Dominoes
Only 1,362 days to go...
“For years to come, there are many people on the right, in the media and voters at large, that are going to be having to explain and justify how they fell into this trap of supporting Donald Trump.” ~Marco Rubio (2016)
In 2012, Rubio addressed the situation in Ukraine during a Senate floor speech, emphasizing the importance of supporting Ukraine's democratic aspirations and countering Russian aggression. He highlighted the strategic significance of Ukraine to U.S. interests and advocated for a firm stance against Russian interference in the region. Rubio's remarks underscored the need for the United States to stand with the Ukrainian people in their pursuit of freedom and sovereignty.
During the 2012 GOP convention, Marco Rubio was one of the main speakers. I remember watching him and thinking how impressive he was. He was a good speaker and I thought he might have a real future in the Republican party.
How times have changed. That was then. This is now. The party of fiscal responsibility, free trade, strong defense, so-called “family values,” support for democracy, compassionate conservative, et al has revealed itself to be nothing of the kind. Just like toppling dominoes, Marco Rubio and other GOP politicians have been falling over one by one and prostrating themselves to our Felon-In-Chief.
Utterly pathetic.
Do you remember that GOP primary stage in 2016? There were 17 hopefuls running — so many that they had to break up the debaters into two groups. Donald Trump was a new kind of candidate — obnoxious, ignorant, insulting, rude and so amusing.
“He lied strategically. He had a complete lack of conscience about it.” Since most people are “constrained by the truth,” Trump’s indifference to it “gave him a strange advantage.” (The New Yorker)
Oh, he was pure entertainment and a ratings joy for all the networks. Unlike the other candidates, news networks (like CNN, MSNBC, Fox News) aired many of his rallies live. By giving him so-called ”earned media” the media thoroughly failed to do their job in 2016 - big time.
Trump’s campaign "may not be good for America, but it’s damn good for CBS." ~Les Moonves, former CEO of CBS
One by one the Republican hopefuls either fell into line or not.
They all revealed their fundamental character that year.
Very few stood firm…
How do I assess them?
Jeb Bush: Bush ran as a centrist, establishment Republican. Early in the race, he was considered a front-runner but failed to gain traction with voters. He dropped out in February 2016.
“I wouldn’t call 2016 a mistake. I gave it my all. What I was offering was kind of not relevant for the feeling of angst and anger that people had. President Trump is pretty good, you know, connecting with people’s feelings of unfairness or anxiety and maybe exacerbating it. I was in the attempted problem-solving business. No one wanted to problem-solve…”
My assessment: Remained Neutral…pretty much stayed out of the fray. Did not vote for Trump. Did not endorse Trump. Didn’t become MAGA … but didn’t become a Never-Trumper fighter, either. No killer instinct, which was apparently what was needed to compete in 2016.
Ben Carson: Carson officially announced his campaign in May 2015. Carson performed strongly in early polls, leading to him being considered a frontrunner for the nomination during the fall of 2015. Trump publicly questioned Carson's honesty, compared Carson's self-described "pathological temper" to that of a child molester, implying it was an incurable condition. He mocked Carson's intelligence and experience, expressing skepticism about his qualifications for the presidency. Despite these attacks, Carson endorsed Trump after suspending his own campaign. He explained his decision by stating that he had come to know a different side of Trump, describing him as "very cerebral" and capable of thoughtful consideration.
He withdrew from the race after Super Tuesday, following a string of disappointing primary results, and endorsed Donald Trump. Following his victory, President Trump nominated Carson as Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
My assessment: Domino
Chris Christie: Despite earlier criticisms, Christie endorsed Trump and became the first major Republican domino to fall.
"I am proud to be here to endorse Donald Trump for president of the United States." February 26, 2016
Chris Christie stayed in the Trump orbit until November, 2020, when Trump refused to concede the election.
"I told him he should concede the election to Joe Biden and go to his inauguration."
Though, I do give him credit for being outspoken in 2023-2024, when he tried again to run for president. Christie continues to deny that he is a flip-flopper.
