ASK TITO – 4th of July Edition: WWE MITB Predictions, AEW Forbidden Door, Best U.S. Champ?, and More

Happy 4th of July to everyone in the United States of America and to those reading this from another country… Ummmm, Happy 4th of July! I usually pride myself with creating a column during a holiday for y’all to read as you’re digesting heavy amounts of food and waiting for the next activity, such as dibs on the next cornhole game or waiting for darkness to begin fireworks. Happy 248th Birthday to the USA, who declared its independence because they did not want to be ruled by a King. But now they are thanks to 6 judges on the Supreme Court.

Of course, I’m saying that just to ruffle your feathers because through 2024, you can’t quite do the wrestling angles of the past. A few years ago, Jack Swagger did his “We the People” gimmick and it was meant to be a heel gimmick. However, the gimmick was hitting too close to home per the Tea Party movement following the 2008 elections. Suddenly, they were getting over because the audience had changed politically.

In the past, Americans could easily get behind wanting the Iron Sheik, ANY Russian based wrestler, or Iraqi sympathizers during 1990-1991 to lose. Hell, WWE was able to successfully draw money and revitalize their company in 1997 with the pro-Canadian Hart Foundation group who would bash America. The 2000s tried things with the UnAmericans, and then you had the Muhammad Hassan. For the latter point, WWE officials angered UPN (or if they were CW by then) when they had guys in ski masks choking out the Undertaker in piano wire during July 2005. That was good sign that perception of using politically charged angles in the WWE was changing.

As the last 20 years have evolved, so has politics. We’re evenly divided now on being a Republican/conservative or a Democrat/liberal. Elections are won with barely being over 50% of the vote now, or the winner is under 50% because of a few third party candidates taking away some of the vote. In the past, people either didn’t talk about politics or just didn’t take it personally. Now, you could get into a fist fight discussing the merits of Donald Trump’s involvement in politics, and that includes with family members. Social Media has made politics really personal, especially with that tool able to spread disinformation so quickly.

During October 28th, 2020 for NoDQ, I wrote a column about how 1998 was the PEAK for wrestling and politics. For wrestling, I argued that the WWE and WCW feud was ending, WWE had the right things in place by then to continue to grow through 1999 after 1998, and ECW had already peaked and 1999 would begin its true downfall with some financial issues and a bad TV deal with TNN.

For politics, however, I argued how the President and Congress was unified and passing lots of great reforms on a bipartisan basis. Then, the Monica Lewinsky stuff hit the fan and an opportunity was sought to impeach the President. 1998 was the first year when our Federal Budget was balanced and the pinnacle of the strong economy. Through 1999, the wheels started to fall apart and for 2000, the dot com world was ready to explode. By 2001, we had a recession and then somehow, terrorists were able to infiltrate our system and cause 9/11. We get a heavily contested 2000 election between Bush and Gore, and then heavy debate about the wars that followed the events of 9/11. Obama actually won handily during 2008, following that bad financial crisis, but he had a ton of opposition as President such as invalid claims about his birth certificate which a future President seized upon opposition to become the President for 2016. For 2020, another close election and you have one that claimed it was rigged and refused to every acknowledge who won publicly (but a few recordings exist privately).

The fact is that we’re too divided and hence why our wrestling characters are sanitized politically now. The “We the People” gimmick with Jack Swagger will possibly be the last true attempt at a political gimmick, as wrestling companies are too scared of losing HALF of their audience and sponsors are very sensitive about anything political. Hence why WWE has been a PG company since the late 2010s and has scrubbed out any politically incorrect term from their show. We’re getting promises of Netflix being “unfiltered”, but I highly doubt that the WWE would even dare bring back politically charged gimmicks or storylines. WWE is owned by a TKO corporation who is owned by Endeavor who actually has new corporate owners themselves recently. While Netflix is actually loose on its content’s standards and practices, I don’t believe the Endeavor/TKO machine will be and won’t let WWE blister the earth with adult themed content. You’ll hear the weaker curse words used more often, such as “sh*t”, but that’s it.

