What does the future hold for Donald Trump? - threadbans in OP

I don't know if it would work like that. The specific reason why Trump controls the Republican party to the extent he does is because he went directly to the party's grassroots with a potent mix of celebrity, ignorance and vengeful rhetoric. He was able to tap into something that no other candidate saw or was prepared/able to go near. That's why the Republican party has spinelessly defended and covered for Trump these last six years. He's got the party's balls in a vice.

The party is not going to extend the same courtesy to DeSantis on a national level unless he can command the same level of grassroots support. He's done brilliantly in Florida, but replicating that nationwide very much remains to be seen.

Yeah thats the huge headache for the RNC right now. Do they let Trump go forth unopposed and basically give up on the White House in 2024. It is not an appealing strategy but if they can hold their noses it will be the electorate who finish Trump off and that would suit them given that they dont know how to do it themselves. They had their chance at his impeachment and they shirked it, then they had another chance right after Jan 6th to cut him loose and they shirked that too. It would suit the RNC down to the ground to let the electorate do the job for them. It would mean giving up on the 2024 WH but once Trump is a two time election loser then he is off the main stage for good and the Republican party can start afresh.

The alternative to that is that the RNC fight Trump by backing de Santis but that results in the party being split down the middle and ineffective in 2024 anyway. The primary debates between Trump and de Santis would be like some kind of extreme bloodsports and no matter who emerged victorious they will have totally turned off the 10% of independent, swing and moderate voters they need to convince in a Presidential election.

In any case de Santis doesnt strike me as having the balls to take on Trump no matter what the polls are showing. Trump has already been barbing him with the de Santimonious stuff and he had no response. It is clear that like all others in the Republican party that he is completely scared of Trump going full scorched earth on him.

They can try to pivot away from Trump, but it comes down to what kind of response that generates.

It isn't the first time that US conservative media has floated this idea of breaking from Trump, but it fell flat on its face.

I do not yet see any big polling evidence that the Republican base is ready to move on from Trump.

DeSantis actually has a basis for appealing to the MAGAs by attacking Trump on covid from the (libertarian) right and claiming he was the true 'Trumpist'.

Pretty decent impression to be fair

And I'll hold my hands up that I'm basing it on the crazies online suddenly pivoting.

I'm sure like most people who run for President it was a life-long ambition for Obama and something that he knew that he was going to do at some stage. However I do believe that in 2004, before he had even begun his job as a Senator, would have believed that 2008 was way too early.

In his book he says that his initial plan was to get some experience in the Senate and probably run at a later stage. However, in early 2006 Harry Reid told him "10 years in the Senate won't make you a better candidate" and then later on Ted Kennedy said to him:

Obama ran in 2008 even though he knew he'd have to take on the Clinton machine to do so and was considered a massive underdog.

DeSantis has to take his chance now. Who knows what the world will be like in 4 years time. If he doesn't do it now then that'll count against him in the future. Some other candidate could emerge. 2 years ago Andrew Cuomo was being talked about as a future Presidential candidate. Now he's done for. 4 years ago Rishi Sunak was a political nobody. Now he's Prime Minister of the UK.

I wonder if the GOP are still entertaining the idea of installing trump as speaker of the house, remember that?

Not too sure if this should be on this thread but can the Republican party really back DeSantis too hard. If he sees the party that they see him as the one to save him, could he see himself as a GOD and grap the party like Trump did

Cut scene to Trump announcing 2024 presidential run.

Arrested Development voice over: he didn't know it.

Just saw a clip of an interview with Clinton's former press secretary, who made a very good point about the future of Trump that's been mentioned here also. The GOP will continue to hitch their cart to Trump because they can't afford to sacrifice the vote of the right wing scum he's brought into the party - Proud Boys, Oathkeepers, racists. Plus, the extra hardcore percentage of voters that only want to vote for Trump. Trump may be possibly the most consistent loser in the history of US politics but he won't be going anywhere anytime soon. I'd give it a month before the Republicans in Congress (after complaining about the midterms for a couple of weeks) are back solidly behind the Trump 2024 idea.