Getting Crowded In Presidential Race

Former Vice President of America Mike Pence is running to be president. That might have been breaking news at one time, something out of the ordinary, but it’s only Mike Pence. And it comes as no surprise that Pence finally decided to put his hat in the ring, as it would have been more of a surprise if he hadn’t. When one looks at the announced candidates already running, Pence, a former vice president, has the credentials to govern as a president. That doesn’t mean he would be a great president, as he didn’t have the “best example” to follow during his time with Donald Trump. Pence joins an already crowded field of candidates led by Nikki Haley, Tim Scott, Donald Trump, Ron DeSantis, and perhaps soon-to-announce Chris Christie. As candidates, nothing separates them politically or culturally because they all say the same things. They are against anything “liberal” or “progressive” that would cause their base to abandon them as if they are not “conservative and God-fearing”. They are patriots in their estimation. Mike Pence might be the more “Christian” of them all, perhaps meaning that he may be more conservative than the rest of the field, but look for them to try to “out-Christian” one another, including Donald Trump. Remember, Trump once said he did more for Christianity than any other president in history, but the last election showed us that more evangelical votes will be needed to win the election in the Electoral College. The popular vote means a victory in every other race except that of the presidency. While the other candidates will be on the campaign trail, Trump’s attention may be more focused on what will happen in federal and state courts over the coming months leading into next year. There is the case of White House documents retrieved from Trump’s Florida residence that has consumed Trump’s attention and may lead to a possible federal indictment on charges of espionage. He is painfully aware that a possible jail sentence looms in Trump’s future, as this time, Republican senators can’t save him. Then there are possible state charges from both New York and Georgia, dealing with alleged hush money paid to an adult film star and the alleged attempt to “find” enough votes in Georgia to help overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election, but even with all of those issues against Trump, he is still seen as the “one to beat” to claim the Republican Party’s nominee to be president of America. If Pence, Haley, Scott, DeSantis, and whoever else decides to run, they, at some point and time, will have to take off the kid gloves and take the fight to Trump. Having been around Trump for four years, Pence should have the advantage, but he doesn’t want to be seen as throwing a brick and trying to hide his hand. Same for Haley, who served in the Trump Administration. Scott is somewhere in the middle and will have to sound more like Trump while trying not to remind voters that he is Black and is not liberal at all, but still would need a sizable Black vote. Only DeSantis and Christie can directly attack Trump if they are serious about winning and then show the base that either of them is the man for the job. They wouldn’t mind if Trump somehow couldn’t campaign against them because things could get awkward or dirty, asking who will get their hands dirty and do what it will take to win. Republicans have been known to play dirty politics, just not openly against each other (if it can be helped), but we are talking about having power here. Look at what DeSantis has done in Florida with a Republican legislature behind him and other governors all across the South. Trump will fight using every tactic in the book to win because that is how he has been perceived as a businessman and now as a president. He still has the support, as his opponents know. The question is, who will step out from among the crowd and take the fight to Trump? Remember, the world is watching. So is God.