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Too Many Republicans in Presidential Race to Stop Trump

Too Many Republicans in Presidential Race to Stop Trump

A minority of Republican voters believe that President Trump can win the election to a second nonconsecutive term in 2024.  Most do not.  Many believe that he will not even secure the GOP nomination UNLESS … there is a large field of candidates in the Republican primaries.

Trump did not win the majority of voters in the 2016 General Election.  In fact, most Republican primary voters cast ballots for someone other than Trump.  He won the GOP nomination only because a large field of opponents divided up the majority vote – allowing Trump to win with a significant plurality.

Those who would prefer that Trump NOT be the Republican standard bearer in 2024 (me included) have expressed concern over a repeat of the 2016 primaries.  That means the 2024 presidential season would see only 2 or 3 serious candidates to oppose Trump – and preferably only one.

Already, the field of primary candidates is too large – and expected to become even larger.  Of course, a lot depends on the voters – and how they divide up the votes.  If most of the field has difficulty in rising out of single digits, then Trump’s hardcore base may be less threatening.

If a large field can hand the nomination to Trump – as most pundits believe – why are so many wannabes entering the race?  There may be a very good reason.  They do not expect Trump to be the person to beat.  They are hoping that all those court cases and Trump’s weariness will knock him out of contention sometime in the Spring of 2024.  They believe that Trump will eventually beat himself.

So far, the Trump challengers and potential challengers are not having a lot of impact on the political Richter Scale – with the exception of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.  Those who have announced (or are about to announce) include former South Carolina Governor and former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley, South Carolina Senator Tim Scott, former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, former Vice President Mike Pence, businessman Ryan Binkley, broadcaster Larry Elders, former Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson, businessman Perry Johnson, and pharmaceutical CEO Vivek Ramaswamy.  

There are a few more who seem to be testing the ground – including New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu, South Dakota Kristi Noem, former Congressman and television intelligence commentor Mike Rogers.   So far, only DeSantis and Trump are in double digits – with combined polling numbers between 70 and 80 percent of the vote.  That leaves only 20 to 30 percent for all the others.

Of course, a lot can change in the next 18 months.  Having said that, I think the most interesting person in the not-Trump/not-DeSantis list is Christie.  He is a feisty campaigner with a tell-it-like-it-is reputation.  Christie will come out on the attack on Trump – and with the possible exception of Trump, himself, no one is better at landing punches on an opponent than Christie.

I suspect Christie will zoom past milquetoast Mike Pence – a prospective candidate who is in the distant third position in the polls with six percent support.  None of the others can match Christie’s ability to campaign.  He could even pose a threat to the current leading Trump opponent, Ron DeSantis.  I would not be surprised if Christie comes out in an immediate strong third place – even in double digits.

The Iowa caucuses will lead off the Republican presidential primary season in January.  That means we still have six months of open season brawling among the GOP contenders.  This is politics, so anything can happen – and most assuredly will.

So, there ‘tis.

About The Author

Larry Horist

So, there ‘tis… The opinions, perspectives and analyses of businessman, conservative writer and political strategist Larry Horist. Larry has an extensive background in economics and public policy. For more than 40 years, he ran his own Chicago based consulting firm. His clients included such conservative icons as Steve Forbes and Milton Friedman. He has served as a consultant to the Nixon White House and travelled the country as a spokesman for President Reagan’s economic reforms. Larry professional emphasis has been on civil rights and education. He was consultant to both the Chicago and the Detroit boards of education, the Educational Choice Foundation, the Chicago Teachers Academy and the Chicago Academy for the Performing Arts. Larry has testified as an expert witness before numerous legislative bodies, including the U. S. Congress, and has lectured at colleges and universities, including Harvard, Northwestern and DePaul. He served as Executive Director of the City Club of Chicago, where he led a successful two-year campaign to save the historic Chicago Theatre from the wrecking ball. Larry has been a guest on hundreds of public affairs talk shows, and hosted his own program, “Chicago In Sight,” on WIND radio. An award-winning debater, his insightful and sometimes controversial commentaries have appeared on the editorial pages of newspapers across the nation. He is praised by audiences for his style, substance and sense of humor. Larry retired from his consulting business to devote his time to writing. His books include a humorous look at collecting, “The Acrapulators’ Guide”, and a more serious history of the Democratic Party’s role in de facto institutional racism, “Who Put Blacks in That PLACE? -- The Long Sad History of the Democratic Party’s Oppression of Black Americans ... to This Day”. Larry currently lives in Boca Raton, Florida.

20 Comments

  1. Frank stetson

    You had me at “Too Many Republicans….”

