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November 12, 2022
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On Friday, we featured a reader letter on the future of the Republican Party as it relates to President Trump and the way he’s handling –- or not handling –- this post-election moment. She felt that it’s time for Trump to step back.

Trump has been reacting wildly on social media (Truth Social now instead of Twitter) in the very style that at times has put off even some of his most ardent supporters, and newly incomprehensible as well. He’s coming off as vengeful and bitter, and that’s not a good look if he’s getting ready to announce another run for President.

Certainly the pressure was on him to provide the coattails for the GOP, especially for certain candidates he’d endorsed. And the outcome is turning out to be disappointing and uneven, given the expectations many of us had. Losing the House would have been a disaster in many ways, but at this writing, late Friday, we’re almost sure of taking it. Still, another disappointment has hit, as it was reported Friday that Democrat Sen. Mark Kelly, a reliable Biden rubber-stamper, will keep his seat, with a win over GOP candidate Blake Masters in Arizona.

Note:  In speaking of this apparent win, I’m setting aside for the moment the serious vote-counting issues in Arizona and Nevada, which are addressed elsewhere in the newsletter. On Friday, we also asked questions about the Maricopa County recorder’s office, which it seems has found a loophole in Arizona law to continue taking money from an organization funded by Mark Zuckerberg. There’s no reason to trust the election in Arizona when it’s this partisan and even run by none other than gubernatorial candidate Katie Hobbs, Kari Lake’s GOP opponent!

But, aside from that, it does appear that there was quite a red wave, much more, I'm sorry to say, than is apparent in the appropriation of actual seats. Aaron Kliegman reported for JUST THE NEWS that according to Cook Political Report, Republican actually won 52.3 percent of the total ballots cast, at least as of late November 10, with the Democrats coming in considerably lower at just 46.2 percent. We checked for an update early November 12, and Republicans were still in the lead, though their margin was a little narrower, 51.8 percent.

This report is updated regularly, so you can check here to see how we’re doing.

https://www.cookpolitical.com/charts/house-charts/national-house-vote-tracker/2022

Kliegman wrote: “It’s unclear at this point what explains the glaring incongruity between the GOP’s underwhelming performance in terms of winning seats on the one hand and its significant lead in the popular vote on the other.” That’s something to look at, certainly. But those overall percentages are at least something to celebrate --- and they’re no doubt very concerning to Democrats looking ahead to the next election.  Marc Elias must be lying awake nights coming up with more ideas for putting a thumb on the scale in 2024.

https://justthenews.com/politics-policy/elections/red-wave-after-all-gop-winning-popular-vote-wide-margin-despite

Certain races, however, particularly the Senate race in Pennsylvania where Trump-backed Dr. Mehmet Oz lost to cognitively-impaired far-leftist schlub John Fetterman, so irked President Trump that he took to his own social media platform, Truth Social, to say some extremely ill-advised things. The worst of all was his totally nonsensical jab at Virginia GOP Gov. Glenn Youngkin, which seems as though it might have been posted while Trump was under heavy medication. (One almost hopes we could find out that it was.) In a rant saying Youngkin wouldn’t have been able to win the governor’s race without him, he referred to the name Youngkin –- “Young Kin” –- as “sounding Chinese.”

This comment, seemingly from the planet Saturn, came on the heels of Virginia Lt. Gov. Winsome Sears’ remark that with these midterm election results, Trump should leave GOP politics. “A true leader understands when they have become a liability,” she told FOX NEWS on Thursday. “A true leader understands that it’s time to step off the stage, and the voters have given us that very clear message.”
Yes, that comment was surely upsetting fro Trump to hear.  But he reacted early Friday morning by taking that swipe at Youngkin, perhaps unwittingly proving Sears’ point.

Youngkin stayed above this. “Listen, you all know me,” he told reporters. “I do not call people names. I really work hard to bring people together...that’s not the way I roll and not the way I behave.”

https://justthenews.com/politics-policy/all-things-trump/youngkin-responds-trump-dig-thats-not-way-i-roll

The NEW YORK POST spoke to sources who had been around Trump as returns came in, and they didn’t paint a pretty picture. Trump had focused his ire on the increasingly popular GOP Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis when DeSantis had said nothing to provoke him, violating President Reagan’s “11th Commandment” about not speaking ill of others in the party. Trump succeeded only in making Republicans long for someone like Ronald Reagan at the helm of our party instead of what we have. And that makes the more measured DeSantis look even better.

https://nypost.com/2022/11/11/donald-trump-is-ranting-and-raving-over-lackluster-midterm-results-sources/

Given what Trump has been put through by his political enemies ever since he first announced he was running for President, it’s amazing he came through it in one piece. He is still standing after attempts on every front to destroy him, and we love him for that. But he needs to demonstrate for us that the saying, “What does not kill us makes us stronger,” is true in his case. (Research has shown that this is not generally true.) Trump needs to be stronger, not flailing. Wiser, not more emotional. More strategic, not more impulsive. If he has been weakened, if he is now more of a political liability, he’ll need to understand that it’s time to embark on another phase of life, outside of politics, for the good of the country he loves.

Given all that the left have done to try to take Trump out, how ironic would it be if they were able to just stand back now and let him do it to himself?

