.

Today as I write this the first votes in the first primary for the 2024 presidential election are being cast. Last week was the Iowa caucuses in which, braving truly terrible weather, Trump’s supporter gave him a victory with massive margins. Today it is likely that in New Hampshire Trump’s only remaining opponent, the ethically chameleon Nikki Halley, to his dominance will be swept aside. OH, there is a small possibility that Nikki will squeak out a tiny number of votes more than Trump. The state is notorious for knifing the winner of the Iowa contest, the electorate there is made up of much greater numbers of the politically moderate and it is a contest where it is easy for people to cross over and vote in the primary that does not match their political party. Clawing each and every vote from these non-Trumpist could possibly push her just barely ahead of Trump, but that is meaningless.

For one, Trump never loses. He is only the winner, or he is cheated. A GOP electorate that has been trained and fashioned to accept charges of ‘rigged’ on trump’s behalf means that a marginally victory is no victory at all. If she fights that she actually won it sinks her utterly with the base and if she doesn’t fight, well, then she loses.

It is also meaningless because there are no other states in the primary where she can replicate even such a tiny victory. Any sort of ‘victory’ here only prolongs the terminal state of her campaign. She’s a dead pol with only an illusion of life.

The GOP is truly and utterly Trump’s party. Policy doesn’t matter, principal doesn’t matter, laws do not matter, the only goal is Trump’s goal, and he serves only himself. I fervently hope that he never returns to any sort of political power, that the GOP is crushed in November to such an utter ruin that it is forced to rebuild and perhaps be reborn a saner party.