  2. Tony L Bell

    It would be very interesting to see just how many of the wan-a-be GOP nomination candidates could stand against the non stop vitriol president Trump has endure, even prospered against. Not many, if any, is my bet.

    We need fighter Trump in the Whitehouse if America is to survive and thrive as a nation. Globalism is working feverishly to destroy all nations with the goal of a NWO that is deceptively claiming to be Earths salvation, it is not. Don’t be deceived.

    • Tom

      Most if not all of the other candidates would never have gotten all of that vitriol. They actually have people skills that work. Trump has gotten what he invites and what he is like. You do not seem to see the point. Many of us, and me an independent, are tired of Trump and that kind of person in the White House. There are many good candidates rising in the GOP. It is time the GOP retire the Trump brand and become a party for all of the people.

  3. Tom

    I agree Larry. Looks like you, me and Frank are in harmony again!!!

    By the way, Sununu announced yesterday that he is not running. I suspect we will see him make a run in 2028 if we live that long. He would have been my choice. But I understand his strategy to continue building a network while waiting for the GOP to clear out Trumpism.

    I basically agree with your view that its Trump, DeSantis (who is really Trump Lite), and distant third Christie. I would add a fourth, and that is Asa Hutchinson. He has the kind of personality moderates and independents like but I do not know much about his politics. He seems a little to the left of center which would be good for garnering those moderate to conservative Dems that are looking for a way out of Biden and the left’s domination of the party. I am on the fence about whether Pence has a shot or not. He has experience and a much better personality, and he will bring out the evangelicals but he will need a lot of help from the independent/unaffiliated voters because he will get zero help from MAGA idiots. Pence will be pro-life which might work for him in a GOP primary but not in a general election. I think all of the other GOP candidates are non-starters.

    Can the GOP clone Ronnie, give him a little AI, and put him on the stage? Pleeeeaaaaassssee????

  4. frank stetson

    Trump is the biggest GOP wanna be in the bunch. He is not from the party of Lincoln, the party of Reagan. He is a Democrat turned Republican for the money. His business skills are sucking off Daddy and the people as both propped up his failing enterprise on multiple occasions.

    He has destroyed the Republican party by letting the barbarians in at the gate, and now the party depends on their votes so puts up with their high volume rhetoric and actions. Storming the Capital becomes tourists-gone-wild. A trans on the can means destruction of those Bud Clydesdales. They’ll show Disney what to believe, say, and do. America wants reproductive rights so let’s take those away. America wants pragmatic gun controls so let’s get permit less concealed carry. Tear down those Target displays. Shoot up some more schools, churches, and grocery stores. And remember that BLM and antifa make it OK. Rittenhouse is a hero, the OatKeepers didn’t do it. Hillary’s email bad, Trump’s underwater IT room is prudent. He can grope a girl in a NYC department store and get to be President. Santos the lying fraudster is still in Congress. So is Luma the liar, Greene the defamer, and Gaetz the gross. There’s a whole flock of fanatical warriors that would never had been allowed during previous Republican eras. Now we say: ‘well, the people voted them in. Remember Clinton. But I like the policies….”

    Yeah, the policy of spending us into the poorhouse making you feel good, setting the stage for inflation, and returning the lowest GDP growth since Herbert Hoover and The Great Depression. You got bought, lied to, and you love it. That’s the Republican party. And sure, we Dem’s have our issues too. But NOTHING like this. The very notion of this clown car of candidates tells you 1) the party is broken because no party would allow this and 2) they will split the vote allowing Trump to win.

    • Tom

      I totally agree with your first and third paragraphs Frank! Spot on!! AB, Disney and Target can all fail, I really could care less. I don’t do any of these three. And if anyone tries to push LGBTQ down my throat, or make me use pronouns that I know are a lie, F*$% them too!

      You are correct, Dems got issues, and this is an understatement. The difference is (and this is depressing) is that I do not see anything coming out of the Dems that will stop the radical left and the ruining of our children and our country. At least I see some moderates in the GOP that are striving to get our ear and have good moderate ideas!

      Dems are just all marching to the tune of kill babies at will (more humans die of abortions than guns every year), secretly surveil churches and label church goers as domestic terrorists, label PTA meeting going parents as terrorists, normalize and institutionalize LGBTQ perversions, mutilate our kids bodies instead of helping their minds get through their confusion, continually confuse our kids about gender, deny women’s opportunities by allowing trans men to compete with them as women, buy the lie that there are more than two genders, expose five year olds to books with porno pictures (at least Trump self limits to adult kitty petting), allowing millions of aliens to cross our borders while singing “The Wheels on the Bus…”, attempting to change the balance of power by using the asylum laws to ship aliens to red states, bloated budgets that they refuse to stop (yes Trump started it, but Dems put it on steroids), continue the weaponizing of the DOJ/AG offices, protecting a known criminal because he is a president’s son, corruption at the highest executive levels as in eleven shadowy LLCs tied to Biden crime family.

