for the Rubio, Cruz, Pence, Pompeo crowd. If Republicans are looking for fresh blood, they’d be more likely to turn to a governor like DeSantis, or even Chris Sununu in New Hampshire. Sununu, like DeSantis, has managed to thread the needle between being pro-Trump while not quite yet gaining the ire of the media. New Hampshire itself has kept its unemployment rate lower than the rest of the nation and had a decent-enough success rate in coping with the pandemic. Other contenders include Senators Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio. Cruz will have his own set of challenges – challenges that were evident in the 2016 primary. He doesn’t quite have the likability of Pompeo or Pence, nor the larger-than- life personality of Trump. Though Sununu has taken some hits for his failure to keep coronavirus out of nursing homes, all in all, most residents on both sides of the political aisle seem pleased with his performance. The state isn’t the political powerhouse of Florida, which leaves him at a disadvantage, but a role for Sununu in the presidential field should not be discounted. Senator Rand Paul might also throw his hat in the ring... And in many ways, Paul’s message of less government could really resonate at this particular moment in time. He has proven himself to be a rising star through his relentless determination to get at the truth
Former Vice President Mike Pence is in the same boat. At a fundraising event in Manchester, New Hampshire, earlier this month, he tried to straddle the line... perhaps placating those who support Trump while also stressing his independence from the president. He told the Republican attendees about the January 6 Capitol siege: President Trump and I have spoken many times since we left office. I don’t know if we’ll ever see eye to eye about that day, but I will always be proud what we accomplished for the American people over the last four years. Pence, like Pompeo, doesn’t have a personal, executive record with which he can fight back against the media’s attacks... thereby making it more challenging for him to run against Biden (or possibly even Kamala Harris). Other contenders include Senators Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio. Cruz will have his own set of challenges – challenges that were evident in the 2016 primary. He doesn’t quite have the likability of Pompeo or Pence, nor the larger-than-life personality of Trump. Most importantly, he does not have the record of DeSantis. And on the policy front, his approach may not be conservative enough. Consider his tax proposal in 2016, for example... Cruz advocated for a European- style value-added tax. And then, of course, there was the whole Cancun thing... Senator Rubio also struggles with the problem of being a senator and not a governor – and therefore not having the role of an executive. There’s additionally the risk of over-exposure
American Consequences
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