…from a Politicalwire paywall piece…
Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI) voted “present” last night on both articles of impeachment against President Trump. She put out a statement saying that she believed it was best for voters to decide Trump’s fate.
There’s no way this helps her fledgling presidential bid. It’s impossible to imagine any Democrat winning the nomination without being all in on the impeachment effort.
But she’s giving up what was a very safe House seat, so she wouldn’t be running for president if she were actually leaving politics.
So what is she running for?
Jonathan Last sees three possibilities:
- She is trying to position herself to run in the future as a Democrat, either for one of Hawaii’s Senate seats or for the presidency in 2024.
- She is courting Trump as a possible replacement for Mike Pence on the Republican ticket.
- She is creating space to run as a third-party candidate in 2020.
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Gabbard voting “present” on the articles of impeachment is entirely consistent for someone laying the groundwork a third party presidential bid….
image…nbcxnews.com
She’s a turd. Just like Van Drew–who seems to be having second thoughts about becoming a Republican. He should probably just quit altogether. He’d lose either primary he ran in now.
I believe Van Drew is visiting Trump at his office this afternoon….
POLITICO
@politico
President Donald Trump will meet with Rep. Jeff Van Drew, sparking speculation that the two will announce the New Jersey Democrat’s defection to the Republican Party
I have my doubts as to whether Van Drew could win a Republican primary – although being viewed as a faithful crony right Trump will help. It will be an uphill battle, but Democrats might still win this seat in 2029
2020 – big fingers, small iphone.
Van Drew officially switched parties pledging “undying support” for Trump
Welcome to the Cult!
It was the Oval Office thing?
She will never win another race as a Democrat. Hopefully, that is the last we ever hear of her.
She isn’t gonna disappear I think….
She’ll be primaried for certain now.
I don’t think she’s running for re-election.
My bet, she’s trying to be Green Party candidate.
The Greens are neutral on impeachment? Voting present won’t help her get the nomination.
Whatever one thinks of her, Gabbard is well known nationally due to her campaign.
Minor parties like to have nationally known personalities as their candidates.( see the Libertarians accepting William Weld as their VP candidate even though he opposed many of their positions)
If Gabbard wants the Greens nomination?She can probably have it.
Gabbard has dug herself in a hole with Democrats….
Gabbard became a trending topic in the U.S. — first by name, then by the hashtag “#TulsiCoward” — Wednesday night and Thursday morning after becoming the lone member of Congress not to take a side on impeachment.
Gabbard is the only remaining Democratic House member running for president. The rest of the Democratic field voiced their support for the president’s impeachment.
Gabbard’s vote Wednesday was more in line with House Republicans, who voted “no” in a unified bloc. And her “present” vote also revived allegations that she’s a Russian asset who could play spoiler in the general election by running a third-party campaign, echoing criticism Hillary Clinton lobbed at the Hawaii congresswoman in October when she called Gabbard “the favorite of the Russians” in a podcast interview.
…
Sellers, the former South Carolina legislator, was more explicit.
“Tulsi Gabbard stands the same chance of winning the Democratic nomination as I do of winning the NFL MVP. I mean, that ain’t happening,” he said. “Her endgame is to be a famous Fox News commentator and go on there and bash Democrats all day. She speaks more harshly about Hillary Clinton than Bashar al Assad and Donald Trump.”
More…
Former Ohio Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D) has endorsed Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii) in the 2020 Democratic presidential primary….
More…