A few days ago, Washington Post “conservative” columnist Max Boot published a piece supposedly about the buzz around Fox News’ Tucker Carlson as a possible presidential candidate in 2024 (running against Joe Biden, of course), but Boot had already picked his Republican for the race: Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, whom he saw as the future of the party. The Washington Examiner’s Jay Caruso had a great thread breaking down Boot’s argument:
We yet another column by @MaxBoot that is steeped in ignorance and continues to reveal his complete misunderstanding of electoral politics, particularly at the primary level. A thread. https://t.co/5bmC06TNJy
— Jay Caruso (@JayCaruso) July 14, 2020
Boot attempts to make the case the GOP is so engulfed in Trumpism, that Maryland Governor Larry Hogan is no longer a viable option. He never was and Boot, with zero self-awareness, makes that clear in the third graf:
— Jay Caruso (@JayCaruso) July 14, 2020
"The governor of Maryland supports action to address global warming and gun control. He endorses Roe v. Wade."
That's the ballgame, Boot. Hogan wouldn't get the nomination in 2024 because of his support for gun control and Roe v. Wade. He wouldn't have gotten the nomination in
— Jay Caruso (@JayCaruso) July 14, 2020
2016, 2012, 2008, 2004, 2000, 1996, 1992..
The Republican primary electorate supports second amendment rights and is pro-life. That's no secret. Unlike the purists, I think there is room for pols like Hogan and Susan Collins in the party. To be a majority party, there has to be
— Jay Caruso (@JayCaruso) July 14, 2020
moderation (contrary to the view of the "own the libs" purists). Boot presents a completely false choice in Hogan vs. Carlson in that Hogan isn't a viable candidate even against someone like Jeb Bush. Hell, Trump used to support partial-birth abortion and the assault weapons ban.
— Jay Caruso (@JayCaruso) July 14, 2020
He had to flip-flop. It's similar to the Democratic Party. The idea of a pro-life Democrat getting the nominate is laughable. The party is so extreme on abortion, the progressive wing tried to kick out the final two remaining pro-life members of Congress and succeeded with
— Jay Caruso (@JayCaruso) July 14, 2020
Illinois Rep. Dan Lipinski (Rep. Henry Cuellar of TX remains). Biden had to put aside his support of the Hyde amendment which is the lowest hanging fruit for any Democrat to support. I wouldn't be so naive to write a column arguing the future of the Democratic Party
— Jay Caruso (@JayCaruso) July 14, 2020
is a choice between Henry Cuellar and the Chapo Trap House gang.
If Boot wants to continue promulgating the "lifelong Republican" charade, he should at least have a basic understanding of recent Republican Party history. /fin
— Jay Caruso (@JayCaruso) July 14, 2020
There is no need to counter Max Boot. He always says the same thing in every column and appearance and I don't think he even believes what he says anymore.
— AmishDude (@TheAmishDude) July 14, 2020
Speaking of the Washington Post, on Thursday, the paper published a piece by Hogan savaging President Trump over his response to the coronavirus, headlined, “I’m a GOP governor. Why didn’t Trump help my state with coronavirus testing?”
GOP governor Larry Hogan: "Eventually, it was clear that waiting around for the president to run the nation’s response was hopeless; if we delayed any longer, we’d be condemning more of our citizens to suffering and death…" https://t.co/DgYlRwwizB
— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) July 16, 2020
That led Slate’s Will Saletan to suggest that Hogan was trying to reshape the Republican party for a possible run in 2024.
Sign #1 that the ship is going down: Rats start to flee.
Sign #2: Somebody starts building a different ship.
— Will Saletan (@saletan) July 16, 2020
Lol ok dude https://t.co/cXTjlgk7ZO
— Kurt Schlichter (@KurtSchlichter) July 16, 2020
Any ship Larry Hogan builds will be a one-man canoe, no matter how much Bill Kristol and the Niskanen dumdums wish otherwise. https://t.co/wqmwKkn83U
— Varad Mehta (@varadmehta) July 16, 2020
In 2018, more than 55% of voters in Maryland, a state with 2-1 Democratic registration advantage, helped row Hogan's canoe.
— Will Saletan (@saletan) July 16, 2020
That's great. He wouldn't win a single GOP presidential primary. Not even in Maryland. Whatever the future of the GOP is at the national level, it's not Larry Hogan, and no one should pretend otherwise. https://t.co/w8l6yhuxw4
— Varad Mehta (@varadmehta) July 16, 2020
Not now. But let Trump's ship go down, let Republicans tread water in the ocean for a few years, and then let's see who's willing to board a different ship.
— Will Saletan (@saletan) July 16, 2020
There may be a universe in which a pro-gun control, pro-Roe v. Wade, pro-impeachment, anti-Brett Kavanaugh blue-state governor will be the future of the Republican Party, but it's not this universe, and anyone who thinks otherwise just doesn't understand American politics.
— Varad Mehta (@varadmehta) July 16, 2020
Why is this so hard for people? https://t.co/JSPbO1UTs6
— Varad Mehta (@varadmehta) July 16, 2020
Cause Trump has broken people’s brains.
— OwnTheLibs (@OwnTheLibs_) July 16, 2020
Wishcasting is the only thing NeverTrumpers can do anymore
— Saurabh Sharma (@ssharmaTX) July 16, 2020
I have a better chance than Hogan. Zero chance. It's laughable to think otherwise.
— Clark Cardone (@ClarkCardone) July 16, 2020
Hogan was never on the ship.
— Samantha Epstein (@alijoshlexi) July 16, 2020
Also, this idea that a big Trump loss leaves the GOP in the wilderness is just silly. If the Dems push the overreach they seem to be promising, they probably lose Congress in the very next election.
— InTheRightColumn (@TheRightColumn) July 16, 2020
So both Democrats and NeverTrumpers (same thing at this point) are trying to set up Hogan for a presidential run to “fix” the GOP? Pass.
Related:
‘This is getting embarrassing’: Max Boot’s WaPo take on ‘if Trump had been in charge during WWII’ sends heads crashing to desks https://t.co/zdrSd0VCgf
— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) May 15, 2020
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