After watching two horribly moderated GOP debates I have seen enough.
It is time for every single candidate not named Donald Trump or Ron DeSantis to drop out of the race.
The reality is, outside of those two candidates, no one else has a legitimate reason for staying in the race.
Governor Doug Burgum, you are a successful businessman and you seem like a decent person and a competent executive—which is not something we can say about most politicians. In fact, I would probably even enjoy having a beer with you. But as the late Charles Krauthammer might say, there’s a better chance of it snowing in hell than you being the GOP standard bearer.
Chris Christie, if there was ever a time when you might have had a shot of becoming president it was in 2012, but you chose to hug Barack Obama instead. You also shut down the George Washington Bridge over pettiness, and got smoked by Trump in 2016, while simultaneously taking Senator Marco Rubio down with you. Seven years later, your only justification for staying in the race seems to be to take Trump out. But the problem is, even though you’re a skilled debater who knows how to deliver a decent soundbite, no one likes you, nor do we have any idea what you stand for or why you’re even running. We know you’re not going to drop out at least until after the New Hampshire primary, but it would be great if you could do us all a favor and exit stage right.
Mike Pence, you were a loyal and competent vice president and certainly deserve a lot of credit for Trump’s legislative victories and foreign policy wins, including the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, the USMCA agreement and negotiating a ceasefire between Turkey and Syria. Had Trump remained in office for four more years with you as his VP, you may have had a legitimate reason to run for president. But as the leader of the White House Coronavirus Task Force, you also allowed Dr. Fauci to destroy our economy while sacrificing our children’s future. The reality is you have not been the same person since January 6th, 2021. Like Christie, you only seem to be in the race because of a personal vendetta with Trump, while simultaneously taking credit for all of his victories. You can’t have it both ways sir, and the GOP base is certainly not picking up what you’re putting down. Your time to bow out is now.
Senator Tim Scott, you have a compelling story, you are a good senator and are a much needed voice for the GOP, but your message is not resonating, especially when it comes to how we deal with Ukraine. Part of your problem (and believe me this is a good problem if decency means anything) is that you come across as too nice of a guy, during a period when the GOP is looking for a fighter who won’t get trampled by the Left. If we’re being honest, you do not seem like the right person to dismantle the Deep State and root out the corruption in Washington. I think you would be an excellent choice for VP, or another cabinet position, but like the aforementioned candidates, you also have no business remaining in this race.
As I have already written about, Vivek Ramaswamy is a fraud. And with each debate performance he only continues to prove it. I’m old enough to remember at the first debate when Ramaswamy said he was “the only person on this stage who isn’t bought and paid for,” before pivoting in the second debate and referring to his opponents as “good people on this stage.” Just to reiterate again, Ramaswamy will say and do anything to increase his standing with the GOP voters, because he is not in this race to become president. He is in the race to raise his profile, before ultimately returning to being a pharma-bro, a TV personality, or perhaps a tennis player in need of a backhand. Given that Ramaswamy’s net-worth is close to a billion dollars, he will likely stay in the race at least through Super Tuesday, but it would be great if he would just drop out now.
Which leaves us with Nikki Haley. Yes, she had some fine moments in both debates, and seems to have a firm grasp when it comes to foreign policy and the very real threats we face from China and Iran, but she also took a cheap shot against DeSantis that was unfounded, including when she said he opposed offshore drilling in Florida. In reality, DeSantis was simply following the will of the Florida voters, who supported a constitutional amendment in 2018. Regardless, like Senator Scott, I think Haley would also be a fine VP pick, or perhaps secretary of state, but she just does not seem to be the right candidate that will fight back against Leftist tyranny, and no I’m not saying that because she’s a woman. Realistically, outside of South Carolina, it’s hard to see her finishing higher than third in any primary. But like Ramaswamy, Haley will likely stay in the race through Super Tuesday, even though she shouldn’t.
If these candidates really want to do something heroic, then they should all drop out now and rally around Governor DeSantis, not only because he has by far the greatest conservative record of accomplishments, but more importantly, because he has the best shot at winning in the general election.
What more proof do we need other than his resounding 2022 gubernatorial victory in which he won by the largest raw vote margin in Florida state history—garnering more than 1.5 million votes than his opponent and winning 62 out of 67 counties. And if his policies were really seen as “too extreme,” then how do you explain the fact that he flipped Miami-Dade County red, and was up +30% with Hispanics, up +19% with Independents, and up +9% with women compared to his victory in 2018?
The longer these candidates stay in the race, the more it dilutes the vote and helps Trump, with what is almost certain to be a surefire defeat in the general election. Yes, I’m aware that some polls show Trump beating Biden, but no one inspires the Democratic base to get out and vote like Trump does, and we simply cannot take that chance.
If the candidates truly cared about helping to save the most important constitutional republic in the world, they would bow out gracefully now, while still maintaining an ounce of pride and dignity. Most of them will be able to run again in eight years anyway.
But by staying in the race, they will not be sacrificing their lives, they will be sacrificing our lives.
The risk to our country is too great.