"No. Trump abandoned me. I'm no different today than I was when I supported him in 2016. He's the one who kept classified documents against the law, then lied to his lawyers and lied to the government. I had nothing to do with any of that. He did."
My assessment: Politically Expedient Domino. Eventual Never-Trumper. Too little. Too late.
Ted Cruz: In 2016, Cruz emerged as a serious competitor to front-runner Trump in a primary marked by intense, often personal, exchanges. He was one of the more vocal critics of Trump during the primaries. He called Trump a "pathological liar" and a "coward."
Cruz was considered one of the more personally disliked primary candidates, but he stayed the course and initially withheld his endorsement after Trump secured the nomination. That said, his opposition to Trump collapsed and he became a strong supporter during Trump's first term. In 2021, Cruz led the charge to overturn Biden victory in the 2020 presidential election. While still a sitting Senator, he somehow manages to find time to host a daily podcast called Verdict with Ted Cruz.
My assessment: Initially Reluctant Domino Turned Sycophant.
Carly Fiorina: Carly Fiorina announced her campaign in May 2015. She was the only woman running in the race. Trump dismissed her by saying, "Would anyone vote for that? Can you imagine that, the face of our next president?!" Fiorina suspended her campaign for the Republican presidential nomination the following February. In April, Ted Cruz announced that Fiorina would be his running mate should he win the nomination. She joined his campaign days before the Indiana Primary, which he lost. Cruz suspended his campaign that evening, effectively ending Fiorina's vice-presidential bid. After Cruz suspended his campaign, Fiorina did not formally endorse Trump. In fact, following the release of the Access Hollywood tape in October 2016, she called for Trump to step aside as the Republican nominee and be replaced by Mike Pence .
Carly Fiorina on Trump: “I don’t think he has been a business leader, actually. I think he’s been a very fine entertainer and manager of his brand.”
In 2020: “As citizens, our vote is more than a check on a box. You know, it’s a statement about where we want to go, and I think what we need now actually is real leadership that can unify the country. I am encouraged that Joe Biden is a person of humility and empathy and character. I think he’s demonstrated that through his life. And I think we need humility and empathy everywhere in public life right now. And I think character counts.”
My assessment: Character Mattered
Jim Gilmore: Jim Gilmore, the former governor of Virginia, launched a bid for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination but struggled to gain traction in a crowded field. Facing insurmountable odds, Gilmore suspended his campaign on in February 2016, shortly after the New Hampshire primary. In his statement, he acknowledged the lack of support and the challenges of continuing in the race. Despite his initial reservations, Gilmore endorsed Trump as the nominee. Following the election, Gilmore served as the U.S. ambassador to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe during the Trump administration.
My assessment: Domino
Lindsey Graham: Graham sought the Republican nomination for president between June and December 2015, dropping out before the 2016 Republican primaries began. Some of his comments during the campaign:
He called Donald Trump a "jackass" for saying that Graham's close friend, Senator John McCain, was "not a war hero." Trump reacted by calling Graham an "idiot."
"He's a race-baiting, xenophobic, religious bigot ... He doesn't represent my party ... I don't think he has a clue about anything …You know how you make America great again? Tell Donald Trump to go to hell…I'd rather lose without Donald Trump than try to win with him…
"If we nominate Trump, we will get destroyed...and we will deserve it."
"I think it's very un-American ... If he continues this line of attack then I think people really need to reconsider the future of the party."
"There'll come a time when the love of country will trump hatred of Hillary Clinton."
In the November presidential election, Graham did not vote for Trump, saying, "I couldn't go where Donald Trump wanted to take the USA & GOP."
In March 2017, Graham held a meeting with Trump. Graham said that the meeting went so well that he passed his new phone number to Trump, in reference to their 2015 conflict. In October 2017, Graham and Trump played golf together on multiple occasions, with Graham praising the first outing. In November 2017, Graham criticized the media's reporting on Trump.
It was downhill from there….
My assessment: Groveling Hypocritical Domino. It’s a toss up for me whether I have more contempt for Lindsey Graham, Marco Rubio (or Nikki Haley, who endorsed Rubio in 2016).
