The Other Iowa Message

 

Byron York reports in the Washington Examiner:

In the end, Trump won 97.16% of the vote, to Walsh’s 1.08% and Weld’s 1.27%. Others, write-ins of various people, totaled 0.47%. It was a striking show of strength for the president.

One would think that Never Trumpers would be especially motivated to lodge their protest votes, even knowing they would be in the minority. Any significant showing — even 10-15% — would serve as a neat talking point. Then there’s the tendency of this faction towards the virtue signaling, which would be another motivating factor for this crowd (or clique, as it were).

Certainly, the Never Trump faction is found disproportionately in the Washington DC environs, in New York City, a few in Los Angeles, and one or two in Arizona, but still, one would think that there would be more representatives of the Never Trumpers in heartland America than this.

Byron York reports another significant message here:

The last time there was a noncompetitive GOP caucus, that is, a caucus with an incumbent president, was in 2004, when President George W. Bush was in the White House. That year, about 8,000 Republicans showed up for what were essentially meaningless caucuses.

…This cycle, the turnout was 32,004, an impressive number for an incumbent year.

A doubling would be meaningful, but a quadrupling? People can’t wait to pull the lever for Trump. The enthusiasm is off-the-charts.

Read the whole thing.

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  1. DrewInWisconsin, Oaf Member
    DrewInWisconsin, Oaf
    @DrewInWisconsin

    Franco: but still, one would think that there would be more representatives of the Never Trumpers in heartland America than this.

    Gasp! A dog whistle!

    • #1
  2. Kozak Member
    Kozak
    @Kozak

    Wonder if more GOP state organizations wish they had cancelled the primary to save money for the general election.

    But of course we have to “let my people vote™”.

    • #2
  3. Gumby Mark (R-Meth Lab of Demo… Coolidge
    Gumby Mark (R-Meth Lab of Demo…
    @GumbyMark

    So what you’re saying is Weld is a much more viable opponent for Trump than Walsh.  If he can attract disaffected Walsh voters he’s got nearly 2.5% of the GOP electorate and the big momentum!

    • #3
  4. RyanFalcone Member
    RyanFalcone
    @RyanFalcone

    Some of my co-workers are inconsolable today. They have been beating the “The farmers hate Trump because of his stupid trade war!” drum for months. There is every indication that he is going to dominate Iowa. If Trump can limit the loss of the moron caucus to around 2%, he should win easily. McMullin and folks that just left the top of the ballot blank or stayed home in 2016 were much more than 2%. 

    I think 2020 is going to be a very good year for the good guys.

    • #4
  5. JoelB Member
    JoelB
    @JoelB

    The Iowa caucuses are a great place for those with a small but dedicated following to make a big splash. It didn’t seem to happen this year.

    • #5
  6. Mark Camp Member
    Mark Camp
    @MarkCamp

    To be fair to the Never Trumpers, there was little else on the menu. 

    Weld?  Seriously?  I’ve been a Never Welder since she divorced the great Pinchas Zukerman in 1998.  Since Looking for Mr. Goodbar” in 1977, I don’t think she has gotten an Academy Award.

    • #6
  7. Franco Member
    Franco
    @Franco

    Mark Camp (View Comment):

    To be fair to the Never Trumpers, there was little else on the menu.

    Weld? Seriously? I’ve been a Never Welder since she divorced the great Pinchas Zukerman in 1998. Since Looking for Mr. Goodbar” in 1977, I don’t think she has gotten an Academy Award.

    Helluva reference! I liked her sister, Wednesday, better myself.

    • #7
  8. Hoyacon Member
    Hoyacon
    @Hoyacon

    Gumby Mark (R-Meth Lab of Demo… (View Comment):

    So what you’re saying is Weld is a much more viable opponent for Trump than Walsh. If he can attract disaffected Walsh voters he’s got nearly 2.5% of the GOP electorate and the big momentum!

    I also hear he’s attracting some big donors.

    • #8
  9. Franco Member
    Franco
    @Franco

    Mark Camp (View Comment):
    To be fair to the Never Trumpers, there was little else on the menu. 

    I’m not sure if you are serious, but if so, I don’t think it would matter. If the Never Trumpers I know are any representation, they might even prefer to cast a vote for Alfred E Newman just to show their contempt for the Orange Man.

    • #9
  10. Hang On Member
    Hang On
    @HangOn

    Never Trumpers have never been numerous, just very loud.

    • #10
  11. Jim McConnell Member
    Jim McConnell
    @JimMcConnell

    Weld did better than projected; .013 share of the vote. On to New Hampshire!

    • #11
  12. DrewInWisconsin, Oaf Member
    DrewInWisconsin, Oaf
    @DrewInWisconsin

    Hang On (View Comment):

    Never Trumpers have never been numerous, just very loud.

    And they’re feted by the media where they can play the “good and true Republicans” who properly oppose the bad orange man, so their voices get amplified.

    But with numbers so low, obviously the only reason Weld and Walsh stay in is so that they can continue begging for money, filling their coffers, and planning three new houses and several great vacations once this is over.

    • #12
  13. Belt Inactive
    Belt
    @Belt

    Oh c’mon, this is meaningless.  Trump was never going to get a serious primary challenge.  The GOP is stuck with this clown, and they’ll just have to keep flailing on through the rest of the year.

    • #13
  14. Old Bathos Member
    Old Bathos
    @OldBathos

    I guess there are a lot of Republicans in Iowa who do not get all their news from Twitter and CNN so they don’t know how evil Trump is.  They are so stupid as to rely on actual results and policies instead of Jen Rubin’s and Bill Kristol’s feelings. Idiots.

    • #14
  15. Franco Member
    Franco
    @Franco

    Belt (View Comment):

    Oh c’mon, this is meaningless. Trump was never going to get a serious primary challenge. The GOP is stuck with this clown, and they’ll just have to keep flailing on through the rest of the year.

    Why wouldn’t he have? He’s such a “clown” as you say it shoulda been easy. Oh, is it that his supporters are such rubes and can’t tell a good candidate from a bad one?

    It seems they are very happy with Trump. But you didn’t read the article, did you? You didn’t even read this post. Or did you just miss the point?

     

    • #15
  16. Belt Inactive
    Belt
    @Belt

    Franco (View Comment):

    Belt (View Comment):

    Oh c’mon, this is meaningless. Trump was never going to get a serious primary challenge. The GOP is stuck with this clown, and they’ll just have to keep flailing on through the rest of the year.

    Why wouldn’t he have? He’s such a “clown” as you say it shoulda been easy. Oh, is it that his supporters are such rubes and can’t tell a good candidate from a bad one?

    It seems they are very happy with Trump. But you didn’t read the article, did you? You didn’t even read this post. Or did you just miss the point?

     

    This is the world we live in now.  I just view it as entertainment rather than any serious attempt to deal with reality.  Good luck with that.

    • #16
  17. Franco Member
    Franco
    @Franco

    Belt (View Comment):

    Franco (View Comment):

    Belt (View Comment):

    Oh c’mon, this is meaningless. Trump was never going to get a serious primary challenge. The GOP is stuck with this clown, and they’ll just have to keep flailing on through the rest of the year.

    Why wouldn’t he have? He’s such a “clown” as you say it shoulda been easy. Oh, is it that his supporters are such rubes and can’t tell a good candidate from a bad one?

    It seems they are very happy with Trump. But you didn’t read the article, did you? You didn’t even read this post. Or did you just miss the point?

     

    This is the world we live in now. I just view it as entertainment rather than any serious attempt to deal with reality. Good luck with that.

    Oh, it’s entertainment alright. We live in different sides of the world. To many of us here the Never Trumpers are the clowns and Mr. Trump is the ringleader. It’s quite a show! Bill Kristie, Jen Rubin,  Max Boot, et al arrive in a clown-tank and emerge like its Afghanistan in full combat regalia,  only to find out they are in Cedar Rapids with no one to shoot at but an audience of Republicans and real conservatives. Now surrounded and laughed at, they fire their bazookas, but it’s just confetti and the audience goes into hysterics.

    • #17
  18. Phil Turmel Inactive
    Phil Turmel
    @PhilTurmel

    Prior to this, I used Trump approval rating among Republicans to estimate the NT contingent in the 5% to 10% range.  Now we know that it is at or below 2.5%.  Doesn’t sound like a big difference, but it puts them below the always-insignificant libertarians.

    • #18
  19. DrewInWisconsin, Oaf Member
    DrewInWisconsin, Oaf
    @DrewInWisconsin

    Phil Turmel (View Comment):

    Prior to this, I used Trump approval rating among Republicans to estimate the NT contingent in the 5% to 10% range. Now we know that it is at or below 2.5%. Doesn’t sound like a big difference, but it puts them below the always-insignificant libertarians.

    Well, it’s below 2.5% in Iowa. I’ll bet in Massachusetts it’s more like 3%.

    • #19
  20. Franco Member
    Franco
    @Franco

    Phil Turmel (View Comment):

    Prior to this, I used Trump approval rating among Republicans to estimate the NT contingent in the 5% to 10% range. Now we know that it is at or below 2.5%. Doesn’t sound like a big difference, but it puts them below the always-insignificant libertarians.

    Well, to be fair, we don’t know the percentage of NTs who went full Democrat. And this is a poll of people who actually vote, not sit on their couches and complain. Bill Kristol comes to mind in both cases….

    • #20
  21. E. Kent Golding Moderator
    E. Kent Golding
    @EKentGolding

    I always thought cancelling republican primaries this year was a prudent conservation of state and party money.  This re-enforces that belief.

    • #21
  22. Mark Camp Member
    Mark Camp
    @MarkCamp

    Franco (View Comment):

    Mark Camp (View Comment):
    To be fair to the Never Trumpers, there was little else on the menu.

    I’m not sure if you are serious,

    Sorry, I could have specified the intended audience explicitly, but it would be like saying, “Listen to the joke I am about to tell.  It is extremely humorous.”

    • #22
  23. Instugator Thatcher
    Instugator
    @Instugator

    Belt (View Comment):
    This is the world we live in now. I just view it as entertainment rather than any serious attempt to deal with reality. Good luck with that.

    I too view as entertainment a politician who keeps his promises. That is some ackshual sereious realitittty right there. We have ackshuel outcomes to no-kidding measure and they are quite favorable. For everything from the WWIII that hasn’t happened as a result of killing Soleimani to the outcome of the “trade war” with China. Everything is coming up roses.

    Luck, apparently, doesn’t enter into it.

    • #23
  24. Randy Weivoda Moderator
    Randy Weivoda
    @RandyWeivoda

    Phil Turmel (View Comment):

    Prior to this, I used Trump approval rating among Republicans to estimate the NT contingent in the 5% to 10% range. Now we know that it is at or below 2.5%. Doesn’t sound like a big difference, but it puts them below the always-insignificant libertarians.

    Or it could be that a lot of Republicans who really dislike Donald Trump also realize that trying to primary a sitting president is a fool’s errand.  If Ronald Reagan couldn’t beat Gerald Ford in 1976, what are the odds that a pretend conservative like Bill Weld could defeat Donald Trump?  A baseball fan may passionately hate the New York Yankees but they aren’t going to waste their money betting against them when the Yankees are playing against a high school team.

    • #24
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