My wild scheme to stop Trump by registering Republican and voting for DeSantis in the primary.
I've always been a registered independent because I've never fully identified with any political party given that I'm socially liberal and fiscally conservative (although the latter is increasingly meaningless). However, pre-2016 I voted Republican 99% of the time; the only Democrats I had ever voted for were Bob Menéndez and Albio Sires. Post-2016 I've voted Democrat 99% of the time, unless it's a far-left candidate in which case I vote Libertarian. Obviously, this is because National Populism has taken over the Republican Party and a party that chooses Trump over McCain will never receive a single vote from me, ever again.
I am willing to make a major exception in the upcoming presidential primary season by registering Republican and voting for Ron DeSantis, the governor of my now home state of Florida. Of course, this scheme would never work at the national level since Trumpistan would quickly use it against the governor by pointing out how he is the Democrat's preferred choice. But, I would still do it for three reasons: 1. Trump is a fool who should never be in a room alone with Xi Jinping; 2. Trump is a fool who should never be in a room alone with Xi Jinping; and 3. Trump is a fool who should never be in a room alone with Xi Jinping.
Ron DeSantis, like the rest of the Republican Party, is all in on National Populism. However, as governor of Florida he competently navigated the pandemic which is one of the reasons he recently won re-election with a 20 point margin in a state where Trump won 51.2% of the vote vs. President Biden's 47.9%. Mr. DeSantis is a Navy veteran, with degrees from Yale and Harvard. I would not vote for him in a national election but I would trust the governor to uphold the interests of the United States of America if he were in a room alone with Xi Jinping.