A More Crowded Field
I must concede, I am surprised at the large—and growing—number of Republican presidential candidates in the 2024 field. Donald Trump is the clear frontrunner, and I figured a few people might take him on to be in position if he slipped, or to be in position to be his vice presidential choice.
But as of this morning, the number of declared candidates is 12: in no particular order, Trump, DeSantis, Johnson, Ramaswamy, Binkley, Haley, Pence, Burgum, Christie, Hutchinson, Scott, and Elder. By the time the week is out, you will have heard me speak with seven of the 12 on the radio already.
They all have their reasons…some think they have a clear path, some are setting the groundwork for a later run, some are hoping to be a vice president under Trump and then inherit the mantle in four year, while still others are elevating their visibility for business purposes.
Let’s not discount spending a lot of time in Iowa, which I think it a great place to hang out.
As far as why so many are running, we are now to the point in the process where the mirror plays a role. Someone looks in the mirror in the morning and says, “Governor So-And-So is running…why not me?”…or, “I’m just as effective as Senator So-And-So…I should run.”
And there’s nothing wrong with that, provided any of the entrants have something to say about how they would lead the country into the future. Of the 12, five have experience as a governor…suggesting that executive branch experience is helpful. Four have experience in Congress. Four are successful business leaders. And, of course, one already has experience as president.
Look, you have to have a pretty good ego to think you could be the next leader of the free world…same for sitting behind a radio microphone, to be honest. But what’s wrong with confidence? Would you want a president who was sort of timid and unsure about his or her abilities?
No doubt they all have rehearsed raising their right hands and swearing the oath…sort of like a kid dreaming of hitting a home run in the World Series. And thanks to the Jimmy Carter example, little-known governors can indeed become president.
So when you hear about a new entrant into the race, don’t discount them…because in the summer of 2015, not many were thinking the phrase “President Trump” would become reality.
