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Is It Time for the Gloves to Come Off? – “The Sunday Political Brunch” – GoLocalProv

August 13, 2023

Sunday, August 13, 2023

Mark Curtis, MINDSETTER™

 

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Former Vice President Pence and Former President Trump PHOTO: White House

Politics is a full-contact, blood sport. It’s a game of sharp elbows, especially in a crowded primary field. There comes a time when a viable candidate needs to separate themselves from the pack. We are approaching that time, if voters don’t want to stick with the status quo. Let’s “Brunch” on that this week.

 

“Pence Qualifies for the Debate” – Former Vice President Mike Pence has now qualified for the Republican debate in Milwaukee in just under two weeks. This could be his “make or break” moment in this campaign. Pence needs to make a total and complete 100 percent break from Donald Trump and even go on the attack hard. Pence has said numerous times, including during his campaign kick-off, that Trump “demanded he choose between him and the Constitution.” Well, that’s a start, but Pence needs to be brutal and relentless. He must attack his old boss hard. Right now, Trump has not committed to being on the Milwaukee debate stage, but Pence must “attack, attack, attack” regardless. Otherwise, his campaign is toothless and won’t win.

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“Trump Fights Back” – Trump is a street brawler. He liked fighting WWE President Vince McMahon in the wresting ring (whether it was fake or not). So, Trump is swinging back at Pence. “WOW, it’s finally happened! Liddle’ Mike Pence, a man who was about to be ousted as Governor Indiana until I came along and made him V.P., has gone to the Dark Side,” Trump said on his Truth Social media platform. Trump added. “He’s delusional, and now he wants to show he’s a tough guy.”  Politics is more than being about how to throw a punch. You have to learn how to take a punch. It’s a lesson many fail to learn. By the way, since we try to deal with facts, Pence was in NO danger of ever being ousted as Governor of Indiana. Trump’s assertion is simply not true.

 

“Christie Attacks” – If there is one person in the race that is trying to make a dual-track attack on Donald Trump and Joe Biden, it’s former Gov. Chris Christie (R) New Jersey. Christie is another guy who enjoys a street fight. I think he has the right approach. You have to make your case against both Trump and Biden, and position yourself as the best alternative. Christie said, “If you’re a Republican in this room, who is committed to wanting to defeat Joe Biden because you think he’s not the right president, why in God’s name would we nominate somebody who is going to be on federal criminal trial five and a half months before Election Day.” He added that Trump “lied and obstructed the government.”

 

“Christie Whacks Biden, too” — Of Biden, Christie said, “He ran for president in 2020 saying he’s going to bring the country together, that he was going to be a moderate leader for the country and try to bring the two extremes of both parties into a place where they could work together,” Christie said. “And a lot of people − I mean − that a lot of people voted for him based on that idea. And he came into office, and he ran as far left as he could.”

 

“CNN Abortion Poll” – For months I have been saying in this column that the top three national political issues in 2024 would be the U.S. economy, the breach of the Southern Border, and the make-up of the U.S. Supreme Court. I’m standing with that. A new CNN’s poll said, “A 64% majority of US adults say they disapprove of last year’s Supreme Court ruling that women do not have a constitutional right to an abortion, with half strongly disapproving – an assessment that’s almost entirely unchanged from CNN’s poll last July in the immediate wake of the decisions.”  Here’s the reality. Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito are in their 70s, are the most likely to leave the bench next. If Biden is re-elected, that creates a potential 5-4 Democrat majority. If Trump wins, it will likely preserve a 6-3 Republican majority. Since only the U.S. Senate confirms judicial nominees, this will be a huge issue for control of the U.S. Senate in 2024.

 

“Trump Court Fight on Free Speech” – It is one of the most fascinating political and legal questions of our time. We’ve never faced this in our nation’s history. That’s because we’ve never had a current or former president charged with crimes. One federal judge has admonished Trump not to discuss legal evidence in his criminal indictment. Judges can do that for both sides, but here’s the legal conundrum: Trump is also a candidate for President of the United States, and says the criminal charges are politically motivated. His legal team argues he has the right to say anything that falls under the realm of “political speech,” which is perhaps the MOST protected speech we have. In the end it was something of a mixed decision. The judge noted Trump could say things as a political candidate, but his right to complete free speech was, “not absolute.” Then, later in the day the judge cautioned Trump against making “inflammatory” statements and warned him not to discuss specific evidence in the case. This could be precedent-setting and perhaps go all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, in an expedited fashion.

 

“DeSantis Cans Campaign Manager” – It’s flown under the radar screen this news-heavy week. Presidential candidate Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) Florida dumped his campaign manager and moved on to another. Folks, this is simply a math problem. Trump has been polling, on average at 56 percent, to DeSantis at 18 percent. DeSantis has failed to move the needle, nor has he launched a full-bore attack on Trump like Pence or Christie have. He’s been a Trump ally, but he needs to launch a separate attack on the frontrunner, or he’ll be annihilated at the polls.

 

“The Intrigue About Ramaswamy” – I am absolutely fascinated by Republican presidential candidate, Vivek Ramaswamy. Who, you say? Yes, me too! I mean this guy consistently polls third behind Trump and DeSantis, but ahead of Pence, Haley, Christie, et. al. Ramaswamy is of Indian heritage, and grew up in Ohio. He is a high-tech and biotech wiz who has accumulated vast success and wealth at the ripe young age of 38. He has a buzz. I have been predicting that our next wave of political leaders would emerge from one of the STEAM professions, and he’s the poster child. Just as high-tech and biotech seized the economy in the early 2000’s, so too, they will seize a big bunch of the political landscape. Look, the CEOs of Ford and Proctor and Gamble are has-beens when it comes to the political stage. Voters want new and different people who are competent and innovative. Keep an eye on this guy, even beyond 2024.

Mark Curtis, Ed.D., is Chief Political Reporter for the seven Nexstar Media TV stations serving West Virginia, its five neighboring states and the entire Washington, DC media market. He is also a MINDSETTER™ contributing political writer and analyst for www.GoLocalProv.com and its affiliates.


 

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