      Why can’t you Dems put forth a candidate that will stop all of this crap??!!! All you are doing is belly aching about the GOP. Tired of hearing it. Freaken do something about it!!!

      Listen to some hardcore truth from a person who has pulled back from the LGBTQ lies. Look at her evidence! See the light Frank!! Watch at
      *https://catholicvote.org/megyn-kelly-to-stop-using-fake-pronouns/?mkt_tok=NDI3LUxFUS0wNjYAAAGMNDq_6uLWBt_r4M55AlI9ERdKGfnxYs4AeuX1zYLsEobZRQfucdhYQ4FfKQAzoszcMp87NO-pJ0YHNxjvRLbzpdxpk-ZQkW3P5tqp5N8*

      Maybe listen to a young lady now a woman who transitioned and now has boatloads of health problems from the transition procedures and drugs at *https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BDrNDrU6c7I&list=PLgAZcUWx9pPzyv6x-tDA8WqLBaJr4DJUV*

      You got it right, Dems got a boatload of problems! I am not looking to them to save us anytime soon. When it comes to Dems, you sugar coat it too much. Watch the videos!

  5. JoeyP

    POTUS Trump will win the PRIMARY . . . For SURE.

  6. Americafirst

    Larry, Larry, Larry. Why on God’s green Earth do you not research to find the truth. Check out the Military tribunals on your search bar. Tons of executions and life imprisonments have been done through the Military, White Hats and Trump. If you don’t believe what I am saying, you are not a believer in any truth, the Military or any human. There is even a video of Trump being re-inaugurated on March 3. 2020 by the Military with full honors being bestowed on Trump. Trump IS THE POTUS –
    he was and still is. Biden is dead. There is information on the web on that, too. There are FOUR actors portraying Biden. He doesn’t even look the same as the original Biden. I am an accomplished artist and noticed the facial difference of Biden a long time ago. It cannot be denied. I guess you only want your own opinion out there to sway all of us to your way of thinking. There is also not going to be a 2024 election as Trump will be back before then with JFK Jr as Vice President and Trump will be the 19th POTUS due to him bringing us back the original Constitution FOR the United States. The Military went to Trump three times before he said, “YES” to being President of the United States. The Military set him up and helped him win and are doing so again in an alternative way when the Deep State gets taken down and we are all on the cusp of seeing that happen. I am beginning to think that you, Larry are part of the Deep State due to your pure hate for Trump and for God! That also cannot be denied from all of your blogs you write. I do not think you can be trusted, period. We, the People have the right to make up our own minds without you trying to have us believe your untruths! All you have to do is stop being lazy and research all I have written to get to the truth. But you won’t, will you?

    • Tom

      Americafirst, you sure are an accomplished artist, bullshit artist!!! Everybody knows that those videos you are referring to were put out by a PAC for Trump. You sound like the kind of guy that pushes on doors marked pull!!!:>)

    • Tom

      Frank, I do respect your opinions, but on this one you are wrong. You advocate the confusion and destruction of American youth under the thin veil of “inclusion” which is bullshit. I will not leave you alone on this because if I do that, you will keep spreading this bullshit. And you prefer scientific methods that already align with your point of view. I have already given you plenty of evidence in the past, but you ignore it. I have showed you medical research from many doctors that oppose transition gender operations. That article showed statistics, you ignored it. You can look it up yourself and I also showed you how there is no long term data on sustained use of hormone blockers – I showed this to you. You ignored it. Hormone blockers were originally designed to be used for one year, two year tops. Look it up!! But you won’t because you just want to stonewall the truth. Being silent works for you and allows you to spread this perverted ideology! So now I will just present the counter opinion. But I still respect your right to your opinion. And while we may disagree on social issues, I think you make many good points on governance and financial issues!

      Would you believe the American College of Pediatricians??? They say at *https://acpeds.org/transgender-interventions-harm-children* the following: “There is not a single long-term study to demonstrate the safety or efficacy of puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones and surgeries for transgender-believing youth. This means that youth transition is experimental, and therefore, parents cannot provide informed consent, nor can minors provide assent for these interventions. Moreover, the best long-term evidence we have among adults shows that medical intervention fails to reduce suicide. ”

      Many have said their gender identity remained fluid well after the start of treatment, and a third of them expressed regret about their decision to transition from the gender they were assigned at birth. Some said they avoided telling their doctors about detransitioning out of embarrassment or shame. Read full article at *https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/usa-transyouth-outcomes/*

      Again, rather than treat the depression with drugs known to work, you would rather shove hormone blockers into them and mutilate their bodies! How can anyone who claims to care about children approve of that!!!

