The most irresponsible thing you can do these days is look away from the worst-case scenario.” So says Rick Wilson. In the week Fox News fired Tucker Carlson, Wilson’s worst-case scenario is this: a successful Carlson campaign for the Republican presidential nomination.
Wilson is a longtime Republican operative turned co-founder of the anti-Trump Lincoln Project and a media company, Resolute Square, for which he hosts the Enemies List podcast. He says: “Tucker is one of the very small number of political celebrities in this country who has the name ID, the personal wealth, the stature to actually declare and run for president and in a Republican primary run in the same track Donald Trump did: the transgressive, bad boy candidate, the one who lets you say what you want to say, think what you want to think, act how you want to act, no matter how grotesque it is.
“Among Republicans, he’s a beloved figure. He’s right now in the Republican universe a martyr – and there ain’t nothing they want more than a martyr.”
Comment: Would this be the worst case scenario for the Democrats in 2024? Could be. Sure there is plenty of animus towards Tucker, but it doesn’t reach the visceral and widespread animus engendered by Trump. How about a Carlson-Gabbard ticket. I think it would be hard to beat and it would make Biden look that much older. There are two wild cards in this scenario. Does Carlson want it and how will Trump react.
TTG
LOL so Guardian writer in NY was too busy to call anyone but Never Trumper Rick Wilson? “Carlson’s martyrdom” Yep, just the kind of reporting we expect from a dying media platform.
“the visceral and widespread animus engendered by Trump.”
You mean the same base democrats who love what Biden is doing domestically and overseas. At least we aren’t talking about who had access to all those classified documents Joe had in his garage, and his ‘center’ at Penn and aparently a few other places. Or the pay to play schemes his family has been involved in for years. Can’t wait to read about those in the Guardian.
Fred,
So you, as a Republican or Republican adjacent, think Carlson running for president is a ludicrous idea? That should allay the fears of Rick Wilson and the Never Trumpers.
That visceral and widespread animus engendered by Trump is why million more voted for Biden rather than Trump. The same could happen again in 2024.
We also aren’t talking about who had access to all those classified documents at Mar A Lago and the West Palm Beach storage facility. And we don’t know what was in all those boxes flown to New Jersey shortly after the FBI raid on Mar A Lago. Nor are we talking about Trump’s son-in-law’s two billion from the Saudis or Trump’s China earnings.
TTG,
“widespread animus engendered by Trump” You mean “lock her up” or the post election “Russia Collusion” – well debunked now unless you failed to see any of the reports?
Me, a former Democrat, am happy to see Joe is still beloved by those who want to transform the Republic just the way it is being transformed. Thus 81 million ballot Joe & Kamala will be re-elected in another popular ballot vote, with no campaigning and a popularity rating well below 50%.
Remind me again who a president needs to get approval from to declassify documents since the president, unlike VP Biden, is the ultimate authority. Is that the FBI, the Archivist – an employee of the executive branch that the president heads, or just some folks in the press or opposition party?
Has the DOJ arrested Trump’s son for obtaining financing from Saudi Arabia or China – was that prior to even considering running or later – and was that Saudi the Pariah State or Saudi the Ally? (Now apparently the ally of China and Russia)
The “millions who voted for Biden” allegedly were mainly from California and NY – very heavy union and ballot harvesting ground troops, as well as always very shady “long counts” as political insiders adjudicate the universal mail in ballots, at least in California.
The “81 million popular votes” may in fact have happened, but these two heavy Biden vote states could not change the numbers of electoral votes each Biden-vote heavy states could cast. The enduring value of our electoral college rule.
The real margin of victory numbers were much closer to only 60,000 or so critical blue precinct votes that shifted a state into the blue electoral vote count, by a narrow state centralized demographic vote margin. None of those “81 million popular votes” came from anything close to a broad national mandate.
High poplualation concentration in blue urban rot areas where inside interested GOTV efforts are legendary gave Biden his actually very narrow electoral college winner take all margin.
They know this in fact was a very slim real election margin, and that is why they are running very scared right now.
They know the “81 million popular vote” was ginned by their “election fraud committee” was used to gas-light everyone into passively accepting resistance is futile. So just shut up and go away. 81 million popular votes …yada. ..yada ..yada. ..
