Larry Hogan

CPAC (Conservative Political Action Conference) A Mockery Of Conservatism And The Party Of Lincoln!

The annual CPAC (Conservative Political Action Conference) took place for four days last week in Orlando, Florida, the home of three of the absolutely worst political leaders imaginable–Governor Ron DeSantis, Senator and former Governor Rick Scott, and Senator Marco Rubio!

White Supremacists and lovers of Vladimir Putin, who is waging war on Ukraine, dominated the four days of speeches, and showed just how authoritarian oriented these so called conservatives are, who have made a mockery of conservatism and the party of Lincoln!

There was no support of the brave Ukranians, fighting against the most dangerous man on the planet, Vladimir Putin, but lunatic support of Donald Trump, the most dangerous man in America, who keeps his legions of supporters loyal to his anti democratic, anti NAT0 and Fascist authoritarianism, which waged war on the US Capitol on January 6, 2021!

The CPAC poll for the 2024 Republican Presidential nomination had Trump winning 59 percent of the vote, to Ron DeSantis and 28 percent, second year in a row of CPAC still supporting the traitor and seditionist Donald Trump!

The true conservatives—the Lincoln Project—and such leaders as Liz Cheney, Adam Kinzinger, Mitt Romney, Ben Sasse, Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski, Larry Hogan, Charlie Baker, Chris Sununu, along with fellow former Republicans outside of government—are working to undermine the Trump legions, and save the party future!

The Long List Of Tragically Flawed, Unpatriotic Republicans Who Might Run For President In 2024!

Already, just six months since the January 6 US Capitol Insurrection and early successes of President Joe Biden, we are witnessing early hints of the large group of potential Republican candidates for President in 2024, who have demonstrated they are tragically flawed and unpatriotic, and would seem to be unable to be seen as legitimate alternatives for the White House. These Republicans continue to back Donald Trump, and promote the “Big Lie”!

The list is so long, but here is a list of such disgraces who think they are entitled to be President, despite their sedition and treason six months ago. Also, there are many others who through their continued support of the authoritarian Fascist Donald Trump, complicates any of these characters deciding to run whether or not Trump decides to try again for President, and in so doing, is promoting white supremacy, violence and bloodshed!

How does one list a group of 16 individuals who are the absolute worst Republicans in any sense of order? But here goes:

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis
Texas Senator Ted Cruz
Missouri Senator Josh Hawley
Florida Senator Rick Scott
Former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley
South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem
Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo
Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie
Texas Governor Greg Abbott
Arkansas Senator Tom Cotton
Florida Senator Marco Rubio
Utah Senator Mike Lee
Kentucky Senator Rand Paul
South Carolina Senator Tim Scott
Former Vice President Mike Pence
Fox News Channel Host Tucker Carlson

And here is a list of 6 less objectionable and more reasonable potential candidates in no special order:

Nebraska Senator Ben Sasse
Maryland Governor Larry Hogan
Utah Senator Mitt Romney
Former Ohio Governor John Kasich
Wyoming Congresswoman Liz Cheney
Illinois Congressman Adam Kinzinger

The Battle For The Soul Of The Republican Party Is In Full Swing As Trump Impeachment Trial Begins

The Republican Party is in its death spiral as the Donald Trump Second Impeachment Trial begins on Tuesday.

With only 5 Republican Senators supporting the move toward an impeachment trial; with only 10 Republican House members voting for the impeachment trial; with only 11 Republican House members supporting the action to take away the committee memberships of QAnon Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, it is clear that the battle for the soul of the party of Lincoln, TR, Ike, and Reagan is in full swing.

Will the Republican Party allow Donald Trump to remain their “God”, their “Savior”, and continue to promote conspiracy theories, hate, nativism, racism, anti semitism, Islamophobia, and misogyny?

Will they follow the lead of Mitt Romney, Ben Sasse, Liz Cheney, Larry Hogan, Adam Kinzinger and other mainstream conservatives?

Or will they follow the lead of Donald Trump, Kevin McCarthy, Jim Jordan, Matt Gaetz, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Ted Cruz, Josh Hawley and others who promoted insurrection at the US Capitol on January 6, 2021?

