Vindication or Victory?

I took a leisurely stroll, these past couple days, through the wilds of Trumpistan, Trump-a-lago, Trumpville, and Trumpshire, to get a sense of how the Orange faithful felt about the Red Fizzle. As you may recall, I concluded that the Republicans' failure (as of now) to take the majority position in the Senate was the proximate result of Trump's endorsing weak candidates in several key states. As did most of the political commentariat.

Imagine my surprise (sarcasm disclaimer here) at what I found:

• 'The Dems obviously cheated - it's what they do and I don't need no stinkin' proof!'

• 'We lost because McConnell is weak. Mitch has to go!'

• 'Almost all Trump's endorsements won - he's so the man!'

• 'We lost because RINOs!'

And so on and so on. I dared suggest that Trump snatched defeat from the jaws of victory by backing Oz, Masters, and Bolduc over better GOP candidates, and I received in turn the usual put-downs and pretzel-logic denials. And that's before mentioning the failed governor races. In the interest of brevity I won't bother rebutting any of these points here, but if you want my take on any of them, hit me up in the comments.

Meanwhile, the one bright moment for the GOP on Tuesday - Ron DeSantis's blowout win in Florida - is being mostly ignored in the orange sandbox. 'Is he even running?' 'No one knows who he is.' 'He's not all that, nor a bag of chips.'

That's from Trump's loyalists.

Trump himself, on the other hand, registered DeSantis as a threat even before the election results came in. That DeSantis got a newly minted nickname (Ron DeSanctimonious) from the King of Zing is a badge of honor and an acknowledgment that Trump is worried. I think it's kinda lame, but Nellie Bowles at Common Sense tips her hat to Trump here ("I hate to say it, but he’s still got it"), so I’ll wait and see how it sticks.

The mid-term results are not fully known, but as I type this the GOP is thisclose to taking a House Majority. They lead the Dems 211-192, with 218 being the 50%+1 threshold. The gambling markets have Team Red as 93% likely to take that majority. Those same markets have the Democrats at 93% to hold their Senate majority, and actually pick up a seat in the process.

The implications of that pickup aren't as massive if the GOP takes the House, but they're still pretty significant. I'll save a deeper dive for another day. Suffice it to say that the Georgia Senate runoff, scheduled for December 6, will draw national attention and massive amounts of money. It'll also draw Trump like a moth to flame. He'll have to throw his weight behind Walker, if only to vindicate himself and his picks, and no matter that his brand of Republicanism did not carry Tuesday.

No matter whether Walker squeaks out a win in Georgia, the message remains pretty clear. The firebrand right-populist, rage-addict style sells great to the Trump base, but it has insufficient appeal beyond that. The Tuesday successes were achieved by those who distanced themselves from Trump.

Trump's die-hards should take a moment to ponder. Ponder whether Trump, as supposed leader of the Republican Party, wants the party to win, or if his only concern is himself. Whether Trump's goal is to vindicate his unfounded 'stolen election' claims rather than put the GOP in a position to advance policies.

Yes, these are rhetorical points. We all know that Trump is about himself. If he were of a mind to be kingmaker, he'd have been on stage with DeSantis, holding hands up with the Florida governor to proclaim him the heir-apparent and make bombastic promises about the next generation of GOP stars. Instead, he's actually threatening to reveal some supposed dirt on the 32-years-younger member of his party, and warning him not to think about running for the Presidency.

This reeks of the same entitlement that Clinton had in the 2016 election cycle, and it reveals yet again that Trump has no use for anyone who doesn't kiss the ring and bend the knee. His Presidency included defenestration of many of those who stood by him through all the slings and arrows, including his Vice President and his Attorney General. The loyalty there is a one-way street.

Those still on the Trump highway need to make a decision. Stay on the orange boulevard, which rather clearly now is a road to nowhere, or take the exit ramp that leads to an actual chance at winning the White House in 2024 (DeSantis leapfrogged Trump as most likely to win the WH in 2024 in the gambling markets after his big win). Would you rather try to vindicate a three-time loser and his selfish ways, or give the policies you desire a chance of coming to fruition by backing someone who would do all the same good things that Trump did in his term?

Trump doesn't deserve your loyalty. He certainly isn't sending any your way.

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Peter.