Here is where the Old Contrarian (me) seeks to diminish the importance of what Old Yeller (not the 1956 children's book, but the 45th president of the United States) did the other day by traveling to Iowa and proclaiming that the 2020 election was "rigged" and that Washington Democrats are taking the country "to the brink of ruin."
The conventional wisdom is that Donald J. Trump's visit to the state that holds the first political test of the 2024 election is freighted with hints about the biggest mystery in American political life: Will Trump try to become the 47th president and thus the only chief executive besides Grover Cleveland to serve nonconsecutive White House terms?
kAm%96 2C8F>6?E 8@6D =:<6 E9:Di %CF>A :D 2 D9C6H5 AC24E:E:@?6C @7 E96 A@=:E:42= 2CED 2?5 9:D EC:A E@ s6D |@:?6D AC@G6D 96 :D A@D:E:@?:?8 9:>D6=7 E@ H:? E96 42F4FD6D E92E 96 =@DE 3J 2 D>2== >2C8:? :? a_`e E@ $6?] %65 rCFK @7 %6I2D[ 9:D @?6E:>6 >@CE2= 6?6>J ?@H EC2?D7@C>65 :?E@ @?6 @7 9:D 3:886DE 4@?8C6DD:@?2= 2==:6D]k^Am
kAm}@E BF:E6 C:89E] %CF>A :D 492D:?8 4C@H5D ?@H[ ?@E G@E6D[ 2?5 2 DE2E6 E92E 82G6 9:> 2? 6:89E\A@:?E 3F=86 2=>@DE 6I24E=J 2 J62C 28@ :D 2E @?46 4@>A6E:E:G6 6?@F89 W:EVD ?@E |:DD:DD:AA:[ H96C6 9:D >2C8:? H2D 5@F3=6 x@H2VDX E@ >2<6 9:D 2AA62C2?46 4C65:3=6 2?5 D@A9:DE:42E65 6?@F89 WE96 DE2E6 F?:G6CD:EJ 92D 2? :?DE:EFE:@? 42==65 E96 r6?E6C 7@C E96 q@@<X E@ 7@C46 E96 76H x@H2?D H9@ 2C6?VE EC2?D7:I65 3J E96 w2H<6J6DV }@] a C2E:?8 :? E96 4@==686 7@@E32== A@==D E@ E2<6 ?@E:46]k^Am
kAm~?6 @E96C A@:?Ei %CF>A ?665?VE H@CCJ 23@FE x@H2VD 42F4FD6D D9@F=5 96 564:56 E@ CF? 2 E9:C5 E:>6] w6 H@F=5 62D:=J DH66A E96 42F4FD6D 7C@> sF3FBF6 :? E96 62DE E@ r@F?4:= q=F77D :? E96 H6DE 2?5 7C@> ~EEF>H2 :? E96 D@FE9 E@ |2D@? r:EJ :? E96 ?@CE9 2?5 E96? 2=>@DE 46CE2:?=J ;@:? vC@G6C r=6G6=2?5[ (:==:2> y6??:?8D qCJ2?[ uC2?<=:? s6=2?@ #@@D6G6=E 2?5 #:492C5 |] }:I@? 2D E96 @?=J 7:8FC6D E@ H:? >@C6 E92? EH@ >2;@C\A2CEJ AC6D:56?E:2= ?@>:?2E:@?D]k^Am
kAm%96 ?@>:?2E:@? :D 9:D 7@C E96 E2<:?8] *@F 42? >2<6 2 H286C H:E9 E96 >2;@C p>6C:42? DA@CED3@@<D @? E9:D $F?52JVD $E66=6CD\$6292H<D 82>6[ 3FE J@F 42?VE 5@ D@ @? E96 6=64E:@?] w@H6G6C[ J@F 42? :? vC62E qC:E2:?[ H96C6 %CF>AVD @55D 7@C H:??:?8 E96 (9:E6 w@FD6 2C6 6G6? H:E9 ':46 !C6D:56?E z2>2=2 w2CC:DV] %96 EH@ 2C6 E:65 7@C D64@?5 A=246]k^Am