We saw the disintegration of the Whig Party in 1854, with its replacement being the Republican Party, and we may be seeing the same situation as we had then in the 2020s, as the “Trump” wing of the party is a disaster that never ends!

The Destruction Of The Republican Party Future

One thing is clear: All those Republicans backing a challenge to the Electoral College results on Wednesday are doomed, and their careers in national politics are over! This includes Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, and Senator Josh Hawley of Missouri, but also many others.

The Republican Party will be known as the Treason Party, the Sedition Party, and only those who stand up against this outrage have a long term political future.

While this blogger and author is not a fan of many Republicans, one has to say that Senators, including Mitt Romney of Utah, Ben Sasse of Nebraska, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Rob Portman of Ohio, Susan Collins of Maine, Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia, and Tim Scott of South Carolina are part of the future of a party that moves back toward the moderate center.

Also, while not admiring of former Speaker of the House Paul Ryan, third ranking House Republican Liz Cheney, Governor Larry Hogan of Maryland, Governor Mike DeWine of Ohio, and many others, they realize the insanity of backing Donald Trump at this point.

Tomorrow will be an historic day for certain!

The Refusal Of So Many Americans To Accept Science, And The Role Of Government

It is extremely frustrating to witness, both personally, and in coverage of the news, that so many people refuse to accept science, and also the role of government.

The first purpose of government is to PROTECT and DEFEND the American people, and that includes sacrifice and concern about others, NOT just about one’s own pleasures and desires.

And the promotion of science is essential, and needs to be respected over religious beliefs and whims, and this includes recognition of updates in science over the decades since one learned science when in school!

To see so many people claiming their rights over responsibility to society as a whole is infuriating, and it has made the struggle against COVID 19 ever more difficult, leading to one of every thousand Americans dying as the year 2020 comes to an end!

Any government leader who refuses to put restrictions on the population in a time of a once in a lifetime pandemic is someone who should be summarily removed from office, but instead, we have many Americans condemning such state governors as Andrew Cuomo of New York, Larry Hogan of Maryland, Mike DeWine of Ohio, Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan, and Gavin Newsom of California, among others. These are both Democratic and Republican governors, so this is not a political statement!

Instead, these selfish, self centered individuals applaud such reckless and irresponsible governors as Ron DeSantis of Florida and Kristi Noem of South Dakota, who have presided over disastrous conditions, and lied and manipulated the truth, following the lead of Donald Trump, who is responsible for his refusal to accept reality, and promoted masks and social distancing as a model for America!

So the so called “greatest nation in the world” has the biggest loss of life, cases, and hospitalizations of any nation in the world, and it could have been otherwise, but politics and egomaniacal behavior mattered more to Trump than the lives and safety of Americans.

Donald Trump will never live down the massive loss of life in less than one year on his watch, and those who refuse even now to accept science and the role of government will carry the burden of guilt, and many of these same individuals will refuse to accept vaccination, and the hope is that fate will punish them for this stupidity and lack of concern for others!

The Republican Party Potential Field (25) Seeking Presidential Nomination In 2024!

When one looks ahead to the next round of Presidential contenders in the Republican Party for 2024, one sees clearly that it is a “Group Of Horrors” that awaits the nation, if the party does not reform itself and reject the extreme right wing extremists who are planning to seek the Presidency in 2024.

There is a long list of potential contenders, and it will be a question of how one separates responsible conservatives from the monsters that wish to make even Donald Trump look less extreme by comparison! Imagine that!

