The viable Trump alternative
Given Donald Trump’s stubborn standing atop polls of Republican voters, there may be no more meaningless exercise in futility now than talking about the rest of the GOP presidential field.
Still, a lot could happen between now and the bulk of the primaries this spring: Trump could be criminally convicted, or his age and health could become an issue, or his supporters could come to their senses. You never know.
So it’s worth noting that Sen. Tim Scott’s withdrawal from the primary contest, while disappointing in one way, is progress toward the urgent outcome of narrowing the field of Republican candidates not named Trump to just one serious opponent of the former president.
Our preference would be Nikki Haley, the former South Carolina governor and former UN ambassador, though virtually any of the others would be preferable to the nightmare scenario of another Trump presidential term.
Trump reminded the world of the stakes on Saturday when he chose a Veterans Day speech to vow he would “root out” the “vermin” who oppose him politically. He added that “our threat is from within,” suggesting that the many Americans who don’t support him are more dangerous to the nation than Russia, China or North Korea.
As historians were quick to point out, that kind of inflammatory, dehumanizing rhetoric against swaths of one’s fellow citizens is straight out of the playbooks of Hitler and Mussolini. Still, Trump will likely be the 2024 GOP nominee.
His likeliest Democratic opponent in the general election is President Joe Biden, viewed as too old for the job by many Americans.
Of the remaining candidates, only Haley and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis are polling at more than a whisper. But both remain so far behind Trump that media speculation sounds especially pointless.
There’s no telling what might happen with a frontrunner who has been criminally indicted four times. In light of that, we hope the other also-rans will continue clearing the stage for Haley.
She generally opposes abortion rights, but at least appears to understand it’s too complex an issue to dismiss with unthinking inflexibility. Her support for continued aid to Ukraine against its Russian invaders shames so many in her party who oppose it, or who equivocate.
Unlike former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, she appears to be serious about seeking the presidency and isn’t merely on stage to redeem herself in history by performatively lashing at Trump.
That said, a little more lashing on Haley’s part would suit her well; her refusal to call out Trump’s various offenses against human decency is maddening, if strategically understandable.