kAmqFE %CF>A :D DF49 2 4@=@DDFD @? E96 #6AF3=:42? =2?5D42A6 E92E EC:AD =:<6 9:D E@ x@H2[ 2?5 C6>2C<D =:<6 9:D 23@FE |C] q:56?[ 92G6 67764E:G6=J 7C@K6? E96 a_ac v~! 4@?E6DE]k^Am
kAm$6G6C2= #6AF3=:42?D — 2== H:E9 >@C6 EC25:E:@?2= C6DF>6D E92? %CF>AVD[ F?=6DD J@F 4@F?E 7@FC J62CD 2D AC6D:56?E[ H9:49 42??@E 36 5:D4@F?E65 — 2C6 5C@@=:?8 2E E96 DE2CE:?8 82E6[ 3F?4965 E@86E96C 3FE J62C?:?8 E@ D6E E96>D6=G6D 2A2CE]k^Am
kAm$@>6[ =:<6 $6?D] y@D9 w2H=6J @7 |:DD@FC: 2?5 %@> r@EE@? @7 pC<2?D2D[ H6C6 >2;@C A=2J6CD :? E96 677@CE E@ 56?J y@6 q:56? E96 AC6D:56?4J] ~E96CD[ =:<6 rCFK 2?5 $6?] |2C4@ #F3:@ @7 u=@C:52[ 92G6 7@F89E @? E96 72C>=2?5D @7 x@H2 367@C6 2?5 2C6 :E49:?8 7@C 2 D64@?5 @FE:?8] u@FC[ =:<6 vC68 p33@EE @7 %6I2D[ #@? s6$2?E:D @7 u=@C:52[ zC:DE: }@6> @7 $@FE9 s2<@E2 2?5 }:<<: w2=6J[ <?@H E92E af @7 E96 4@F?ECJVD AC6D:56?ED @?46 D6CG65 2D 49:67 6I64FE:G6D @7 E96:C DE2E6] ~?6[ |:<6 !@>A6@[ D6CG65 2D D64C6E2CJ @7 DE2E6 7@C D:I AC6D:56?ED[ 2 DE6AA:?8DE@?6 E@ E96 (9:E6 w@FD6]k^Am
kAm!=FD[ @7 4@FCD6[ E96C6 :D 7@C>6C ':46 !C6D:56?E |:<6 !6?46[ H9@D6 AC@7:=6 92D 492?865 H:E9 E96 4@=@C @7 E96 =62G6D E9:D D62D@?] w6 92D 366? E96 5@A6 2?5 4@H2C5 H9@ C67FD65 E@ 56=:G6C E96 AC6D:56?4J E@ E96 C:89E7F= @H?6C @? y2?] e 2?5[ 2E E96 D2>6 E:>6[ E96 D6?E:?6= @7 AC@3:EJ 2?5 4@FC286 H9@ C67FD65 E@ 56=:G6C E96 AC6D:56?4J E@ E96 >2? H9@ =@DE 2E E96 A@==D 3FE D@F89E E@ AC6G2:= @? r2A:E@= w:==] %96? 96 H2D E96 >2? H9@ D:5=65 324< FA E@ E96 AC6D:56?E[ 7@==@H65 3J E96 A@=:E:42= 7:8FC6 H9@ 2DD6CE65 E92E 96 2?5 %CF>A H:== ?6G6C 28C66 E@ H92E 92AA6?65 E96 52J E96 82==@HD H6C6 D6E FA E@ 92?8 9:>[ 7@==@H65 3J E96 =@J2= D@=5:6C H9@ DEC2:?65 E@ 7:8FC6 @FE 2 H2J E@ 96=A 9:D 3@DD 2?J H2J 96 4@F=5[ @?=J E@ 36 E2=<65 @FE @7 :E 3J 2?@E96C 7@C>6C G:46 AC6D:56?E[ s2? "F2J=6] %92EVD 7:G6 A6@A=6 :? @?6 — 2? :>AC@G6>6?E[ J@F >:89E D2J[ @? E96 (C:8=6JVD 72>@FD Qs@F3=6 !=62DFC6Q E6=6G:D:@? 25 7C@> `hge H:E9 2? @>:?@FD H9:DA6C @7 $92<6DA62C6VD Qs@F3=6[ 5@F3=6 E@:= 2?5 EC@F3=6j u:C6 3FC? 2?5 42F=5C@? 3F33=6]Qk^Am
kAmqFE E96C6 2C6 @E96C A@DD:3:=:E:6D] #6AF3=:42? ?@>:?2E:@?D :? C646?E J62CD 92G6 :?4=F565 >6>36CD @7 E96 4=6C8J 2?5 @7 E96 4@==686 @7 42C5:?2=D @7 3FD:?6DD]k^Am