The most extreme Right potential nominees as now perceived include the eight following in no special order:

Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas
Senator Josh Hawley of Missouri
Senator Ted Cruz of Texas
Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky
Senator Rick Scott of Florida
Senator Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee
Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida
Governor Kristi Noem of South Dakota

Those less far Right but still unacceptable to any rational person include the five following in no special order:

Senator Marco Rubio of Florida
Senator Mike Lee Of Utah
Vice President Mike Pence of Indiana
Former UN Ambassador and South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo

And then there are those who are conservatives in the more traditional mold, including the nine following in no special order:

Senator Ben Sasse of Nebraska
Senator Mitt Romney of Utah
Former Ohio Governor John Kasich
Senator Rob Portman of Ohio
Former Utah Governor and Ambassador to China and Russia Jon Huntsman
Governor Larry Hogan of Maryland
Governor Charlie Baker of Massachusetts
Former Governor Chris Christie of New Jersey
Congressman Adam Kinzinger of Illinois

And finally, there are the true long shot whackos, including:

Donald Trump, Jr.
Tucker Carlson of Fox News Channel

And of course, Donald Trump could end up running, and putting the Republican Party in total disarray!

The Battle For The Republican Future After Trump

The Republican Party seems likely to collapse in the Presidential and Congressional Elections of 2020, suffering their worst defeat since 1964.

Just as the party collapsed in 1912, and again in 1964, now in 2020, four years late–that is, 56 years, not 52 years—a major regeneration of the party in Congress and the competition for the Presidency seems likely.

It looks right now as if the Democrats will win a lot more than the three to four seats needed to win the majority in the Senate, and that the Republicans will lose another minimum ten seats in the House of Representatives, after losing 42 seats in the 2018 midterm Congressional elections.

And the issue arises, who in the party has a likelihood of competing for President in 2024, with of course, always the possibility someone not yet elected or noticed will enter the fray if successful in this upcoming election.

Youth seems likely to triumph, and there are people in the Senate who can be seen as rivals for the future nomination for President, as well as some not in the Senate.

In the Senate, we have some “old timers”, meaning those who have already run for President, including Ted Cruz of Texas, Rand Paul of Kentucky, and Marco Rubio of Florida. All of them are quite horrific as thoughts as future Presidents, particularly the first two, but really, all three.

Then, we have three others, who clearly, plan to run for President—Tom Cotton of Arkansas, Josh Hawley of Missouri, and Ben Sasse of Nebraska—and all but Sasse are seen as equally totally horrific.

We also have Nikki Haley, former UN Ambassador and South Carolina Governor, and for awhile, thought to be “somewhat appealing”, but no more, after her recent total loyalty to Donald Trump, and the halo she once had is gone.

We also have the horror of the possibility of Donald Trump Jr. or Ivanka Trump considering a run!

And we have the disgrace of Florida Senator Rick Scott, who should have been in federal prison for Medicare-Medicaid fraud from years ago, and instead went on to two terms as Florida Governor, and now Florida Senator, winning all three races by about one percent, and all three races very suspect as to vote total manipulation. Just looking at him is enough to make one vomit!

And if one looks to have regular vomiting, think of the disgrace of Fox News Channel’s Tucker Carlson, a true Know Nothing moron, with no ethical or moral compass at all!

Then, there is also Maryland Governor Larry Hogan and Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker, who both have handled the CoronaVirus Pandemic responsibly, and are perceived as moderates.

And another Governor, who has handled the crisis horribly, Ron DeSantis of Florida, will probably be angling as well for the Presidency, and makes a Floridian like myself disgusted as to the three state wide office holders in the third largest state, being as obnoxious as Rubio, Scott, and DeSantis!

Of course, if Trump is reelected, Vice President Mike Pence and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo might also enter the race, but it is assumed for this article that Trump will lose!

As an “outsider”, a progressive such as myself, if asked, who could one imagine “accepting” as a future President, and with this progressive hiding his eyes behind a total mask, it would have to be Ben Sasse, Larry Hogan, or Charlie Baker, as the rest of the group totally sickens me.

Likely, one of these sixteen will be the Republican nominee for President in 2024, and the odds will be against Sasse, Hogan or Baker, realistically!

Likely Republican Field For Presidential Race Of 2024 Very Large

The Presidential Election of 2020 is upon us in 100 days, but, believe it or not, there are hints already of who might run for the Republican Presidential nomination in 2024, whether or not Donald Trump wins reelection.

Likely, there might be someone not talked about yet, who emerges as a serious contender, who has served, or will serve, in the US Senate or a state Governorship.

