Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) may run for president in 2024, according to reports. The decision will reportedly hinge on the 2022 midterms, not Trump.
Arkansas Senator Tom Cotton may run against Trump. It’s up to Republican primary voters and funders to encourage Cotton to run.
*SEN. TOM COTTON (R-AR) TELLS DONORS TRUMP 2024 BID WOULD NOT DETER HIM FROM RUNNING
*SAYS PREPARED TO RUN, TO MAKE DECISION AFTER MIDTERMS – POLITICO
— NewsWire (@NewsWire_US) June 14, 2022
Potential
Dan McLaughlin’s evaluation praises Cotton. He notes, “He’s intelligent, conservative, and clear-headed. He’s a seasoned, foreign-policy hawk and law-and-order guy.”
However, for McLaughlin, the drawbacks outweigh the pros.
Cotton is a “serious guy” who “sounds dry.” McLaughlin says, “He’s more Scott Walker than Trump. He’s safe, but not thrilling. Cotton could impede a better option,” he says.
Cotton’s best path to victory would be like Kerry’s: draw a lackluster field in a year when foreign policy is prominent and the party is peckish for a viable candidate. However, that’s not the GOP field in 2024.
Furthermore, Cotton’s lack of charisma hasn’t stalled Republican donations, activists, and the electorate from quietly supporting him.
Moreover, McLaughlin only predicts one factor for the 2024 field. Big hitters will try to run, but consistency ends there.
Why Cotton?
He creates a link between the GOP and populists who want to tear down conservative institutions. “When Cotton spoke, he argued he had connections to the populist and institutional wings of the party,” Alex Isenstadt stated.
If a candidate hits the right note, foreign policy will be important in 2024. President Biden isn’t addressing China’s challenge and Republicans are worried.
Josh Hawley, as well as other populists, are tired of dividing foreign and domestic policy.
Furthermore, many Republicans are fed up with hearing about trade deals and tax cuts as solutions for offshoring jobs to China. They want coherence now.
Stance and Readiness
Cotton doesn’t ignore ordinary people’s foreign policy fears.
Moreover, Cotton’s anti-China playbook centers on the common good. He proposed increasing the minimum wage progressively to $10, indexing it to inflation, and requiring E-Verify to ensure immigration law adherence.
Furthermore, Cotton proposed bills with Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) to prevent Big Tech from making killer takeovers that harm opposition and remove consumer choice.
If the national government is reluctant or unable to improve Americans’ lives directly, China has won.
Joe Biden shut down American energy to satisfy the radical left. Now gas prices are skyrocketing and he’s forced to beg for oil. Shameful. pic.twitter.com/FKa7rB80d6
— Tom Cotton (@SenTomCotton) June 14, 2022
Cotton is unyielding on law and order. Besides, his “Send In The Troops” op-ed for the NYT called for Trump to use the Insurrection Act against violent protesters in 2020.
The publication added a disclaimer, saying Cotton’s essay “should not have been printed.”
In addition, Cotton released a statement on Jan. 6 condemning political violence. “No quarter for insurgents,” he said. Leftists suddenly praised this stance, but only Cotton prevailed with credibility.
The GOP needs a new face who can appeal to all philosophical tribes. Biden vs. Trump in 2024 would be a battle among retirees in denial.
Young and ideologically sound, Cotton. Trump must quit making politics revolve around himself. When it comes to our republic’s survival and position in the world, no exertion is futile.
