SaddleBrooke GOP Holds Straw Poll for President

EXCLUSIVE TO SBINSIDER| June 17th, 2023

At the SaddleBrooke Republican club meeting this week, a straw poll was conducted to gauge the current support for the Republican candidate for 2024. While notably a small sample, the attendees reflect the current thinking of people who are the activists in the GOP.

Out of 56 ballots cast the results:

Donald Trump 50%

Ron DeSantis 38% 

The remainder of the votes were fairly evenly spread among the other lesser known candidates; Vivek Ramaswamy, 2; Mike Pence, 2; Tim Scott,1; Nicki Halley, 1; Chris Christie, 1.

Commenting on the results, Kathleen Dunbar, President of the GOP club said, ” I’m not surprised at Trump’s strength. I think many Republicans think that although as President he was excellent in his policies,  many worry whether he can be elected in 2024.”

Other Republicans remarked that they like Trumpism but were concerned about Trump himself, particularly with all the chaos still surrounding the ex-President. “Official Washington (or the DC Swamp)  hates Trump and will do anything legal or not, to keep him from running, ” said one club member.  Indeed, President Biden said on November 9th 2022, that he would do everything he could to keep Trump out of the 2024 race. Apparently, Attorney General Merrick Garland got the message.

This local vote closely matches recent national polls as reported at the best polling website linked here:  Real Clear Politics. 

Race/Topic National Poll Results Spread (by percentage) 

2024 Republican Presidential Nomination by Quinnipiac:

Trump 53%

DeSantis 23%

Pence 4, Haley 4, Scott 4, Ramaswamy 3, Christie 4, Youngkin 1, Hutchinson 1, Burgum 0, Elder 0 Trump +30 pts.

Historical Presidential attacks on opponents: Jefferson, Wilson

Legal attacks or “lawfare” are not entirely new in Presidential politics. In 1807, President Jefferson  had former Vice-President Aaron Burr arrested for treason. Burr was acquitted. In 1918, Democrat President Woodrow Wilson had labor activist Eugene Debs arrested for Sedition and Debs was convicted and sent to prison. Debs still appeared on the ballot and received 3.4% of the vote. The Supreme Court reviewed the Debs case and affirmed that he had violated the law.