Nikki Haley and Ron DeSantis are hanging in there, waiting to see what happens when (optimists would say "if") Trump is convicted on one or more of the 90+ charges he faces. It becomes an at-least-somewhat new ballgame at that point.
If Trump is convicted, which appears likely given the unfavorable venues and partisan prosecutors, then what? Is the Republican National Committee willing to go to the electorate with a presidential candidate who has been convicted of something felonious? When "innocent till proven guilty" is in the rearview mirror? Even if appeals remain to be heard and it looks like a political hit job?
Will independents vote for a convicted candidate? Will Trump die-hards vote for another Republican or stay home? Will a GOP nomination even be valuable to a Haley or DeSantis?
You could make the argument that there aren't many pathways open that lead to a GOP win in November, 2024. Which suggests bad outcomes in store for our nation, and the world.
How did we get ourselves in this mess?
