This past week, I watched the Republican debates on both Wednesday, August 23rd (when they were held) and revisited the debates a second time in halves – Friday morning, the 25th, and Saturday morning, the 26th. My initial scoring of the contenders was harsh, and I needed the additional review to give a more honest assessment as to that which I witnessed. The following scorecard is not based on any endorsement of the candidates. Rather, it is my opinion as to how well each candidate did on stage based on their political objectives and needs. Thus, a high score is not an endorsement of the candidate. With that stated, here is how I believe the candidates did (in order):
Businessman Vivek Ramaswamy (A); (fmr) Vice President Mike Pence (A-); (fmr) NJ Governor Chirs Christie (B); (fmr) SC Governor Nikki Haley (B); SC Senator Tim Scott (C+); ND Governor Doug Burgum (C); (fmr) Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson (D+); Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (F).
A few things to consider before reading my breakdown of each candidate and where I believe they went right or wrong. There were only two candidates running for the presidency on stage – Mike Pence and Ron DeSantis. The other candidates were either seeking a high-profile cabinet position or running mate consideration by Trump (Ramaswamy, Scott) or Pence/DeSantis (Hutchinson, Haley, Christie, Burgum). It was very clear that the reason the other candidates largely avoided punching at DeSantis was because they know he will be the most likely nominee for the Republican Party. That is not mere conjecture on their part or my own.
The fact is, Trump will be convicted in Fulton County, Georgia. It is not fair. It is not right. But it will happen due to Fulton County’s demographics and the reality of that county’s political composition. When Trump is convicted, he will be disqualified from the Georgia ballot by force of law. Even if Kemp were to be inclined to pardon Trump, he cannot do so unilaterally. That requires a review and recommendation by the Georgia Pardons and Parole Board. There is some debate as to how fast they can move (the rules are clear as mud), but some say that he can immediately petition after conviction and sentencing because his “offenses” are nonviolent. Others say that it does not matter – it requires him to complete all the conditions of his sentencing first, which seems odd because that defeats the purpose of a pardon, but it would not surprise me. Either way, Trump cannot be on the Georgia ballot in November 2024 and if he is the nominee in August 2024, that would essentially deprive the Republican Party of a nominee in a must-win state. There is no pathway to electoral victory for the Republican Party without Georgia in 2024. Trump would essentially sink the ship by continuing to run. It is not fair – it is just being honest.
I suspect, because of this, Republican operatives will begin working overtime to remove Trump from ballots – likely by means of a loyalty pledge, which Trump has so far refused to sign. Almost everyone on the stage knew this fact in some way, except Ramaswamy (a political neophyte) and Scott (an intellectually challenged individual). It is therefore unsurprising that Haley somewhat hedged her attacks, choosing to go with soft, feminine contrarian positions on abortion when she had a very brief exchange with DeSantis. Earlier in the campaign she more aggressively attacked DeSantis. That sense is gone now. More importantly, Haley wanted to highlight her international experience and neocon bona fides, probably to either curry favor with Pence or act as their surrogate on a DeSantis ticket.
Regardless, every other candidate understood the score – the campaign is really Pence (trusted old guard, neoconservative) vs DeSantis (young, hyper-rightwing, conservative social warrior – whom the establishment is somewhat cautious about). Trump is out of the race, even if the polls do not suggest that and he may win the nomination depriving the Republican Party of even the chance to look like they are trying in 2024. I believe DeSantis had a golden opportunity to put the nomination away and failed miserably on Wednesday.
Here are my brief analyses of each candidate’s performance:
Businessman Vivek Ramaswamy (A): On Wednesday, Ramaswamy certainly sounded like a caricature of the Alt-Right from 2015. He literally nailed it on every issue that was raised. I found myself agreeing with his points and enthusiasm for the issues that matter most. He articulated his positions with gusto. More importantly, he was hammered by those who hate Trump, using Ramaswamy as a Trump proxy (Hutchinson, Christie, and Pence), and he came out well. The candidate with the weird name, zero political experience, and completely contradictory policy positions based on his Twitter/X profile, did what he had to do. He made the Trump base happy about him, excited some non-racialist rightwingers, and brought a joyful enthusiasm to policy positions that are often depicted as hateful. In 2015, I told the Republican Party of Virginia not to underestimate a man who can spend a billion dollars of his own money on his own campaign. Unlike Trump, Ramaswamy has millions. The debate was important for him and he achieved his objectives, even if I am personally not fooled by him. I am sure he made Trump’s vice-presidential shortlist.
