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First New Hampshire Poll Delivers Unexpected Result Between Ron DeSantis and Donald Trump

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We haven’t even had the 2022 election yet and talk of 2024 is already heating up. Naturally, Donald Trump remains at the top of the conversation on the Republican side, but Ron DeSantis has become nearly as talked about as a probable challenger.

The latter has burst onto the scene the last two years as a no-nonsense, fighter of a governor who also has a knack for making the liberal press look ridiculous. Those are skills that GOP voters love, and they’ve earned DeSantis high marks nationally from the Republican base. That he’s also become the leader in the culture wars has only caused his star to rise further.

Just how far has he risen? The first primary poll out of New Hampshire delivered a stunning result on Wednesday, showing DeSantis leading Donald Trump and beating Joe Biden in a general election matchup. Trump is losing by seven points to Biden in the same poll.

Now, before anyone gets too up in arms, understand it’s June 2022. These types of polls are not predictive. They can simply show us trends and shifts in the current environment. Whether these results hold all the way until the primaries start in 2024 is not something anyone can know. In other words, whether you are more in the Trump camp or the DeSantis camp regarding a hypothetical matchup, there’s no reason to feel threatened by these results.

The poll is a data point worth talking about, though. If DeSantis does go on to win New Hampshire, the first primary, he’s almost certainly going to win Iowa, which has a caucus system that doesn’t favor Trump. And if DeSantis takes the first two primaries, all bets are off heading into the next stretch. Prior national polling will not matter at that point because inevitability and momentum mean everything in a presidential primary fight, something Trump himself showed in 2016. That’s not to say DeSantis would have things wrapped up, but he’d be in the driver’s seat.

With that said, I’ve heard the arguments that DeSantis won’t run if Trump does. Let’s just say I don’t buy them one bit. The Florida governor is termed out in 2026, has raised gobs of money (far more than needed for his reelection bid), and has gone out of his way to make himself a national figure. GOP donors are lining up behind him already, and there’s just no way he’s going to wait around until 2028. Further, as past cycles have shown, there’s no risk in coming in second place in a primary. In fact, it typically sets that person up as the frontrunner the next go around.

That leads me to a final question, which is how long does Trump hold his fire? He’s already had his personal pollster release a survey showing Charlie Crist, the likely Democrat nominee for Florida governor, beating Ron DeSantis by one point. That was a result so far away from other polls as to be laughable, and it feels like the tension is building a bit.

Still, I hope both men can keep from going weapons hot until it’s actually time to have a primary fight. Starting the fireworks too early would be a profound mistake for everyone involved. Lastly, when things do finally touch off, I hope Republican voters understand there’s no reason to destroy each other in the process. A competitive race will only help the eventual GOP nominee. Let things play out and root for who you want to root for, knowing that whoever the victor is will be far preferable to the corpse of Joe Biden or Kamala Harris.

The 'Great Opportunity Project' Shows Republicans Standing for American Prosperity

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The Job Creators Network (JCN) is a nonpartisan organization that advocates for employer-to-employee education on government policy and how it affects businesses and the workplace environment. While they do not endorse any political party or candidate, they are not shy about promoting policies that work for individuals and businesses, and calling out elected officials when they are doing what’s right for American business and employees, and when the elected officials are doing something wrong through policies that harm Americans and American businesses.

JCN’s latest initiative is called, the “Great Opportunity Project,” featuring red state governors Brian Kemp of Georgia, Kristi Noem of South Dakota, Doug Ducey of Arizona, Kim Reynolds of Iowa, and Glenn Youngkin of Virginia. These Republican leaders discuss how their free market and low tax policies have led to stability and prosperity among their citizens, helped to grow the state. These 60-second spot will air nationally on Fox Business this week during Mornings with Maria and Charles Payne.

Through the Great Opportunity Project, JCN wants to highlight why sound state-level policies work and seeks to influence and encourage a broader national debate on economic policy.

WATCH:

JCN will also be spotlighting a series of videos of small business owners from each of the states, telling their story on how conservative, free-market policies have shaped their businesses and employees.

Like this 1920s Tavern in Georgia.

And this butcher in South Dakota:

JCN President and CEO Alfredo Ortiz spoke more about why he hopes the Great Opportunity Project gains momentum:

“The economy is the number one issue facing the American people, according to survey after survey. The Great Opportunity Project draws much-needed attention to the success several states have achieved by enacting free-market policies,” he said.

