I've been thinking about the many people vying for the GOP presidential nomination, particularly those not named Trump and DeSantis. Everybody else is in single digits, or less, in the polling.
I am amazed at the total lack of self-awareness involved in the actual or predicted campaigns of Mike Pence, Chris Christie, Asa Hutchinson, Nikki Haley, Tim Scott, Chris Sununu, or Vivek Ramaswamy. How can a realistic appraisal of the subsequent careers of the many unsuccessful GOP hopefuls in 2016 give any of these encouragement to run? At POLITICO Jack Shafer covers a lot of the same ground, and makes some good points.
This year's narcissists must be thinking of Governors Bush, Walker, and Perry who looked like sure winners before crashing and burning. I imagine the current crop asking "Why not DeSantis?" I believe they'll be disappointed.
Maybe they're running for VP or a cabinet job, I don't know. Most will be gone after the first couple of caucuses or primaries.
I believe several are on what I'd call the "Kasich track." We know where that took him - straight to oblivion. I'd put Christie, Sununu, Hutchinson, and Pence in that track for sure.
Scott and Haley are testing whether there is a GOP "affirmative action" track. I'm pretty sure the current answer is "no" as people reflect on how VP Harris has turned out.