I encourage you to check out:
Mike Huckabee: Huckabee launched his second presidential bid in May, 2015. His campaign focused on religious liberty, opposition to trade deals he believed harmed American workers, and criticism of the Obama administration's foreign policy. Despite his prior success in Iowa, Huckabee struggled to gain traction in a crowded Republican field. He finished ninth in the Iowa caucuses with 1.8% of the vote and suspended his campaign in February 2016.
Huckabee endorsed Trump. He emphasized the importance of party unity and criticized fellow Republicans who hesitated to support Trump, stating, "If you can’t support Trump, you don’t deserve a microphone." Huckabee's endorsement was followed by active participation in Trump's campaign events, including introducing him at rallies. His support for Trump continued beyond the 2016 election. His daughter became Trump’s press secretary. Today, Christian Nationalist Mike Huckabee is U.S. ambassador to Israel.
My assessment: Enthusiastic Domino
Bobby Jindal: Bobby Jindal, the 55th Governor of Louisiana, launched his campaign for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination in June, 2015. He was the first Indian American and third Asian American to run for President of the United States.
Jindal's campaign emphasized a strong conservative platform, focusing on reducing government size, opposing Common Core education standards, and advocating for religious liberty. He positioned himself as a policy-focused candidate, releasing detailed proposals on various issues. Despite his efforts, Jindal struggled to gain traction in a crowded Republican field. He consistently polled at 1% or lower and faced fundraising difficulties. In November 2015, Jindal suspended his campaign, During the campaign, Jindal was critical of Donald Trump, calling him a "narcissist" and an "egomaniacal madman." However, he later endorsed Trump.
My assessment: Domino
John Kasich: In July of 2015, Kasich announced his candidacy for the presidency. Kasich had declared that his campaign would not be "getting people riled up about how bad everything is," but rather, he considered his campaign to be about "light and hope."
In the Republican debates, Kasich had some fiery exchanges with the front runner Trump, especially concerning immigration reform and Trump's plan to deport all 11 million illegal immigrants currently residing in the United States. During the debate Trump bullied, "He was such a nice guy. And he said, Oh, I'm never going to attack. But then his poll numbers tanked. He's got – that's why he's on the end – and he got nasty. And he got nasty. So you know what? You can have him."
By May 2016, Kasich announced that he would drop out, leaving Trump as the remaining candidate and presumptive nominee. John Kasich has been a consistent and vocal critic of Trump. Throughout Trump's political rise and presidency, Kasich has opposed his rhetoric, policies, and leadership style.
My assessment: Never-Trumper John Kasich's stance on Donald Trump is clear and unwavering. He has consistently opposed Trump's approach to leadership and policy.
George Pataki: He officially announced his candidacy May 2015. Pataki's campaign was considered a long shot from the outset. His moderate stances on issues such as abortion rights, gun control, and environmental protection set him apart from the increasingly conservative Republican base. He dropped out in December of 2015. Initially, Pataki supported Rubio after ending his own presidential campaign. When Rubio dropped out, Pataki endorsed Kasich. He remained firmly opposed to Trump throughout the campaign season.
My assessment: Never-Trumper - George Pataki never endorsed Trump. In fact, he was a vocal critic of Trump during and after the 2016 election.
Rand Paul: Paul launched his campaign in April 2015, positioning himself as a libertarian-leaning alternative within the GOP. His campaign emphasized themes of limited government, individual liberty, and non-interventionist foreign policy. Despite early promise, Paul's campaign struggled to maintain momentum amid a crowded Republican field. In February 2016, Paul suspended his presidential campaign to focus on his Senate re-election bid. After suspending his own campaign in February 2016, Paul eventually backed Trump as the Republican nominee. While he had previously criticized Trump on several issues—particularly civil liberties and foreign policy—Paul endorsed him in May 2016. He cited the importance of unifying the Republican Party and preventing a Democratic win as key reasons for his support.
My assessment: Domino - While he doesn’t always align perfectly with Trump’s style or every policy, he’s one of Trump’s more consistent allies in the Senate, especially compared to other libertarian-leaning Republicans.