Vice President Mike Pence (A-): Pence should be a nonstarter for any Republican who paid attention to his actions both during the Administration and after he certified the election. I strongly suspect that the source of most of the leaks and backstabbing in the White House was designed by Pence and his team, who ran circles around Trump as a guardian for the neoconservative Republican Party. As a former member of the so-called Republican Congressional “Young Guns” (which included Wisconsin’s Paul Ryan and Virginia’s Eric Cantor), Pence was their inside man. On Wednesday, he wanted to remind the 55% of the GOP, that does not want Trump to be the nominee, that he is their guy. He repeated his experience, traditional neoconservative credentials, and his disdain for rightwing populism. The old snake did what he had to do, positioning himself as the anti-Trump candidate – going so far as to essentially state he would uphold a Trump conviction. Pence will be in the race longer than he should be.
NJ Governor Chirs Christie (B): It is hard to remember when Christie was a darling of a Republican Party that desperately wanted a fighter. He was Trump before there was a Trump. Unfortunately for him, he hugged Obama during the Hurricane Sandy Relief efforts weeks before the 2012 election, and he chose to allow Mitt Romney to run practically unopposed in 2012. The latter move deprived Christie of the much-needed advantage that comes with running while you are in office (a lesson that DeSantis would not forget). On Wednesday, with nothing to lose and the realization that he will never be the presidential nominee, Christie did a great job arguing why he would make an excellent attorney general. He understands the threat of the antifa (which he alluded toward on Wednesday night) and he understands how the Department of Justice works. Trump was foolish to choose Barr over Christie, and now Christie has sour grapes. Christie wants revenge on Trump. I do not think that will happen, but if he becomes the AG, he will hunt communist activists within the department in the same ways he temporarily declawed leftwing activists within New Jersey’s prosecutorial network. Wednesday was his reminder.
SC Governor Nikki Haley (B): Nikki Haley operated like someone who knows she is on the shortlist of many running mate lists, and she did exactly what she was supposed to do. Her attempts to solicit compassion for those who commit abortions and her screeching over the importance of Ukraine and Israel were definitely way off the mark. But she was simply advertising her neoconservative credentials. In case anyone forgot that she was the former Ambassador to the United Nations, and she loves Israel, Haley reminded them on Wednesday. I remember her for taking down the Confederate Battle Flag in South Carolina, thus any presidential ticket with her name on the ballot might as well say, “Vote for Black Lives Matter.” Haley is a complete nonstarter for me, but she did what she set out to do on Wednesday.
Senator Tim Scott (C+): For the life of me, I cannot understand why a proud, conservative Southern state like South Carolina continues to send limp-wristed career homosexuals with soft jaws to the Senate. The state that once gave us John C. Calhoun and Strom Thurmond, now gives us two men who are gayer than Freddy Mercury. Anyway, on Wednesday, Scott did not do anything of substance, nor harmed his attempts to be a running mate. He sort of stood there like a queer version of Bubba Blue from Forrest Gump telling us he was born a poor black child – a message better delivered by Steve Martin at the opening of The Jerk. PS – never trust a man who has not at least been married once by the age of forty.
ND Governor Doug Burgum (C): I honestly did not know this guy was running (I watch political news pretty closely) and, for the life of me, I do not know why he is running today. I am impressed by the fact that he was hospitalized a day earlier for a brutal injury to his Achilles heel and participated in the debate on one leg all evening (wow!). He will make a great Secretary of the Interior. Anyone with that much toughness is needed to coral wild Indians when they run off the reservation and raid a White village. The only thing he accomplished was that he made his presence known – and even then, I had to keep looking up his name to remember who he was. My notes literally state, “bushy eyebrows guy from North Dakota.”
Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson (D+): Without question, one of the most despicable characters in Washington, DC, politics, Hutchinson keeps popping up like a bad penny every time a Republican runs for office. He is a career political appointee, which makes him even worse than a campaign manager or bureaucrat. The governor who vetoed a bill that would have ended the use of illegal alien labor in Arkansas factories and vetoed a bill that protected children from transgender mutilation, had the audacity to speak about protecting America and American values. Pure slime and it showed. Not to be outdone by Nimarata “Nikki” Haley, Hutchinson wore an Israeli flag pin to the debates. His pithy comments aimed at Trump were much like the little weasel kid in a pack of bigger kids, agreeing about some target of their scorn – sly smile and all.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (F): Of all the candidates on the stage, the least compelling was DeSantis for two reasons. First, he is the leading challenger to Trump and, therefore, expectations were much higher. Second, he had a lot to gain on Wednesday and his flat, overly scripted, tightly controlled delivery failed on many levels. To be sure, he is getting praise from the usual establishment sycophants, so it is unlikely that his team will do the necessary deep dive into DeSantis’ lackluster debate performance. Furthermore, knowing he is the likely nominee after Trump is disqualified, very few people offered him an opportunity to fire back. They largely ignored him. Still, several opportunities provided him a chance to exhibit a stronger stance on the Trump indictments, the potential for a Trump pardon, the Ukraine war, and even border security. He did none of that.
The sickening over usage of “people he met on the campaign” are the kind of pathetically laughable, contrived scripts that now get eyerolls from anyone who is not a 60-year-old, Midwestern church lady. It was really bad. DeSantis was milquetoast at best in a post-milquetoast world. DeSantis needs to be seen as the man who can firmly defend Trump – as an American and symbol of the party – while not necessarily liking Trump, nor following Trump’s script. He can do that. Why? Because he is not Mike Pence – and DeSantis will need some Trump supporters when Trump is officially out of the race. The real tragedy is that DeSantis is excellent when he is unscripted – such as his epic fights with the media during Covid or when he is being asked questions by people like Tucker Carlson.
Throughout his governorship, DeSantis was and has been “Trump without the baggage.” He was the guy that delivered results for the conservative cause that had long been written off by so-called conservative politicians. His accomplishments are incredible and unlike Trump in January 2017, DeSantis could effectively leave Florida and plug his team into positions of authority on day one in the White House in January 2025. The team he has in Florida is incredibly loyal, tightlipped, and ruthless. The way they gutted the Jeb Bush faction of Florida politics is something Trump was never capable of doing in Washington. DeSantis needs to be that guy on stage – strong, resolute, and unafraid of controversy. He was none of that on Wednesday. Instead, DeSantis was just another politician in a suit with terrible stories and helmet hair. He had an opportunity to introduce himself to the Trump supporters that hate him due to baseless claims by Trump sycophants. He failed to do that, too.
Tragically, many within the Republican party are praising DeSantis’ boring performance. His fundraising skyrocketed. Milquetoast GOPers are endorsing the governor in greater numbers. That is a shame. He needs a better team. DeSantis has the golden opportunity to advance the very same rightwing populism he spearheaded in Florida. He needs to come across more like Reagan in 1980. On Wednesday night, DeSantis was no Reagan. He was more like Illinois Representative Phil Crane in 1979. If you are asking yourself, “Who is Phil Crane?” – exactly.
The son of a recent Irish immigrant and another with roots to Virginia since 1670. I love both my Irish and Southern Nations with a passion. Florida will always be my country. Dissident support here: Padraig Martin is Dixie on the Rocks (buymeacoffee.com)
I concur 100% with your analysis. Did you know Asa Hutchinson as a federal prosecutor working out of Fort Smith, Arkansas arrested a bunch of “White Separatists” (early 1990s) and put them on trial for sedition? He lost but proved he is no friend of ours! He still brags about that in his campaign for governor! Also, Chris Christie and David Duke attended LSU at the same time. Every time Duke spoke in freedom ally Christie was there to jeer and yell insults.
I’d like to ask each of these members of the Party of Lincoln about their thoughts on the cold-blooded murder of unarmed, 5’2″ 110 lb. Ashli Babbitt, by Capitol policeman Michael Byrd on January 6, 2021. I’d bet my last dime the overwhelming majority of them would say it was ‘justified.’
By the way, I read that Byrd was recently promoted to Captain by the Capitol Police. Murder deplorables, get promoted…..the land of the free and the home of the brave.
https://thepostmillennial.com/capitol-police-officer-michael-byrd-who-shot-ashli-babbitt-promoted-to-captain
Building a CSA II is maybe hopeless. When even southern patriots like Vdare and Padraig opine on candidates even though they’re not white!!!!!!! The little brown Indian shouldn’t even BE on stage let alone have us talking about his score!!! Good grief. The million subliminal messages of PC have penetrated the minds of even the elect! Very sad.
