Chris Christie Is the Only GOPer Who Can Beat Trump: Dems Should Hope He Does
CHRIS CHRISTIE IS THE ONLY REPUBLICAN WHO COULD BEAT TRUMP
What do we most know about Donald Trump? Correct. He is an asshole.
What do we most know about Chris Christie? Correct. He is an asshole.
Without regard to anything else, Republicans are going to demand an asshole in 2024. As much as we might have disdained Mitt Romney or John McCain while running against Obama, they were relatively normal human beings. Hell, George “W” Bush is a relatively normal human being on this scale (and only this scale). The two above, not so much.
Republicans have fallen in love with assholes.
Well, wait. It is not the person-jackass himself with whom they fall in love, though with Trump, some could make a case. No, they “love” the guy who will be the biggest d*ck to the Democrats. That was the key to Trump, he “triggered” the libs, he “owned the libtards.” And lord almighty did they love him for it.
The key to understanding the MAGAs is accepting the fact that they hate us far more than they love their country, their candidate, or themselves. One can barely measure how much they hate us. They need a candidate that they can count upon to hate the Democrats as much as they do or appear to hate the Democrats as much as they do.
It was not a problem with Trump. Trump’s life is defined by hating anyone who doesn’t support him. Indeed, one might say that Trump simply hates everyone but himself (Ivanka excepted). It likely won’t be a problem with Christie because he can appear to hate anyone, even though - deep down, he knows there are some decent people running around somewhere.
But. Before we even get to Trump v. Democrats or Christie v. Democrats we must deal with…
A Republican has to beat Donald Trump or Donald Trump’s replacement, i.e. DeSantis or Hawley, a few other proven MAGAs. Chris Christie is not a Trump replacement, he is the alternative to Trumpism, and he’s the only viable one.
But how could Christie beat Trump? Well, he likely wouldn’t. But having said he is the only one that could, he would beat Trump by being tougher than Trump and - this is key, he could beat Trump by being far more competent in being tough. On that latter quality, Christie would lap Trump.
Moreover, Christie has a big beautiful example he can point to as demonstrative of what it’s like to get something done, “infrastructure.”
Both parties wanted it, Trump talked about it his entire term, he didn’t get it done, very similar to that wall that Trump promised. We can see it now, Christie on a debate stage; “I’m from Jersey! You think I don’t know how to build bridges and tunnels! I coulda’ gotten that thing done in 20 minutes, instead, you fcked it all up and gave it to Biden!”
If and when we get down to a Republican 2024 primary, the debate stage will be critical. Trump is intimidating, he stalked Hillary. But Christie could stand there and trade insults with Trump all night long. It is not a stretch to say that Trump would likely intimidate every candidate but Christie.
Additionally, it is just as important that Christie “not” do something while standing on stage with Trump. Christie won’t talk 2020.
You know it, I know it, Chris Christie knows it, and the Trumps all know it. Put a microphone in Trump’s hand, at any point from now until his death, and he is going to talk about 2020, especially when asked about his plans for 2024. He is going to go back to all he did in 2020, “greatest economy,” “judges,” “the border,” all that stuff and I won in a landslide! They stole it from me! It was rigged! Look at Arizona, I just heard they found… THAT will be his platform! “I am going to be president again!”
For now, MAGAs are content to talk about rigged elections and “Fixing 2020 first,” by 2023 and 2024, that topic will be tired. They are going to want to hear about healthcare, the economy, the green movement (more and more accepted as part-reality by some on the right). They will want to know where they are going, not where they’ve been. They may want to go there with Trump, but they are still going to want to know where he’s taking them. That is not Trump’s strength, especially when “We’re going to build a wall!” has lost a lot of thunder.
Christie looks like a man who’s running. So does DeSantis, Pompeo, Hawley (has there ever been a man who’s claimed more having done less?), Cruz, and a handful of others, none of which would run if Trump were to run, and even if he did run, he’d lose because he’d run on a MAGA program. Christie is the only one that would run against Trump.
Christie is the one with a book out now, on how to revitalize the Republican party. He is already looking ahead and there is plenty of time to write another, on the dangers of looking back. Look for him to start losing weight. Indeed - this is said with complete sincerity, he needs the weight loss surgery to ensure his health. He will live longer despite a dangerous procedure. Again, that is said with nothing but sincere well-wishes.
Now the question we might care about: If Christie ran against Trump, should we want Christie to win the primary? In my opinion, yes. Though it is a two-sided coin.
On the one hand, if Christie won, he is far more likely to get Republican programs implemented. Christie, for all his faults, does know how to get things done and would get things done. That is bad, It has been at least two Republican presidents since we faced GOP competence in the White House. We have forgotten how bad it can get.
But as we found out in 2020, there is a big and dangerous world out there and there are times when a president becomes the president for all Americans. Well over 700,000 Americans are dead and the world may be spiraling into mild recession because COVID was blown from the start, primarily by the American president, who never used the money and might of the United States to stamp out the disease in its early stages. Additionally, we came within a fraction of an inch to giving away NATO, that thing that keeps war from breaking out in Europe and North America and keeps Putin’s heart beating. His wildest dream.
We benefitted tremendously from Trump’s incompetence on the domestic front. We still have Obamacare, Trump’s tax cuts are reversed. Infrastructure is in place. On foreign policy has been reset to “normal,” and on surprise dangers like COVID, we are still paying the price. As storms get stronger, as populism rises around the globe, as China gets more and more aggressive, we would want a president that actually could lead and understand the problem at hand in an emergency.
Given current conditions, it is more likely than not that A) Trump would run, B) Trump would win, both the nomination and the general election, and C) the world would end.
But there is not an election this week and a lot can and will happen between 2021 and 2024. There are criminal indictments that may be coming, civil suits, financial troubles, and more, coming Trump’s way. Additionally, Biden’s programs are going to be really kicking into gear two-three years from now. The country will “look” different and hopefully feel different.
But in my opinion, there is one thing we can say with certainty already. Chris Christie is the only Republican who can beat Donald Trump one on one. Given all that rides upon a possible challenge, we should hope that Christie takes him on.
Some short vignettes after a long essay:
A very good indication that your country is in deep trouble is when a verdict for either the prosecution or the defense could set off violent riots in various places throughout the country.
Many of us are not in the mood to hear Tucker Carlson talk about “jurors worrying about their town burning down” if they find Rittenhouse innocent. Some of us are forced to worry about our country burning down, especially our Capitol if a Democrat happens to defeat a Republican again.
It is a very good time to have dual citizenship. Saskatoon - college town - is a bit cool in the winter (Wait, let’s be perfectly honest, its cold AF in the winter), but no better place to be in summer. Kelowna, Edmonton, even Vancouver if I can get to 10K paying subscribers, all would be okay.
Looking better all the time. Plus, I’m pretty sure I can crash at a subscriber’s place for a night.
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Has anyone ever gone into a Walgreens to pick up an Rx and not gotten angry at some point?
If one must go with chain pizza, and all too often, one must, it almost has to be Pizza Hut classic pan pizza.
Starting Saturday through Next Sunday, we have - what I consider - the best sports week in the United States. The true college rivalry games get played. There are great college basketball tournaments. NFL is kicking it really in gear. And regular NBA-NHL.
Given the long first essay, I’m dashing out until tomorrow. See you for the Friday Grab Bag: