Rep. Liz Cheney yesterday lost the Republican nomination to run for reelection to WY's at-large House seat. This was not unexpected, perhaps not even unwelcome.
In her concession speech she announced she will continue to work to keep Trump from ever regaining the presidency. I've asked myself how she might do this, given she didn't spend even half of her campaign war chest and has plenty left for the next step.
One path would be to put attorneys to work now determining what she would have to do in each state to get on the 2024 presidential ballot as an independent or third party candidate. Then run for the 2024 Republican nomination which would give her a platform though she almost certainly would not win.
Following which, if Trump (or another she dislikes) is the GOP nominee, she runs as a third party candidate with the intention of syphoning off enough conservative votes to cause the nominee to lose to the Democrat rival, whoever that might be.
Cheney was able to get 20% of the Republican votes in Wyoming, perhaps she could do nearly as well elsewhere which would keep the Republican nominee from winning. This is how Ross Perot handed the presidency to Bill Clinton by winning many votes that would otherwise have gone to reelect incumbent George H. W. Bush.
I conclude Liz Cheney has no realistic path to the presidency. She does have the possibility of doing a kamikaze and causing a Republican to lose to a Democrat. Last night she sounded like she could do exactly that. At best it would make her a historical footnote, much as Perot is.
I hope with time she'll decide not to become a political suicide bomber. It's a harsh thing to do to a country that more often than not has treated her well.
Later ... Rich Lowry writes for Politico that he believes it possible her running would split the anti-Trump vote. I don't buy it. Do you believe Democrats with their own anti-Trump candidate would vote for Cheney running as an independent or third party candidate?
Who might vote for her is anti-Trump conservatives who can't stomach voting for whatever leftie the Ds nominate but might hold their noses and vote R, especially if that R isn't Trump.
