Every couple of days I see another article with a title something like this one from CNN.
Haley and DeSantis still can’t solve their Trump problem as time runs short in GOP race.
I see such articles and ask myself if anybody who pays attention really believes those two think they can defeat Trump head-to-head through the primaries? I’m certain neither of them privately entertains such a ridiculous notion.
The two obviously believe there is a good chance some combination of factors will take Trump out of the race, leaving the party with little choice except to choose one of them. What factors? He is certainly old enough to develop a serious health issue in the next 9 months. Much more likely is a conviction on one or more of the 90+ charges brought against him in jurisdictions where Democrat juries are almost a lock.
As bets go, it is a long shot for Haley and DeSantis, but the prize if you win is a chance to compete against unpopular Slow Joe for the most powerful job in the world. It is a risk eminently worth taking.
Like Reagan you can always try again in four years when neither Biden nor Trump could run for a third term. A Biden vs. Trump contest, if it occurs, will be memorialized as the “Lame Duck Sweepstakes.”
