The First GOP Debate

[Dill]

(08-23-2023, 04:48 PM)Nately120 Wrote: I predict Christie will get aggressive and the rest of them will defend Trump, because they're all really just planning for the future or to be in Trump's circle, not to be the president in 2024.  Christie wants to be the first notable republican to FINALLY point out that emperor Trump has no clothes, Pence...who knows, DeSantis is trying to set himself up to be the candidate in 2028 if Trump is dead by then, and the rest are looking to kiss Trump's ass so they can be VP or get cabinet positions.

Trump won't be around forever, and anyone who goes after him today will be toast.  Defend him and then hope he's unavailable to run soon and you can say "I never turned on Trump, but he's gone now and you need me to take his place."

He's the only one who will flat out admit that Trump lost in 2020 and Trump should not be the GOP candidate in 2024, so I have to back him by default.  How anyone can win a political debate while refusing to admit who the current president is just shows how feelings matter over facts.

Christie should just point out that he's the only person there who will admit that Trump shouldn't be the first choice for president and everyone else is full of crap.

Christie probably knows he won't win this primary. But he may be thinking 4-6 years ahead. 

It's a good bet that Trump support will wane as the trials force more and more legal details into the MAGA bubble. And if he wins the nomination, then trails in right wing polls all the way up to the election and loses it, the inevitable cry of "rigged again" won't have much traction. His voters won't finally see through him, but they'll be exhausted, and may wonder if another candidate might have beaten "crooked Joe," still not in jail after we KNOW that he took millions in bribes from China. (lol) 

In six years it may even be possible that those who spoke the truth directly today will have a better standing in the GOP than the sycophants who WANT Trump to fall but don't want their voters to know that. Especially if Trump loses to Biden, as Christie publicly predicts. ('Course, people could also blame Christie for bringing Trump down, diverting votes, etc.  It's a gamble.)

Christie also has an aggressive, authoritarian streak which could endear him to some Trump supporters. After what happened to Rubio in the previous GOP debates, I'm betting that each candidate is more worried about him than anyone else. 

I expect a mediocre performance from DeSantis. I think most everyone BUT him will improve their poll numbers in the coming week--taking percentages from him though, not Trump.