How Donald Trump’s 2024 Campaign Bounced Back
Column: The former president’s chances, once dim, are brightening
Matthew Continetti at Washington Free Beacon:
January 27, 2023
Donald Trump spent the final months of 2022 reeling from electoral setbacks and media disasters. Many of his high-profile endorsements in the midterm elections flopped. His attacks on popular GOP governors in Florida, Virginia, Ohio, and Georgia did little damage to their reputations. His 2024 campaign launch was a snooze. His infamous and inexcusable dinner at Mar-a-Lago with high-profile anti-Semites put him on the political fringe. By the end of last year, Trump appeared to be fading from the national conversation. His chances of winning the Republican nomination seemed to dim.
Now those chances are brightening. Trump continues to dominate in polls of Republicans. He’s drawn even with President Biden in head-to-head matchups. He lobbied successfully for Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R., Calif.) to become speaker of the House of Representatives. His loyalists on the House Judiciary, Oversight, and Weaponization of the Federal Government committees will be sure to advance his interests. He’s plotting his return to Facebook, Instagram, and possibly Twitter, and his connection with the Republican base remains strong.
Most important of all, Trump’s rivals in both the Democratic and Republican parties are repeating the mistakes they made in the run-up to the 2016 election. The Democrats assume that there is no way for Trump to become president, while Republicans believe he will fade from the scene. Their failure to learn from history has made it possible not only for Trump to win the GOP nomination for the third straight time, but to pull another inside straight in the Electoral College and return to the White House. For decades, Trump has said that the political class is corrupt, insular, and incompetent, and that Republican leaders lack guts. Washington is doing its best to prove him right.
Trump’s recovery began on January 9, when news broke that classified documents had been found months earlier at a D.C. office President Biden used from 2017 to 2019. Biden, who had called Trump irresponsible and worse when the FBI recovered classified material from Mar-a-Lago last summer, was exposed as a hypocrite. Attorney General Merrick Garland came under intense pressure to appoint a special counsel for Biden, since he already had appointed one to investigate Trump for mishandling classified information and for subverting the last presidential election.
Garland relented on January 12 and tapped U.S. Attorney Robert Hur to lead the inquiry. On January 20, the FBI searched Biden’s Wilmington, Del., residence (though not his home in Rehoboth Beach) and unearthed more secret papers. A few days later, former vice president Mike Pence disclosed that classified documents had been found at his house, too.
This chaotic and ridiculous situation is a boon for Trump. Politically, there is no way Garland can indict the sole declared candidate for the presidency in 2024 while exonerating Biden, who’s expected to announce his own reelection campaign soon. If Garland were to do so, Trump would portray himself, reasonably, as the victim of a double standard. Biden’s boneheaded handling of the documents also reinforces one of Trump’s core beliefs: Everyone in politics behaves corruptly, but he alone does so without pretense.
Trump still must worry about separate inquiries, in D.C. and Atlanta, into his conduct after losing the 2020 election. The fight with the National Archives over his papers is a sideshow. If anything, it’s Biden who ought to be concerned. The president’s changing statements on the subject, and the drip-drip-drip of stories about the material in his possession, raise additional doubts about his honesty and competence.
House Republicans plan to scrutinize the Biden family’s influence-peddling business. They are desperate to find a connection between Hunter Biden’s laptop from hell and the government intelligence in Joe Biden’s garage. Democrats with long memories remember how Hillary Clinton’s mishandling of classified information dogged her in 2016. They don’t want to go through that mess again.
They may not have a choice. Whether it’s the document drama or the looming presidential campaign, history seems to be following a path it traveled once before. Not only has Trump frozen the GOP field, with potential challengers not expected to announce their candidacies for months, if ever. Trump also benefits from the same dynamics that helped him in 2016: His opponents think he will just disappear, a multi-candidate primary gives him an edge, and no Republican wants to attack him directly.
Recently, a few high-profile Republicans have predicted that Trump won’t be the GOP nominee. These prognosticators share certain traits: None of them thought Trump would win in 2016, they said Republicans would win big in 2022 (yes, I did too), and they no longer hold elected office precisely because of the changes Trump made to their party. Trump inspires a form of wishful thinking among certain groups of people, a collective illusion that, despite all evidence to the contrary, someday his behavior will change, and he will be content playing golf. Well, it won’t, and he’s not. The way to thwart Trump is for voters to choose someone else.
