Heading into Easter weekend, there no doubt will be plenty of private discussions about faith and reflection and renewal taking place across the fruited plain the next three days as Christians observe and memorialize the crucifixion and resurrection of the Savior, which
engenders great sadness and immense joy in rapid succession.
Political discussions will mostly be put on hold for at least a few days, though there likely will be a token few stretched comparisons between the comeback Donald J. Trump from exile undertook this year and the resurrection that took place roughly 2000 years ago. Yes, I know, the two scenarios are hardly akin, but for commentators and pundits searching for themes in this already-begun 2024 general election campaign season, Trump’s amazing story can’t escape mention in some capacity.
Democrats and liberals and so-called Republican Never Trumpers don’t see it, or they simply won’t acknowledge it, but there is something there. Instead, they’d prefer to home in on Trump’s legal foibles and the multitude of Democrat-inspired criminal witch hunts that are slowly inching their way through the court system. To them, Trump is (or should be) deader than a doornail, an irredeemable cad whose coarse personal nature makes him unqualified to hold the office of the presidency. Forget the fact he already served more than capably in the role starting in 2017 – they see the events and aftermath of January 6, 2021 branding Trump as permanently disqualified.
Towards achieving the goal of Trump moving back into the White House, the candidate and his entourage of spokespeople have gone around claiming they intend to expand his electoral map this year, including pursuing a handful of bluer-than-blue states normally not thought of as winnable.
Is it simply wishful thinking, or is Trump’s on-offense-everywhere strategy actually worthwhile? In an article titled “Trump claims he can expand the electoral map — some say he already has”, Naomi Lim reported at the Washington Examiner:
“In January, Trump predicted he would make a ‘heavy play’ for New York and New Jersey, as well as Minnesota, New Mexico, and Virginia, pledging to ‘work them’ this election cycle. ‘That doesn’t mean I’m going to work them as hard as I work Pennsylvania, where I’m doing very well,’ Trump told Breitbart. ‘But we’re going to do these other states too, and it will be a heavy move. … I may rent Madison Square Garden, and that’s the belly of the beast, right?’
“A month later, Trump and Fox News host Laura Ingraham discussed a ‘no state or city left behind’ strategy during a town hall before the South Carolina primary. Ingraham alluded to a February New York Times-Siena College poll that had Biden leading Trump by 12 points in New York, compared to another survey conducted by the same pollsters last September that had Biden ahead by more than 20 points…
“Trump does lead Biden in Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, from an average 5-point advantage in Arizona, Georgia, and North Carolina to a 1-point edge in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, according to RealClearPolitics. He is ahead in Nevada by 4 points and in Michigan by 3.5, per the same polling aggregator.”
These numbers may be accurate, but, as always, individual polls are mere snapshots in time. Public opinion tends to sway back and forth like saplings in a breeze, but trends are trends. And here’s thinking Trump’s lead is actually larger than he’s given credit for, not because the pollsters themselves are trying to “cook the results” (though there may be some of this), but due to Trump under-polling in many places because of the ongoing “shy Trump voter” syndrome.
What makes sense here? Report after report shows Trump having trouble bringing Nikki Haley’s Never Trump base onboard, but still gaining ground among many of the Democrats’ most dedicated constituencies. If African-American and Hispanic voters are really considering a party switch (because they don’t like Biden’s message and they also are taking to Trump in measurable quantities), wouldn’t this indicate that Trump is doing better than presented?
After all, who really likes senile Joe Biden? His base may turn out for him, but do they actually desire to see the doddering dunce continue on in his present capacity for another four LONG years?
To those who automatically dismiss Trump’s boasts that he’ll contest solid-Democrat terrain, I would point out that he made the same claims in both 2016 and 2020, with much success in the former and not-so-much in the latter instance. COVID and mail-in voting – along with the virtual impossibility of checking each ballot for fraud or manipulation – sabotaged Trump’s effort to make a permanent breach in the blue wall.
