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Trump Quietly Working the the Republican nomination system …Open Thread for 10 Sept. 2023…

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Folks?

Donald J. Trump IS serious about trying to get a second term to help solve his TON of legal problems and avenge his loss in 2020 and go after those who have gone after him….

Politico points to efforts by Trump & Co. to work to MAKE sure that any state Republican Party can’t go rouge on them to another candidate thru technicalities in getting the Presidential nomination….

Biden has also been told to cut his traditional running at the mouth under worries that his comments could , and would,  be ‘used against him’…He WILL be spending a shit load of time in court during the next 14 years +……

Sounds like a guy who might NOT so sure he has the sweepstakes prize locked up, eh?

On the other hand?

This campaign stuff IS a good way to keep Trump from just worrying about his legal problems, eh?

In recent weeks, Trump allies have worked with officials in various states to ensure that rules around the rewarding of delegates benefit them. Trump’s campaign has warned state party officials against dealing with super PACs, with an eye on choking off the efforts of Never Back Down, the super PAC supporting Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. Trump has worked donors in an attempt to either get their money or persuade them not to give to others. He’s had meetings with policy advisers and has churned out policy videos. He’s done tele-rallies. And Trump has made countless personal calls to Republican officials, like Suarez, in an effort to win their support.

“One thing is certain, no one is taking their eye off the ball, which right now, is about winning the nomination,” said an adviser to Trump, granted anonymity to speak more freely about the campaign’s approach.

The approach Trump’s team has adopted is a reflection of the unprecedented and unorthodox place his campaign is in. He has publicly taken on the posture of an incumbent, privately adopted the mindset of a fighter, all while trying to avoid the fate of a convict.

The results: A man who once couldn’t resist a camera or crowd is doing a lot of his work outside of public view. While he has worked the phones, Trump has done far less on-the-ground campaigning than his competitors, his campaign says in part due to his near-universal name recognition and constant media attention. He rejected the opportunity to appear at the first GOP debate and is unlikely to appear at the second debate, in California, which is hosted by the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, an institution he has feuded with in the past.

“President Trump is outworking every single person in this race and it shows — he’s dominating in every single poll both nationally and statewide,” said Trump spokesperson Steven Cheung. “There is nobody who can come close to everything he has done and will do to ensure he’s the nominee and turn the focus to prosecuting Joe Biden’s disastrous record.”

Instead, he’s done spot appearances publicly. During the last debate, he counter-programmed the event by sitting for an interview with Tucker Carlson. According to one person close to the campaign, he might choose to hold a rally the evening of the second debate, although no decisions have been made.

Trump’s allied super PAC is largely mirroring this pick-and-choose your spots approach. Maga Inc. has spent more than $22 million on national advertising this year — more than any other campaign, and much of it focused on attacking DeSantis. But it has also periodically gone dark. And since Aug. 27, the super PAC has not aired a TV ad, according to ad tracking data. They stopped airing ads about DeSantis in late June….

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    • From CG’s daily piece….

      …Republicans seem intent on once again picking Donald Trump though and frankly the rank and file members of that party think Trump will beat Biden easily. After all, they delusional enough to think he won the last time as well, Seeing Biden’s low poll numbers and Trump being basically tied with him in the “corporate media woke polls” have them thinking Trump is in good shape to retake the White House. Of course, they are not realizing that Trump has a ceiling of support that he cannot get past and that the undecideds in these polls are very unlikely to ever decide to vote for Trump. These Trump supporters also do not seem to understand the logistics that will be involved for Trump’s future as he will be quite busy as a criminal defendant fairly soon.

      For now, the Republican race remains in a holding pattern. Trump looks like a solid favorite. Today, he and Ron DeSantis both visited the same Iowa vs Iowa State football game in the state that will host the first Caucus. If Trump takes Iowa by a solid margin next winter, is the whole thing over? That is really hard to say, but for now, the bottom line is backing Trump is pretty much a solid tenant of reality for many Republicans…..

      Link…

    • Morning……….

      Bless America…….

      The Good, Bad and Ugly…….

      Lord keep this place in one piece…….

    • This again? Look Vice Presidents are almost never popular and the idea that a President can improve standing by just switching out their running mate has been pure fantasy for the last several decades.

      I seem to recall every President in my memory being encouraged to change out the VP candidate.

      Reagan was told to get rid of “wimp” Bush and pick up Jack Kemp.

      Bush 41 was told to drop the hot potatoe Dan Quayle for gulf war hero Colin Powell

      Bush 43 was told to drop the incredibly unpopular Dick Cheney for someone who could run in 2008.

      Obama was told to drop Biden–who was popular–to make way for Hillary Clinton.

      Trump fans wanted to replace Pence with a gallow!

      I don’t recall talk of Gore being replaced in 1996 but there was probably at least one article about it.

      It simply doesn’t happen anymore.

      Prove me wrong!

      • I only post articles of interest. Replacing Harris isn’t a feasible idea, even if I wish Biden had picked Tammy Duckworth in 2020.

        Interestingly, Bush the First might have had a better chance if he had ditched Quayle for Colin Powell or (ugh) even Schwarzkopf. Quayle running off at the mouth about Murphy Brown and single mothers did not help the campaign.

