 |
| William Weld |
Bill Weld is old school Republican.
Weld cares about budget deficits, likes immigration, supports free trade and alliances with friendly countries.
He is a "small government" Republican, representing what the GOP was before Trump changed everything.
Bill Weld is a former US attorney, a former two term Massachusetts Governor, and a former candidate for Vice President on the Libertarian ticket in 2016.
I saw him at his announcement gathering just prior to his filing for President in New Hampshire. He said he had also filed in Alabama, Michigan, and Arkansas, and would be entering all the contests for March and Super Tuesday.
He has a strategy. He can win even if he loses, if he surprises people by doing better than expected. That sends a message about the sitting president. Weld creates the referendum on Trump.
This puts Trump at risk--if Weld can get votes.
 |
| Two minute video: thanking well-wishers |
Eugene McCarthy did not win the 1968 New Hampshire primary election. He got 42% of the Democratic vote to LBJ's 49%. It shocked people, since the polling going into the race showed him with only 20% of the vote. It sent a surprise message, that the anti-war sentiment was much, much bigger than the political punditry had understood. LBJ decided not to run for re-election.
Pat Buchanan won 38% of the vote in New Hampshire compared to President HW Bush's 53%. It was an early signal of Bush's weakness and the power of an ethno-nationalist message. Bush went on to lose the general election.
If Trump does very well in New Hampshire, it is a validation message. Bill Weld is testing Trump.
Weld is a patrician with a patrician's manner: educated, informed, courtly. He is low drama, low charisma. He stands for Republican propriety, for following the rules, for respecting norms, for good behavior. Weld is the opposite of Trump. A vote for Weld would be a rejection of GOP populism. It would be a restoration of the old GOP. Or it might be simpler than that, simply a protest vote, a way to vote "no" on Trump personally without really saying anything good about Weld.
Weld goal is to surprise in New Hampshire to set up victories in the March elections in California, New York, New Jersey, and Florida, big states with diverse populations. A strong New Hampshire showing gives him credibility as a protest vote.
Is Trump base sound, or has it lost faith? We will find out.
The Weld campaign announced this event in the Candidate Tracker websites. They had coffee, muffins, pastries, tee shirts, lawn signs, buttons, and lots of staff. There would be media at the State House a few minutes after the meeting, but no TV cameras at this event and about twenty five well wishers.
He stood alone, serene, for several periods of the one hour event. There was lots of time to approch him, visit, and get a selfie.
That is not a good sign of a groundswell of anti-Trump opposition. There was room at the venue for another 200 people.
5 comments:
William Weld is a republican in name only. He wouldn't win as a republican in the Midwest. Weld is an ultra-liberal east-coast republican from Massachusetts, and so his liberalism is accepted there. Weld is not accepted in conservative republican circles. He's an outlier, and unwelcome. Weld is not part of the main-stream republican party. Weld might be able to win a regional race on the liberal east coast, but he has zero chance of winning anything nationwide as a republican. Republicans wouldn't support him. He's not appealing.
Peter, nice picture. Although, next time stand up.
Great example of how far Republicans have fallen.
Gov. Weld would actually be a plausible post Obama Republican candidate.
In looking at his record I sense somewhat of a political opportunist exemplified by his failed runs as well as joining the Libertarians (!?) in 2016. Whatever...
You raise the issue that many others have. Where are the establishment Republicans if not "body snatched" into the cult?
William Weld is currently polling at less than 3%
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2020/president/us/2020_republican_presidential_nomination-6257.html
Weld is as big of a threat to Trump as the 20 democratic presidential candidates are.
Republicans don't want Weld.
Post a Comment