So pow, before questions could be asked or courts could review faulty procedures, we were suddenly slammed with Biden’s ready made “Office of the President Elect” swag at every turn. (NB: No such thing as the Office of President Elect, but this serve as good political theater in their comprehensive 2020 election marketing efforts.)
When in fact resistence and review was not futile, but was absolutely critical when this narrow electoral vote precinct margins came from highly irregular election night and following day practices, in election departments run by those whose only interests was securing a Democrat victory.
Time to drop this “81 million popular vote” ruse. Back to basics as they conform to actual US election law and process. In fact the ginned up “popular vote” is precisely why our nation’s founders warned against mob rule and put in as many buffers as possible to prevent such a “popular vote” coup to take over an entire nation of disparate parts.
Keep in mind the only issue on the table for the Jan 6 Electoral College meeting was to allow states one last chance to delay voting if sufficient numbers from their state asked for further election review before final certification of their state’s votes.
All legal and proper procedure. But this to got buried in even more egregious Democrat political theater about Jan 6. All moving along under proper process, until suddenly as if on a pre-planted cue, all hell broke loose. And Nancy Pelosi got what she wanted all along – her choice for the Office of the President Elect and the long national nightmare this created.
Deap,
The 81 million votes represent 81 million American voters. Trump got 71 million. Those are also American voters. Those 81 million weren’t just in California and New York. They were spread out enough to give Biden 306 electoral votes to Trump’s 232. In 2016 the electoral votes were reversed and Trump called it a landslide. In both cases it was small margins in critical battleground states. That doesn’t negate the results of either election. That’s the way our constitutionally established system works.
The Jan 6 electoral vote certifications were under the same rules in 2017 and 2020. In both cases there were objections to certain state counts IAW the established rules. In neither case were the state votes overturned.
There are a couple of interesting articles on his Resolute Square about Tucker Carlson.
Who asked the question first Claire Atkins or Rick Wilson?
Claire Atkins, What’s next for Tucker Carlson,
https://resolutesquare.com/articles/0o0Vliqw1dZf5NiFP2Hplk/whats-next-for-tucker-carlson
But Tucker Carlson would probably rather choke than end up on the same platform as the unkempt loser Russell Brand. No, Tucker is more ambitious than that.
Tucker might run for President.
Streaming platforms like Rumble are all gaining viewers while cable news is losing viewers – and cable news is down to about 1200 viewers (total) “in the demo”.
Russell Brand is unkempt but he has more viewers than does CNN.
Democratic bundler convicted of channeling foreign money to Obama/Biden campaign. I’m sure Joe isn’t getting that done now……
https://nypost.com/2023/04/26/fugees-rapper-pras-found-guilty-in-political-conspiracy/
Michel also got paid to try and persuade the US to extradite back to China a government critic suspected of crimes there without registering as a foreign agent, prosecutors said.
Fred, I am struggling with the “without” it seems: “suspected of crimes there without registering as a foreign agent”?
His crime is not having registered as foreign agent in China? Or as a government critic he should have registered as a foreign agent anyway and now is charged with that non-compliance in addition to whatever crime he supposedly committed.
Interesting case, interesting political combination. His activities in support of Obama were paid by China too?
https://safeguarddefenders.com/en/blog/china-expands-system-extradition-treaties
*******
Whom would China and Russia support in the upcoming election, Trump/Tucker Carlson vs grandpa Biden/R. F. Kennedy?
LeaNder,
It is illegal for foreign nationals to donate to US political campaigns. China and Russia won’t support either, they’ll do like everyone else and support their own interests.
Fred – it seems there are ways of getting around those rules.
‘Saudi Lobbyist Oversees Millions in Dark Money GOP Campaign Donations’
https://responsiblestatecraft.org/2022/09/22/saudi-lobbyist-oversees-millions-in-dark-money-gop-campaign-donations/
JamesT,
Yes and you can find lots about the Isreali lobby, APAC, and also the NGO laundering in the archives.
Tucker’s YouTube video has over 50M views and counting. It looked like it was shot from his home studio. I seriously doubt he’s running for office with than many views. He’s also good friends with Trump. What I see is Tucker leading the media front for him and bringing in supporters from all backgrounds.