On the other hand, when Dan Bongino addressed this issue during his Friday podcast, he said he’s not worried that a primary contest between Trump and DeSantis will weaken the party. Judging from history, he believes this would strengthen it, no matter how much aggravation and airing of dirty laundry is involved. It’s good, he said, “because by the time you get to the general, all the dirty laundry’s been aired.” He also reminded us how hard Trump campaigned for Ron DeSantis in his first, very close election, saying that’s probably what placed him in the governor’s chair. He credited Trump for Florida’s move to “red.”

But Trump was certainly wrong, Bongino (who lives in Florida) said, to call DeSantis an “average” governor, when he is an excellent governor. “He took what Trump started,” he said, “and ran with it in the state of Florida.”

“The best approach right now is to slow down,” he cautioned. It should be about the party right now, and the races currently at stake. “There’s no rush,” he said; “there’ll be more than enough time to attack each other [on issues].’ He’s confident they’re “not gonna hurt each other” but strongly warns they must NOT make it personal, because voters will be deeply alienated by that. I would say this warning might have come too late for Trump, though, as we’re already seeing him alienate them.

What do you think? Here’s the podcast; his remarks on Trump/DeSantis start about 43 minutes in…

https://bongino.com/ep-1893-about-that-trump-desantis-feud

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Comments 61-70 of 403

  • John W Hancock

    11/13/2022 06:13 PM

    The true view that I have is that Trump is going to announce he is going to run. Primarily to attempt to get the prosecution from indicting him for false charges. Attacking DeSantis is just an attempt to get the crazy Trump haters away from DeSantis. All you need to say is Trump and the crazies go nuts and no discussion can be made. He can drop out at any time. The other candidates won't be attacked as viciously. My choice is Ted Cruz. He has been there on the inside. He knows where they buried the bodies. DeSantis can finish out his Governors term and be ready for the next opportunity.

  • Roscoe Hill

    11/13/2022 06:11 PM

    Blessings Governor and congratulations to Sarah for her astounding victory. I totally agree with you concerning president Trumps disposition at the time. We all know what hell he's been through and currently going through since arriving to the political arena. It hasn't been easy for him and he's done so much for our great country. Nonetheless the tirades and outbursts against fellow conservatives at a critical time like this in our nation's history is uncalled for. We know what the spoken WORD says about our words. We need a unified party in these dark days where it appears election malfeasance is once again at play. Either we stand as one or the enemy will devour us one by one. We keep everything in prayer and pray for the peace that surpasses all understanding. God bless you sir ??

  • Sue Kranz

    11/13/2022 06:10 PM

    Thank you, thank you, thank you. I don't have to hate former President Trump to know that his time came and went. When I do or say something stupid, I have no one to look to but myself. Then it is time to own it and make amends. That's the adult way to live in this world. If he is a mature human being, he will put others ahead of himself. There is no evidence that this is the case.

  • Cristy L Schnauffer

    11/13/2022 06:10 PM

    I love Trump, but what he does not what he says…I am now having a hard time defending the undefendable. He know what goes on in Washington in his time there and I personally am sick and tired of the Republican Rhinos and there are many. We need to win and fight like the Dems fight. Ballot harvesting has to be stopped or the Republican governors need to do the same. Enough!
    Happy for you and your daughter. Wish her well!
    Please get Trump to listen, I don’t want all the good he did to be erased because of his childish behavior.
    I pray for him and his family!
    Sincerely, Cristy ????????????

  • John W Hancock

    11/13/2022 05:59 PM

    Since the American Public is so enamored with crazy Joe, maybe Trump thinks he needs to act crazy in order to get reelected. Two or more dead State office holders getting reelected shows ignorance. Controlling the ignorant is a specialty of the CCP in addition to the criminals. Maybe we are betting on the wrong horse. A benevolent dictator may be the answer.

  • Barbara Creagan

    11/13/2022 05:49 PM

    Trump is toxic to too many voters. If he was the gentleman he expects others to be, Trump would step aside and let another GOP leader run for President in 2024.

  • James P. Garriss Sr

    11/13/2022 05:47 PM

    I agree with your comments. Trump certainly needs to step back and maybe step out of the picture all together. He accomplished much good as President and could do more if re-elected but is once again proving to be his own worst enemy. He is acting like a big neighborhood bully that is daring anyone to challenge him. He's already carrying a mountain of bad baggage, a mountain that is exceeding only by the size of his ego. i'm not sure he will a third vote from me.

  • Jo Gonzalez

    11/13/2022 05:43 PM

    If DJT is angry, he has reason to be, cheating has turned our elections into a new Venezuela, sickening. These States, who purposefully cannot get their act together, until they can arrange the results they want, stink to high Heaven. I share in his anger, we are losing our Country.

  • Edward Parsons

    11/13/2022 05:22 PM

    Dear Mike— I don’t understand how Trump can believe he’s helping himself by being critical of Desantis who he recommended to be Florida’s governor! It’s like marriage mates who go around criticizing each other while all the while knowing they chose each other. If they don’t like their mate it’s their own fault for the choice they made! Women are particularly turned off by Trump’s mouth. I voted for him when he ran for President but if he keeps up acting irrationally and mean like he did to Ted Cruz, Ted’s wife, and family I will gladly vote for Desantis if it comes down to this choice between the two!

  • stephen russell

    11/13/2022 05:20 PM

    Be Kingmaker, why run again & relive first term BS
    We dont need this Now
    Love YOUR Policies
    Love U to outwit foes.
    This divide has to stop unless to remove RINOs