        • As someone here pointed out earlier, while it was not unheard of in the 19th century (e.g. Andrew Johnson over VP Hannibal Hamlin in 1864), the only two examples of knocking a sitting VP off a re-election ticket in the last century are Henry Wallace in 1944 and Nelson Rockefeller in 1976.

          • Imagine how much better a country we’d be if Henry Wallace had succeeded FDR and continued/broadened upon the New Deal/New Bill of Rights foundation that Roosevelt laid. Truman wasn’t bad, but Henry Wallace would have been way better.

  5. Headline at Political Wire….

    “Trump Lead Keeps Expanding”

    What?Readers here know better though because our moderator assures us (as he has for seven years now) that Trumps support is collapsing almost daily, that he is finished, that Republicans “really “ don’t like him,etc etc.

    If Political Wire wants to survive?I suggest they hire our moderator.He KNOWS what’s “really “ happening!

    • Trump’s Lead Keeps Expanding

      A new Fox News poll finds Donald Trump leading the GOP presidential field nationally with 60%, followed by Ron DeSantis at 13%, Vivek Ramaswamy at 11%, Nikki Haley at 5%, Mike Pence at 3%, Tim Scott at 3% and Chris Christie at 2%.

      …

      2024 Republican Presidential Nomination Quinnipiac Trump 62, DeSantis 12, Ramaswamy 6, Haley 5, Pence 5, Christie 2, Scott 3, Elder 0, Hutchinson 1, Burgum 0 Trump +50

      • Yup he’s been realitivly quiet the last week and his lead in the polls have actually gone Up….

        Part of this IS a function of DeSantis going in the toilet and Vivek, crazy as a fox nipping at his heels….

        Again Jack?

        Good majority…

        But a far cry from the 80%’s he used to enjoy….

        BTW?

        Me and Democrats ARE Happy with this….

    • That was my exact thought Jack when I saw this poll. Trump, even from a jail cell, is the Republican nominee next year.

      One thing that I have noticed here. James did not “report” on the conviction (22 years as I recall) of Proud Boy Enrique Tarrio one of the masterminds of the attempt to overthrow our government on January 6th.

      You remember, January 6th is in the rearview mirror.

      Sort of like Donald Trump is fading.

        • You simply cannot admit that you were wrong even when it’s shoved in your face.

          And, everyone here, all five of them, know that.

          Stop with the ridiculous deflections please.

            • No, no, a 22 year sentence was handed down for a domestic Republican terrorist and not a post for you.

              I won’t play this game James.

              There is a reason you don’t have more folks here and it’s you.

              • Truthfully Keith?

                Some here attack others NOT Democrats so HARD?

                They drop out…..

                Of course U play games….

                I just listed SEVERAL posts about Proud boys getting convicted ….

                I regularly mention OTHERS besides that group being indicted and arrested….

                I report an overview of things to boot….

                These knuckleheads GOT media time overload ON Jan. 6…..

                Like Donald Trump will in the end?

                The ‘System’ will put them in their place….

                The message HAS been made clear….

                Even with Trump’s urging?

                There are NO MORE Mass protest crowds anywhere…..

                And YES Keith….

                Republicans that hid behind their desk’s in fear for their lives?

                Want the memories of that day to go away….

                It mostly will….

                Until the Federal Jan. 6 trial……

            • What, James?

              Aren’t you just giving those terrorists the oxygen of free publicity that they so desperately need? ☺

              • Oh please, the man who posts every poll, every piece of gossip somehow forgets to post a historic conviction of a domestic terrorist that will directly support an ongoing trial in DC that could convict Donald Trump.

                And you think James didn’t want to give him publicity?

                How about scaring the shit out of other Proud Boys who will be called into service for Trump?

                Seriously, James said January 6th was in the rear view mirror. Do you agree Dave?

                  • Go where James?

                    You said something that you cannot defend, that happens here frequently.

                    You clearly didn’t think a 22 year sentence for a domestic terrorist was an important issue to report. My view, you knew it didn’t support your initial ill advised statement that January 6th was in the rear view mirror, because it does anything but that. So, you didn’t want to bring attention to it.

                    Posting something on a historic verdict is anything but giving terrorist publicity.

                    Don’t drop the soap Enrico.

                    • It still is for most Americans….

                      The good thing IS the System has caught up to over 1,000 perp’s and will continue to go after more….

                      Quiet or NOT….

                      The message HAS spread wide and far….

                      Such actions will cost ya….

                      Including the guy who wanted it….

    • Look at the story and it doesn’t seem quite so bad. These three were the last of 22 defendants, many of whom were convicted and sentenced. In particular, the BBC story says that:

      “Ringleaders Adam Fox and Barry Croft Jr were convicted of kidnapping conspiracy last year. Fox was sentenced to 16 years in prison while Croft was handed a sentence of 19 years and 7 months. Joseph Morrison, the leader of the Wolverine Watchmen, was sentenced to 10 to 20 years in prison.”

      So it’s not as if every conspirator got off scot-free.

