The Republican Field Is Dismally Third-Rate
In 2028, the GOP might run Nikki Haley or Ron DeSantis for president, although so far their dress rehearsals have been going rather poorly, each demonstrating their own myriad shortcomings. But yesterday each one of them paid obeisance to the man they’re making a half-hearted attempt to beat for the 2024 nomination. Reeling from her birdbrain remark about the cause of the Civil War, Haley said in remarks captured by NBC News on tape at a fundraiser that if Trump is found guilty— presumably of anything— she would pardon him.
“I would pardon Trump. If he is found guilty, a leader needs to think about what’s in the best interest of the country. What’s in the best interest of the country is not to have an 80-year-old man sitting in jail, that continues to divide our country. What’s in the best interest of the country would be to pardon him, so that we can move on as a country and no longer talk about him.”
What a shame there wasn’t a smart high school student there to remind her that pardoning Trump would send a message that powerful individuals are above the law and can escape consequences no matter their actions and that what she proposes would undermine the core principle of equal justice under the law and damage public trust in the justice system. Another high school student might then stand up and chime in that a pardon would deprive victims of crimes and the American public of a sense of justice and closure and that questions and doubts about his guilt would remain, potentially fueling further division and animosity. Besides, pardoning Trump would likely deepen existing political and social divisions. MAGAts would no doubt see a pardon as a validation of his groundless claims of persecution, while normal people would rightly view it as a betrayal of the justice system and an insult to the truth. This would exacerbate tensions and hinder national healing.
My own biggest worry— and why I advocate the death penalty for Trump— is that a pardon would embolden future presidents to disregard the law, believing they are immune to consequences, leading to further misconduct and even more serious offenses. Remember, moving on does not require silencing accountability. Justice and reconciliation can coexist. A fair and legal process, even if it leads to a conviction and imprisonment, would offer a more stable path towards healing and national unity.
As awful as Haley is, she looks almost normal compared to the other big GOP contender, Florida’s giant mistake, Ron DeSantis. Yesterday he was interviewed by his old colleague, Jason Chaffetz on Fox, saying he would fire Jack Smith on his first day in office, a day that will likely never come. DeSantis speaks only to Republicans trapped in the MAGA information bubble: “I think that a guy like me as the nominee will be able to keep the focus on Biden, keep the focus on the Democrats’ failures but then, more importantly, after you win the election, start holding these people accountable, who have weaponized the legal system to go after their political enemies. And that starts with day one, firing somebody like Jack Smith. That goes to dealing with people who are violating constitutional rights at the state and local government area.”
Few people outside of brain-baked Florida had a clear idea of who DeSantis is before the primary. He started out strong and as Republican voters have gotten to know him, his favorable ratings have gone straight down. He was always second to Trump in the early contests— until he started campaigning in those states. Nationally his polling average among Republicans of over 30% about a year ago has steadily declined to around 11% today. According to the the right-wing RealClearPolitics polling average, he’s still second in Iowa (18.6%) with Haley gaining on him (16.1%) but with Trump looking unbeatable (51.3%). In New Hampshire, though, the story is very different, with DeSantis battling it out with Ramaswamy for 4th place:
Trump- 46.3%
Haley- 24.8%
Christie- 10.5%
DeSantis- 9.5%
Ramaswamy- 6.0%
He’s a distant third in South Carolina and even losing badly to Trump in his own state of Florida— 59.7% for Trump and just 20.8% for DeSantis. At this point, DeSantis is looking towards 2028, but there is some question whether or not he'lleven have any political career left after his performance this year. Trump seems to have poisoned the well for any kind of DeSantis comeback, whatever his empty rantings against Jack Smith.
