No. The jitters are about more people tuning in now, which would have happened either way but later in the cycle. The information environment is completely fractured, different from other cycles. Trump loses when the voter begins to think about their vote.
"Ron DeSantis proved a strong campaigner and debater."
I don't know if we both observed the same guy and campaign if this was your assessment. I'd like to know how you got here.
"Nikki Haley ran a spirited campaign, did very well against the presumptive nominee in a number of states, and polls far better against Joe Biden."
I'd like to know where or how you thought it was possible for Nikki to get the full Republican coalition together. I don't know how or where MAGA would've voted for her. Within primary, the only places where she looked she had any chance was with Independents, mostly in Dem Presidential States. She was a vessel for the anti-trump party of the party.
My point is that *if* the larger GOP (especially GOP primary voters) wasn't so strongly behind Trump from the outset, there were plenty of good quality candidates in there who plausibly could have served as nominee and probably defeated Biden.
Douthat’s career has been spent promoting and defending a Republican Party that doesn’t exist anymore, may in fact have never existed.
What is wrong we you?
Old = Wise!
Isn't a key difference that if there's no shake up Republicans believe they are going to win while Democrats expect they are going to lose?
No. The jitters are about more people tuning in now, which would have happened either way but later in the cycle. The information environment is completely fractured, different from other cycles. Trump loses when the voter begins to think about their vote.
An OLD felon.
Trump is 4 years younger than Biden he’s old too.
Some thoughts :
"Ron DeSantis proved a strong campaigner and debater."
I don't know if we both observed the same guy and campaign if this was your assessment. I'd like to know how you got here.
"Nikki Haley ran a spirited campaign, did very well against the presumptive nominee in a number of states, and polls far better against Joe Biden."
I'd like to know where or how you thought it was possible for Nikki to get the full Republican coalition together. I don't know how or where MAGA would've voted for her. Within primary, the only places where she looked she had any chance was with Independents, mostly in Dem Presidential States. She was a vessel for the anti-trump party of the party.
My point is that *if* the larger GOP (especially GOP primary voters) wasn't so strongly behind Trump from the outset, there were plenty of good quality candidates in there who plausibly could have served as nominee and probably defeated Biden.