GOP should be scared

Donald Trump announces third presidential run. Hmmm. Shocking! Harold Stassen lives. Who knew? Of course, poor old Harold bore the curse of honesty, so he never got very far. Mr. Trump is not so afflicted.

Democrats should be lining up to help His Trumpness get the nomination. And Republicans should be very afraid. Maybe the legal system will solve their problem. Otherwise, they face two years of conspiracy theories, victimhood claims and lots of other lies. And many down-ballot mediocrities who look good but bring little else to the dance. Of course, the potential good news is that Trump might choose unfailingly loyal Sarah Sanders for veep, thus saving Arkansas from her eight-year on-the-job learning exercise. We can only hope.

If nothing else, the recent elections should prove that the coattails that help bring nominations from partisans don’t ensure success when nonbase voters are involved. We’ll see if the GOP can actually figure that out. Don’t bet on it. It will take a brave Republican to openly defy Trump in 2024. After that we’ll see.

DENNIS BARRY

Little Rock