It’s ALL about ‘The Donald’….
Donald Trump puts a premium on loyalty. He demands it from his employees, his followers and everyone in his orbit. But when Trump is faced with a loyalty test himself, he turns into Judas Iscariot, only Trump is playing for much bigger stakes than 30 pieces of silver….
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Trump is all about celebrity, sycophancy and himself. In the Oz endorsement, that works. Oz is a celebrity like Trump and is practiced in appealing to his audience. An open text like Trump must have been putty in the hands of an expert showman like Oz. But Trump himself gains something. Endorsing the front-runner, McCormick, would not generate much news — but plumping for a national TV talk show host gets national publicity. Trump loves that.
But Trump has a problem. Candidates and voters are not falling into line. Trump’s endorsements have rarely cleared the primary field. None of the serious candidates are getting out of the Pennsylvania race. Nor has Trump been able to intimidate Republicans in North Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee or Alabama.
And his hand-picked candidates are not doing that well in competitive races….
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Trump has had a good time running roughshod over the Republican Party and any conservative that gets in his way — but the bills are piling up, and he may well pay the price in 2024. Judas was able to cash in on betrayal, but it didn’t turn out well for him either.
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….While other past presidents have ceded the political stage, Mr. Trump has done the opposite, aggressively pursuing an agenda of vengeance against Republicans who have wronged him, endorsing more than 140 candidates nationwide and turning the 2022 primaries into a stress test of his continued sway.
Inspiring fear, hoarding cash, doling out favors and seeking to crush rivals, Mr. Trump is behaving not merely as a power broker but as something closer to the head of a 19th-century political machine.
“Party leaders have never played the role that Trump is playing,” said Roger Stone, an on-and-off adviser to Mr. Trump since the 1980s who has been spotted at Mar-a-Lago of late. “Because he can — and he’s not bound by the conventional rules of politics.”
This portrait of Mr. Trump as a modern-day party boss is drawn from more than 50 interviews with Trump advisers past and present, political rivals, Republicans who have sought his support and G.O.P. officials and strategists who are grappling with his influence.
Mr. Trump plainly relishes the power. But as he hints repeatedlyabout a third White House bid, the looming question is whether he can remain a kingmaker if he doesn’t actually seek the crown.
For now, he has delved into the minutiae of cleansing the Republican Party of his critics, even if, in typical fashion, the planning and execution can be haphazard. He has focused his efforts almost obsessively on installing unflinching loyalists in key battleground state posts — governors, senators, House members, secretaries of state and state attorneys general — often in place of the very officials who thwarted his attempts to subvert the 2020 results….
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Mr. Trump can be downright stingy. Though he holds rallies for some candidates, for many his support goes no further than an email and a $5,000 check. Mr. Trump has almost never deployed his huge list of supporters to help other politicians raise money (Representative Elise Stefanik of New York being a rare exception earlier this year). Facing the possibility of high-profile defeats, the Trump team is now planning to spend directly to assist some vulnerable Trump-backed candidates…
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With an eye to his win-loss record on endorsements, Mr. Trump is increasingly treating Republican candidates like game pieces to be moved, swapped or abandoned. Results have been mixed…
image….Brittany Greeson for The New York Times
Looks like presidential debates are a thing of the past
Republicans have essentially said they will no longer participate.
As those here know,I’ve never been a fan of these so called “ debates” and view them as nothing more that “ gotcha” type shows, complete with a live studio audience for cheers and jeers.
They won’t be missed.
You don’t think there will be any?
I disagree…..
There are half a dozen news channels on regular and cable that would offer a venue….
Yes….
They ARE ‘gotcha’…..
But there WILL be debates….
I’m certain the pressure from the media would YUGE for at least one….
And the handlers would;d want a second one case their person messes up…..
I also find it is hard to believe that presidential debates are a thing of the past! Lots of voters including myself still enjoy them and the candidates will want to get their message out.
It is not politically popular to oppose debates . SoI bet that there be one or more debates.
Jack is correct that debates tell us relatively little a bout the candidates. Usually, A president will always discuss with advisers every major decision he makes , fact rarely comes out in a debate.
Agree with ya that one way or another there WILL BE 2024 Presidential Debate’s….
People get a visual bead on the candidate’s that isn’t based on facts for sure……
But IS important….
Ted Cruz says Disney will have Mickey and Pluto fucking “in every episode” because the company supports LGBTQ rights.
Well now we know what Cancun Cruz jerks it to.
Cruz?
The guy who lays down for Trump who shitcanned his dad in public?
Republicans will believe anything if it fits their narrative.
Maybe Cruz thinks the “B” in LGBT stands for beastiality.