Charles Koch and other Republican megadonors choose their preferred candidate to challenge Donald Trump in the GOP primary
Charles Koch, Republican Megadonors Pick Their Choice Against Donald Trump in GOP Primary
Trump Derangement Syndrome may have Never-Trump megadonors throwing away good money.
On Tuesday, Americans for Prosperity Action — a libertarian political advocacy group funded by billionaire Charles Koch and other industrial and corporate megadonors — endorsed former South Carolina governor and GOP presidential candidate Nikki Haley, according to CNN.
At this point, AFP Action’s endorsement looks like a long-shot bet that Haley can somehow beat Donald Trump in the GOP presidential primary. As of today, Haley is polling at a mere 9.9 percent nationally, while Trump is at 58.7 percent, according to Five Thirty-Eight. That’s an almost a 50-point lead for Trump.
Meanwhile, Florida GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis is polling at 13 percent nationally. That’s an almost 46-point lead for Trump.
Can the Koch network’s megabucks and its mega-political apparatus make up that kind of ground? It could be a game-changer, but it looks more like a Hail Mary.
DeSantis leads Haley, though Haley has picked up momentum as of late. Why would Koch and cohorts choose to back Haley? The short answer could be that Haley is “thoroughly an establishment neoconservative,” according to Vanity Fair.
DeSantis, on the other hand, is like “Trump on steroids,” according to Newsweek.
AFP Action is betting on the strength of Haley’s strong debate performances, the desire for a generational change, and a “shrewd campaign,” according to CNN. This makes her the “GOP establishment’s favorite as the Trump alternative.”
Will AFP Action money landing in Haley’s war chest this late in the game allow her to seriously challenge Trump? Or will it make her a really well-financed runner-up — if she can edge out DeSantis?
It’s anybody’s bet, but the oddsmakers’ average suggests Trump has a 74.5 percent chance of winning the primary, Haley, 12.7 and DeSantis 6.7. The good news for Haley is that she is ahead of DeSantis, according to oddsmakers.
The bad news? She’s almost 63 points behind Trump. Either AFP Action has inside information, or they’re in the throes of Trump Derangement Syndrome.
Charles Koch: The Rasputin of the American Right?
Charles Koch has been called the “Rasputin of the American Right,” according to Politico Magazine. Like Rasputin — an influential Russian mystic from the last century– Koch is a complicated guy. For example, why would someone on the right team up with the likes of radical leftists Goerge Soros and Democratic Senator Cory Booker?
In 2015, Koch was overseeing the launch of programs and initiatives to fight what he called the “overcriminalization of America.” The Hillary Clinton-aligned Center for American Progress was in on the action as well, according to Politico. Maybe Koch is a mystic like Rasputin — if the godless establishment can have mystics.
Koch claims the machinations of his political mind go back to his libertarian views, according to Politico. His libertarian views are connected to his engineering studies at MIT decades ago. It boils down to Koch’s belief that since “the physical world” conforms to a set of rules, “the same thing has got to be true of the social world.”
And there you have it. Koch believes in social engineering, as do neoconservatives who play puppet master around the world, globalists and the political establishment commonly referred to as the deep state. Social engineers have no problem sacrificing the individual for the greater good.
Trump and DeSantis don’t share those beliefs. They believe in America First and individual freedoms. They — and others like them — believe in the Constitution and God-given inalienable rights instead of human-engineered utopias.
The point is that the political establishment is neither left nor right. It’s a uniparty that houses radical progressives, RINOs and billionaires like Koch. If AFP Action is backing Haley, it’s not a long shot to think she is one of them.
The post Charles Koch, Republican Megadonors Pick Their Choice Against Donald Trump in GOP Primary appeared first on The Western Journal.
What progressive and Democratic priorities align with the Koch network’s focus on criminal justice reform and ending corporate welfare?
Tical figures too.
Koch’s alliance with Soros and Booker goes to show that he is willing to work across party lines and partner with unlikely allies in pursuit of his political goals. While the Koch network may be seen as having a conservative agenda, their focus on issues such as criminal justice reform and ending corporate welfare aligns with some progressive and Democratic priorities.
However, when it comes to the Republican primary and their choice for a candidate against Trump, it seems that Koch and his cohorts are sticking with a more establishment conservative candidate in Nikki Haley. While DeSantis may be seen as a Trump-like figure and possibly more appealing to the GOP base, AFP Action’s endorsement shows a preference for a more mainstream, establishment candidate.
But will their support be enough to propel Haley to victory? Trump’s dominance in the polls and his popularity among Republican voters suggest a difficult battle for any challenger. While Haley may be gaining momentum and performing well in debates, it remains to be seen if she can overcome the significant lead that Trump has.
Some may view the endorsement of Haley and the support from Koch and other megadonors as a desperate move in the face of Trump’s continued popularity. Are they suffering from “Trump Derangement Syndrome,” as some critics suggest, or do they genuinely believe that Haley has the potential to beat Trump and represent a more mainstream, establishment conservatism?
Time will tell how this endorsement and the support from megadonors impact the Republican primary. Will it be a game-changer, or a mere blip in Trump’s dominance? One thing is for sure, Charles Koch and the megadonors aligned with him are not afraid to make bold moves and back their preferred candidates, even if they are seen as long-shots. Only time will tell if their bet on Nikki Haley pays off or if Trump continues his reign in the Republican party.
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