“In contrast to the failed liberal policies being pushed in Washington, DC, many states have achieved impressive growth by empowering small business owners and the private sector. These stories show how real people are affected by good government policy. Our goal is to change the broader national debate over the economy.  This campaign is about growing the opportunity for all Americans to achieve the American Dream.”

This is what I’m talking about. JCN was smart to partner with these governors, and these governors are sending the right message. No matter the polling that signals a red wave, Republicans will not win by simply pointing fingers at the Democrats and their policies. Republicans must show how their championing of individual freedom and free market principles create not only policy and good governance, but prosperity for the businesses and the people in their state.

Are you paying attention, Ronna McDaniel? More of this, please.

Gun trumps butter knife in California carjacking attempt

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A California woman was saved from a carjacking after an armed passerby intervened, sending the would-be thief sprinting away.

According to reports, the carjacker was armed with a butter knife when he approached the woman outside of a restaurant in Merced, California on Friday afternoon. The woman handed over her keys after he demanded them, but the suspect then took off running when an “onlooker” pulled a gun and pointed it at the man.

While one police officer was taking the report of the carjacking attempt, his partner found the suspect nearby and arrested him. He matched the description of a man who four hours earlier had robbed a Walgreens about 2 miles away and left on a bicycle.

The suspect admitted both crimes and said he had gone to Burger Time to buy food with the money he stole from Walgreens, police said.

The suspect, age 36, is on parole from Fresno County. He was booked into Merced County jail on suspicion of robbery and attempted carjacking.

Given California’s leniency towards violent criminals, I’m sure he’ll be out in no time, despite the fact that during the robbery of the Walgreens he allegedly used a gun and not a butter knife.

In other armed citizen news, an Iowa woman used her lawfully-carried firearm to defend herself from what police are calling an “unprovoked” attack at a grocery store in Des Moines on Sunday. Authorities say 30-year old Kapri Lashawn Francis randomly assaulted the shopper inside a Hy-Vee grocery store, causing the victim to draw her gun and fired one shot, striking the woman in the leg (another shopper was injured in his foot when the bullet apparently ricocheted).

Francis was arrested and charged with assault causing bodily injury after receiving medical attention at a local hospital. Police said the victim fired her gun in self-defense after interviewing witnesses and reviewing store surveillance footage.

A business owner who works next to the grocery store described a chaotic scene after the gunshot was fired.

“I decided to come over here to the corner, and I was like, what’s going on?,” Michell Boyum, owner of Sun Seekers Tanning, told KCCI. “One of the employees was down here crying, and she ran to me. And she was like there was a shooting and I immediately grabbed her because she’s maybe 17 years old.”

“A lot of [staff and customers] said that they witnessed it. A couple of them said they had seen the gunshot go off. They had seen the person where they got shot at. They were shaken so bad and all I could do was be there and hold them.”

I’m sure it was a stressful situation for shoppers and employees, but thankfully the armed citizen (who has not been identified by police since she was the victim of the crime) only needed one shot to stop the assault from continuing.

As for the motive, police are saying only that the assault happened after a “spontaneous dispute,” and surveillance video as well as eyewitness testimony match the victim’s description of the attack.

The random nature of these crimes is a reminder of the importance of being prepared and able to protect your life. We can’t rely on the prospect of a passerby defending us from a violent assault or a carjacking. It’s up to us to be our own personal security; though I’ll admit that’s something that’s much easier to do in the Constitutional Carry state of Iowa than the “may issue” state of California, where those hoping to lawfully carry a firearm in self-defense must demonstrate “good cause” before their concealed handgun permit can be approved.

Hopefully the Supreme Court will soon change that by striking down New York’s similar “may issue” law, allowing tens of millions of Americans stuck in “may issue” states the same access to their right to bear arms as the rest of the country. None of California’s many gun control laws prevented the carjacking suspect (and repeat offender) from allegedly using a gun to commit an armed robbery, but they very well may have prevented his target from having a gun of her own to defend herself.

Gun control advocates starting to rally over Iowa amendment

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Most state constitutions require amendments to be voted on directly by the people during the November elections. It’s possible all of them do, though I haven’t read them all.

In Iowa, a measure is coming up for a vote that gun control advocates. It’s an amendment that would set a “strict scrutiny” standard for any gun control laws.

