How to Watch the 2024 GOP "Pre-Season"
With three announced candidates and the positioning of others, here are a few things to things to watch - and watch out for. Baseball metaphors alert.
The 2024 baseball season is already well underway at the collegiate level - it started around February 17th this year - but Major League Baseball launches its new season on Thursday. You’ll find me at Nationals Stadium to watch the league’s worst team last year. At least it’s supposed to be a nice (if chilly) day.
But the 2024 presidential campaign began last November and is well into its version of Spring training. Trade and talent acquisition has been underway for a while but remains worth watching.
Donald Trump was the first to open a pre-season camp with his announcement right after the 2022 midterm elections. He had the batting cage until his former UN Ambassador and South Carolina Governor, Nikki Haley, better known for taking down pennants than winning them, joined the field in February. Wealthy author and rookie biotech and hedge fund investor Vivek Ramaswamy tossed his hat into the on-deck circle a few days later. “Talented and untested,” the scouting reports say.
Others are strapping on their cleats, stretching, taking practice swings, and doing their warm-ups. Governor Ron DeSantis (R-FL) is tossing in the bullpen, along with former Gov. Chris Christie (R-NJ), Governor Chris Sununu (R-NH), US Senator Tim Scott (R-SC), and a few others. It is likely to get more crowded.
Fans aren’t paying much attention yet.
The first pre-season game doesn’t start until August when the opponents gather on a field in Milwaukee. But pre-season machinations and bantering have already begun. Some teams are making interesting trades and acquisitions and hiring managers and coaches. Others, especially Christie, may play a “spoiler” role, not unlike his past season on the field in 2016 when he took out Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) with a wicked slide during a game in New Hampshire. Both fell out of contention early.
Rubio is not suiting up this time, opting to stay atop the Florida League. Still, Christie appears ready to reprise his role, with his spikes focused on the front-runner, his one-time teammate, and former competitor, former President Donald Trump. He appears to be the only candidate willing to take early and direct aim. Watch for high inside brush-back pitches from the former two-term Governor from deep blue New Jersey and wicked, no-holes-barred baserunning. How Trump responds will be among our first clashes.
But one interesting development comes from a new “Super PAC,” those independent entities designed to operate independently from the candidate’s campaign but serve as the bench for talent. Former Trump Administration official and ex-Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli, an election integrity expert, launched the “Never Back Down” PAC to support DeSantis. He recruited Jeff Roe, arguably the leading manager in the GOP today.
That tells us that two of Roe’s former players - US Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), the runner-up for the GOP presidential nomination in 2016, and Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, aren’t suiting up for the 2024 contests. But time will tell. Cruz has opted for the broadcast booth while actively seeking to stay atop the Texas League. Youngkin is trying to win the Virginia League by flipping control of the State Senate. Democrats, who have kept Youngkin largely off the scoreboard with an array of screwballs and left-handed pitching, currently hold a one-seat majority with over a quarter of senators announcing their retirements.
As for Trump, he is already playing to his audience by pounding line drives and homers from easy pitches at his early rallies. He donned his “General Grievous” uniform at one in Waco, Texas. He dazzled his fans with his impressive switch-hitting between well-worn grievances, from various prosecutions to blasting hits at DeSantis in the bullpen.
DeSantis’s first practice swings included a whiff over a pitch from Ukraine, misplaying what should have been an easy homerun. But he’s making up for it with recent interviews. Some say his playing style may not attract fans, but his impressive performance in the Florida league makes him an instant favorite with many looking for someone other than Trump.
While the other players - Haley and Ramaswamy - haven’t yet swatted at Trump, it is inevitable as they contrast their chirping skills with the former reality television star. Trump will likely respond with his trademark assignment of nicknames for his opponents. We’ve already heard “Ron DeSanctimonious” and “Meatball” in reference to the former Governor, who hasn’t taken the bait - the pitches are clearly wide of the plate as the former college baseball captain shows a good eye for the strike zone. As for the others, we’re in no position to offer suggestions for Trump but suffice it to say the fastballs will come high and hard.
His opponents have likely already scouted the former President’s pitches and will undoubtedly be ready for them.
Your intrepid reporter isn’t taking sides or making any early predictions. Early prognostications are often - almost always - wrong, especially who will appear in the World Series against the winning team from the Other League. However, despite the lack of fan support, there’s not much competition against the defending champion.
Our future reporting will focus on the GOP Presidential League barring any surprises. The Democratic Presidential League looks rather. . . infirm.
Get your peanuts and popcorn ready and order a cold one. And watch for foul balls.