Trump could easily win with this system. Tucker pick pockets a good number of women and minorities by listening to their concerns and Trump addresses those concerns at rallies. As for anyone else getting the nomination not happening. The populist movement is very very real. Tucker was let go because of it.
“The Devil will see you now, sir.”
Thank you.
“Right this way .. ”
….
Let’s see .. nothing here about locking up several million people for offenses as insignificant as possession of a marijuana cigarette. And nothing about a son making millions in a gas company scam while you were busy with overturning an entire huge nation’s government .. which as we speak has led to real chances of a nuclear war finally .. hmm. And your other competitor … ok, yes, yes, “I just grab them by the pussy .. ” and .. it’s been awhile but I seem to recall something about “I could shoot people while standing in the middle of fifth avenue and still get elected in this .. ” .. What’s that? Being tried for rape right now? Oh, yes, yes, I suppose so .. . Injections of bleach suggested as a remedy for .. and while standing at a lectern in front of the whole world .. . Hmm .. this is interesting … killed a prominent general by deviously luring him within range of missiles launched by a drone manufactured by … . And your name is?
Tucker Carlson, sir.
Yes, Tucker Carlson, I see. So forgive me Mister Tucker Carlson if you will but what precisely are your qualifications for this position?
———————–
Can anyone play?
Sure.
“Allegedly used salty language in conversations alleged to have been overheard or recorded in reference to ..”
Which recordings likely don’t even exist?
Yes, but ..
——
Our ability to continue this report has sadly been rendered impossible at this time. We will try our best to provide our audience with updates. Thank you. That is all.
Tucker for pres? Nah, the pay cut would be a problem. The challenge is to remove Biden and his corruptocracy from the WH. This is not the job of one person or even one political party… It’s a job for Americans.
IMO, Tucker will not run for the presidency this cycle. Trump will win the GOP nomination and then lose the general to whomever the Democrats nominate, even dementia Biden. He’ll then once again claim election stolen and raise another $250 million to Stop the Steal and pocket it as he did the last time.
His presidency showed that he’s all hat and no cattle. Lots of tweets & rhetoric but no action. He ain’t no maverick as he hired his whole administration from the same DC cesspool. And when push came to shove, he showed no courage by not declassifying all the Russia Collusion documents that Nunes urged him to do and instead passed the buck to Barr. The mid-terms demonstrated he ain’t got no coattails. And let’s not forget he ain’t no champion of liberty as he was Big Pharma’s chief salesman peddling the vax that didn’t prevent infection or transmission and it was under his watch that lockdowns were imposed across the country. The clearest example of how authoritarian the state has become and how docile the American people really are. As Col. Lang said we are not the people our fathers were.
The political duopoly are corrupt beyond redemption. Until and unless the American voter ends the voting for the lesser evil and limit their choice to the duopoly, we’ll see continued erosion of liberty here at home and the growth of the more authoritarian state with the ruling elites getting more powerful & wealthier.
If carlson were to be the Republican nominee, Rick Wilson and the rest of the Lincoln Project would have to find a new grift.
If he does run successfully, I hope he learns from Trump’s mistakes, and doesn’t expect obedience from the deep state just because he’s President.
TTG, this a real “thinking outside the box”post!
If he ran and won (very unlikely both), no doubt he would be the greatest communicator
in the office since the Gipper.
Problem with this scenario is that Carlson’s popular support is directly proportional to his backing of Trump. If he decides to turn against Trump he would get the DeSantis treatment.
scott s,
That’s my thought. Even with Carlson’s private disgust with Trump that came out in the Fox tapes, both he and Trump clung to each other in their last interview. Trump forgave all. I doubt that would last if Carlson challenged him. He’d go after Carlson just like he’s going after meatball Ron. Trump/Carlson supporters won’t know whether to shit or go blind.
Carlson is probably fully aware of this so I don’t think he’ll go for it unless Trump is incapacitated or dead.
I think that is a good assessment.
What came out in the Fox case probably puts Mr. Carlson in “Lonesome” Rhodes territory (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XaLQMs_VDLw).
But, let’s see. As another fellow VMI alumnus of COL (R) Lang put it, this is “the United States of Amnesia.”
