Disqualifying Trump from standing in the states means no Electoral College votes from those states. There are a lot of pending cases for disqualification, see this list for the current status of the cases.
If that happens. that’s it. He’s finished if he can’t get an Electoral College majority, and he knows it. The fallout from that is anything but clear; if not Trump, who can stand for the Republicans?
This is where the “but” comes in; just about everyone in the GOP is now a nonentity.
By which I mean, is there somebody that anyone’s ever heard of as an alternative? This cult of personality tends to bury others. You can call it populism. It’s actually hogging the limelight and demoting everyone else.
A Trump second term was never a good bet in far too many ways. After a second term, he’s gone. He can’t be President again. Behind the scenes, he’s just a collection of court cases. There are no strong identities in the GOP anymore. That leaves a gaping hole in the party for the future. People seem to have forgotten that.
When he goes, his financial supporters may or may not go with him. He’s there to push their agendas. They are also his lifeline. If he can’t stand for office, what use is he to them?
Result – The ole hot dog stand shuts down and the hot dogs, including the Supreme Hot Dog, are laid off. That’s a mixed blessing, no doubt. … But it may mean a lot of hot dog money goes elsewhere, too. That does make a big difference almost instantly.
Note: Doesn’t hot dog money sound better than Super PAC? Just a thought. The products are pretty much the same.
They might do that anyway. The GOP couldn’t even elect a Speaker without a total train wreck of public infighting. The party is clearly fragmented and dysfunctional. What and who is anyone supposed to support?
There’s a lot of past and present deadwood for decluttering in the GOP now. The GOP has been sidetracked into Trump positions for too long at the expense of all else, notably governance in or out of office.
Too many people in the party system have been no more than Trump promoters. Their use in any other role is more than dubious. Trump has a habit of incessantly hiring and firing Z list nonentities dependent on him for status. Of themselves, they contribute nothing.
Trump has also blustered and bullied the Republican Party into extreme positions on just about all subjects. His polarizing efforts have truly antagonized the other side and as often as not annoyed the middle of the road.
Credibility isn’t just a word. It’s a defining description of status. How does the GOP back away from the extreme positions? They’ve had no say in their own policies for years. A lot of people have also made political careers out of these strange obsessions. It sells to people who have no real say in anything. It sells to nobody else.
…And that’s what’s left of the GOP as a political entity.
Forget Trump. His shelf life ends in 2028 at best. It’ll take a lot longer than that to sort out the total chaos he’s created.
Maybe he could do a book – “The Art of the Unreal”. “The Art of the Appeal”, or “The Art of the Squeal”, perhaps. There could be a whole series.
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Disclaimer
The opinions expressed in this Op-Ed are those of the author. They do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of the Digital Journal or its members.
