Like it or not, the 2024 presidential election season is just about here.
Republicans and conservatives have a big decision to make in their primary.
Regardless of whether Gov. Ron Desantis, R-Fla., decides to throw his hat into the ring or not, the decision will come down to one thing — personality.
Specifically, it will come down to acceptance of Donald J Trump’s larger-than-life personality . . . or not.
There should be zero argument about our nation's 45th commander in chief's effectiveness and performance during his tenure in the Oval Office.
Inflation was low. Gas prices tumbled below two dollars per gallon, due to pipeline and drilling approvals. The number of manufacturing jobs increased. Trade flourished.
Enemies feared us. Even North Korea settled down.
Our NATO allies were forced to pay their promised (but ignored) contributions to defense.
The military got out of Iraq, tactically.
The groundwork was also laid to "tactically" get us out of Afghanistan, if the Taliban met certain parameters.
Probably the most American thing Trump ever did while in office was answer dozens of questions from the press, even confrontational ones, nearly every trying day.
No other modern president has done so.
Even "Never-Trump" or "Anti-Trump" conservatives with whom this writers speaks can't argue those generally accepted facts.
One supposed "Reagan conservative" this writer knows had to admit that Trump had done more for the nation and conservatism than Ronald Reagan himself.
Then, in the very next breath, he stated that he would still never vote for Trump!
That has to be one of the most ridiculous and incredulous statements ever uttered.
My counter-argument to people such as those is that we are not voting for a bishop or a pope. For decades, as our trade imbalance grew, many of us urged that we need someone in office with business experience to "right" America's ship of state and her economy!
Most conservatives should be aware that the world of business is not full of saints and do-gooders . . . at least when it comes to most of the successful ones.
Should Florida's DeSantis enter the fray, he becomes the second heavyweight in this free-for-all, no disrespect to for mer South Carolina governor and U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley intended.
The Sunshine State's governor’s stance, during COVID-19: against school closures, mandatory masks, business lockdowns and vaccine passports, shot him to the top in name recognition and GOP approval.
The DeSantis pushback against the biased media is nearly on par with that of Donald Trump's. His military experience does give him great talking points.
The history of Mr. Trump's presidential performance, as well as his corporate and professional experience, should be enough to give him the Republican nomination.
However, the gullibility of those who believed the Russia collusion and other fake news stories, the constant negative stories, attacks by nearly all media, and the supposed sensibilities of the millennials and early Gen Z’ers, make his nomination anything but certain.
In this current financial situation in America, it really should come down to economic issues and ideas.
Sadly, those will be overlooked or buried by corporate news outlets.
Although we all respect someone who fights for himself, Trump was in a "Catch-22," when he continually seemed aggressive or defensive.
If he didn't continuously stand up for himself, he would have seemed weak.
The potential Trump/DeSantis battle is going to be one for the ages.
It may come down to one mistake or misspeak that will put one in a death spiral and the other over the top.
By contrast, the Democrats have it easy. If Joe Biden decides to run for a second term, he will get little opposition . . . incoherence, incompetence, or other feebleness be damned.
In the ensuing presidential campaign, nearly every progressive, leftist, liberal, socialist, communist, anti-conservative and anti-American will vote for whichever candidate is nominated to oppose the Republican.
On the flip side, if Trump does win the primary, there will still be many Republicans who will still not vote for him . . . just like last time Biden (supposedly) won.
2020 has taught them nothing.
John Cylc is an eight-year U.S. Army veteran focused on conservatism, gun rights and other contemporary topics. Mr. Cylc is the founder and editor of ThirteenFox.com and can be found on Twitter- @The2ndA. A Philadelphia native, he currently resides with his wife and youngest son in the foothills of the Smoky Mountains in beautiful East Tennessee. To read more of his reports — Click Here Now.
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