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Who Is Your Nightmare Opponent?
There has been a lot of speculation as to who Democrats are hoping to run against (and not run against) in the 2024 presidential election. Since this topic has been covered a bit already, I want to look at the 2024 race on the other side. Presumably nearly everyone reading this is a Republican, or at least an independent who doesn’t want another Democratic victory in 2024.
The majority expectation is that Joseph Robinette Biden will probably again be the Democratic nominee, providing he doesn’t have a fatal stroke or something. But that’s not locked in, so my question for you is: Who do you most fear as a Democratic nominee? Which Democrat do you think would have the best chance of winning, and who would make the worst president of any Democrat who could plausibly win?
My answer is Elizabeth Warren. Bernie Sanders is often regarded as the most left-wing Democrat who has run lately, but I think Warren is more threatening. For one thing, Bernie is and looks like an old man. A lot of people across the political spectrum are thinking maybe it’s time to elect someone at least a little bit younger than dirt. I speculate that quite a few people who didn’t even particularly like Hillary Clinton voted for her because they wanted to say they voted for the first female president, and Elizabeth Warren would likely benefit from some of that mentality. She has a burning, passionate hatred for capitalism, where Sanders has a little less charge in his battery and would not fight as hard to destroy the free enterprise system. Ten years ago, there would have been approximately zero support for Senator Warren from the right side of the aisle, but quite a few Republicans these days have grown hostile to capitalism and sneer at the very concept of free trade, so she might pick up more than a token smattering of votes from populist Republicans.
Gavin Newsom? Yeah, he’s a wacko, but a lot of people see that California is going downhill and don’t want to bring Newsom-style results to the whole nation. I think Warren is more electable than the other prominent Democrats and would likely be even worse at the job than the other prominent Democrats. Unless you do think that capitalism should be destroyed, then she’d be great.
But what do you all think? Which Democrat populates your nightmares?
Published in Elections
You mean I didn’t come up with that expression either? Drat.
Wait for it…
How far ‘right’ does she have to be? Is her anti-war stance ( or anti-stupid unwinnable war stance) too left? She has done a 180 on gun rights, and makes a devastating case against the phony trans movement and a strong case for family and religion.
Until we sort-out our own corruption in government and media ( but I repeat myself) and dismantle the nefarious forces in Intel agencies violating Americans rights, I’m staunchly anti-war.
The old model of left/right is not functional anymore.
I’ll keep an open mind. Do you think she is getting any traction as a national candidate?
Tulsi is now an Independent. So even if she were (unbelievably) to win a presidential election, with whom could she populate her administration? Democrats wouldn’t serve unless they could, a la Deep State and Trump, undercut her every move after her departure and bad feelings from her primary performance in 2020.
Would GOP’ers step up to populate the agency heads and other presidential appointments? Would the Senate confirm anybody she appointed? Isn’t an Independent kind of all alone in the swamp?
I have no idea at this point, she’s “Independent” but we all know that’s a dead-end the way our system is set up.
She said she was open to be VP. I’m not sure that that would ever really work, although I would love to see a Trump Gabbard ticket. That would be amazing, because she is the opposite of him, but then she’s like the female translator, but she is also remarkably grounded and spiritual without being preachy but respectful of religion of all kinds and it’s very clear that she cares. They anre trying to demonize her but that an hard slog. Some people- and they can be opposites are compelling and difficult for the media to damage. And that’s why the Democrats (media) hate her. And I tend to like who these Democrats hate.
I think she sees what a lot of us here see. The first bit of business is to tone down the division and get back to basics. Then we can decide on tax rates and arcane foreign policy schemes.
Our constitutional rights is under attack and the battleground isn’t confined to the courts. It has become a government corporate cabal which is not a new development, however it’s much subtler and going global. That label is fascism.
Our economy and world is changing rapidly and these new things must be taken into account.
I’ll vote for whoever seems willing and capable of keeping our freedoms intact.
And I don’t want any Americans – Trans, Gay, Democra, Republican, black white hispanic – any label you can conjure- any Americans, fight for these people. ‘These people’ being the Mitt Romney s and Liz Cheney’s and their corrupt networks and their liars in the MSM.
I try to understand the electorate the way I once analyzed TV audiences: find significant data points which others are ignoring or misunderstanding. Then project the audience’s reaction to opportunistic targeting of the blind spots which others are missing.
Here are three ignored or misinterpreted facts.
(1) FACT: The 2020 election happened during a pre-vaccine national health emergency when people were afraid to go outside, voting rules were altered, and unverifiable ballots were cast in critical numbers, particularly in swing state urban centers controlled by Democrats.
INTERPRETATION: Many GOP voters feel the election was stolen, and President Trump may be owed a second term. Polls indicate he will be the GOP nominee, and people feel his Presidency was more successful than Biden’s.
(2) FACT: The Dobbs decision tipped the election of “Roevember” 2022, a backlash heard loudest where abortion rights were on the ballot. Young female voters turned out in droves in swing state college towns. It’s an easily understood, emotional (and therefore vote-determining) issue. Expect many more abortion ballot issues in 2024.