We must rewire our psyches and “un do” the brainwashing. No one but a white Christian male should even be considered for any office. That’s timeless.
Not that it matters but Ramsway ( or whatever his 3rd world darkie name is ), has been proven a phony anyways.
https://banned.video/watch?id=64ea7cfa5eb6e73fb30877cc
The least worst ticket would be Trump / DeSantis.
The military has been in charge. We’ll see some crazy stuff beginning in September. Trump is the actual commander and chief and will be put back in power.
(1) Commander In Chief, not Commander and Chief;
(2) You’re living in a fantasy world of your own making; Donald Trump was never “in power” to begin with; he’s certainly never going to be “put back in power” by TPTB, for goodness sakes. They got what they wanted from him and “used him up” in the process. Best better be grabbing your cheeks and kissing your *ss goodbye, ’cause the last thing that will ever happen in our (yours & mine) lifetimes is that Donald Trump will ride in on a white horse to save your sorry hide, or mine, from the destruction coming.
Reality is a harsh thing, but you’d better get a grip on it, quick, fast and in a hurry, just as a matter of keeping what little sanity and good sense you have left.
Ramaswamy is the most solid guy up there. If he’s in agreement with the majority of my positions he’s an ally even if he isn’t White. This kind of “If you ain’t White” you ain’t right mentality is ignorant honestly.
You’re obviously uninformed if you think little darky’s with you on your “positions.” Do your homework before challenging your superiors.
When America restructures there will be a handful of other republics for trolls, darkies and the ignorant to choose from. Supposedly most folks here are interested in massaging an all white conservative CSA II into existence which would mean ( among other things ), none of us would even consider anyone else let alone waste thought on what they say or think.
You might like The California Republic?
I agree with you, Josey: it’s the difference between Inimicus and Hostis. Prof. Smith wrote about it recently. Check it out and see what you think:
https://orthosphere.wordpress.com/2023/07/24/the-distinction-between-hostis-and-inimicus-should-never-be-lost-sight-of-rascality-notwithstanding/
There’s never gonna exist an “all White” CSAII. You are completely delusional. When Texas leaves the Union via the TNM it won’t be an “all White” Texas. It’s just not gonna happen no matter how much you want it to happen.
Sadly, you may actually be right! Out of the tiny handful of supposed “southern” blogs, sites, channels, etc., not even one pushes for what they supposedly want! All talk no planning. No will. No focus. No founder mentality. When anyone suggests restructuring / secession to include an all white CSA II, the contributors and even commentors ( 1/2 of whom are paid trolls ), attack the true southern patriots!!!!!!!
Writing, talking and commenting on any of these platforms is a waste of time. Even taking a nap would be more productive.
Trump’s not going to save the south. That’s upto a bunch of patriots who evidently are in the shadows. The ones out of the shadows ( platforms mentioned above ), suffer from “avoidance psychology.” ( As long as you’re just yapping and yapping … you don’t need to put forth any effort or even bravery to find a way to save and rebuild the south.
Trump never left office. Watch closely over the next 3 + months.
Goodbye now. I’m going on a journey to find patriots that are not slaves to avoidance psychology.
Disagreeing with you is not an *attack* on you, Josey. For goodness sakes, when are you going to grow up and be a man, and stop believing that every disagreement with your opinion(s) is a personal attack, perpetrated by a *well paid troll* or a *well paid fed,* etc.? We’re all on the same team here, dingdong! When are you going to come to the knowledge of that truth?!
Anyway, goodbye, dear Josey once again; see ya on the flipside (under whatever nom de plume you choose to write under for the next go-round. Don’t worry, I’ll know who you are, whatever your new nom de plume may then be. …
Thank you for this interesting summary. My prediction is that ultimately the “winner” will be about as bona fide a winner as Leah Thomas. And they’ll continue the job of wrecking White, middle class, heterosexual, Christian America at the behest of their dual citizen masters. For all his flaws and failures Trump did somewhat resist them on our behalf. Anyway, we’re screwed six ways from Sunday. Just sayin’.
