comment: >
  
  I think most people, including Trump fans, will say hes a narcissist. It does not mean he is stupid or running 3rd party. He has legit talked about it in campaign rallies before in it being an insane and stupid idea. 
  
  For example, he said he'd share his tax returns if nominated because saying that would improve how he was viewed during the primaries, and then he went back on it because he knew it would reduce admiration to reveal how he'd claimed multi-million dollar business losses year after year.   
  
  I never took it as a credible statement plus he was legitimately under audit the entire time as we learned within the last couple of weeks when the democrats released his taxes. He was under a decade long audit that ended well into his presidency because he was then again audited for his last 2 years in office as part of the presidential act. That would make his statements of not releasing until after audit technically true (but again I never suspected he would do it anyways).    
  
  and then he went back on it because he knew it would reduce admiration to reveal how he'd claimed multi-million dollar business losses year after year.   
  
  I would be willing to bet that HE was the source of 1 of the 2 tax leaks that happened during his tenure. Business losses are part of the business. No one is dumb enough to think he is broke or not successful. Forbes currently has him around the 850th richest person on the planet.   
  
  For another example, threatening to not acknowledge the party's 2016 nominee if it wasn't him.  
  
  Trump is a game player and hes a sore loser. If he doesn't win, he doesn't give 1 F.   
  
  For another, doing everything in his power to hold onto the presidency in 2021, including disrupting the orderly transition of power after Biden was elected.  
  
  Again, hes a game player. Hes was all in to win. I don't think he did anything illegal but he certainly did everything he could just short of that even pushing unknown unvalidated theories within the scope of the law to win such as the separate electors etc.   
  
  For another, doing everything in his power to hold onto the presidency in 2021, including disrupting the orderly transition of power after Biden was elected.  
  
  No way. He will likely take the nom but if he doesn't, zero % chance of running 3rd party. Winning the actual election though is a toss up. The media and the left have very successfully tarnished his name, reputation and brand (and will continue to do so) and I would say near completely illegitimately but that's how politics is apparently if you are on the left.
context: Studies have shown who you pick as VP doesn’t make much difference. And particularly in this case, with Trump such a polarizing figure, everyone either loves him or hates him. 
  I can’t imagine there are any voters out there who would say “well I wasn’t going to vote for Trump but I really like Stefanik”, or “I was going to vote for Trump but I just hate Noem.” 
  At this point you are either Trump yes or Trump no, the running mate doesn’t matter. >
  
  Sarah Palin definitely didn’t help as a VP candidate. >
  
  Pence did, though. Lots of GOP voters assumed he'd be a steady hand at the wheel or something. At the very least, a conservative white guy who at least knew how to quote the bible correctly gave evangelicals license to vote for the serial womanizer, rapist, and all-around pimp of Babylon at the top of the ticket. >
  
  I'd say they were right.  If Trump had gone for an MTG figure do you think that person certifies the result on January 6 2021? >
  
  No. However I'm not sure that did much but delay the inevitable fate that the next Republican VP will decline to certify Democratic EC votes. >
  
  I wouldn't be as pessimistic as all that.  We don't know when there will next be a Republican President, we don't who it will be, we don't know who the Vice President will be.  Maybe with no Pence figure to offer cover the Democrats win 2024 convincingly and it's taken as a repudiation of Trumpism.
  For me part of believing in democracy is believing that the people will act as a check against the excesses of leaders like Trump.  If one doesn't believe that what's so great about democracy? >
  
  I have seen zero evidence that the Republican party wants to repudiate Trumpism. The strongest electoral pattern I have seen in my lifetime is that conservatives are increasingly authoritarian, and increasingly contemptuous of democracy itself. 
  I have no real faith in the Democratic party to head that off, and I don't see much evidence that they're trying, beyond hoping that somehow the oligarchs muzzle the fascists before the republic crumbles around us. So, I think it's likely we'll have another Republican president, because above all else Americans want to believe that nothing will fundamentally change, and that's the noose authoritarians will use to strangle the life out of our country. >
  
  MTG has no chance.  
  Gabbard would get him the most votes.
  Realistically I think Stefanik. >
  
  Stefanik would be the best choice, but Trump will choose whoever vows undying loyalty to him over the country (or the party even). That is his number one requirement, and he hates Pence for "betraying" him by not trying to overthrow the election. Guys like Trump are (rightly) paranoid about betrayal because he breaks the law and needs everyone to cover for him. >
  
  I have to wonder now, why did he accept Pence to run with him in the first place? Because he thought it'd help him win? Because the Republican establishment demanded it? >
  
  Pence brings the evangelical vote. Beyond the MAGAts. He needs the Bible thumper-Trumpers too. >
  
  I guess the question is, now that he's been burned so badly by Pence, will he prefer someone loyal even at the expense of his electability? And is that good news for Democrats? >
  
  I think the honest answer is that it probably doesn’t matter now who he picks to lock up the evangelical vote. >
  
  Trump overturned Roe with his judicial picks. I think he’s on solid ground with evangelicals, seeing as they’ve tried but failed to overturn it for at least 40 years >
  
  One thing any possible VP has to consider…if you are not willing to break any law, promote any lie, or have an election overturned, Trump will not stop a crowd from murdering you.
  Similar case in point…Hannity, when under oath, had to admit that he knew all along Trump had lost, he had no doubt whatsoever about the election results. But on his shows, he was all too happy to carry water for Trump. 
  Trump isn’t really taking this run seriously.  He is only trying to keep the grift going and shield himself from court judgement. >
  
  I would bet money on Trump not being the Republican nominee (or a serious candidate at all). I just don't see him being able to raise the money for it, especially with the information out about how his misspent his 2020 campaign funds. >
  
  The problem being is, it is up to Trump, If he runs and doesn't get the nomination, he'll destroy the winner's chances of winning the general.  In so doing, he'll hand the dems a trifecta. He's not a loyal republican who'll go quietly into the night!  Of course if he does get the nomination, he'll probably still hand them a trifecta.  Republicans are screwed unless he dies, >
  
  Agreed. He's too much of a narcissist to not run. If he's not the GOP nominee he'll run third party and split the conservative vote. Either way, next election is the Dem's to lose. I wouldn't want to be the GOP chair. >
  
  Hell never run 3rd party. 
  Hes smart enough to know that he can't pull it as in independent because no one can. He said as such in 2016. This is fantasyland stuff that the left keep pedaling but there is nothing to back it up. >
  
  I have a psych degree, and all indications are that he's a narcissist. What is consistent for a narcissist is the need to be seen as being great in other people's eyes, and they will be inconsistent in thought, word and deed to get it. 
  For example, he said he'd share his tax returns if nominated because saying that would improve how he was viewed during the primaries, and then he went back on it because he knew it would reduce admiration to reveal how he'd claimed multi-million dollar business losses year after year. 
  For another example, threatening to not acknowledge the party's 2016 nominee if it wasn't him.
  For another, doing everything in his power to hold onto the presidency in 2021, including disrupting the orderly transition of power after Biden was elected.
  We don't have to agree. Assuming he survives long enough, we'll see over the next year who is right. I would bet my left hand he's either the GOP nominee or he will be running as a third party candidate claiming that the primaries were rigged and he is the true nominee.