That outcome is less likely in a multi-candidate race. In 2016 the non-Trump vote divided three ways among Sens. Ted Cruz (R., Texas) and Marco Rubio (R., Fla.) and then-governor John Kasich (R., Ohio). The fracture allowed Trump to capitalize on the winner-take-all structure of GOP primaries and win significant contests, and eventually the nomination, with a plurality of votes. The same thing is happening in polls today. As Nathaniel Rakich observes at FiveThirtyEight, when pollsters offer Republicans several choices, Trump wins by a huge margin. But, in head-to-head matchups with Florida governor Ron DeSantis, Trump tends to lose.
At this writing, DeSantis presents the biggest obstacle for Trump. He sits atop the field in state-level polls of New Hampshire and South Carolina. He’s a proven winner and fundraiser who knows when to pick high-profile cultural battles that endear him to conservatives and the MAGA crew. His crusade against wokeness is a way to unify the party behind a tough and competent executive who hasn’t alienated suburban independents in his home state. If nominated, he’d represent a rising generation for change against an 81-year-old incumbent who has been in politics for half a century.
Naturally, other Republicans have begun to attack DeSantis. That’s to be expected. No one is entitled to a party’s nomination, politics ain’t beanbag, and running for president ought to be, and is, an arduous task. Potential GOP candidates are probing for weaknesses in DeSantis’s stance on abortion, his hardball tactics with big business, his national appeal, and his personal demeanor. Notice, though, whom these Republicans are not criticizing. His initials are DJT.
As happened seven years ago, Republicans are avoiding Trump either because they believe he will pack up and go home or because they are afraid of incurring his wrath and the animosity of his most devoted supporters. They are falling back into formation as a circular firing squad that hurts everybody but the former president.
The presidential campaign is just beginning. No one knows what lies ahead. The Trump rebound may soon pass and won’t come again. There’s a sleeper candidate or two out there who will make this race interesting.
For now, though, Democrats and Republicans are gambling that they can behave in 2024 just like they did in 2016, but produce a different result.
Filed under: Uncategorized |
MN Prager Discussion Group 
—Treason Against the United States of America—
[“The Biden family partners are often foreign governments, where the deals occur in the dark corners of international finance like Kazakhstan, China, Costa Rica, Jamaica, Ukraine, and Russia. Some deals have even involved U.S. taxpayer money. The cast of characters include sketchy companies, violent convicted felons, foreign oligarchs, and other people who typically expect favors in return. Joe’s public power positions Biden family members for highly lucrative deals the likely would not otherwise get. These deals also often occur with the appearance that Joe Biden has done favors for the partners who welcome such family members. these are not a few disparate enterprises, but rather moneymaking ventures that appear to be part of a well-organized family business.”] *
The discovery of the many classified docs VP Joe Biden [now President] and his son Hunter Biden stored in various homes, garages, auto…and other locations [notably @ Pennsylvania U] were organized acts of espionage to provide the CCP/China [and possibly other foreign countries] access to sensitive US government documents in scheduled ‘drop points’. Joe Biden and Hunter Biden [add Jill Biden et al] should be arrested and prosecuted for sedition against the United States. [The $1.5B deal [Joe Biden’s ‘bagman’] Hunter Biden inked w/the Bank of China was act of treason!]. Will the leftwing Media, DOJ, and DNC interfere with the investigation and prosecution of this sordid affair? Such a crime cannot be covered-up by the Democrat party and its propagandists. And neither should George Soros and his OSF’s dirty money.
Note: USAG Merrick Garland’s search [ordered by President Joe Biden] of Donald J. Trump’s [US ex-President] Mar-a-Lago residence was egregious and unconstitutional. Donald Trump has not committed treason.
The burden of treason is now on Joe Biden and his son Hunter. May justice prevail.
