by Talk about insurance. Republicans may have finally found an ingenious way to get everyone in America to rally behind Donald Trump’s second term should he win in 2024: Vice President Marjorie Taylor Greene.
“The amazing thing about the idea of Marjorie Taylor Greene being Donald Trump’s vice president is that you would actually have someone who would make you fear that Donald Trump was going to have a heart attack,” conservative Jonah Goldberg joked in a recent episode of The shipment podcast. “I mean, all of a sudden you’re saying to Trump, ‘Be careful coming down those stairs!'”
All jokes aside, this is a serious topic. According to NBC News, Greene wants to be Donald Trump’s running mate by 2024. One of the sources was former Trump adviser Steve Bannon, who confirmed, “She sees herself shortlisted for Trump’s VP.”
If you think the idea of America voting for a presidential ticket that includes Greene is absurd, remind yourself Donald Trump won the presidency in 2016. Which is to say, stranger things have happened.
I have no doubt Greene sees it herself as worthy and angling for the job. Her recent embrace of incumbent Republican Kevin McCarthy to become Speaker of the House suggests a rebranding effort is at work. And now winning seats on committees like the House Homeland Security Committee and House Oversight and Accountability Committee would likely bolster her bona fides.
You’d have to go way back to find someone who went straight from the House to the vice presidency. Look at you, John Nance Garner.
But such historical trivia is now meaningless. The rules have changed. Greene is perhaps the most famous Republican in the House, and fame and money (she’s also one of the top fundraisers in the House) are more important than old-fashioned credentials like experience and committee assignments.
The obvious things that should disqualifying Greene have nothing to do with her political resume. I mean, if the jewish space lasers aren’t enough to shoot down her candidacy, you’d think the 9/11 truth theory would.
Trump should not choose Tulsi Gabbard as his next Veep
Again, we must remember that the old rules do not apply. The only relevant question is whether Donald Trump might even choose MTG as his running mate. If we’re honest, it’s plausible.
Put yourself in his twisted state of mind. Trump’s selfish criteria will dictate that a) what makes him look good, b) what makes him happy, and c) what will help him win.
In terms of winning, normal politicians usually try to balance their fate. Trump’s selection of Mike Pence in 2016 was designed to reassure conservatives and norms.
It worked. But Trump now believes Mike Pence betrayed him by refusing to overturn the 2020 election. He won’t make that mistake again, and he probably believes that a course correction would mean just the opposite. In so many ways, choosing MTG as his running mate would be the perfect overreaction.
There is precedent for eschewing the conventional wisdom that veeps must be selected to “balance the ticket.” In 1992, Bill Clinton chose another young moderate Democrat from the South, Al Gore, as his running mate. This choice strengthened their brand (“Don’t Stop Thinking About Tomorrow”).
If Trump wants to double down on his crazy MAGA brand, he could (in the words of Newt Gingrich) use a “two pirates” ticket. Of course, age and gender would balance the ticket. But temperamental and philosophical, Trump and Greene are like peas and carrots.
Still, I wouldn’t bet on Greene for a few reasons.
First, I believe that deep down Trump sees her as too “low rent,” as Jonah Goldberg put it. Behind the populous facade, you get the sense that Trump is secretly a bit of a snob. He would definitely date someone like Greene, but would he take her home to meet his mother?
Second, will Trump Green to inherit the family silver? Whoever he chooses as his running mate would inherit his mantle to some degree. This is true because of Trump’s age and because even if he wins, he can only (legally) serve one term. He doesn’t want a successor.
Third, does he want to choose someone who could surpass him on his base? Trump is an attention whore. Deep down, Trump would prefer a straight man (or woman) he could outdo and later throw under the bus.
Marjorie Taylor Greene, racists and a Newsweek editor walk into a ballroom
Trump cannot rely on moderate standards to carry out his evil agenda, but neither can he rely on charismatic extremists capable of stealing his spotlight. What should a thin-skinned narcissistic candidate do?
The fact that Greene is now a serious contender for veep is in itself a sign that the cancer within the Republican Party is spreading and that its members have become radicalized.
What I’m saying is that it doesn’t really matter who Trump elects in 2024. When it comes to hijacking the GOP, the Donald Trump-Marjorie Taylor Greene “ticket” has already won the future.
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