The best news yet about Donald Trump

Sobriety, strength and the rule of law appear on the radar screen.

The New York Times, of all things, brings us welcome news about Donald Trump and the search for a Veep candidate. The headline of today’s story is, “Trump’s V.P. Pageant Has an Unexpectedly Strong Contender: Tom Cotton.”

If I had my druthers, the Republican ticket this year would be Clarence Thomas for the top spot and Cotton as VP. I won’t be getting my druthers, and of course I might not be getting anything, since Trump is hardly guaranteed to win the election and his thinking about a running mate seems to wander hither and yon in any event. Still, today’s news is a very good sign about Trump’s seriousness of purpose and judgment.

Cotton would not add anything directly in terms of the Electoral College, since Arkansas in going Republican one way or the other. But in terms of the single most important question — who is best able to serve as President should Trump be unable to finish his term — Cotton is a superb choice. This is likewise true of another quite important issue, to wit, who can unite the Trump/populist wing of the Republican Party with the more traditional Reagan/Bush wing. Right now, this is a problem for DJT. Cotton rightly enjoys the respect and enthusiasm of both wings.

The Times’ story starts:

Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas has unexpectedly emerged as a top contender to become Donald J. Trump’s running mate, a signal that the former president is heavily weighing experience and the ability to run a disciplined campaign over other factors.

Mr. Cotton’s ascendance comes as Mr. Trump’s leading vice-presidential options have increasingly come into focus, according to three people with direct knowledge of Mr. Trump’s thinking who insisted on anonymity to discuss private meetings.

I don’t necessarily believe a single word the Times writes, but having been inside the Beltway for roughly half a century, this has the ring of truth to me. I only wish that Trump had the same desire for discipline in his own behavior and judgment that he is now said to have for his Vice Presidential choice. But since that choice in the end is a reflection of Trump’s judgment, this is a very good sign.

Mr. Trump’s interest in Mr. Cotton, who won a second term in the Senate in 2020, reflects this do-no-harm mentality.

Actually, it reflects a good deal more than that, to wit, a recognition of high character, intelligence, courage and achievement. But this is still the New York Times, so there’s only so much you can expect. Nonetheless, if further down the page, the Times acknowledges:

The former president has said privately that he views Mr. Cotton as a reliable and effective communicator in cable news interviews. Mr. Trump has also praised Mr. Cotton’s Army service, which included deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, and the fact that he is a fellow Ivy League graduate. Mr. Trump went to the University of Pennsylvania, and Mr. Cotton attended Harvard, earning undergraduate and law degrees.

For good reason, conservatives have become suspicious of a Harvard “education,” but Tom Cotton seems to have survived it with flying colors, and it’s very likely still a plus with the general electorate. And the prospect of a Tom Cotton v. Kamala Harris debate is…..well…..hard to describe. Do they still have the mercy rule in Little League? If so, they’re going to need to carry it over to any such debate. It will be like the proverbial train wreck: You can’t watch it, but you can’t turn away either.

Mr. Cotton has long been considered one of the party’s rising stars, ambition that could hurt his chances with Mr. Trump, who has undermined allies in the past when he perceived them to be intruding on his spotlight.

Mr. Cotton also voted to certify the results of the 2020 presidential race, a move that flew in the face of Mr. Trump’s insistence that the election was stolen. But Mr. Rubio and Mr. Scott also voted to certify the results, and Mr. Burgum has said that former Vice President Mike Pence did the right thing by resisting Mr. Trump’s pressure to try to overturn the results.

Cotton’s stance on the last election is not only a reflection on his fidelity to traditional norms and the rule of law; it’s going to be useful in blunting the only question the MSM will be asking Trump’s Veep choice, namely, “Do you agree with Mr. Trump that the last election was stolen, or do you think that Joe Biden is authentically the President of the United States?” (N.B. The best answer I’ve heard to that question is, “Look at the price of gas and groceries. Of course Joe Biden is President of the United States.”).

Mr. Trump has spoken highly of Mr. Cotton for years. After winning the White House in 2016, Mr. Trump considered the senator for an administration post, and the two men fostered a close relationship during their time in Washington. They worked closely on immigration issues and shared an affinity for the conservative populism fueling the Republican Party.

Having at one time worked in the White House (for George H. W. Bush), I can tell you that having someone in the building who can get access to the Oval Office and to whom the President will listen is simply indispensable. This is especially true as respects someone with Trump’s not entirely predictable personality and decision-making.

Mr. Cotton’s presence on a presidential ticket could help reassure Republicans in the party’s dwindling traditional wing, particularly fellow foreign-policy hawks. Many of these Republicans remain undecided about a second term for Mr. Trump and might be put off by the selection of an inexperienced MAGA loyalist.

In the world the New York Times inhabits, a “foreign policy hawk” is someone who refuses to betray Israel; views the Iranian, Chinese and Russian threats with the seriousness and sobriety they urgently need; is willing to use force to defend the country’s interests abroad; and is not falling all over himself to placate our enemies while stiffing our friends.

[Cotton] could also carry some risks…[H]is support for Mr. Trump’s push to deploy troops against protesters in 2020 could motivate liberal voters who remain unenthusiastic about Mr. Biden, but are outraged over the former president’s authoritarian inclinations, to vote for the incumbent.

Again, you need to remember that this is the New York Times. The protesters now making news — and lots of it — are the hundreds of Hamas-Is-Wonderful characters currently making havoc of campus life and reminding anyone paying attention that the Leftists who are the emotive engine of the Democratic Party are at best paralyzed by, and at worst in league with, these hoodlums (who I strongly suspect will make quite a show of themselves at the Democratic National Convention). Rather then being the deficit the Times fantasizes, a firm hand with these crypto-Nazis will, in my view, be a huge plus for a Trump-Cotton ticket.