Obvious shenanigans also impacted once-reliable red states such as Georgia and Arizona. These two are safely back in the “swing state” category now.
Besides, a Trump offensive strategy takes the initiative away from Biden and puts the incumbent on the defensive. By Trump scheduling some form of campaign activity in places like New York and New Jersey, it forces senile Joe Biden and the Democrats to devote time and resources to defending territory that they probably already considered “won” in the electoral sense. Granted the Democrats figure they’ll probably have more than enough surplus dough to pay for the necessities in such states, but Biden’s campaign time will be limited by his own poor abilities to stand erect, mumble words from a teleprompter – and stay awake.
Political Energizer Bunny Trump won’t worry about these types of things, however. Though he might’ve slowed down a micro-tad since the most robust days of pre-Election 2016, Trump the candidate appears to have no difficulties pulling off multiple signature rallies in one 24-hour period, entertaining and substantive extravaganzas that get the base amped and ready to not only vote – but to volunteer to do the grassroots chores necessary to harvest ballots and ensure that every Trump vote finds its way to the proper counting authority.
Because it’s against-Trump, Democrats will also be animated, but expect a measurable enthusiasm gap heading into Election Month or whatever they call it these days.
Senile Joe’s rallies will pale in comparison. Who’s really excited about seeing that chemically stimulated department store dressing dummy commander-in-chief shout and grit his teeth and do everything short of cussing out his slightly younger but much more vibrant
Only senile Joe is real and his “act” isn’t funny. Or creative. Or original. Unlike Trump, who adds quite a lot of impromptu comments and material to his presentations, Biden states and restates pretty much the same canned speech every time. Ditto for vice president cackling Kamala Harris, who the campaign minds wouldn’t dare allow off the proverbial “leash” to freelance another news headline-generating gaffe.
Goading Biden into holding events in New York or New Jersey or Minnesota or New Mexico might seem like a waste of precious campaign time, but the Democrats clearly don’t relish the need to win back voters they already considered won.
General George Patton was notorious for refusing to give back ground to the enemy in World War II, simply because he didn’t want to pay in lives for territory he’d already spent soldiers to capture in the first place. Is politics really so different in this respect?
It will take many years and volumes of scholarly research and analysis to adequately explain how Trump pulled off the most glaring of political returns. But one argument revolves around Trump himself – the man is just good at what he does. Trump is a wealthy, powerful man who average people relate to. He’s a born politician who made a life for himself outside of politics.
Another reason why Trump’s made such a remarkable comeback from political exile was because of Republicans in Congress. That’s right, but not in the way you probably think it did. The House GOP majority has been such a disappointment – ditto for the never-fight-or-win sell-outs of Mitch McConnell in the senate – that conservatives and Republicans see Trump alone as a bit of a last hope to salvage the American government from its current ruinous path.
Last week’s congressional Republican capitulation on the budget was indicative of the hardship conservatives have endured in working to make progress in scaling back or ending the most damaging aspects of government. Trump, on the other hand, leads from the front and can be trusted to keep his word as to what he intends to do. Can anyone say the same of the Republicans in Congress?
This is why, when Trump claims he plans to maintain a “compete everywhere” strategy that he means what he says. Trump may very well expand the electoral map, bringing out the MAGA masses in locales that were previously considered “enemy” territory. If this is the case, perhaps more liberty-loving congressman and senators will win their own elections as well, providing a glimmer of hope that the current malaise in Washington won’t last forever.
It’s safe to say the “We’ll get ‘em next time!” attitude among Republicans in the capital building doesn’t inspire people. Trump does. One way or another, Trump summons emotion. That’s the primary impetus behind his comeback.
Like him or not, Trump represents optimism, a fighting spirit and sufficient nerve to succeed in today’s ultra-divided political environment. Don’t ever expect him to give up before he even tries, either, a character trait that is roundly lacking in most national Republicans. This Easter weekend, remember that there’s a happy ending instore. Maybe for the country, too.
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2024 presidential election