Staff Reports
A bunch of important conservative figures are getting together at this super cool annual GOP conference, and it’s going to give us a real good idea of who’s who in the Republican primary for president. The Gathering, hosted by the awesome radio host Erick Erickson, is where GOP candidates can show off their platforms to potential voters. And let me tell you, this year’s speaker lineup is gonna blow your socks off!
Aside from those who are already running for president, there are a handful of other Republicans scheduled to speak at The Gathering, an annual meeting hosted by radio host Erick Erickson to allow GOP candidates to share their platforms with voters.https://t.co/X5ZDydht3c
— Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) August 19, 2023
We’ve already got some big names running for president, but there are a few other Republicans who will be speaking at The Gathering and might just throw their hat in the ring. We’re talking about rockstar Governors Brian Kemp from Georgia and Glenn Youngkin from Virginia. These guys are catching people’s attention and could give former President Donald Trump a run for his money in the GOP nomination race.
Kemp spoke at the conference on Friday, and he had a lot to say about the recent news reports concerning Trump’s supposed indictment. He basically told Republican voters to stop focusing on Trump’s loss in the 2020 election and start looking ahead to the future. Kemp warned that if the party stays “distracted,” they could lose the White House next year. Wise words, Kemp, wise words.
Now, let’s talk about Youngkin. He’s scheduled to speak at the conference on Saturday night, and he’s saving the best for last. This guy has been getting pushed by some top donors to consider running for president, which is a pretty big deal. Originally, Youngkin said no way, but now he’s thinking it over, especially after some important state legislative races. He’s even got support from billionaires like Thomas Peterffy, who initially backed Gov. Ron DeSantis but then switched sides to give Youngkin at least a million bucks. Ouch, that’s gotta hurt DeSantis’s chances.
But hold on a minute, some donors are saying it’s too late for someone new to jump into the race and actually have a chance against Trump. They’re skeptical that Youngkin or Kemp can gain enough momentum to beat Trump in the polls. And they have a point. If Youngkin waits until after the November election to join the race, he might not even be able to compete in the Nevada primaries because the deadline to file is October 16th. Yikes, talk about bad timing!
Here’s the thing, Trump is still dominating the early polls. Over half of Republican voters (that’s 54.4%) say they would support him in the GOP primaries. He’s got a big lead over DeSantis, who’s only at 15.4%, followed by Vivek Ramaswamy (7.9%), Mike Pence (5.1%), and Nikki Haley (3.7%). So, it’s gonna be a tough battle for whoever wants to challenge the former president’s reelection campaign.
So, there you have it, folks. The GOP conference is going to be off the charts with some major players in the conservative world. We’ll see if anyone can knock Trump off his pedestal and become the new Republican frontrunner. It’s gonna be a wild ride, that’s for sure!