As federal lawmakers hash out details of bipartisan gun laws in the wake of recent mass shootings, a new coalition of gun safety advocates warn a pro-gun amendment to the Iowa Constitution will prohibit reasonable safety measures that Iowans support.

Republican state lawmakers passed legislation last year to add language to the state constitution that the right to keep and bear arms is fundamental and that any restraint on that right is invalid unless it meets the stringent demands of “strict scrutiny.”

The language, which will go before voters for approval this November, states: “The right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed. The sovereign state of Iowa affirms and recognizes this right to be a fundamental individual right. Any and all restrictions of this right shall be subject to strict scrutiny.”

Republicans have argued for the measure for years, saying Iowa is one of only six states without protections in its constitution for the right to keep and bear arms.

And Iowa isn’t a particularly anti-gun state, either, which is why gun-control advocates are so upset.

Yet I honestly can’t imagine why.

After all, if gun control is so constitutional, why would they worry about a strict scrutiny standard in the first place. Could it be they know their preferred policies are actually an infringement on people’s gun rights and, therefore would not be tolerated under such a standard?

Of course it won’t, and that’s kind of the point.

But now, the people of Iowa can dictate whether or not they want that kind of standard in their state. That, too, is likely a problem for the gun control crowd, which is telling their people to vote no on the amendment.

Shocking, I know.

I do find it interesting that Iowa doesn’t have such protection for gun rights in its constitution, but then again, they also shouldn’t need them. The right to keep and bear arms should be preserved adequately at the federal level, with the courts applying strict scrutiny on gun laws from any level of government.

Unfortunately, we’ve seen too many courts decide to ignore the plain text of the Heller ruling. This won’t stop that at the federal court level, unfortunately, but it can do a lot of good throughout Iowa itself.

The truth is that gun control advocates don’t care about people’s rights.

Now, the question is whether the amendment will pass or not, but this far out, it’s difficult to tell one way or another. I sincerely hope it does and I hope the gun control jihadists in the state learn to live with their disappointment.

Just kidding. I don’t care whether they learn to live with it or not, just so long as they get to experience it.

Feel-Good Friday: A Three-Time Kidney Recipient Creates Care Packages for Other Patients

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Over in Oskaloosa, Iowa, a man who has been the recipient of three kidney transplants decided to take his gratitude and put it into action by providing care packages to patients awaiting kidneys.

In July 2021, the local KCCI News reported on Shane Blanchard and his unorthodox search to find a kidney donor.

Shane Blanchard has to have a living kidney donor. That’s because his antibodies are so high from multiple blood transfusions.

He’s facing an upward battle trying to find a match. Blanchard’s blood type is AB+, which means he can accept anyone’s blood or organs. That’s the easy part.

He says the hard part is finding that one person who fits the rest of the criteria. He’s using social media to get the word out, while finding his calling in life, advocating for others in need of a donor.

Blanchard says it takes a positive attitude and strong support from loved ones to live with kidney failure.

Blanchard is right about needing the strong support of loved ones. The health crisis of kidney failure is not an easy one to navigate, and has been one that has hit close to my home. My mother was on dialysis in the year before she passed away in 2001. She suffered from Alzheimer’s, but it was ultimately the renal failure that did her in. One of my closest friend’s brother was in kidney failure, and it was years of dialysis, waiting, and praying before a donor was found. In March, one of my nephews died from complications of the disease. So, Shane Blanchard’s exceptionally positive attitude, his determination to live, as well as his drive to pay it forward to others who are experiencing what he experienced, is worth a Feel-Good Friday story.

In 2022, Blanchard’s social media search resulted in him finding a cousin who was willing to donate his kidney. As a result of this gift, Blanchard wanted to do something to help others waiting on their miracle gift of life:

Shane Blanchard has undergone three kidney transplants and was inspired to help those like him.

On Monday, Blanchard and his coworkers packed care packages to be distributed later this week to dialysis centers.

Blanchard said when he first received his diagnosis, he felt lost but now his goal is to remind others going through the same health struggles that they are not alone.

“It’s really to help those on Dialysis just to make time go by a little smoother and to help them be a little more comfortable. And there’s a little bit of educational material that’s a part of this as well,” Blanchard said.

Blanchard doesn’t plan on stopping here. He created a non-profit called, Midwest Kidney Warriors, whose goal is to advocate for patients awaiting kidneys, and to help them connect with potential donors.