The Countdown

The Iowa caucuses are mere days away. It all comes to this. The official coronation of Donald Trump as the GOP nominee. I hold out a small amount of hope that GOP voters will come to their senses and do something different. But then I look at Haley and DeSantis and wonder if they would be better.

I mean … DeSantis is all in on the extreme right wing positions and Haley seems to be one of those classic political wafflers. Who really knows what she believes. She certainly seems to represent the more traditional version of Republican policies, but let’s say she was elected. Would she really be able to stand up to the more extreme members of her party?

Meanwhile, I also hold out a small amount of hope that somehow the Democratic Party will put somebody forward other than Joe Biden. On some level, I don’t really have an issue with him. But … he’s just too old. And it’s time for us to move to the next generation of politicians to lead the country.

So, here we are.

I did not watch the debate that took place a few days ago. Having beer and pizza with a couple of friends was far more important. So, all I can do is rely on the media recaps.

Here’s one that appeared on CNN afterwards. It seems pretty consistent with other recaps I’ve seen. Haley did better, DeSantis did worse, but … meh. The thing that bothers me about CNN’s piece is that it is written by a debate coach and people don’t watch these “debates” and decide who “won” based on the classical rules and definitions for debates.

Here’s one from the New York Times. A bunch of different analysts with their opinions of the debate. Something the NYT has done after each debate. I like that approach because there are a range of perspectives. There’s a line in the NYT piece that sticks out for me. Jamelle Bouie, who is definitely one of the NYT’s resident liberals, said about DeSantis “He has no idea what normal people want.”

I’ve been trying to figure out how to describe the problem with DeSantis since I started writing on substack. Truthfully, there are a number of problems. He doesn’t seem to be a normal human being and unlike other politicians who rise to the level he is at, he can’t seem to at least appear normal. He appears programmed. He is incapable of looking natural and like he’s enjoying what he is doing.

And Bouie is exactly right. He also doesn’t seem to understand what normal people want. He is hook, line and sinker in on this extreme, intolerant version of the right that believes its own propaganda about what America wants. Unfortunately for DeSantis, America doesn’t want what he is selling. They don’t want the intolerance and obsessions he has put in place in Florida. Sure, some do, but overall … I just don’t think that’s the case. And he is incapable of seeing that. Why? Because he is simply not normal and doesn’t understand normal people and what they want.

I have no idea who won the debate and I have no idea what will happen in Iowa, except that Trump will likely win by a significant margin. The huge question mark is who comes in second — DeSantis or Haley. (Note that I’m not even mentioning Ramaswamy. I don’t see any reason to do so. Which probably means, he’s the one who will pull off a surprise in Iowa.)

Based on everything I’ve read, I expect Haley to come in second, but probably by a less than significant margin, which means New Hampshire will become more important and all indications are that she is posting the stiffest challenge to Trump in that state.

All that said, I’m just so frustrated at the options we have. A bunch of ridiculous Republicans playing to the rabid base of the GOP, and a man who is too old to continue on as President. Yeah, this is called A Dead Horse for a reason.

I’ll try to put that constant theme to the side in the future and just talk about what is happening … and hope for better options in the end.