Rick Perry: Perry announced his second presidential bid in June 2015. He was overshadowed by the large GOP field. He ended his campaign in September 2015, becoming the first major GOP candidate to drop out. After his 2016 run, Perry was nominated by Donald Trump to be Secretary of Energy, a position he held from 2017 to 2019—ironically, the same department he thought should be eliminated.
My assessment: Domino
Marco Rubio: Rubio officially launched his campaign in April 2015. He framed himself as a next-generation leader, contrasting himself with older candidates like Hillary Clinton and Jeb Bush. Rubio was widely praised for his eloquent speeches and debate performances (at least early on). As Jeb Bush’s campaign floundered, Rubio was seen as the establishment's best hope against insurgents like Trump and Cruz. As Trump’s campaign gained momentum, Rubio struggled to break through despite being seen as one of the more electable candidates. A turning point came when he tried to go toe-to-toe with Trump, mocking him with awkward jabs ("small hands," water bottle jokes), which backfired and damaged his image as a polished, substantive candidate. After his poor performance in Florida, he dropped out of the race. After suspending his campaign, Rubio initially said he would support the Republican nominee, but he was reluctant and didn't actively campaign for Trump in 2016. He skipped the Republican National Convention and kept a relatively low profile that year. Rubio’s relationship with Trump has shifted from adversarial to strategic alignment, shaped by the political reality that Trump remains immensely influential among Republican voters.
My assessment: Spineless Domino. Watching him in the Oval Office just sit there while Trump and Vance belittled Volodymyr Zelenskyy was so disgusting and pathetic.
Rick Santorum: He officially launched his campaign in May 2015, emphasizing a message of "blue-collar conservatism." Santorum struggled to gain traction in polls, debates, and fundraising. Santorum tried to rebrand slightly from just being a culture warrior to someone focused on working-class families, manufacturing jobs, and economic fairness. He dropped out of the race in February 2016 and endorsed Rubio. As Trump became the presumptive nominee, Santorum eventually got behind him, emphasizing the importance of defeating Hillary Clinton and appointing conservative judges. He often appeared on cable news defending Trump’s administration and conservative priorities, though he occasionally criticized Trump's tone or approach. That said he actively endorsed Trump in 2024 and campaigned for him.
My assessment: Domino
Scott Walker: Walker officially entered the race in July 2015. He was considered a top-tier candidate at first, especially popular with conservatives for taking on labor unions in Wisconsin. His pitch was that he had the "fight" and executive experience to win tough battles. Walker performed strongly in Iowa early on. He positioned himself as a conservative alternative to Jeb Bush and tried to outflank others on issues like immigration and taxes. His momentum faded quickly after Trump entered the race and shook up the political landscape. Walker struggled to stand out on the debate stage, and his messaging became muddled as he tried to compete with Trump’s brash style. Walker dropped out just two months after entering the race, in September 2015. During the GOP primary, he was critical of Trump, especially regarding Trump’s tone and lack of government experience. But by late 2016, with Trump as the Republican nominee, Walker endorsed him. Walker returned to Wisconsin politics but lost his bid for re-election as governor in 2018.
My assessment: Domino
Donald Trump: You have to hand it to him. He managed to facilitate and rebrand the GOP to the MAGA party. The party of Abraham Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, Dwight Eisenhower, Gerald Ford, Everett Dirksen, Nelson Rockefeller, Howard Baker, Ronald Reagan, Bob Dole, George HW Bush, John McCain and Mitt Romney simply doesn’t exist anymore.
My assessment: Complete sociopath, utterly transactional/zero strategic capabilities, atrocious president, competent entertainer and excellent grifter.
Of the 16 candidates that ran against Trump in 2016:
Most contemptable dominos: Cruz, Graham, Rubio, Santorum
Politically aligned dominos: Carson, Huckabee, Perry, Walker
Resigned dominos: Gilmore, Jindal, Paul
Redemptive domino turned Never-Trumper: Christie
Never-Trumpers: Fiorina, Kasich, Pataki
Neutral: Bush
That pretty much summarizes the evolution of the Grand Old Party to MAGA.