      And lets just be clear. The FDA hasn’t approved puberty blockers for gender-affirming care, but such off-label use is not unusual or illegal. But that does not make it right to do just because you can! I have no problem with people over 18. All I am saying is let the kids alone, the ones under 18. Let them grow up the way you and I did, where we lived in a free country and did not have any question about our gender, we knew. And you say there are more than two genders, that is total bullshit!

      Side effects of puberty blockers: Possible side effects of GnRH analogue treatment include: *https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/gender-dysphoria/in-depth/pubertal-blockers/art-20459075*

      Injection site swelling
      Weight gain
      Hot flashes
      Headaches

      Use of GnRH analogues might also have long-term effects on:

      Growth spurts
      Bone growth and density
      Future fertility — depending on when pubertal blockers are started

      And Mayo Clinic recommends monitoring and psychological treatments as well. They do not recommend mutilations!

      NO I WILL NOT AGREE TO BE SILENT UNLESS YOU AGREE TO STOP ADVOCATING FOR IT AND USING IT AS A BASHING POINT AGAINST GOP HERE ON PUNCHINGBAG POST!!! AND IF YOU BREAK YOUR WORD AND EVEN SLIGHTLY MENTION IT, I WILL BE READY TO SMASH IT!!!

  7. frank stetson

    Tom, you will need to drop that “objective, independent” part of your resume :>)

    Sorry, I avoid anecdotes as scientific evidence: I doubt I socially follow any Kelly concepts.

    I prefer the scientific method, “In a review of 27 studies involving almost 8,000 teens and adults who had transgender surgeries, mostly in Europe, the U.S and Canada, 1% on average expressed regret. For some, regret was temporary, but a small number went on to have detransitioning or reversal surgeries, the 2021 review said.” *https://apnews.com/article/transgender-treatment-regret-detransition-371e927ec6e7a24cd9c77b5371c6ba2b*

    You have the right to choose any pronoun you like; others have that right too. If your “rights,” collide, I usually say it’s up to the sender to adjust, kind of like a communication right-of-way, but feel it appropriated to push back if you feel that strongly. Myself, I could care less about the pronoun, and more about the person. Also, I am so used to fucking it up, I just smile and say “fucking boomer,” we laugh, and we more on. Intent matters, and yours is very self-centered. It’s just a pronoun.

    It’s reproductive rights and we can discuss who ruins more lives, but we will never agree. So leave me alone on this and I will leave you alone. But you can’t keep your hands of their wombs, can you? You must force them to deliver whatever monstrosity or totally unloved, unwanted, human. Deep in your heart you feel this is better; I do not. But we will never agree, I understand the sanctity of life, but also understand you should manage your own life and stay the hell out of others, in this regard. You say this is a dem problem, sorry, it’s a national problem —- have you not been watching the voting patterns?

    You claim Dems are ruining the nation’s children. Got facts? How many groomed? How many genders turned? How many innocents been deemed terrorists and arrested? I see book bans, AP course bans, race discussions banned. There’s criminal penalties for grabbing the wrong book… States will arrest anyone involved in an out-of-state abortion on a state resident. Teachers are afraid to teach. Nope, I don’t see millions of trans saying “they pulled the wool over my eyes,” white boys committing suicide after hearing about slavery in America, or black kids getting uppity after taking an AP course in Black History.

    And there I stop as you go off into conspiracy land. For any of the rest of the crud you spew, have sources that it is even happening if you want a response, a discussion.

    Yes, there are crossings; the ones legal are asylum seekers. Not sure of the illegals, but not the numbers you are touting, millions, that’s bogus. As to shipping them to Red States, got source? I did look, but to no avail.

    • Tom

      And no, I will not drop the independent / unaffiliated from my resume. I am for kids having the ability to grow up unconfused – this transcends both parties! I am for not mutilating children – this transcends may in your party and most in GOP. I AM looking at the research from the professionals that do not sign up to railroad kids and parents with false ideas of treatment that works when there is NO long term data – and I think not making kids an experiment to get that long term data is a good and healthy Christian choice!!

      I am still an Independent/Unaffiliated – sorry if you do not agree. I just am not willing to make kids and experiment and another revenue stream for some medical practitioners.

    • Tom

      Yes there is plenty of proof. FBI memo regarding Catholic Church infiltration, and now it is a court case. Yes, arresting PTA members in VA. Yes, FBI memo pointed out by Sen Grassley that the FBI is now calling concerned parents terrorists. Yes grooming is a process that starts with luring and suggesting ideas, and proof is everywhere, just open your eyes! Many of those books you say are being banned are sexually explicit! Buy them for your grandkids if you like them that much!

