Commentary

There are several potential Republican candidates for president in 2024 who are waiting for the right time to announce their candidacy – Ron DeSantis, Tim Scott, and Chris Sununu.  They all have excellent resumes, but can they successfully take on former President Trump?  Yes, possibly, but any others considering the race might just as well not waste their time and ours.

In a recent survey by Rasmussen Reports, Trump remains popular, with 52 percent of likely voters viewing him favorably, including 31 percent who have a very favorable impression of him.

Among Republican voters, 60 percent see Trump as the overwhelming choice as the best leader for the GOP. That’s not going to sit well with the “anybody but Trump” crowd.  But it’s early folks.

I found this interesting after reading a piece in The Washington Post, “Trump’s grip on the Republican base is slipping – even among his fans.”  After interviewing 150 Trump supporters across five pivotal electoral states, reporters found that people still like him, but “aren’t sure they want him as the party’s next nominee.”

Following the recent CPAC gathering that was seemingly all Trump, the left-leaning NPR reported that while Trump remains a solid front-runner, his support is waning.  A NPR/PBS News Hour/Marist survey revealed that more than half of Republicans say their party has a better chance of winning the presidency with someone other than Trump on the ticket.

This line, or a variation of it is often heard:  ‘I like Trump’s policies a lot. I think he should keep on trying to promote them. I just don’t think he should be president.’

Fifty-five percent of all voters in the Rasmussen survey believe it’s at least somewhat likely that Republican politicians in Washington DC worked secretly with Democrats to keep Trump from being reelected in 2020.

Finally … To my readers who legitimately celebrate St. Patrick’s Day because they are of Irish descent, and those who merely use it as an excuse to wear green, drink green beer, say Erin go bragh, and tell off color Irish jokes … Happy St. Patrick’s Day.

May God continue to bless the United States of America.