      I didn’t follow any of these trials, but my experience reporting on a few trials many years ago taught me to be very careful of judging a jury’s verdict when you haven’t heard all the testimony in person (let alone sat in on the jury’s deliberation.

      The jury may have been wrong or may have been right after hearing and deliberating over all the evidence and arguments, but I know I’m really in no position to decide that.

  7. What’s really disappointing, James, is the NC poll that has Trump up 6. Even Texas is apparently more competitive. And Biden leads in Georgia and Arizona, albeit narrowly.

    My idea of moving up to Concord(Cabarrus County, Charlotte Metro) to try helping to build the local party and eat into the Republicans margins(Alamance County, Winston Salem and Greensboro Metro areas is also an idea) is gaining some traction.

      • I want to see him expand his coalition. And he has an above average record on which he can run to do such, to say nothing of the low quality of Trump and DeSantis.

        Contrary to my posts about the decades long project of making AL, AR, KY, MS, SC, & TN competitive, I think Biden’s best shots at expanding the coalition are the aforementioned NC & TX, plus AK, KS, MT, UT, the ME Electoral Vote Trump won twice, and a second Electoral Vote from NE.

        • FDR and Harry Truman had large governing majorities and electoral successes to enact the necessary sweeping changes our country needed.

          If Biden gets a landslide win, a modest-to-robust House majority, and picks off Ted Cruz while losing only Manchin and a real Democrat winning Arizona, Build Back Better will become reality and we can finally tackle extending paid time off after pregnancy, child tax credits, free College, Single Payer Healthcare, America’s responsibility towards combating Climate Change, etc. When the people see what Democrats can do, Republicans don’t stand a chance.

        • Winning Utah

          Biden should go to Salt Lake City and bring up his friendship with the greatest Mormon that ever lived, Harry Reid. The man who made prescient, prophetic statements about Mitt Romney and the billionaire classes taxes, and leveraged his legislative might towards passing ObamaCare.

  9. James has the New York Times on the blog sidebar. They just dropped a banger of an interview with the odious Jann Wenner, founder of Rolling Stone magazine. In addition to the ludicrous and quite sexist comments he made about female performers, he also defended how his magazine handled the University of Virginia Story, in which a woman fabricated an allegation of rape to RS reporters, saying it was essentially right on the money in terms of what goes on in colleges. That may have a grain of truth to it, but it misses the point and gives the seditionists ammo to attack the press.

    He also still holds up Hunter S. Thompson as a beacon of factual, literal accuracy. I can’t even.

  10. I confess I am way more of a dreamer than most on here.

    In the age of backlash against anti abortion policies and election denialism, my dreaming ways make for a lot more spot on predictions than I’m accustomed to making.

  11. A marker for Jack’s view of the Grand ole Party and its memebers….

    Republicans against Trump
    @RpsAgainstTrump
    With Trump cheating on his wives with porn stars and raping E. Jean Carroll

    Kristi Noem having an affair with Trump advisor Lewandowski,

    CPAC chair Matt Schlapp accused of groping 3 men,

    Lauren Boebert in a groping session at a theater in front of children.

    Matt Gaetz accused of sex with underage girls,

    I’m starting to think the Republican party can not call itself the “family values” party.

  12. The battle for the Republican presidential nomination is really much ado about nothing .

    Sure Trump is presently demolishing his opposition but let’s make some contrary assumptions…

    So let’s just suppose that Desantis ( or any of the others for that matter) catches fire and somehow wins the nomination….

    Does anyone here really believe that a defeated Trump will appear at the convention,raise the victors hand and announce his full support ?Sure that’s going to happen!

    Nope, if Trump starts losing ,as he did in 2020 ,he will denounce the process as “crooked,” will demand the convention nominate him and if they don’t?At best, will simply tell his supporters (remember around 30% of Trump supporting Republicans consistently say that Trump is more important to them than the Republican Party) not to vote or ,at worst ,will actually run as aThird party candidate (with his widespread support ,he will have little problem qualifying for all states ballot) .

    In either case, the Republican candidate is doomed.

    So?The Republicans either nominate Trump and are likely to lose or nominate someone else and DEFINITELY lose.

    • If the Trump third party scenario played out ,then the 2024 election would have overtones of the 1912 election where former President Theodore Roosevelt was denied the Republican nomination which went to incumbent William Howard Taft.

      Roosevelt became the candidate of Progressive Party(popularly known as the Bull Moose Party) and outpolled Taft in both popular and electoral votes,essentially handing the election to Democratic Woodrow Wilson.

      • KY-Gov: THere’s no two ways about it; Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear (D) is in the driver’s seat for reelection against AG Daniel Cameron (R). We already knew that Beshear was popular and leading in the polls, but now we know that he’s leading in the money race as well. In fact, he’s not just leading Cameron, but lapping him several times over. Beshear has taken in about $15 million so far, while Cameron has taken in less than $3 million.

        • Cameron is a better candidate then Bevin was. Then again, Beshear is a stronger candidate than he was when he beat Bevin. So I’d definitely give Democrats the edge here.

          Louisiana probably flips back to the Republicans this year barring something unforseen, and Mississippi looks to be the wild card.

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