1 Neutral (6%) remaining silent
3 +1 Never-Trumpers (25%) aka: RINOs
11 Toppled Dominoes (69%) aka: Groveling Obedient Politicians
led by a Malignant Narcissist
Thought for the day in honor of his birthday…
“A politician will do anything to keep his job -- even become a patriot.”
~ William Randolph Hearst
Must Read Articles:
History Will Judge the Complicit (written in 2020)
It was Lindsey Graham who made excuses for Trump’s abuse of power. It was Graham—a JAG Corps lawyer—who downplayed the evidence that the president had attempted to manipulate foreign courts and blackmail a foreign leader into launching a phony investigation into a political rival. It was Graham who abandoned his own stated support for bipartisanship and instead pushed for a hyper-partisan Senate Judiciary Committee investigation into former Vice President Joe Biden’s son. It was Graham who played golf with Trump, who made excuses for him on television, who supported the president even as he slowly destroyed the American alliances—with Europeans, with the Kurds—that Graham had defended all his life. By contrast, it was Mitt Romney who, in February, became the only Republican senator to break ranks with his colleagues, voting to impeach the president. “Corrupting an election to keep oneself in office,” he said, is “perhaps the most abusive and destructive violation of one’s oath of office that I can imagine.”
One man proved willing to betray ideas and ideals that he had once stood for. The other refused. Why?
Congressional Republicans Might Set Off the Debt Bomb
Congressional Republicans have approved the most fiscally irresponsible budget resolution since the modern budget process began five decades ago. It allows Congress to slash taxes by $5.3 trillion and expand spending by $517 billion over the decade. This $5.8 trillion addition to the deficit (plus interest) would exceed the cost of the 2017 tax cuts, 2020 CARES Act, 2021 American Rescue Plan, and 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law—combined.
Tales of impending debt crises have been scaring voters since the days of Ronald Reagan, without coming true. But surviving an unhealthy diet and lifestyle until now doesn’t mean you can disregard your health forever. Washington’s debt path is so unsustainable that it ultimately endangers the United States economy. And time is running out to change course without substantial disruption.
Quote of the day:
“There comes a point in the career of every contemporary Republican politician when they will be forced to do, say, or defend something that is broadly unconscionable. This mandatory inevitable heel turn is the price of conservative political ambition in the Donald Trump era. In exchange for the right to seek and attain national office in the party that he leads, Trump—in a curdled neofascist parody of the wedding scene from The Godfather—always eventually requires his supplicants to prove their loyalty to him by taking on his vendettas, bigotries, hatreds, and obsessions as their own. What’s more, he prefers that they do it with gusto.”
~ Justin Peters, What Happened to Marco Rubio?
What I’m reading today…
U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski told a room full of Alaska nonprofit leaders that the tumult of tariffs, executive orders, court battles, and cuts to federal services under the Trump administration are exceptionally concerning.
“We are all afraid,” Murkowski said, taking a long pause. “It’s quite a statement. But we are in a time and a place where I certainly have not been here before. And I’ll tell ya, I’m oftentimes very anxious myself about using my voice, because retaliation is real. And that’s not right.”
“If America stops leading who will fill the vacuum we leave behind?” ~Marco Rubio (2013)
Ukraine is far from the only issue on which the New Rubio has become wholly unrecognizable from the old one.
The same person who, in that 2013 speech, celebrated PEPFAR’s accomplishments and warned about American abandonment spilling over into humanitarian crises, has now overseen the systematic dismantling of USAID, the very agency that runs the program.
Republicans in the toughest swing districts become hard to find for people angry about Trump
The U.S. House is ending a 17-day recess, typically known as a district work period, in which members of Congress return home to focus on their constituents. But some of the most vulnerable Republicans limited their potential exposure to the potential backlash from President Donald Trump’s first months in office.
