And now it’s the Hillary camp…
…that thinks the election might have been rigged, and is suggesting a recount in several close states.
I will go out on a limb and say I don’t think it’s going to happen, in part because so much time has passed since the election. But the myth of the election stolen from Hillary Clinton will go on to have a long, long life of its own.
In other news today, Trump is reported to have appointed Nikki Haley as UN ambassador, despite her lack of foreign policy experience and her merely-lukewarm support of him. But the Secretary of State job remains open, with several hot contenders, including supposed leaders Giuliani and Romney.
Mike Huckabee, one of Trump’s early supporters, says that appointing Romney to that job would be an insult to Trump’s supporters, and Newt Gingrich, another Trump promoter, was not a happy camper either, saying:
I can think of 20 other people who would be more naturally compatible with the Trump vision of foreign policy”…
My guess is that one of them would be Newt Gingrich, although Gingrich was modest enough not to list himself:
Gingrich said that Trump would have to consider whether Romney would be a secretary of state “in the John Kerry tradition” and whether the 2012 Republican presidential nominee would “represent the kind of tough-minded, America-first policies that Trump has campaigned on.”
Gingrich added that his preferred choices for secretary of state over Romney included former Arizona Sen. Jon Kyl, former U.N. ambassador John Bolton, former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani and former Hewlett-Packard CEO and Republican presidential candidate Carly Fiorina.
So, what’s all this anti-Romney talk from Huckabee and Gingrich? Are they speaking only for themselves, or are they saying this at Trump’s behest? And if the latter, what’s the underlying message? That Romney won’t be chosen? Or that Trump is his own man?:
However, the former Speaker [Gingrich] added that if Trump nominated Romney to be America’s top diplomat, “I’m going to support him. But President-elect Trump deserves to have the team he wants.”
I very much doubt Trump would choose Bolton, who is seemingly more hardline and interventionist than Trump. Giuliani is a strong possibility, and would be pleasing to Trump’s supporters because he’s been a Trump loyalist. But isn’t Trump trying to reach out to non-loyalists in the interest of uniting the country? Romney would be perfect for that. And wouldn’t Romney be a lot more likely to sail through his Senate confirmation that Giuliani, who has some possible conflicts of interest?
[ADDENDUM: Nate Silver says the “hacked” claim from the Hillary camp “doesn’t check out”:
We’ve looked into the claim ”” or at least, our best guess of what’s being claimed based on what has been reported ”” and statistically, it doesn’t check out.
There’s no clear evidence that the voting method used in a county ”” by machine or by paper ”” had an effect on the vote. Anyone making allegations of a possible massive electoral hack should provide proof, and we can’t find any. But it’s not even clear the group of computer scientists and election lawyers are making these claims.]
Romney would be a better pick for Commerce, anyway. IMO.
I don’t think Romney can be confirmed. There are those all those binders in the dog crate on top of his car…
Fiorina for Sec State. Though perhaps unlikely, I like it and think she’d do a superb job. Trump’s going to get harsh criticism on his foreign policy and Fiorina could present an articulate defense of Trump’s foreign policy. She’s also tough enough to act to drain State’s extensive swamp.
I can’t see Romney draining the swamp at State.
OriginalFrank:
Don’t forget all the people he gave cancer to…
I think Romney would calm the nerves of other countries. He is better known abroad for saving the winter olympics than for the dog on his car. Trump’s reputation abroad is so tainted by MSM coverage that it would probably be easier for foreign leaders to deal with popular backlash if Romney became our foreign policy face. Foreign business leaders would probably also be reassured by him, and I hope Putin would figure that he is a bit tougher than Obama.
Romney is a turn-around artist.
If any department needs his talent the most it would be Veteran Affairs. Next in line would be the IRS.
Gingrich is an interesting choice. Not sure he has the temperament for it.
GB’s choice of Fiorina for Secretary of State is interesting. Not likely to happen, would be a surprise pick and isn’t that Trump’s strength.
And did you know she negotiated more than the Compaq deal?
http://fromsecretarytoceo.com/did-you-knowthe-compaq-merger-wasnt-the-only-big-profitable-deal-carly-negotiated-at-hp/
Tuvea Says:
“If any department needs his talent the most it would be Veteran Affairs. Next in line would be the IRS.”
Disagree.
The Justice Department, radicalized by Holder’s hiring practices, is the main driver of:
– the “war on men” and “rape culture” in the universities,
– the fight against voter ID
– preventing the elimination of duplicates, multiples, illegals, felons, the deceased, bovines and cartoon characters from voter rolls,
– the takeover of many local police departments,
– the instigation of racial controversies and confrontations over police shootings,
– the obsession with using the bathroom and locker room of your chosen gender,
– attempts to build national databases of legal gun owners and donors to conservative groups,
– granting Constitutional legal protections to terrorists, foreign and domestic, as ordinary criminals
– and much, much, much more.
I hope sessions is up to this monumental task. He should hire J. Christian Adams, Mark Levin and Chris Christie as his top lieutenants, with orders to kick assess and take names.
OriginalFrank Says:
November 23rd, 2016 at 2:59 pm
I don’t think Romney can be confirmed. There are those all those binders in the dog crate on top of his car…
LOL
expat, I think, hits the nail on the point.
Plus, Romney has gotten a lot of positive press on his correct reading of Russia as a menace, despite Obama’s feckless and facetious mockery.
And may I suggest that international businesses have executives who do business … internationally, which may be more useful than a room full of academic foreign-relations wonks.
I supported Carly for Pres., off course I’d support her for State; yes, even over Romney, who would also be excellent.
The Rep “bench” is quite strong, and full of real conservatives.
I think Carly was more careful then Romney in not being “against” Trump, but very much in favor of conservatives & Reps throughout the down ballot.
At 62 now, Carly would be 70 by 2024 (tho only 66 in 2020). State is an executive slot very appropriate for a future Pres. candidate, or any who are past.
Makes me think of a real dark horse – Rubio.
Who knows? I’m pretty sure Trump hasn’t yet decided, tho I’m sure I don’t know that, either.
Please read the last few weeks of Scott Adams’ blog on Trump as the “Master Persuader”, and especially on the different movies we are all living in and seeing.
http://blog.dilbert.com/post/153559105081/a-lesson-in-cognitive-dissonance
Neo — getting your commenters to talk about Scott’s ideas would be fun, interesting … probably even drive more traffic.
Since JFK, Nixon’s loss, LBJ, and FDR, the elections have been “rigged”. Jim Crow for Demoncrats, was also their way to “rig the vote” as blacks back then voted predominantly Republican.
Trum is also using British and Australian parliamentary alliances and coalitions, where the parties who form the majority, whether 1 or many, get to choose who slots into the various portfolios. In fact, somebody from Australia said all the Republican candidates for President should be put into cabinet or other bureaucratic layer slots. It’s basically how Parliaments clear out the old guard and replace it with the new.
The State Department implements foreign policy. It does not set foreign policy where the nation’s vital interests are at stake. The highest priority for this Secy of State is to bring a corrupted bureaucracy into line. This is why Bolton, who is far more aggressive than Trump, would make a good Secy in spite of policy differences.
Romney made his own bed and will now have to sleep in it. He could not adequately debate Obama and said stupid, unnecessary things about Trump. Two thumbs down.
Gotta be Bolton.