Cjack…January 31, 2023
Source:
* Profiles in Corruption by Peter Schweizer
…Ghr, please replaced my previous comments with the comments below…thanks…I hope you are doing well…Cjack
—Treason Against the United States of America—
[“The Biden family partners are often foreign governments, where the deals occur in the dark corners of international finance like Kazakhstan, China, Costa Rica, Jamaica, Ukraine, and Russia. Some deals have even involved U.S. taxpayer money. The cast of characters include sketchy companies, violent convicted felons, foreign oligarchs, and other people who typically expect favors in return. Joe’s public power positions Biden family members for highly lucrative deals they likely would not otherwise get. These deals also often occur with the appearance that Joe Biden has done favors for the partners who welcome such family members. These are not a few disparate enterprises, but rather moneymaking ventures that appear to be part of a well-organized family business” *].
The discovery of the many classified docs VP Joe Biden [now President] and his son Hunter Biden stored in various homes, garages, auto…and other locations [notably @ the University of Pennsylvania Biden Center for Diplomacy and Global Engagement funded by China] were most likely organized acts of espionage to provide the CCP/China [and possibly others] access to sensitive US government documents absconded in scheduled ‘drop points’. Joe Biden and Hunter Biden [add Jill Biden et al] apparent seditious conduct should be investigated by a team of non-partisan investigators vetted and selected by the pertinent House Committee. The $1.5B influence-peddling deal, Joe Biden’s ‘bagman’ [Hunter Biden] inked w/the Bank of China, has all the markings of an act of treason.
Undoubtedly, the leftwing Media, Biden’s DOJ, and DNC will interfere with the investigation of this sordid affair.
Nevertheless, the American people must not allow Joe Biden’s sordid historical conduct of bribes and scams to be covered-up neither by the Biden administration nor the Democrat party and its anti-American propagandists [including George Soros and his Open Society Foundations, and the Clinton Foundation].
Note: USAG Merrick Garland’s search [ordered by President Joe Biden] of Donald J. Trump’s [ex-President] Mar-a-Lago residence, was egregious and unconstitutional. Donald Trump has not committed treason.
The burden of treason is now on Joe Biden and his son Hunter. May justice prevail.
Warm regards to our dear Ghr, guardian of our blessed Constitution.
Cjack…Tuesday Commentary…January 31, 2023
* “Profiles in Corruption” by Peter Schweizer
I think I screwed up with what you wanted changed…..I didn’t read carefully enough. Hope all is well with things in your world. I am nearing my 89th birthday and am just entering old age issues. Please send us your comments if you have time. Our America hasn’t had such a crooked president in its presidency as loony gangster Mr. Biden….He’s been crooked all of his life and has encouraged his son to be a similar star. I’ve followed the Delaware gangster for 40 years or so…when he entered the Senate…..and has lied and lied and lied leading his entire political life. One of these days his gangsterism with his son dealing with communist china and the Balkans will become public where they collected their billions illegally……but I won’t be around most likely. Hope you are still young of life….and well. from glenn.
—Treason: Biden, Biden & Swalwell. US Sensitive Documents for Sale & Chinese Spy Balloons over the US Mainland—
[“The Biden family partners are often foreign governments, where the deals occur in the dark corners of international finance like Kazakhstan, China, Costa Rica, Jamaica, Ukraine, and Russia. Some deals have even involved U.S. taxpayer money. The cast of characters include sketchy companies, violent convicted felons, foreign oligarchs, and other people who typically expect favors in return. Joe’s public power positions Biden family members for highly lucrative deals they would not otherwise get. These deals also often occur with the appearance that Joe Biden has done favors for the partners who welcome such family members. These are not a few disparate enterprises, but rather moneymaking ventures that appear to be part of a well-organized family business” *].
We must agree the discovery of the many classified docs VP Joe Biden [now President] and his son Hunter Biden stored in various homes, garages, auto…and other locations [notably @ the University of Pennsylvania Biden Center for Diplomacy and Global Engagement funded by China] were most likely organized acts of espionage to provide the CCP/China [and possibly others] access to sensitive US government documents absconded in scheduled ‘drop points’. The apparent seditious conduct of Joe Biden and his son Hunter [add Jill Biden et al] must be investigated by a team of non-partisan investigators vetted and selected by the pertinent House Committee. The $1.5B influence-peddling deal, Joe Biden’s ‘bagman’ [Hunter Biden] inked w/the Bank of China, has all the markings of an act of treason.