      I am done giving you proof because that is all you do is come back saying, “got proof?” And then when I send you proof you say nothing, you just avoid talking about the proof. This is what you like to do, tie up people hunting proof when you already know in your soul what is going on. And you promote it! Did you read the American College of Pediatrics link I gave you? Have you read the side effects of any of these hormone blocking drugs? Have you read the Mayo Clinic warning on these drugs? Have you investigated what it means to be an “off label” use? Have you read the original intent of these hormone blocking drugs and how long they are supposed to be used? Did you listen to Megan Kelly’s confession of how she was on your side of the aisle for 20 years but cannot cover for the lies anymore!? Probably the answer to all of these questions is probably not, you are too busy asking for more proof. I am not willing to risk kids futures until you get satisfied with the proof because you already know you will never be satisfied!

      You want proof on grooming? Fine, how about the proof coming from the LGBTQIA group itself, I dare you to look at this website at *https://www.gaysagainstgroomers.com/about*

      Take a look at the left side “before” shelves of books! There are many books that should be banned from small kids. See at *https://catholicvote.org/loop-reader-hides-the-pride-photo/?mkt_tok=NDI3LUxFUS0wNjYAAAGMNDq_6tbcYqEyAietjkeDuwv3ivjLuZI7oG_23YZBUXWmiTh06km72jb1uzYOqIbWnU4dluKhwXA17VV07xIt5SUYXaNlwiZPU1roYw0*

      Read this article regarding children being targeted by Pride month at *https://catholicvote.org/children-are-the-target-pride-month-and-minor/?mkt_tok=NDI3LUxFUS0wNjYAAAGMNDq_6rB6iJSLt5-qevpn2VsmeAg1ZzuGQDBsv1mQVT-jV7u3R2DDEOOA5XxN_1-whZzYQRws5e3T_MoLlovN4cuQguxqbDhXN5QykNc*

      • frank stetson

        Sorry. This will be multi-part due to core dumping. When folks core dump on me, I tend to pick one, check it out, and if totally bogus, biased, or other readily evident flaw, I just can’t pick though all the rest of the shit looking for a kernel of corn-truth. Your use of the ACPed as a valid source is that. At least it was in the two I have checked.

        The previous Catholic one that turned out to be a PAC was another, this one the Church itself did not support this group or it’s opinions.

        On this one, I started with: “Yes, arresting PTA members in VA” because it seemed out of place tween the Catholic Church infiltrated by the FBI and the FBI say concerned parents are terrorists or gay, trans, etc.

        I googled and found a lot of embezzlement in 2016. Then in 2021”https://nypost.com/2021/10/27/virginia-woman-says-fbi-staked-out-school-board-meeting/” OK, not an arrest, but a woman saying the FBI staked out the board meeting.
        Reminds me of the Arlo story “the pause of Mr. Claus” where he asks the FBI in the audience to stand up, and then remarks “well, you can’t stand up, can you. Because if you do, you have to go back to retraining….” How does she know? I will let you read the story, it’s funny how stupid people can be. She is ranting about porn in the library by reading porn in the public meeting and gets upset when they shut the mic due to the presence of children….

        But in the story, it says: “a parent was forcefully arrested in June after claiming inclusive school policies led to the rape of his daughter,” maybe that’s the one although hard pressed to see the FBI there, but here goes: “A Virginia father who was arrested at a school board meeting has ripped Attorney General Merrick Garland for painting him as a domestic terrorist — saying he’d just been trying to raise the alarm about his daughter getting “sexually assaulted” in a school bathroom.” OK, no FBI except in the guy’s mind. But good to see he FINALLY attended his first PTA meeting, and probably his last. * https://nypost.com/2021/10/13/dad-arrested-at-school-board-meeting-rips-ag-merrick-garland/*

        While the FBI, Garland, and the National School Board group are mentioned as the cause —- I think these folks are disturbed for other reasons, perhaps quite a few. Yeah, I might have stopped reading after those citations. Hopefully, you have another VA arrest where things makes some sort of sense.

        In the meantime, I will trudge on, but like I said —- you seem to be handling this one different than say, your “covid came from the lab” series, a thoughtful, objective, rational piece of research — as most of your are, IMO.

        trans, gay, research seems a little more grasping, even your abortion backup is much better. but hey, women reading porn out loud in front of kids as a protest against porn in a library where kids never go….or the guy’s who’s daughter is raped at school, and he blames the US Attorney General. Yeah, that’s a pretty weird and wild leap of faith.