Bless my soul. Sheriff Andy of Mayberry. Who knew?
Tucker and Gabbard? Which of Tucker’s stated views and opinions and theories would Gabbard agree with? Which would she disagree with? And why?
If a Tucker/Gabbard ticket emerged, people willing to consider Gabbard would want to know about which Tuckerthoughts she agrees with and which she disagrees with.
https://twitter.com/thechiefnerd/status/1652002473010245645?s=21
This is impressive!
Carlson-Gabbard running … too young, too dangerous, unpredictable in so many ways. I am surprised, TTG, you are a dreamer, but an idealistic one – thx!
us-media will kill them – the swamp will kill them, mic too – even big parts of Dems and Reps will eat them alive.
btw – any chance they run independent – even only for fun?
me going further with your wish – they will marry and become king and queen of america © eurythmics 😉
gpc,
That’s certainly not my dream ticket, but it would be an interesting alternative to the old folks now in the running. I see Carlson as a rich, preppy, elite snob who latched onto the replacement theory hysteria. He’s not an anti-imperialist. He’s openly cheering for Russian success in invading a sovereign Ukraine. He a belligerent neocon when it comes to China. He wants us not just to contain, but roll back China. I’m not sure whether he believes what he spouts or just spouts it for the ratings.
Gabbard, on the other hand, was a democratic-socialist in the style of Bernie Sanders before she started experimenting with the Trump wing of the Republican party. But I find her refreshingly undefinable at the moment, even though she also seems to think Moscow can do no wrong.
“I’m not sure whether he believes what he spouts or just spouts it for the ratings.”
His point-of-entry was spouting, but he has evolved from spouter to believer. He is self-indoctrinated via positive feedback with his audience – an ailment afflicting shallow (read: Big Monied Media) “thought leaders”. He’s no political philosopher, but a privileged punk who gravitated to stardom in an emerging growth sector – the dumbing down of our polity.
I saw this somewhere earlier today on Telegram: “They have evolved into a symbiosis with a golem of their own creation.”
I don’t know him as well as you.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12026505/ABC-News-edits-anti-vaxx-comments-RFK-Jr-interview.html
This is an old trick. Edit an interview to take clips out of context to create a certain narrative. This type of engineering now takes place widely and in concert with the national security apparatus. Domestic propaganda is as high as its ever been.
Really interesting, thanks. It remains to be seen who his running mate will be. Your example might imply that some powerful people will try to sanitize him to improve his chances considerably for their own reasons. A dodgy inductive leap but my doormouse was whispering something this morning and I’m nearly certain she said “if you’re feeling froggy – jump!”
Anyone who gets interviewed on any MSM outlet should have a concurrent audi-video made of the whole interview and then release it on a no-cuts no-edits platform so people can watch it and compare it with the cuts-and-edits MSM version.
Over time that would reduce public trust in MSM interviews down to deserved levels.
Why should Tucker take on a political career at the moment when the whole world needs honest media?
What I am hoping for is to see Tucker Carlson unshackled- no longer hindered by a bad boss (murdoch)- and see what he will make of himself from there. The world needs good, honest reporters, not shills for whatever party (figurative or literal) buys them.
I have not listened much to Alex Jones. Back in March 2023, he (Alex) said something that is now coming true. He said to the effect that “if Tucker cannot get the J/6 tapes released the way he wants to, then he (Tucker) will be leaving Fox’ ( paraphrasing from memory here).
Now I do not know WHY Carlson is out at FOX, only that he was not allowed to say goodbye so that speaks to him being fired vs quit, or quit under duress.
If we are lucky, Tucker Carlson will incorporate and become his own boss – then we we’ll really see what he can accomplish.
kj
Tucker Carlson for president? No way. He’s going down in history as another Father Coughlin.
Wilson is another swamp parasite who HATES Trump because Trump (mildly) threatened the swamp.
I sometimes watched and sometimes still watch Tucker Carlson on You Tube. He can be funny and/or informative or nasty and deceitful depending on what purpose he feels he is serving on any one particular episode.
I am especially repelled by his repeated habit of lying to the sacrificial “guest” of the moment about what that guest has him/herself said or thought about something in the past. He floods the studio-zone with a Gish Gallop of lies too fast to even keep up with, let alone correct.
