Post by Old Badger on Jan 12, 2020 0:57:07 GMT -5
A review of Jr.'s book in the WP noted this: "Donald Trump Jr.’s best-selling new book, 'Triggered,' fails as memoir and as polemic: Its analysis is facile, its hypocrisy relentless, its self-awareness marginal. (The writing is wretched, even by the standards of political vanity projects.) But the point of 'Triggered' is not autobiographical, literary or analytic, and it should not be read or evaluated on such grounds. Rather, the book is most useful as a preview of a possible Donald Trump Jr. 2024 presidential campaign, the contours of which grow clearer the deeper one wades into these pages. 'There’s been a fair amount of speculation as to where my own political career might take me,' Don Jr. notes with satisfaction. This book provides an answer, presenting its author as the natural heir to the MAGA movement." link
In reading this review I was struck by several facts. First, the "speculation" about Jr.'s political future has been stoked a number of times by Don Sr. And the idea of a Trump dynasty has become a mainstay on right-wing sites and discussion boards. In other words, the "speculation" has the eerie feeling of something organized from the top, not just random chit-chat. Second, Jr.'s been spending a lot of time talking to Evangelical Christian groups. That's supposed to be Mike Pence's role in this Administration. But now that the Evangelicals are Trump's hardest of hard-core supporters, does he really need Pence as a conduit to them, as he did in 2016? Of course not. And then third: Trump moved his official residence to Florida. That means he and Jr. no longer live in the same state. Why's that important, you ask? Well: "The electors shall meet in their respective states and vote by ballot for President and Vice-President, one of whom, at least, shall not be an inhabitant of the same state with themselves." If both candidates on a ticket lived in the same state, that state's electors could not vote for both of them, but if they live in different states...
In other words, wouldn't it just be easier for the Trumps if Sr. dumps Pence and puts Jr. on the ticket? Indeed, if they won he even could retire early in 2024, leaving Jr. as the incumbent President, but still eligible for two full terms. Outrageous? Maybe. But would anyone accuse Trump of being averse to outrageousness? It's his brand, after all. OK, this is not a prediction, and admittedly it sounds far-fetched, but would anyone really be stunned by such a development from a guy who's run his whole White House like his family business, including using family members to tackle significant problems, from government reorganization to Middle East peace?
In reading this review I was struck by several facts. First, the "speculation" about Jr.'s political future has been stoked a number of times by Don Sr. And the idea of a Trump dynasty has become a mainstay on right-wing sites and discussion boards. In other words, the "speculation" has the eerie feeling of something organized from the top, not just random chit-chat. Second, Jr.'s been spending a lot of time talking to Evangelical Christian groups. That's supposed to be Mike Pence's role in this Administration. But now that the Evangelicals are Trump's hardest of hard-core supporters, does he really need Pence as a conduit to them, as he did in 2016? Of course not. And then third: Trump moved his official residence to Florida. That means he and Jr. no longer live in the same state. Why's that important, you ask? Well: "The electors shall meet in their respective states and vote by ballot for President and Vice-President, one of whom, at least, shall not be an inhabitant of the same state with themselves." If both candidates on a ticket lived in the same state, that state's electors could not vote for both of them, but if they live in different states...
In other words, wouldn't it just be easier for the Trumps if Sr. dumps Pence and puts Jr. on the ticket? Indeed, if they won he even could retire early in 2024, leaving Jr. as the incumbent President, but still eligible for two full terms. Outrageous? Maybe. But would anyone accuse Trump of being averse to outrageousness? It's his brand, after all. OK, this is not a prediction, and admittedly it sounds far-fetched, but would anyone really be stunned by such a development from a guy who's run his whole White House like his family business, including using family members to tackle significant problems, from government reorganization to Middle East peace?