The Republican anti-tax coalition is beginning to disintegrate
In recent weeks, polls have shown Republican voters becoming far more skeptical of across-the-board tax reduction proposals. Reflecting that shift, GOP lawmakers are now trial-ballooning a proposal to increase some taxes on the wealthy. Some Maga voices are attempting to articulate a Republican-leaning, tax-cut version of Democrats’ traditional redistributionist rhetoric, arguing that higher taxes on millionaires should finance bigger tax cuts for the working class.
Republican leaders are responding with the previously unthinkable: proposals to raise some taxes on the rich. All of this has the Washington swamp’s old-guard Republicans in a panic; one longtime anti-tax leader insisted that “there are traitors inside the Trump White House,” and another declared: “This is a potential crisis in the party – it sounds like Bernie Sanders economics.”
A Nebraska Republican Could Be the New John McCain
Representative Don Bacon of Nebraska is displaying a level of backbone and independence unique among House Republicans…. he became the only Republican in the House to call for Pete Hegseth’s dismissal over allegations that the Defense Secretary revealed imminent attack plans to family members and his lawyer via a Signal chat. Hegseth has not denied sending the chat, but said — as he did after an earlier Signal chat was revealed — that he did not reveal classified information.
Congressional Republicans’ Proposals To Slash Medicaid Could Cost Tens of Thousands of Lives
Congressional Republicans in both chambers have passed a budget resolution requiring the House Committee on Energy and Commerce to cut at least $880 billion through 2034. Because Medicaid accounts for approximately 93 percent of non-Medicare funding that the committee oversees, the program is expected to absorb the overwhelming share of these reductions. To achieve these cuts, Republican leaders, including House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) and Energy and Commerce Chair Brett Guthrie (R-KY), are reportedly considering proposals to shrink federal matching funds that support state Medicaid expansion populations and/or to impose burdensome work reporting requirements that would lead to massive coverage losses…In fact, a new Center for American Progress analysis finds that the FMAP reductions favored by Republican leadership would lead to roughly 34,200 deaths each year, while work reporting requirements would result in about 15,400 deaths.
President Trump endorses Lindsey Graham as senator eyes 2026 reelection bid
"President Trump’s endorsement means the world to me. I am humbled by his faith in me as a Senator and as a friend," Graham said. "On a professional level, I am proud to have been there at the beginning when President Trump — through sheer force of will —achieved the greatest political comeback in American history. On a personal level, I genuinely enjoy our friendship. He’s an awesome golfing buddy, who I have yet to beat."
Nebraska Republican Sen. Pete Ricketts faces occasional jeers as he defends Trump’s cuts
Nebraska Sen. Pete Ricketts on Thursday repeatedly returned to his call for spending cuts amid grumbles from a central Nebraska audience during a public meeting that illustrated the tension between some voters in the country and Republicans. Ricketts, one of only a handful of GOP senators and representatives who have risked direct public exchanges with constituents by holding in-person town halls this year, urged support for Trump’s proposed increase of $175 billion for U.S.-Mexico border security and $150 billion more in military spending, while urging deep cuts elsewhere.
GOP Rep Quotes Infamous Nazi Joseph Goebbels During Censorship Hearing
“A direct quote from Joseph Goebbels: ‘It is the absolute right of the state to supervise the formation of public opinion,’ and I think that may be what we’re discussing here.” said Texas’ Keith Self.
A book I highly recommend…
Why We Did It: A Travelogue from the Republican Road to Hell by Tim Miller
Former Republican political operative Tim Miller answers the question no one else has fully grappled with: Why did normal people go along with the worst of Trumpism?
As one of the strategists behind the famous 2012 RNC “autopsy,” Miller conducts his own forensic study on the pungent carcass of the party he used to love, cutting into all the hubris, ambition, idiocy, desperation, and self-deception for everyone to see. In a bracingly honest reflection on both his own past work for the Republican Party and the contortions of his former peers in the GOP establishment, Miller draws a straight line between the actions of the 2000s GOP to the Republican political class's Trumpian takeover, including the horrors of January 6th. Why We Did It is a vital, darkly satirical warning that all the narcissistic justifications that got us to this place still thrive within the Republican party.
What I am watching…
What I read every day…
Thx for the great summary.