        • frank stetson

          Tom, carrying on, you said: “FBI memo regarding Catholic Church infiltration, and now it is a court case.” Sounds good, got FBI, got a memo, and a court case. Rock solid sounding and maybe gay Priests involved…. And it is solid, in a soft way and no gayness at all, not a trans in sight. Although, those ropes look pretty trans to me…

          A memo, issued in January, retracted in February, it’s an in-house only, field memo, which the FBI immediately retracted for not meeting standards. Sure, oversight is needed to see what corrective measures are needed and the Congressional Weaponization Warriors are on the hunt. There’s a subpoena for Congressional hearing, I could not find a court case and doubt it. Where’s the harm? Nothing happened. It’s a field memo.
          *https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/253600/fbi-retracts-leaked-document-orchestrating-investigation-of-catholics*

          Then the thing got bigger and the Weaponization Warriors of the Crazy Crusade believe they found the Holy Grail in that there may be other FBI documentation, a bigger plan, and a centralized program beyond just a field memo. Yet it’s hard to discern the hype from the hoopla of the Weaponization Inquisition by by Fox crowd. We’ll see if their witnesses turn up this time.

          And Grassley, come on, that’s like us trotting up AOC to tell you what we think…. His shit all comes back to the memo, a retracted field office memo that had the lifespan of a fruit fly. At this point he is not mentioning a bigger plan, that’s the Weaponization crowd.

          I don’t believe in paranoia but I do think you are being watched. So shall we all. But come on, this all ties back to a memo. Do you really think that deserve the Weaponization Inquisition to be unleased.

          Any where’s the gay in this? Weren’t you talking trans and such?

          • frank stetson

            Continuing on….”Yes grooming is a process that starts with luring and suggesting ideas, and proof is everywhere, just open your eyes!” I did, I found little, I am just not sure what you are afraid of. Given their numbers, I would conclude the trans are not very good at grooming. And it’s not like you can’t notice them in a crowd,…

            “Many of those books you say are being banned are sexually explicit!” And many are not. I mean Toni Morrison: banned, Mem Fox has an illustration of an old lady taking a bath: banned. She’s old, branches cover all naughty bits: banned. Amanda Gorman. poet, banned, and it’s not even a limerick. In your Catholic-not PAC piece, they banned any book with the word PRIDE in the title. Give it a break Tom, it’s Fahrenheit 451 down in Florida.

            But if I told you: “proof is everywhere, just look, there are many sexually explicit books in our libraries, just look” would you accept that, and say, SURE. I am pretty darned sure there are not MANY sexually explicit books in our public or school libraries — unless you are even more prudish than I imagine.

            I really think you are off your research rocker on this topic. I mean you use biased advocacy groups, strange citizens claiming strange stuff as anecdotal proof, Catholic groups that the Church does not recognize, and worse. Many of these non-profits just invented in the past few years after Trump taught the grifters how much money can be made in this market. Low costs too.

            Just not your normal source quality. And do you not how many of these people have just popped up to profit from your paranoia?

            Next up is your link to Gays Against Groomers where there is no proof these folks are gay or that they found any grooming, much less a national movement to groom.

            Gays Against Groomers (GAG) is an 2022 far-right anti-LGBT 501C organization that protests gender-affirming care for minors, LGBT representation at schools; and Drag Queen Story Hour events. GAG hosts anti-LGBTQ rallies with far-right anti-LGBTQ organizations like Moms for Liberty where the Proud Boys attend too. They have a subsidiary: TAG or Trans Against Gays, another non-profit you can contribute to.

            GAG began on Twitter by Jaimee Michell. GAG is banned from a number of platforms for violating rules on hate speech. Michell has been trying to sell hate speak across multiple platforms for years. While a non-profit, her $1M budget is not coming from her audience; someone is funding this.

            Two members of GAG vandalized gay NYC councilman’s office, broke into the lobby of his apartment, left anti-gay slurs graffitied on the sidewalk. Sweet. GAG members, the Guardians of Divinity, the Proud Boys, and the neo-Nazi Goyim Defense League get together often to protest Drag library hours. GAG tweeted doctored footage of Rep. Katie Porter which claimed she supported pedophilia. Katie is a very responsible Democratic representative that actually won in Orange County CA, a Republican stronghold. They make some of their money selling anti-trans merch. Like a “I hate trans” t-shirt?

            I’m not going on about the validity of this group as your source. The bigger picture is: don’t you get it? Since the time of Trump, frustrated folks have been rising to ease their pain. That’s the demand and these folks supply the information, for a price. Suppliers, like GAG, are filling their demand. Information is the product and they are selling tainted versions. Be aware that each click puts pennies in their pockets. These folks are probably not even gay and yet lead you to believe they are. The owner had worked for far-right communications companies, had been trolling numerous platforms with gay hate spew, and finally has found a home, that you pay for with your clicks.

