Republican 2024 Loyalty Pledge As Enforceable As All Trump's Other Contracts
It's your first 2024 GOP primaries Sunday show rundown!
To hear people like Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis talking about "diversity, equity and inclusion" programs , you would think they murdered his dog . But the reason these programs exist is to ensure that workplaces and universities are not dominated by narrow echo chambers. Unfortunately for the Republican Party, this aversion to diversity looks to make their 2024 primaries look like an attack of the GOP clones.
I guess you have to purchase the DLC to unlock Donald Trump & Nikki Haley
So let's take a look at what will surely be a race to see who can be the most MAGA before Trump inevitably eviscerates them on national TV.
What's A Little Coup Amongst Friends?
On CNN's "State Of The Union" was Republican National Committee Chair RonnaRomneyMcDaniel, fresh from fending off crazed pillow salesmen , to discuss the upcoming announcement of the GOP primary rules.
Host Dana Bash asked McDaniel about the Republican Party's proposed loyalty pledge requiring candidates to support whomever the eventual 2024 nominee is in order to be allowed on the GOP primary debate stage. McDaniel said she all but expects that to be in the criteria, much like it was in 2016, before Bash rolled tape of Donald Trump's recent statement to conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt about possibly doing the opposite .
When Bash asked McDaniel if she was prepared to block Trump from the debates based on his non-commitment, McDaniel's answer was not very reassuring.
MCDANIEL: Well, he signed it in 2016. He did.
BASH: I know.
MCDANIEL: Everybody signed it in 2016.
BASH: But this is about the here and the now. He didn't commit to it.
MCDANIEL: Yes, I think they're — I think they're all going to sign it. I really do. [...] I think they all want to be on the debate stage. I think President Trump would like to be on the debate stage. That's what he likes to do. And I expect they will all be there.
Bash then quoted former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson's objection to also signing this pledge of blanket allegiance to the 2024 GOP nominee and asked McDaniel a very obvious follow-up question.
BASH: He said, quote, "For leaders such as myself who believe Donald Trump is not the right direction for the country, and I said specifically that January 6 disqualified him, what would — that would certainly make it a problem for me to give an across-the-board, inclusive pledge." How do you make candidates like him, given the reality of what has happened on January 6, go against his — what he's saying is his principle?
McDaniel answered by making the subtext text about the GOP's thoughts on principles and January 6th.
MCDANIEL: I think you support the voters. The voters get to choose. And if the Republican voters pick the nominee [...] I'm going to support the nominee.
BASH: [...] You would be asking him to put party over country.
MCDANIEL: Oh, I don't see it that way. That may be how he sees it. I don't see it that way. I think, if the voters choose Donald Trump to be the nominee, if they choose Mike Pence, if they choose Mike Pompeo or Asa Hutchinson, everybody should support the will of the voters.
So, if you are keeping score, not signing the 2024 GOP pledge of allegiance to the nominee means you won't be allowed on the debate stage BUT leading an attempted insurrection is not disqualifying at all.
But all this talk about the pledge and its enforcement by the RNC seems to have a fatal flaw, which Dana Bash pointed out and McDaniel had no solution for.
BASH: One more question on this: How do you enforce it? Once — once you get to the point where there is a presumptive nominee, the debates are going to be over, so how do you even enforce this?
MCDANIEL: We're saying you're not going to get on the debate stage unless you make this pledge.
Trump has signed construction contracts and marriage licenses in his past but that still didn't prevent him from stiffing contractors who did work for him or replacing his wives with other models . The RNC has no way to enforce it and is counting on the honor system or the principles of those signatories ... which is not very reassuring. A "pledge" is only as good as the person who signs it, McDaniel, and Trump's is as good as a Trump University diploma.
Tim Scott Is A GOP 'Pick-Me' Candidate
Appearing on "Fox News Sunday" with Shannon Bream, South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott was making his case as one of the potential Trumpvictimsopponents on the 2024 GOP primary debate stage.
Tim Scott began by doing what he does best: making white people comfortable about racism in America by telling them that everything has been fixed and nothing needs changing.
SCOTT: Our original sin should never define us because the story of redemption is what we've been living through more than 50-plus years. The greatest story of progress in the world is American progress in the last 50 years.
Somehow Tim Scott either is unable or unwilling to address that a 247-year-old country only making marginal progress in the latter 50 years is an indictment, not a celebration. It's like an abusive, absentee divorced dad thinking a trip to McDonald's and an occasional birthday/Christmas present makes up for everything else inflicted upon their children.
Scott was then asked what makes him different from Trump or any other nominee on the 2024 GOP field.
SCOTT: The policy positions that I've taken. One of the most important parts of being in the majority was the opportunity we have with the Tax and Cut and Jobs Act.
Tim Scott touted his support for the Trump tax cuts as a policy difference. Seriously.
Trump is going to have a blast eliminating his cheap knockoffs.
Have a week.
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That's what I assumed they meant for a half a sec..
They mean just what they(R) choose them to mean — neither more nor less.