WWIII to the rescue. The WEF allows Trump to win and throws the switch from NATO to set off the fireworks show. The carpet baggers are lining up for the aftermath, transitioning from instigators and Oligarchs to rebuilders and lenders. While we are mired in Biden politics with an economy resembling France on a bad day, China is sitting back looking to pounce. To paraphrase Kamala Harris: The outcome of the situation will be an indication of the manipulation of the nation that we all have been more or less in anticipation of.
It would be great if the CSA part II (I prefer Southland Confederation) would be a mixture of Switzerland and Orania. I have not been to Orania, but I have been to Switzerland and was highly impressed with their nation. I like their gun culture (everybody has a military grade weapon at home because the whole nation is called up for practice one weekend a month. I happened to be there when this happened, and I was amazed how quickly they go on a war footing while the day before was so peaceful and tranquil.) I also like direct democracy and Switzerland is a Confederation! I also like their policy of official neutrality in foreign affairs and the idea that a tax increase cannot be passed without a national referendum.
I was in bed in my hotel only to be awaked by a jet fighter roaring over the hotel at tree top level. I ran to the widow and saw a Swiss jet fighters complete with the red circle and white cross decals. I also saw tanks rumbling down the highway next to the hotel and everybody, men and women, in olive drab carrying military grade weapons. That is how I envision the Southland Confederation the Orania aspects is that of a complete racially homogeneous nation. Switzerland is not but the Southland Confederation could be!
I have been a staunch immigration restrictiinist since at least 2000. As such, Switzerland’s immigration & natiralization policies compared to our own have always been, to me, something we should learn from and closely emulate in the ‘good ol’ U.S. of A. Namely this: that in Switzerland, as I understand it, a foreign-born or alien applicant for admission to Swiss citizenship, can only get his or her wish *by a majority vote of the people of the city or township wherein (s)he resides. Thus, many more are rejected than are admitted.The way it was originally intended in ‘Murika,’ before the disaster of the so called “Civil War” and the fourteenth amendment nonsense. …
Yes Feric. Maybe a super Switzerland / Mayberry / 1950’s America. The problem is, there’s too many pansies in the south today for it to happen. The pansies want to “talk” but not “do.” If you dare suggest ANY solution you’ll be ignored or attacked. I’ve given this a lot of thought and my conclusion is, the pansies can’t ‘all’ be trolls! Maybe 1/4 or so yes, but the rest are just letting “avoidance psychology” rule over them because solutions require manliness and courage. Anger at themselves for being pansies while their south falls apart requires “venting,” so we get all these posts and articles over the YEARS while the Titanic sinks. Nothing will change until enough pansies stop venting and start focusing on solutions.
https://alt-market.us/solutions-are-scary-part-1-its-time-to-bring-back-citizen-militias/
Josey wrote:
I’ll answer as our Savior might have, Josey. Two words: “Thou sayest.” I’ll also admonish as He might have: ‘Thou hypocrite. Get the beam out of thine own eye, that you may see clearly to get the mote out your brothers’ eyes.’ Stick that in your pipe and smoke it. Meantime, have you read The Honorable Cause? I’m happy to provide you with a copy (on my dime) if not. Email me if you like: selfgovwliberty@gmail.com
Time would be better spent analyzing the WWE AND Wrestlemania. That would be closer to reality than phony debates, with phony candidates, for a phony election. I mean, seriously, am I the only one that recognizes this charade for what it really is? It sure as hell feels that way.
The answer to your question, you’ll be happy to learn, is no, you’re not the only one. See here, for example:
https://identitydixie.com/2023/08/29/the-gop-wants-2014/#comment-23503
Such comments could be multiplied, if I had time to dig the fifth part of them up. Meanwhile, some persons just aren’t as vocal about this as others of us tend to be. I guess we could refer to that element as the “silent minority.” *wink, wink
I think contributors and commenters at ID are about 50/50 on this. It took me awhile to come around on this too. The deception is powerful for those with a concept of honor. As Mr. Shackleford wrote in the ‘Physics of Head Space’:
“My suspicion is that mustache man nailed it when he observed that our people will tell small lies in their personal lives, but they’d never engage in the sort of staggering, comprehensive dishonesty with which they’re being bamboozled. Therefore, they find it plausible.”
Try to apply Col. 3:12 ff in being patient with those who still don’t see. Most of my immediate family thinks I’m nuts. It goes with the territory in being a dissident.
Funny. I just blogged on that. The World really has become a big kayfabe.