Former President Donald Trump currently holds a commanding lead as the frontrunner for the Republican nomination in the 2024 Presidential Election. His lead has consistently grown despite facing several indictments. None of his opponents has managed to surpass the 20% mark in national polls or in early caucus/primary states since July. To disrupt this trend and challenge Trump more effectively, a major shift in strategy is required by his challengers.
One potential approach is for the competing candidates to
cease vying for second place and instead form a team. This team would identify
a president-vice president partnership from within their ranks and select
cabinet members from the remaining candidates. The goal would be to work
together as a cohesive unit focused on unseating Trump as the primary
front-runner.
The Wall Street Journal reports in “Trump’s Challengers Beg for Donations” (Oct. 18) that large donors are taking to the sidelines until
the field of candidates shrinks. A consolidation of the field into a team may
unleash that funding stream once again. In addition, combining the cash on hand
and small donor bases of the candidates would bring strength. Recent Federal Election Commission reports show that the combined cash on hand of the challengers exceeds $45
million, surpassing Trump’s $32 million.
Following the third Republican debate on November 8th in
Miami, the candidates pursuing this plan would announce a joint president-vice
president campaign before the New Year. They would also identify potential
cabinet members from within their group.
The primary consideration in selecting candidates for these
positions should be their potential to win the primary and general election. All the
challengers possess interesting backgrounds and valuable experience in
government and the private sector. Some have proven better fund raisers than
others and that may influence which president-vice president team may emerge,
but the key question is which combination is most likely to secure a general
election victory. The strongest combination appears to be Haley/DeSantis based
on polling.
Nikki Haley, the former South Carolina Governor, and U.S.
Ambassador to the United Nations, appears to be a strong candidate for the
president position in the primary. National polling averages from 538 and Real Clear Politics show DeSantis has plateaued in second place with Haley gaining
momentum and challenging him for that slot. In the early primary/caucus states of New Hampshire and South Carolina Haley is edging out DeSantis
for second place behind Trump.
Haley appears weaker among populists, pro-life, and strong
traditional values segments of the Republican Party. In this context, Florida
Governor Ron DeSantis could serve as an ideal vice-presidential candidate to
shore up support among these voters. DeSantis has proven himself as a winner
with a convincing victory in the 2022 election. He is also willing to tackle
cultural issues head-on and has a history of success in reversing trends
objectionable to traditionalist conservatives.
The remaining third-tier challengers can play vital roles in
the team as likely cabinet members in the Haley/DeSantis partnership. For
instance, South Carolina Senator Tim Scott could take on the role of Secretary
of Housing and Urban Development to lead efforts in implementing an equality
and opportunity agenda. Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie could serve
as Attorney General to rebuild trust in the justice system. Former Vice
President Mike Pence, if he wishes to continue serving, could be considered for
Secretary of Defense or State. His experience would be welcome, and he has a
personal stake in national security decisions with a son and son-in-law serving
as military pilots. Vivek Ramaswamy’s energy and intellect could be focused to
revamp U.S. education policy as Secretary of Education. North Dakota Governor
Doug Burgum could serve as Secretary of Energy to implement a comprehensive and
balanced energy policy. Former Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson might take on
the role of Secretary of Homeland Security having had several related positions in
the past.
Another potentially dramatic cabinet offer could be made to Robert F. Kennedy Jr. He left the Democratic Party and began an independent campaign. He is polling above 20% against Biden and Trump in some polls. Kennedy would be asked to join this team with a promise to be nominated for Secretary of Health and Human Services and the opportunity to transform the institution and break the stranglehold he perceives the pharmaceutical industry has on it.
It is worth noting that a significant majority of Americans,
across the political spectrum, have indicated in polling that they do not want
a Biden/Trump rematch. The Democratic Party has shut down challenges to President Biden. The Republican Party is fortunate to
have a deep bench of high-quality candidates seeking to replace former President
Trump. Alone, none of them are likely to unseat President Trump, but by working
together, they stand a better chance of achieving this goal.
There is also the opportunity for non-Republicans to express their dissatisfaction with the Trump/Biden match up. Thirty-one states do not have party registration or allow registered independents to vote in any party's primary. If a Unity Ticket were formed it could expand its outreach to independents and even moderate Democrats to support their ticket. This could make the difference in accumulating a majority of delegates in the 31 states.
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Love the concept you’ve printed in Liberty Takes Effort. How do we get them to recognize this article? I am a Nicki Haley supporter and like how you ascribed positions that make sense for the rest. I do not like DeSantis. But Christie as AG and the others make so much sense.
ReplyDeleteThank you for commenting. The best way to build any momentum for such a concept is to share it with your friends and family through email and through social media accounts.
DeleteYou can write a short letter to the editor of your local or regional newspaper about the concept and provide a link to it.
You can write to the Republican candidates and ask them to consider the concept.
If you are in one of the many states that have open primaries you should make sure you understand the rules in your state and prepare to vote in the Republican primary for the candidate of your choice. Even if the concept does not come to fruition you can still influence how the primary turns out with your vote.
Find folks who agree with you about this concept and ask them to help do some of the above, and organize them to help convince Independents and Democrats to vote in the Republican Primary for Nikki Haley.
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