2024 US Presidential Election

The 2024 US Presidential Election is already underway. These are the declared Republican candidates so far:

• Donald Trump. The elephant in the room. Mr. Narcissist. Never met a lie he couldn't tell.
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• Ron DeSantis. Feels like the Darth Vader of the pack. No one crueler.
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• Chris Christie. One of two Republicans talking honest sense. He'll take some great jabs at Trump, but he hasn't got a chance.
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• Asa Huthinson. The other Republican talking honest sense. No chance.
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• Nikki Haley. She used to be a nice person, but then she learned to play politics.
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• Mike Pence. I think he held elected office once.
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• Tim Scott. Mr. Happy Boy. Ignorance is bliss.
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• Ryn Binkley. Has a nice ring to it: "President Binkley."
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• Doug Burgum. Who?
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• Larry Elder. Again, who?
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• Will Hurd. Yet again, who?
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• Perry Johnson. Where are they finding these guys?
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• Vivek Ramaswamy. Killed the most trees so far, we're getting tons of his mailings.
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• Francis Suarez. Mayor of Miami.

With the exception of Chris Christie and Asa Hutchinson, no Republican candidate dares criticize Trump because they know he'll come after them and that will kill their chances to pick up votes from Trump supporters. How do you win a race against someone you won't actually campaign against?I expected that by now Chris Christie would be regularly making the news with pithy verbal takedowns of Trump, but either I'm reading the wrong news or he's been silent. He's even been to my own state of New Hampshire, but I didn't hear a peep about him.Right now I can't see a Republican path to victory in 2024. Unless Trump drowns in his legal troubles he's got the Republican nomination locked up, but with all his legal baggage there seems no path to victory for him in the general election.I can't see how Trump could fail to win the nomination as long as he has the support of most Republican politicians, but if he didn't then who could win? DeSantis seems a bit of a very hatable Nixonian figure, and I don't give him a chance. Pence hasn't gotten even a bit of traction so far, and I don't see that changing. Nikki Halley might be electable if when speaking at the national level she stops reciting the scary hateful parts of her platform. Happy Boy Tim Scott might have a chance.If the Republican party does finally turn on Donald Trump (which seems impossible), then Chris Christie's the guy. He's smart, he's informed, he's entertaining, he's quotable, and he knows how to lead.These are the declared Democratic candidates:

• Joe Biden. A sitting president is almost never denied the nomination. Even weakened and beseiged by the Iranian hostage crisis and high inflation, Jimmy Carter tidily beat Ted Kennedy in the primaries. Joe Biden will be the Democratic nomineee.
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• Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Sounds familiar. I think I supported him in 1968.
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• Marianne Williamson. Not a chance.

2024 will come down to a rematch between Joe Biden and Donald Trump, and given all his baggage Donald Trump doesn't have even a puncher's chance.But the Republicans must see this, too, and just as in 2016 we're imagining conversations in Republican back rooms about how to prevent a Trump candidacy. But they couldn't prevent it in 2016, and I don't think they can prevent it now. They're doomed.--Percy

I mostly agree with this.I'm pretty sure that Christie and Hutchinson both know that they haven't a chance of actually winning. I take their real goal to be an attempt to return their party to sanity.

That's what they said in 2016. Never underestimate the republican's ability to hold their nose and vote for an odious candidate just to avoid voting for a dem.

If Trump or Biden were my only options I wouldn't vote at all.RFK Jr has name appeal but I would have to study his positions as well as Christie, should I swing that way.

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RFK Jr has name appeal but I would have to study his positions

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His position is best described as anti-vax nutcase.

That pretty much covers the ground on candidates, no quibbles.There are other headwinds against the GOP. In addition to candidate weakness and toxicity, Reps will be running with a Supreme albatross around their necks; inflation is cooling, and the economy is perking right along. The legislation Biden got through a divided Congress invests trillions into infrastructure and new industrial plant: this is starting to sink in, even across red states. Also, as you suggested, Republicans seem incapable of swearing off nuttery and thuggery. They just sound pig-eye mean.Given all that, as well as the ongoing background demographic changes -- more young voters, more college educated voters, perhaps even the increased mortality in red states (because duh) -- I see a good chance for a Democrat trifecta.Barring intervening black swans, definitely looks like Biden v. Trump again, ageing sanity and competence v. ageing psychopathy and incompetence.. Biden will beat him like a drum.

I googled his platform.(RFK Jr.)PRO: He dislikes Fauci, as do I. However, as you say, the anti-vax stuff is/was excessive.
CONCLUSION: Not a good enough candidate. In my opinion, inflation has only paused...not "cooled" for very long. Dems seem to think that money is like a giant game of musical chairs and as long as you keep spending it wisely, it will always hold its value and be there no matter how much you raise the debt ceiling. I believe we will be in for a rude awakening and revaluation of US economic status. What I fear more than Biden is the VP who will come in on his coattails. We need sane traditional values...not extremism. If Dems go with a moderate VP, I might vote for the old codger. (though now he is simply getting too old) Hopefully, the college-educated ones are fair and balanced and are not extremists. Jerry Rubin turned from radical to Wall Street...perhaps the new generation will also contribute its fair share of market capitalists who understand money.
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The Democratic Party is a center left party: the furthest left of them, like AOC and Sanders, are social democrats, no more alarming than the average elected politician in Europe.Fanatical, cultish, violence-threatening extremism is all on the right. That may be the most salient fact in 2024.GOP candidates are now toxic to both independents and Democrats -- the latter even seem to have overcome their emergent property (as a coalition party) of circular firing squadism.I sympathize with your fears, but I'm more confident about the national future than I've been for years. Maybe you should practice saying President Harris until you don't stutter.

Have you seen the news from France lately?

Should I set my hair on fire?What do you conclude about the average elected politician in Europe based on events in France?

Phat opines: Phat! NAME ONE (1) Extremist thing about Kamela Harris!!
I double-dog DARE TOU!She's moderate center-of-the-road, holding sane traditional values. Don't believe any more fucking LIES from Right-Wing Youtubes!!!!Infact, I double-dog DARE you to post any Dem extremist values. Including Bernie and AOC!

He would have to link to a youtube video, so I doubt you will get much of an answer.

You haven't said anything meaningful. What have French riots over an egregious police murder to do with Social Democracy in France?There was a time maybe a year or so ago when you seemed to realize you weren't making sense and actually suspended participation for a while. Your attitude then seemed to be, "I realize I'm not making sense, so I'm not going to say anything for a little while."Your attitude now seems to be, "I'm going to ignore the fact that I'm not making sense, in fact will insist that I am to making sense and plunge ahead anyway." You seem incapable of putting together any chain of inductive/deductive logic.--Percy

TBH, my blood sugar has been going back up. Maybe I DO need a rest while I work on it again.

Does that explain your having suddenly become an "Inactive Member"? Like literally nine minutes ago.