The Republican candidates
The campaign season for the Republicans is opening officially around now. So far, the main candidates are:
Donald Trump: If you don't know him by now then I believe this thread won't help you decide.
Donald Trump by late May 2023 is the most popular of the candidates with large margin over the second who is
Ron DeSantis: Governor Ron DeSantis. Popular amidst the Republicans, very popular in the swing and important state of Florida. DeSantis has been involved in his own fair share of controversial decisions that some see as authoritarian while others applaud them as common sense made in law in a country that goes too woke.
Another big name is
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tim_Scott: Black Senator from South Carolina. His conservative positions are only a bit more moderate than DeSantis but he is not as combative.
And a tried and tested candidate:
Nikki Haley: Has been a governor so people should know what to expect. She has been both critical towards DTrump and then supportive.
My opinion:
Trump: Practically led a coup in 2021 and did great damage to democratic norms and institutions by his attacks on the free press, free speech and appointing lackeys and yesmen here and there. You were with Trump or you were his enemy and he has no ability to compromise or forgive his "enemies". He easily turned on Commey, the FBI guy that made him president, has been indicted twice and is currently investigated for mismanaging campaign funds. He is an opportunist, a narcissist, he's loyal only to himself and simply using his party to bolster his ego, and he's too old. He backstabbed the Kurds because their grandfathers didn't fight in Normandy while he dodged the draft himself. He trusts the Russian intelligence more than his own intelligence agencies.
He is also one of the greatest examples of "money doesn't buy class".
He is not as bad as Bush2 was, and in the world stage he did better than others - the Middle East was at its most peaceful under Trump and when Trump said "Fire and Fury" to little Rocket man, Kim was worried (we all were) that he actually meant it. Trump is the kind of leader that understands autocrats. The problem is he admires them...
De Santis: Worse than Trump IMO. Do I like him? Well, he DOES fight the culture wars more successfully than Trump. BUT.
He's a more effective authoritarian, that has led to book burnings, book bannings, great government overreach unheard of in the past 50 years AND he supports Trump-like attacks on the Free press and didn't speak against the coup attempt of 2021. Unlike Trump, DeSantis is a bona-fide hardcore conservative and Far Right, he doesn't just pander to them. He's also in his forties, which means he's going to be around for a long time.
Tim Scott: A hardcore conservative that is not a wannabe-dictator. I disagree with many (most) of his positions, but he seems to be able to have a discussion with those that disagree with him instead of trying to bully them to silence through his brownshirts and lackeys. He is also not trying to approach his candidacy with the "doom and gloom" of the other two nor is as combative.
From what I have seen in 2015 Republican primaries and now, so far Tim Scott is a normal conservative politician.
Which means that many democrats can tolerate him more than the other two but makes him unlikely to win in the Republican party that is dominated by the loud and fringe 20% of hardcore Republicans that want a punching ring and not discussions.
Haley: I disagree with more of her policies than with Scott although she is less conservative. Her record of criticizing Trump and then bending to kiss the ring reeks of hypocrisy, but again, let's temper our expectations here. At least she didn't support Trump's election lies although she did say in April 2021 that she will support him for the presidency... till she announced her own.
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Originally Posted by alhoon
