in the US. He isn’t infatuated with Tulsi.
Well, ’cause he’s short.
The often repeated thesis on this website that angry renters will decide the election is not compelling because the share of renting households in the key battle ground states (Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania) is very low 14-17 percent. And I don’t believe that the states with the high shares of renter households, for example California (30 percent), are up for grabs (Nevada is an exception, however). .
A better term than “renters” would be people who don’t hold assets. Those are the people who have been most adversely affected by the 30% inflation since the 2020-21 Great Financial Bailout.
The homeownership rate is those three states is around 70%. https://www.newsweek.com/map-shows-us-states-highest-lowest-homeownership-1889378
Tulsi’
s speech is broken up… Even though the scrawl on bottom was continuous.
Delightful reminder of when Richard pretended to live in WY. Clearly a rule that is pointless and ineffective-
https://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=96427&page=1
The intelligence community didn’t mind W (son of a CIA head) becoming president or Darth Cheney as VP. The IC hates Trump so much that the FBI sat on Hunter’s laptop for over a year and 51 intel demons signed a bogus proclamation that implied it was “The Russians”. It would be different if Trump picked a Floridian for VP than with Bush/Cheney.
trump is slipping jimmy from better call saul. he’s not in the yacht club of establishment. he cannot win this time. his cabinet members all despise him……….the deep state despises him. not a shot he can win against an incumbent.
Rubio is a Napoleon in the making. About the same height as well.
Meanwhile, remember how the polls in 2016 were totally wrong? But of course, it wasn’t because they were doctored to make it look like Hillary was more popular than she actually was.
Well, don’t look now, but the polls are starting to show Biden pulling ahead of Trump for the first time in a long time. Just in time for the home stretch.
National favorable vs unfavorable polls are unreliable. It’s the swing states that matter. Heck Hillary won the popular vote in California by over 3 million votes. More than the entire margin nationwide so it very much depends on where the respondents are from.
A Hawaiian Democrat with Bernie leanings. That surely rings all the bells. Would also lead to another Clinton homicide. Definitely not the safe bet for Trump.
Mish, you were a political train wreck in 2020. You are dead on over the target this time. Tulsi as VP and this thing is over. Landslide victory for the ticket. Will Trump be brave enough to ignore the noise for a traditional Republican or a MAGA guy?
I was not a train wreck in 2020. At least I called it right. And in 2016 I had Trump losing but whereas Nate Silver was 90-10, I was 55-45 and said it would be close.
Had it not been for that last minute Comey bombshell I believe Hillary would have won.
Going way back to the first Obama run, I called 49 of 50 states correct before he even won the nomination. They give kudos to Silver for getting 50 of 50 right.
I suggest 49 of 50 in February is a better result.
Just for making that post I was called a n lover, white trash, radical left. I never voted for any mainstream party candidate for decades. I vote Libertarian. I don’t particularly like any of them. But for me I would 100 times prefer Trump to Biden.
But I am voting Libertarian. It would be harder in a state where my vote mattered.
been voting libertarian forever. i am with you on this.
I’m disappointed that you’re wasting your vote on the wack job libertarian nominee this cycle when you admit you prefer Trump 100-1 over Biden.
What has the libertarian party ever done for you that deserves your blind loyalty? Isn’t that what the blacks are widely criticized for?
Since he lost the battle with the swamp Trump might be a transitional candidate. The R might select Rubio or somebody else against Biden in the Nov election. The country will not forgive the D party after victimizing Trump in sham trials. Next week he should attack the D party as a corrupt Stalinist entity.
Spellcheck correction. “Next week he should attack the D party as a corrupt Satinist entity”.
I would prefer Tulsi as VP choice. She walks the walk.
There is almost zero chance that Trump would pick Rubio. There’s the 12th Amendment problem of having presidential and VP candidates from the same state. You could end up with Trump as president and Harris as VP. The Intelligence Community would kill Trump on the way back from the inauguration. Also Rubio is a neocon warmongering piece of shit.
What? They can’t live in the same state? If only there were an historic example of how one could overcome such a monumtal obstacle 🙄
https://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=96427&page=1
Listen smarty pants, if you think Trump would be allowed to pull a Cheney, you must have been in a coma the last nine years. There would be a lawsuit challenging either Trump or Rubio declaring themselves resident of another state. There is one law for your regular politician and another law for Orange Hitler.
You think a lawsuit would have any impact? Even MSNBC wouldn’t cheerlead that given the precedent cited and the fact that there is no stated length of time that residency needs to be established for, so a move could happen in September.
There are reasons for you to clutch your pearls concerning Donald’s political ambitions, but this issue is nothing.
I would not select a Senator as VP. Even though a governor will replace the Senator with someone from the party, there are long term risks. Will the replacement be electable at the end of the term? Will the VP candidate be re-elected as Senator if unsuccessful at winning the White House? Incumbency has its advantages.
Tulsi poses none of the risks mentioned above, and 7th bell, she has served in the US Army Reserve.
100 Percent true. Also, Tulsi is military and an anti-neo-con, which is good for the base. That she was a democrat does not matter – everyone in HI is a democrat. Damn I was a democrat once, and so was JFK, who would be called a fascist by the d’s today. .
Reagan was also once a Democrat as was Trump
correct. Trump was a Democrat.