INTERPRETATION: Just as “sex sells”, sexual repression kills politically. Fury over Dobbs is a trend willfully ignored by the GOP. It’s their Achilles Heel going forward. It would be pinned on Trump/GOP in Democrat campaign ads in 2024, unless either (a) abortifacients are made legal nationally by a chastened Supreme Court; or (b) Trump acknowledges his judges went too far and pledges to do something about it.
(3) FACT: Over the last quarter century, left wing extremism — from the Obama wing leftward to the Squad/Sanders/Fetterman set — has captured effective control of the Democrat Party. Older, or saner Democrats get little media play.
INTERPRETATION: These are times of “a Great Silenced Majority.” Dissident voters from both parties may now be a plurality or even majority of all. Underserved pro-choice, anti-collectivist voters may lead a new populist revolt. Because abortion rights are anathema to the GOP, the Democrats (or a 3rd party candidate) could benefit from this dynamic in 2024.
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I think a truly moderate Democrat with credentials and modest national branding such as Governor Jared Polis of Colorado could do great damage in primaries. If RFK, Jr. makes enough of a fuss in early primaries, Polis could hijack anti-Biden sentiment much the way Kennedy’s dad followed on Eugene McCarthy’s early challenge to LBJ in 1968.
Governor Polis has a non-descript persona which would contrast sharply and perhaps favorably with President Trump’s rougher edges. He’s also in a gay marriage, so he’d be the first President with a First Gentleman. His orientation could also distance him from religious conservatives in such a way as to create enthusiasm in the Democrat base, channeling the psychosexual anger over Dobbs.
But Trump has already done this. He was never a strong pro-lifer to begin with, and only became pro-life when he switched to the republican party. In fact he is reported to have said overturning Roe vs. Wade would be a bad thing. And he blamed the weak republican wave in 2022 on radical republican pro-lifers.
https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-scotus-overturning-roe-v-wade-bad-for-republicans-report-2022-6?op=1
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-blames-pro-life-republicans-midterm-loss
Trump also is quite possibly the knight in shining armor that we don’t deserve.
https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2023/04/donald-trump-is-not-chris-christie-hes-not-asa-hutchison-hes-not-larry-baker-he-is-a-unique-historical-figure-mark-levin-praises-donald-trumps-greatness-video/
Trying to disassociate Trump from Fauci would be like claiming Ed Sullivan never met the Beatles.
And trying to disassociate Trump from Operation Warp Speed would be like claiming that FDR never heard of the atom bomb.
I agree with you that some Republicans have expressed just this sentiment. I happen to think it’s an awful reason to select a nominee, though. This isn’t like giving a part to a kid for the sixth grade play that he’s not very good at because we all feel sorry that he was sick for three weeks. This is the presidency. People should be making their choice of nominee based on 1) what are the odds of this candidate winning the general election, and 2) how good of a job will he or she do if victorious. The stakes are too high to be choosing a nominee based on sympathy. Would any of us choose a heart surgeon because that doctor has had some tough breaks?
He could promise he will follow the Consitutional requirement to seek advice from Congress on future appointments, in lieu of consulting Federalist Society and Heritage who have already had too much say on several appointments.
There are qualified libertarian-conservative judges and scholars out there — one of whom writes for Ricochet — who would make fine Supreme Court justices during a forthcoming GOP term when justices Thomas and Alito are likely to resign.
Without such a promise, Democrats will argue that the quickest way to restore the rights guaranteed under Roe/Casey would be to vote for their candidate for President.
Nevertheless many Trump voters feel this way. Emotions, not reasoning, win elections in the Age of Media. Non-college voters are crucial to future GOP hopes. Besides, I think Trump is the (justifiably angry) grown-up in the room when it comes to China, immigration, trade, and is the only proven maestro of a past soaring economy.
Trump voters include critical numbers of uneducated and past Sanders voters, etc., who recoil at non-Trump Republicans. Angry Trump loyalists would likely withhold general election votes and elect a Democrat, especially a true moderate who would regain the faith of Biden voters who didn’t get the moderate they bargained for in the 2020 Democrat primaries.
As a registered independent, I certainly wouldn’t vote for another hardliner against abortion rights, not now, not ever. It’s not a tough decision when you live in California.
First time I’ve ever heard Trump referred to as the grown-up in the room.
I think he was cheated out of a lot and I think the federal government is chocked full of corruption. I want him to run and win, not so much because he is owed this but because I want what was used against him to ultimately fail. Nobody else has given me hope they will fight back. I have no reason to change. The Republicans in power have not reversed the corruption and have done little to fix the elections. They have done nothing to stop the abuse of power and to defend the man being abused. I have no hope that falling back on their good manners test and pursuit of less chaos in the White House will fix anything. 2020 and 2022 were my litmus tests. The voters and politicians failed it. I’m done. Let the chips fall where they may.
But Trump received unmitigated praise from conservatives for deferring to the Federalist Society to pick his Supreme Court Judges. I, for one, couldn’t be happier with the choices.
I have heard that before but I didn’t necessarily believe it. Depends on who else is “in the room.”