Approximately 36 hours ago, Donald Trump was the single most powerful figure in the Republican Party. He boasted about his poll numbers compared to other GOP heavyweights. “There it is, Trump at 71. Ron De-Sanctimonious at 10 percent. Mike Pence at 7; oh, Mike Pence [is] doing better than I thought.”
Even among Republicans who weren’t huge fans of the former President, there was barely concealed resignation, a feeling that a Trump try at emulating Grover Cleveland would sweep aside any competitors. Even commentators who were eager to see Governor DeSantis head a “Stop the Donald” movement seemed to have little confidence that it could succeed.
What a difference a night of disappointments makes. Perhaps there is some Internet haven where Trump loyalists are blaming Republican defeats on Mitch McConnell and nodding along with Trump’s own pre-election analysis: “Well, I think if they win, I should get all the credit. If they lose, I should not be blamed at all.” If there is such a place, it is well hidden. Jim Geraghty has singled out a statement that encapsulates what has suddenly become the prevailing mood. Tim Anderson is one of members of the Virginia House of Delegates who was elected along with Governor Youngkin. He had a reputation as “an outspoken Trump Republican”. There’s nary a of RINO on his campaign website. Here is the statement that he issued this morning:
While it appears likely Trump will announce he is running for President – I will not be supporting him.
While Trump was President, we lost a supermajority in the House of Delegates, a majority in the Senate and in 2019 Democrats controlled all state government for 2 years – radically changing Virginia. After Trump lost, the GOP gained Delegate seats back and won all 3 statewide offices. I call this the Trump effect. One thing Trump does very well in Virginia is mobilizing the left to vote against him and anyone who supports him.
I care about Virginia more than anything. Trump running for President is the absolute worst thing that can happen to Virginia state politics. We must take a different direction and the Virginia GOP and Republicans must divorce from Trump – for the sake of Virginia and for the sake of the nation.
I am going to take the first step and say these things publicly that I know many of my colleagues think. It’s a new day. It’s time to move on.
Democrats held seats in the 7th and 10th this year because voters would rather the country be on fire than vote for Trump’s party. Never again.
Like Trump, Love Trump or Hate Trump – if you care about Virginia and conservative values – we must all move in a different direction.
It would be easy to consume millions of pixels quoting similar sentiments from people who thought well of The Donald until the electoral audit made it clear that he has flung away all the good will earned by (most of) his policies as President. John Hinderaker of PowerLine, who has mixed praise for Trump’s accomplishments with worries about his temperament, put it this way:
The Democrats played Trump like a violin, and he joined in enthusiastically because his megalomania blinded him to political reality. He is a loser. . . .
Trump is toast. He has a few fanatical followers, most of whom were never reliable Republicans or even consistent voters. They can go down with his ship if they want to. But the rest of us need to look ahead and begin the process of choosing a vastly better candidate in 2024. That will be a low bar.
You won’t be surprised to learn that Donald Trump himself is oblivious to the avalanche.
I await an addition to the Downfall parodies: “Hitler is informed that Ron De-Sanctimonious is now the favorite of the 2024 Presidential betting market”.
Comments