I think I’m supposed to know this, but damned if I can remember hearing it. What goal do Haley and DeSantis have? Do they think Trump will pick one of them as running mate? Do they think he’ll disappear somehow before the Convention? Do they think they’re positioning themselves for the 2028 election? (Bonus question, I guess: how confident are they that an election will even happen in '28?)
Note that Trump has said he already knows who his running mate will be, but that he has said a lot of things.
They got into the race because there was a moment after the midterm elections, when Trump-backed Republicans underperformed, when Trump looked vulnerable. The moment proved fleeting.
Why are they still in the race? Ego, mostly. They’re both enormously ambitious politicians who are used to having electoral success. I’m sure it’s tempting to cling to a thread of hope that things could still break their way rather than have to admit to themselves and everyone who supported them that it was a fool’s errand from the start.
Why not Trump/Rubio? He’s another spineless jellyfish Trump can push around, and it will maybe pick up some points for having a Cuban running mate. Not that Trump really cares, but you know.
Re the thread question, I remember William Weld, the former Massachusetts governor who ran for president at least once, and once was a Libertarian Party running mate, saying that he liked campaigning. I’d hate it, but some people surely would like meeting lots of new people and all the attention.
So that could be some of it.
Beyond that, it is normal that most future presidents have to run for the nomination one or two times, and fail, before getting on a ticket. I think this is more true for the GOP, but could be wrong and I haven’t worked out the statistics. Haley and DeSantis must know this.
Yeah. I don’t think either are stupid as they pretend to be and know that fucker is gonna go down. They are just too cowardly to say it in public. They are running for First Alternate.
I think those of you who say that they are running to be VP, or for later positioning, are underestimating the massive narcissism and self-enclosed bubble that defines their entire lives.
I suspect. They’re figuring Trump will lose his third general election and they’ll be positioned to say “See? You should have picked me.” in 2028 when Biden retires.