The results from the Republican primary are in, and GOP favorite Trump wins overwhelmingly. Haley is too little and too late and will fade from the presidential scene as soon as her Koch money is spent.
Exit polls of Republicans voting in New Hampshire show 51% would vote for Trump and say he is fit to be president even if he were convicted of any of the 91 crimes with which he is charged. Extremely scary for those of us who do not want a leap to dictatorial fascism.
In the meantime, Trump’s speeches on nearly any topic have become word salads where he sprinkles in an occasional verb but includes many adjectives. Then there is the cognitive decline showing his confusion: (1) confusing Nancy Pelosi with Nikki Haley, (2) saying Obama is president now, (3) saying he ran against Obama and beat him in the general election, (4) worrying about Biden leading the military in World War II. Just a few of many, many examples.
Trump will be busy in courtrooms in four jurisdictions defending himself from 91 criminal charges and showing his legal strategy by verbally and, in writing on Truth Social, attacking every single judge and their staffs.
But Trump has been or will be chosen by the Republican Party to campaign against Joe Biden. One would think the GOP has made a bad choice of a loser in 2018, 2020, and 2022, but that is their choice and they will have to live with it.
On the Democratic side we have Joe Biden: a man who respects the Constitution (the written one) and the law. He is mild mannered most of the time. He has had a record of 40 years of positive achievement for the American people as a Senator, Vice-President and President. He has secured passage of important legislation on health care, protecting the environment, reducing global warming, and infrastructure funding (something Trump sought to do but was too disorganized to ever get past a press conference announcement).
Yes Biden is now 81 and Trump is 77, and no one can deny that aging has negative effects on the mind and memory. But Biden can still speak sentences that are logical while Trump is left to bleating hostilities and name calling his opponents.
Biden has the advantage that inflation and unemployment are down significantly. The last Consumer Confidence reports show an uptick in consumer confidence as inflation has decreased and even gas prices are lower. The Federal Reserve has signaled that it may be at the end of its increases in interest rates, and there has already been a small decrease in mortgage rates.
But Biden needs to get far more active on the campaign trail, and his surrogates need to come out and support Biden’s run. Biden has been too cautious and quiet. He wanted to take on Trump and said to other Democrats that only he can do it. So knowing he is dealing with a bully, a liar and a criminal defendant, Biden needs to greatly improve his game. One would hope his speeches would be more forceful and dynamic, but that is probably wishing for too much.
Biden has a tough fight on his hands with polling numbers in swing states showing him trailing Trump. Trump fights hard with no holds barred, so Biden needs to be ready for a rough and tumble campaign where his opponent wants to be president to give himself a pardon from his numerous criminal charges.
This will be a campaign for president like no other.