            I hope you get it, these folks fan your frustrations for money. Trump has shown the way to monetize frustration and hate.

            Next up, CatholicVote.org which is the one I told you before is a conservative, non-profit pac, independent and not recognized by the Catholic Church. By definition, they are biased, hard, to the far right. They make money to support certain candidates; that’s their job. However, they are not new, been here since 2008. In today’s landscape, they are tame compared to the others you rely on for your anti-gay, trans, etc. data.

            The first article you posted from them is a pictorial anecdote where books with PRIDE in the title are banned. I am not sure these books are grooming anyone, dude. Unless you feel the word “pride” and what it means today is grooming. Or does it mean you just want to pull all gays off the street and put THEM into boxes? Paranoid much?

            The second one is more of the same telling us about the horrible fucking evil in the following words: “This #PrideMonth, let’s celebrate diversity and unity and spread love and acceptance. Together, we can make the world a kinder place for all.” Right, pull that shit down, diversity sucks, unity blows, love is bad, acceptance is wrong…..

            Come on man, if you fear the word “pride,” and “all you need is love” is the end of the world as you know it, then let it end….

            Book bans, trans bans, drag attacks, – you know where this ends.

            But the bottom line, beyond the Reuters story, the majority of your sources are partisan hacks who make their money hating gays, trans, drag, but tread lightly on the lezbos, they like to watch that shit. While it’s good to look at a wide berth of sources, yours is incredibly narrow: PACS that have recently risen in the time of Trump that make money feeding your frustrations.

            Will do one more: Mayo clinic. After my coffee and financial stroll. It’s quarterly true-up time.

  8. frank stetson

    Tom, of course I was resume kidding; I have said before your stand seems out of place with your general tenor. Seems illogical to the point you mix apples n oranges, are willing to accept less-than-objective sources, bring in the bible, etc. We can have our opinions; I just challenge your evidence and conclusions (opinions) on some. This does not seem to fit your normal, objective, thought processes.

    On abortion, bully for you to be pro-life; Democrats who choose to be pro-choice are not what you claim. We’re just folk, just like you. Ending that which never lived is not killing anything. Flushing a zygote is not murder. It’s ending something that never was, might never be, might be, no one really knows. We can debate the timing, and should, but six weeks is as unfair as allowing elective abortion past 20 weeks. We need a livable compromise here. And no forced delivery of rape and incest babies forcing the mother to be held hostage to a crime. I prefer the system where choice is part of it and find the current Southern System to be a return to the hell that was a woman’s life in the before the1950’s. It’s not even a male issue. What’s next, tell all the little girls that only sluts and whores have sex outside of marriage. Males are not personally put out by this, woman are the ones gestating for nine months, males often need to be sued even for support, and good luck collecting from a non-payer. You offer NO extra support mechanisms in forcing and enforcing the bans you desire. Some saviors of humanity you are. You claim you are removing the unknown hell of the unborn; I claim you are creating a living hell for the living and those not yet alive, and only suggest that choice be allowed as much as you are allowed to convince people of another choice. But force, by rule of law, with criminality attached even for assisters, sometimes just for giving a ride to seek LEGAL treatment out of state? I understand the intent to gain as much life as possible, but this is just not the way to do it. You have gone too far, you said it would never happen, you promised there would be available choices still, you said it’s the State’s right, and there will be many choices just a state away. Untrue. The entire South has reversed 5 decades of precedent, often without providing additional support, other choices a State away, whatever. From North Carolina through Texas, you may have to cross half the country just to have choice and it may be illegal to even do that. I understand your pro-life stance, just think you should use friendly persuasion and not the jack-booted force of law to advocate for your beliefs.

    On your transophobia…. First, the pronoun thing. Like I said, this is really on the receiver to choose their name. If they like another, tell you, don’t get mad, and you can choose to accept or not. Acceptance is inclusion; forcing your name that they don’t want is not. There is no correct, there is only what the receiver desires to be called. There is no wrong in misstating it —– unless you continue to do so in light of the receiver’s request. Goes for pronouns or any name for that matter.

    With regards to drugs and procedures; that’s up to medical experts and the FDA. If there is evidence of things being unsafe, there is a process to stop them from use.