My own personal impression of Carlson is that he is a Nasty Man and would be a Nasty Man President if elected. If the Republicans nominate Carlson, I will vote for Biden to keep Carlson out of the office . . . . just as I voted for Trump to keep Clinton out of the office. Even if Gabbard is his VP. I won’t vote for Carlson in the off-chance of getting Gabbard someday maybe.
If that makes somebody mad, that makes me happy.
I think Election 2024 will be primarily a fear and hatred based election. The DemParty nominee will have its loyal fanbase who will vote for it out of Team Loyalty. The RepubliParty nominee will have its loyal fanbase who will vote for it out of Team Loyalty. The huge mass of non-fans will divide themselves between not voting, voting for some vanity little Third Party, or voting for whichever Brand Name candidate they think would make the less hateful detestable loathsome President.
Whichever nominee gets elected President will be hated by a majority of the people who voted FOR that President. But he/she will be less hated by that majority of voters-who-hate-them than the other nominee would have been if elected. That will be equally true for whomever becomes President. The majority of people who vote will vote against the candidate they hate MORE and for the candidate they still hate LESS. And of course the losing fanbase will hate the winning candidate for Team Spirity Loyalty reasons.
If a non-hateful person runs in the DemParty primaries, I will vote for that person in the primaries. If all the DemPrimary wannabes are equally hateful, then I will look at the Republican offerings and if one is less hateful than the rest, I will vote for that one in order to have the least hateful Republican President if that Party wins. And when the nominees are chosen, I will vote for the less hateful one based on my menu of interests and fears and desires.
different clue,
I agree. It’s shaping up to be a vote against rather than a vote for a candidate. There was always that element in the past, but now it will be the primary reason for voting.
Yeah, sadly, that – voting against the candidate you hate most – is the norm these days. I haven’t voted for a Republican since 2010, and that was for a State Rep who switched to Independent a year later. Last Republican I voted for in a Federal election was Lincoln Chafee, and yeah, he went Independent too.
I often vote Third Party. That was easy in Presidential elections – most of us live in Red or Blue States, where we know which candidate will get our Electors long before we vote.
I had promised myself that I would never vote for any politician who had voted for the invasion of Iraq, but in 2016, I held my nose and voted for HRC, because I didn’t trust Trump (or his followers) to accept the results if Hillary won the EC but lost the popular vote. Of course, hahaha, since it turned out exactly the opposite, Trump was fine with it. Democrats griped, but did not challenge the outcome or start a revolution to overturn the election.
Sadly, in 2020, I held my nose again, voting for Biden out of the same fear that Trump would cause trouble if he didn’t win the EC. Spoiler alert: he did.
Each side blames the current polarization on the other. To me, it seems obvious that the Republican Party has moved *far* to the Right on *all* issues since I collected signatures for Nelson Rockefeller’s Presidential Primary campaign in 1968, while the Democratic Party has moved slightly to the right on economic issues and leftward on social issues.
This polarization bodes ill for our ability to adjust to the changing world we live in. Our time as Global Hegemon is coming to an end, cut short by disastrous interventions in the Middle East and Wall Street’s choice to fund China’s Industrial Revolution. A century of bullying our Latin American neighbors means that it won’t be easy to unite the Western Hemisphere to counter Mackinder’s Heartland. The national infrastructure built by FDR is falling apart, and the GOP resists any Federal funding for updating it.
I’m very pessimistic about the near future of the USA these days. Each Party has Zillionaires funding its election coffers. Campaign Finance laws entrench career politicians on both sides, so they’re not gonna vote to change those laws. Each side has its media outlets which have no incentive to calm things down because they’re making money, selling Fear.
The only doable suggestion I’d offer is Ranked Choice Voting, to encourage (1) more Parties and (2) maybe a little less vitriol from candidates hoping to pick up 2nd ballot votes. This can be implemented State by State (see: Maine), sidestepping DC gridlock. It’s a small step, but worth a try (especially when the only alternative seems to be another Civil War).
And since “another Civil War” would be Spanish-style or Yugoslavia-style, it is well worth avoiding and preventing.