kAm&?<?@H?D 42? 364@>6 <?@H? :? 2? :?DE2?E :7 E96J >@F?E :>28:?2E:G6 42?5:52E6D] p J62C :?E@ 9:D 8@G6C?@CD9:A[ ?@ @?6 4@?D:56C65 y:>>J r2CE6C @7 v6@C8:2 2 AC6D:56?E:2= A@DD:3:=:EJ] p?5 2E E9:D ;F?4EFC6 :? E96 a__g C246[ q2C24< ~32>2 H2D 2? @3D4FC6 7C6D9>2? D6?2E@C H9@D6 C6>2C<D H6C6 ?@E:465 3J 2=>@DE ?@ @?6[ 6G6? H96? 96 82G6 2 DA6649 2DD6CE:?8[ Q(6 D:>A=J 42??@E 2==@H A6@A=6 E@ A@FC :?E@ E96 &?:E65 $E2E6D F?56E64E65[ F?5@4F>6?E65[ F?4964<65 2?5 4:C4F>G6?E:?8 E96 =:?6 @7 A6@A=6 H9@ 2C6 H2:E:?8 A2E:6?E=J[ 5:=:86?E=J 2?5 =2H7F==J E@ 364@>6 :>>:8C2?ED :? E9:D 4@F?ECJ]Q W|C] %CF>A =2E6C F?62CE965 E96 DE2E6>6?E[ D:8?2=:?8 9:D 28C66>6?E Q`__ A6C46?E]”Xk^Am
kAmqFE H92E :D 2 AFE2E:G6 AC6D:56?E:2= 42?5:52E6 E@ 5@ H9:=6 %CF>A EC2>AD @G6C E@ x@H2nk^Am
kAm%96 7:CDE CF=6i s@?VE @776?5 %CF>A] %96 D64@?5i t>A92D:K6 G@E:?8 :CC68F=2C:E:6D :? a_a_ C2E96C E92? @FEC:89E 2DD6CE:?8 E92E E96 6=64E:@? H2D DE@=6?j E9:D C6BF:C6D 2 EC:4<J A@=:E:42= A2D 56 56FI E92E :?4=F56D DEC@?8 DFAA@CE 7@C 2==@H:?8 6G6CJ G@E6 E@ 4@F?E[ 3FE ?@E E@ 2==@H E96> E@ 4@F?E EH:46 @C E@ 2==@H E96 5625 E@ G@E6] %9:C5i |2<6 :E 4=62C E92E :7 %CF>A H2?ED E96 ?@>:?2E:@?[ ?@ @?6 D9@F=5 DE2?5 :? 9:D H2J]k^Am
kAm!6?46 92D 2 A@=:D965 5672F=E A@D:E:@?[ H9:49 96 6IAC6DD65 E@ $62? w2??:EJ @? u@I }6HD 62C=:6C E9:D >@?E9i QxE H2D 2 52C< 52J 2E @FC r2A:E@= 3F:=5:?8[ 3FE H6 >@G65 A2DE :E[ H6 7:?:D965 E96 H@C<]Q w2=6J[ H9@ @?46 D2:5 E92E %CF>A 925 =@DE 9:D 4C65:3:=:EJ[ ?@H G:6HD E96 7@C>6C AC6D:56?E >@C6 492C:E23=J[ 4:E:?8 Q2 DEC@?8 =6824J 7C@> 9:D 25>:?:DEC2E:@?Q 2?5 6>A92D:K:?8 9:D 23:=:EJ QE@ 86E DEC@?8 A6@A=6 6=64E65Q >@C6 E92? 9:D >@C6 4@=@C7F= 492C24E6C:DE:4D]k^Am
kAm|62?H9:=6[ E96 s6D |@:?6D 2:CA@CE :D @A6?] !6?46[ w2=6J[ !@>A6@[ r@EE@? 2?5 }@6> 2=C625J 92G6 2CC:G65] ~E96C 7C6BF6?E 7=J6CD[ 9@A6D :? 92?5[ 2C6 3@@<:?8 E96:C A2DD286 ?@H]k^Am
kAms2G:5 |] $9C:3>2? :D E96 7@C>6C 6I64FE:G6 65:E@C @7 E96 !:EED3FC89 !@DE\v2K6EE6] w6 42? 36 C624965 2E k2 9C67lQ>2:=E@i5D9C:3>2?oA@DE\82K6EE6]4@>Qm5D9C:3>2?oA@DE\82K6EE6]4@>k^2m[ @C 7@==@H 9:> @? %H:EE6C 2E $9C:3>2?!v] %96 !F=:EK6C !C:K6\H:??:?8 ;@FC?2=:DE 92D 2 G242E:@? 9@>6 :? z62CD2C86]k^Am
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.