Be on guard and ready to challenge the leftwing Media, Biden’s DOJ, and DNC interference in the investigation of this pay-for-profit treachery that has compromised our nation’s safety and security.
The nation cannot allow Joe Biden’s sordid historical conduct of bribes and scams to be swept under the rug neither by the Biden administration nor the Democrat party and its anti-American propagandists [including George Soros and his Open Society Foundations, and the Clinton Foundation].
In violation of our nation’s sovereignty, China has flown /tested spy balloons over strategic military and civilian areas of the United States. To add salt to injury, the Chinese Communist Party [in a mockery of our ineffective president] had the audacity to convey [in red letter on one of its balloons] a ‘Valentine Love Greeting’ from the Chinese spy Fang Fang [China’s Mata Hari] to her California lover, Congressman Eric Swalwell.
American military and scientific experts are concerned these Chinese balloons could be flown [at much higher altitudes] to carry nuclear payloads for the destruction of strategic missiles sites and civilian targets in our country and in regions of the world. China is on a worldwide mission to hoard food supplies and other vital items to supply its burgeoning population projected to exceed its current 1.5 billion in the next 10 years. China is also currently planning to establish permanent bases on the barren Moon; clearly not for food production and scientific purpose but most likely to conduct war from space. [Are real ‘Star Wars’ in Beijing’s planning]. What took the Chinese mole on 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue so long to give the order to shoot down the balloon?
If we are to save our nation justice must be swift and impartial. This can only happen if our Congress burns the midnight oil to create a non-partisan Department of Justice and a Federal Bureau of Investigation exorcised of the J. Edgar Hoover ghost. The unconstitutional raid on President Trump would have never taken place if the Biden government had been law abiding, honest, competent, non-partisan, and patriotic. An uncompromised FBI must be committed to clear our land of corrupt billionaires and all others intent on subverting of our Constitution, its laws, and legal processes, not to suppress and oppressed the orderly citizen exercising his rights under the 1st Amendment of the US Constitution. To accuse President Trump of insurrection is reminiscent of Stalin’s Soviet Union, Fidel Castro Cuba and a harsh reminder of the evil machinations of our corrupt and seditious Democratic National Committee Party. If we are to repair our government we must begin with a new administration in 2024, if not sooner. The corrupt Biden administration is not qualified for the task.
Warm regards to our dear Ghr, guardian of our precious Constitution in the Tundra.
Cjack…Sunday Commentary…February 5, 2023
* “Profiles in Corruption” by Peter Schweizer
You are not fading, Ghr. Still morally, spiritually, mentally, and intellectually fit you have many more miles to travel. Fear not for the Lord will always be at your side. He will never default on that promise. Yet, we must continue to pray for the moral and spiritual restoration of our beloved land as we do the Lord’s works. We go in faith with love to do His works. Yes, we are heirs to an irreplaceable treasure our founders fought for, a gift we must fight to keep. With the Lord on our side, we shall win.
I send you my brotherly love and warmest wishes. Cjack…Sunday, February 5, 2023.
No, you did not screw up. All is well here. Just a bit under the weather, that is all. Be well. You are in my prayers, always.
Now I must finish another task before I take a nap to clear the mind and soul. Be safe. May the Lord be always at your side. Spring will soon be here to remind us of the Lord’s blessings as new life springs for the earth in our gardens and farmlands. Until soon, dear Ghr. Warm regards I send your way. Cjack. Sunday, February 5, 2023.
So good to hear from you…..How did it happen in your part of the country that caused THE FIRST CLASS FASCIST NUT JOE BIDEN to run our America. I have followed him for more than 40 years as America’s gangster home and abroad….yet winsome and charming when it comes to fems. He used to advertise himself as a brilliant college professor….the smartest in his state…Dear Delaware. His son was ruined in Balkan Europe drugged and supplied with dope and so on connecting financial gangsterism with his Dad while his Dad was becoming a loony Dem at home…..the biggest liar in American history….yet charming with women…..Don’t kid yourself, HE DIDN’T WIN HIS PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION HONESTLY! …glenn
Hey, I got carried away forgetting your note about Biden and Swalwell and that other chronic liar Dem at the same level…ghr