So what is being discussed here is highly speculative, but let me make it clear: The field is wide open.

So here goes, a list of 17 potential contenders:

if Donald Trump loses election, he would be eligible to run again in 2024, and try to match Grover Cleveland in being President, losing, and then contending again.

Additionally, his son, Donald Jr., seems to have Presidential ambitions, although the level of his competence and intellect is highly doubtful.

Also, Trump’s daughter, Ivanka Trump, is also rumored to be thinking of running, but only if Donald Jr, steps aside, but everyone knows that the President favors his daughter over his other children.

Once we get past the Trump family, here is a list of 14 other potential contenders in no special order:

Vice President or former Vice President Mike Pence of Indiana

Former South Carolina Governor and United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley

Senator Marco Rubio of Florida

Senator Rick Scott of Florida

Senator Ted Cruz of Texas

Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky

Senator Ben Sasse of Nebraska

Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas

Senator Josh Hawley of Missouri

Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida

Governor Larry Hogan of Maryland

Governor Charlie Baker of Massachusetts

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo of Kansas

And we can finish with, believe it or not, Fox News Talk Show Host Tucker Carlson!

Poll Numbers Of Responsible State Governors Of Both Parties Shows Most Americans Are Willing To Sacrifice

It is encouraging that the poll numbers of responsible state governors of both political parties are very high, while the poll numbers of reckless, irresponsible, crazy President Donald Trump are rapidly slipping.

Four Republican Governors are acting properly, including

Mike DeWine of Ohio

Larry Hogan of Maryland

Charlie Baker of Massachusetts

Phil Scott of Vermont

Many more Democratic Governors are also being responsible, including 14, among others

Andrew Cuomo of New York

Gavin Newsom of California

Jay Inslee of Washington

Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan

Jared Polis of Colorado

Ned Lamont of Connecticut

J. B. Pritzker of Illinois

Laura Kelly of Kansas

Tim Walz of Minnesota

Steve Bullock of Montana

Phil Murphy of New Jersey

Roy Cooper of North Carolina

Tom Wolf of Pennsylvania

Ralph Northam of Virginia

It is good to see that the vast majority of Americans are showing willingness to sacrifice for the safety and health of others, rather than just thinking about their own pleasures and desires.

Adults are supposed to think beyond their own whims and desires, as they are not children, who have to be taught responsibility.

Think of the massive sacrifices of Americans in World War II, and realize in 2020, there is a percentage of Americans who have no desire to sacrifice, showing how immature they are, and having no social concern, a real disgrace!

Heroic State Governors, Democrats And Republicans, And Then The Southern Republican Governors Preaching Prayer As A Solution!

There are heroes out there among both Democratic and Republican Governors, who have taken the lead in their states to protect their populations.

They have shown the kind of leadership that our President is incapable of.

They include:

Republican Governors

Mike DeWine of Ohio

Larry Hogan of Maryland

Charlie Baker of Massachusetts

and Democratic Governors

Andrew Cuomo of New York

Phil Murphy of New Jersey

Gavin Newsom of California

Tony Evers of Wisconsin

Tim Walz of Minnesota

Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan

J. B. Pritzker of Illinois

Laura Kelly of Kansas

Andy Beshear of Kentucky

Ralph Northam of Virginia

John Bel Edwards of Louisiana

Jared Polis of Colorado

Steve Bullock of Montana

Kate Brown of Oregon

Jay Inslee of Washington

There are others, but these are the most notable and outspoken in defending their citizenry.

At the same time, we have Governors elsewhere, particularly in Republican governed Southern States who refuse, in some cases vehemently, to take any direct action, believing God will solve the issue, while ignoring health and science experts.

This includes Mississippi (Tate Reeves) , Alabama (Kay Ivey) , South Carolina (Henry McMaster) , Texas (Greg Abbot), Georgia (Brian Kemp) and Florida Ron DeSantis), among others.

They will be held accountable for mass loss of life, as much as Donald Trump will be for his delayed response, and unwillingness to accept science, at least until this past weekend, when so much damage has already occurred!