    With regards to parents making this choice for their kids; I agree it seems weird and, I agree, kids don’t seem to know everything, make terrible decisions sometimes, but again, why should the law force people to do things that parents, medical, psychiatrists, etc. say are in their best interests? If we need to judge, then judge each according to law, and not some broad-based biased law forcing people to do things the experts tell them is wrong. There may be doubt that some are doing the right thing, but there is no doubt that some are doing the right thing for their specific kid. We just need a better process to assure the better outcome. Neither a ban or a free choice may be appropriate, perhaps some form of legal/professional adjudication would be better.

    But grooming, see-drag-and-you’re-a-fag, tear down those rainbows, is either wrong, stupid, or unproven. They are not hunting you or your kids. You have no proof. They are not infectious; your kid won’t catch it via proximity.

    There is law covering your bad medicines and procedures. There should be no law forcing parents not to do what professionals say they should do. IF you need a review process, so be it, but to outlaw it out of hand?

    As far as living with trans n drag. Sure, no sex in front of kids. Thought most places already had that law. For sports, bathrooms, etc., I understand and wrestle with the answer. Doors on stalls is one. Sports, etc. are more difficult, not only the physicality, but just the logistics of separate (dressing rooms) where equal is difficult. So, I can reluctantly agree until a better answer appears.
    But most procedure trans do not have regrets and that speaks volumes as to viability. I touch on your studies below, they are compelling, but the numbers are small, indicating a need for further research, but looks like we still don’t know the “regret factor” and what we do know may be skewed by emotions tainting accuracy. That’s a most important factor to know before we set rules, regulations, and law. Saying you must wait until a certain age should not be a legal decision but a medical, mental health, scientific decision, so wrap your “need to control by law” into that, not jack-booted thugs forcing parents to make unwanted decisions about their own kids.

    And then, teacher, leave those kids alone and include them, as humans, in everything you can while addressing them as they wished to be addressed, the same way you want to be.

    As to your evidence. I have told you before that “science” provided by far-right PACs, 501c3’s, etc. is junk science at best, and even if delivered by Doctors, it’s strongly biased at best. I have looked at the info and decided to go with the majors, the AAP and APA which says your ACPed is biased bunk.

    The American College of Pediatricians (ACPeds) is a socially conservative, hard-right bias, deductible charity group of US pediatricians that LOBBIES against abortion rights and against rights for gay, queer, and trans people. They are not objective, they have a stand. A bias. A going-in position BEFORE evidence review. ACPeds promote conversion therapy and purity culture. Started in 2002 by the ex-President of the real group, the American Academy of Pediatrics, who disagreed with management. The current ACPed membership is about 700 physicians. The 1930-founded AAP has 67,000 doctors telling you that “ninety-nine out of hundred doctors” disagree with these biased few.

    Oh yeah, the American Psychological Association (APA) is the largest scientific and professional organization of psychologists in the United States who favors gay affirmation and is in disagreement with the ACPed has over 146,000 scientists, educators, clinicians, and consultants as members meaning that 199 out of 200 APA professionals disagree with your splinter group.
    I found the Reuters article compelling basically saying current research is flawed, showing why, but not exactly reaching a conclusion except that more, wide ranging, analysis is needed with the stigma(s) providing a very difficult study. It all makes sense to me. So, not really sure that the low-regret rate is real, even though some of the studies were huge. And the potential higher regret rate may exist but be hidden by many flavors of stigmatization.

    My current take is the current bans are bogus, but so is the current evaluation of acceptability. It would appear that greater scrutiny and monitoring is needed to determine whether when professionals say go, kids say go, parents say go, that the go is healthy and the go is going to stick and therefore, the right thing to do.

    It just seems that Republicans and some Independents are hell bent on forcing people to do things, usually marginalized groups that are different than average or the mainstream. Bans, boycotts, and busting up the place have become all the rage. 150 years of bud tradition down the drain for one trans on the can. Disney dumped for saying what they think. Now Chic-Fil-A for having the word diversity on their org chart. Think about it: you want to ban someone in drag from grooming little Johnny, but if a stranger sticks his dick in your daughter, you are legally and financially responsible for the next 18 years, or at least your daughter is. Every time she looks at little Billy, she can remember that night. That dick. The penetration. That’s the modern Republican Party at work and it don’t sound objective, fair, or rational.

    Hope that clarifies, certainly not intended to change your mind, just hoping you will up your game and drop the ACPed o’ bullshit.

    • Tom

      Frank, I would like to respond but it is not letting me for some reason.

      • Dan tyree

        Pence 2024. I mean it.

  9. Floyd Ray Rockwell

    Trump is the only man who can stand up to the deep state and they know it. That is why they are afraid of him and are doing all they can to stop him from running. If Trump is not in we go back to the deep state running the country regardless if Democrat or Republican in office. Mike Pence and most of the candidates running are Rinos. The deep state has run this country for decades. It is time to MAGA