Can Retribution Win Elections?

     Everyone loves it when the good guys win. And that is especially true if you feel like the good guys have kind of taken it on the chin. For a bunch of reasons, they were dealt a raw deal, and now is the time when the good guys get to dish it back, feed the bad guys a bit of their own medicine, payback, a healthy dose of karma, retribution. It is a great plotline for a movie or TV show, but what about real life, specifically politics? We all know politics is a blood sport consisting of what is ultimately fighting street level wins and losses. But what happens when retribution is part of the campaign strategy?

     This past weekend, Republicans made the annual pilgrimage to the outskirts of Washington D.C. to the mecca that is known as CPAC, the Conservative Political Action Conference. For roughly three days, Republicans of all stripes from all over the country hear their kind of preaching from their choir. Hundreds of speakers, personalities, pundits, politicians, and average Americans all come together to partake of an atmosphere like no other. CPAC offers hope when the GOP is out of power, and verification of belief when they possess it. Since 2016, one of the biggest draws had been the appearance of candidate then President Donald Trump. The massive auditorium fills up fast with the Trump faithful. They are never disappointed.

     That would include this year as well. Trump spoke for roughly an hour, detailing some of the many accomplishments of his presidency, taking jabs at the “fake news,” and of course Joe Biden. Among the many quotes from his speech that any radio host or podcaster would consider gold, came near the end when he said, “In 2016 I declared, ‘I am your voice. Today I add, ‘I am your warrior. I am your justice. And for those of you who have been wronged or betrayed, ‘I am your retribution.’” And while it might sound cliched, the crowd went wild. If the annual CPAC presidential straw poll is any indication, retribution could very well be roaring down the tracks. Trump was the runaway favorite with 62% of the vote. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who has yet to announce any presidential run, came in at 20%. Michigan businessman Perry Johnson, who used a Superbowl ad to announce his longshot candidacy actually came in third with 5%. Former South Carolina Gov. and U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, who has announced her candidacy, was at 3%, and newly announced candidate, biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy had just 1%. Sens. Rand Paul, Ted Cruz and former Sec of State Mike Pompeo also garnered 1%.

     But what of retribution? And how does it fit into a viable campaign game plan? While the media likes to portray those who do not think the 2020 presidential election was on the up and up as “election deniers” and “conspiracy theorists,” there is a large portion of the Republican electorate that knows that something was just not right. Those are the people who would love to see Donald Trump do just what he said he would do, finish what he started. With a booming economy, secured southern border, and America respected abroad, those people also know that those things would continue to get better in a second Trump administration, even after taking the time to reverse the hiccup of the Biden administration. But they also heard Donald Trump promise, during his first few hours back in office, to get rid all the Obama, Biden holdover bureaucrats, and all the deep state types, who in their arrogance and hubris, determined that they knew better who should run the nation than those rubes in flyover country.

     Can Donald Trump run a campaign that hints at retribution, but at the same time, does what even some of his most ardent supporters have suggested he should do, move on from 2020 and what is thought by many to be a rigged election, and tell Americans what he will do if reelected? Well, retribution could come in many forms. Trump may have hinted at a particular kind of retribution on Saturday when he said, “…we are never going back to the party of Paul Ryan, Karl Rove, and Jeb Bush.” You could also add Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell to that list as well. Trump faithful also know that retribution could include standing up to China, forcing Mexico to deal with its share of the illegal immigration issue, and sending wokeness packing. They know that a party consisting of outdated Ryan Rove Bush McConnell notions of victory, which are really just caving to Democrats and the left is not an option.

     But Donald Trump has also talked about something that seems ominously correct. He has stated that, the left, the deep state elites, are really not interested in taking out Trump per se. He is merely a means to an end. Oh sure, being able to perp walk him in an orange jumpsuit would mean their mission is complete. But what they really are after, is average Americans. They are incensed that you continue to insist on government that is of, by, and for the people. That you continue to insist on free and fair elections. And living by the morals and values the nation was founded upon. Trump can no doubt move on from 2020, it is essential that he do so. But the best part would be moving on from entrenched bureaucrats, and the kind of Republicans he talked about in his speech that also no longer serve America well.

     The 2024 presidential election has barely begun. There will be many more twists and turns. And while moving America forward is certainly the name of the game, sometimes a little old school retribution isn’t such a bad thing either.