Welcome to the latest installment of The Duckpin Republican Presidential Power Rankings. These rankings will list, in my estimation, the contenders for the Republican nomination for President on a 1……9 scale. This list will be updated every month; maybe more once we get to later in the year.
The rankings are a combination of polls, data, political environment, and gut feelings. It is not necessarily a ranking in order of who I think should be the Republican nominee, but who is best positioned to win the nomination at that time. Think of it as a snapshot in time. Especially considering at least two candidates are still pussyfooting around with the idea of running.
#9: Ryan Binkley (TX): (Previous: 11)
Binkley is doing the best of the second-tier candidates. I’m not entirely sure it is going to matter. He is going hard with an Iowa-centric strategy, with some flirtations in other states and other events. But unless he figures out a way to get on the debate stage, it’s hard to imagine that he’s going to be much of a factor. But he’s lasted longer than Mike Pence, so take that for whatever it’s worth.
#8: Former Gov. Asa Hutchinson (AK) (Previous: 10)
I really don’t get why he’s still running.
#7: Governor Doug Burgum (ND): (Previous: 8)
I think that his time in the sun is just about done unless he can make a splash. He has made the debate stage twice, which is more than can be sad for the above tier. But no matter how much of a point he has to make, you can’t make it when you talk for ninety seconds in a row over the moderator. But he’s made it clear he is not dropping out.
#6: Vivek Ramaswamy (OH): (Previous: 7)
Look the bloom is off the rose here when Nikki Haley can say this about Vivek and everybody be like “yeah, that checks”.
#5: Sen. Tim Scott (SC) (Previous: 6)
He’s apparently banking on Iowa. Hope he doesn’t mortgage his house.
#4 Gov. Ron DeSantis (FL) (Previous: 4)
Remember when I said that Ron DeSantis looked unbeatable? I’m not sure he makes it to New Hampshire anymore. A third of the staff was cut. Nazi imagery was used. He got into a car accident in Tennessee while campaigning but was in a Florida state government car. He suggested he could appoint Democrat Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. as head of the FDA or the CDC before backtracking. Ron DeSantis seems like he’s campaigning solely to Trump voters. There is no way he can pivot to a general election after some of the crazy stuff he’s said. Right now, this looks like a campaign starting to circle the drain.
#3: Former Governor Nikki Haley (SC): (Previous: 3)
She had another good debate that’s for sure. I’m not sure it’s going to help in the long run. Trumpworld is seeing a surge for her in the polls, but is it too early? Will it matter?
#2: Former Gov. Chris Christie (NJ) (Previous: 2)
Christie keeps moving up the list because he may be one of the last men standing. He has been very aggressive with his Republican opponents, notably Trump, even calling him “Donald Duck” for not showing up to the debates. I’m not sure today’s Republican electorate will go with it, but he is better poised to go far than most of the field right now. He had another very good first debate, though I’m not sure how much it will help him.
#1: Ex-President Donald Trump (FL) (Previous: 1)
Facing 91 criminal charges and yet the rubes keep him at the top of the polls. Maybe this is why the RNC is low on fundraising…..
Trump, however, gets his own tier here. The GOP is so committed to losing this Presidential election that their voters are posted to continue riding with him. And from the looks of it, nothing is going to stop the GOP’s Stockholm Syndrome.
Real question: will Trump go to jail over repeatedly violating the gag order in his New York case? And what insanity will he say when he testifies in his fraud trial next Monday?
Dropped Off: E.W. Jackson (#16)
Dropped Out: Corey Stapleton (#15), Steve Laffey (#14), Larry Elder (#13), Perry Johnson (#12), Will Hurd (#10), Mike Pence (#5)