See, that’s what made Pro Wrestling fun… It used to take chances, was provocative, tried to pull emotion out of fans, and often had payoffs. Sometimes, it went too far… And yes, Iron Sheik was marginalized for where he came from, but he had a great career in wrestling. While everyone remembers Hulk Hogan winning the WWE Title, the fact is that Sheik had it around his waist when Hogan beat him. Sheik had a great career and is considered a WWE and wrestling legend, in spite of who his character was representing. And just to show you how hilarious the 1990-1991 crowd was, nobody took offense to him suddenly becoming an Iraqi sympathizer. If that was done today, it would be “too offensive”.

Additionally, we’re long from the days of seeing someone like Sable walk out there with next to nothing, too. Women are presented as strong athletes now, instead of presenting them purposely for the male audience such as Miss Elizabeth, Sunny, Sable, Marlena, Torrie Wilson, and initially with Trish Stratus until she became a serious wrestler. Women’s wrestling, back then, was a very limited act and not taken that seriously. What helped the Attitude Era was the likes of Sunny and Sable showing it off and female performers appearing in the pages of Playboy. Now, you can’t even suggest appearing nude, even though some of the pictures posted by female wrestlers are quite risque on their Instagram accounts. Online fans get offended when photos get leaked, while any Attitude Era fan who points out how important Sunny or Sable was to the late 1990s boom gets shouted down boy today’s fans.

Go back to the late 1990s… We were all 100% behind Stone Cold Steve Austin. Also back then, we watched BOTH WWE and WCW during the Monday Night Wars and felt it was a LUXURY to have competing wrestling companies. Now, however, you plant your flag for either WWE or AEW, and NOT for both. Huh? The fanbases for WWE and AEW are completely tribal, at least they are among the savages residing on Social Media and screaming at each other there. Anytime that I write something about WWE or AEW, I get attacked by their fanbases. One week I’m anti-AEW, the next I’m anti-WWE. Or, if I say something positive about the WWE, that makes me a pro-WWE fan and anytime I praise AEW, I pretty much get laughed at.

We’ve come a long way in the past 25 years or so since 1998… However, I don’t always see it as better. We’re too divided and we cannot get over being divided, too. Everyone is now “my way or the highway” and that’s not what the UNITED States of America was meant to be. We’re 50 states who are banded together to be the best country in the world. Yet now, we’re seriously ready to fight each other because of our cult-like loyalty to one party or another and get legitimately mad at others when they won’t join your cult. Heaven forbid that you be in the middle and choose from the BEST of both parties, while actually liking both AEW and WWE. Can’t do that, as everyone just feels like they need to yell at the clouds these days.

BUT, I’ve been saying something in my recent columns, I believe things like being too involved on one side of politics and deeply devoted and defensive of one brand is a sign of how things have gone since the “peak” of 1998. I just don’t think people are satisfied with themselves economically, as companies are getting richer at the top and haven’t been rewarding the worker bees that make them successful. The bouts of inflation seen during the mid 2000s and since 2020 have eroded consumer purchasing power, too, while bosses and company owners aren’t harmed, as much, by higher prices. Hell, if their costs rise, they just pack it onto their prices… But I also think that during the late 2000s, many companies got away with bad investments only to be bailed out so easily from new debt created. Furthermore, there isn’t accountability for company owners for their bad company or moral decisions.

Take Vince McMahon as an example… He was President, CEO, and Board Chairman along with being the #1 shareholder. As a WWE fan before 2020, you were frustrated because the storylines weren’t getting better, developmental stars from NXT were flatlined in WWE, and the lowbrow comedy was a struggle to get through weekly on RAW and Smackdown. But, without any real competition, Vince McMahon could never be held accountable for quality of his shows. Sure, the company’s finances were growing through the roof, but they could have been LARGER. However, Vince was the #1 shareholder and thus that challenge about the QUALITY of WWE shows could never be brought up along with the treatment of wrestlers.

When it was revealed during the late Spring of 2022 that Vince McMahon had major problems with employees, fans rejoiced and then when he resigned, we cheered once again. Finally, this guy was being held accountable… But then things deflated during early 2023 when he forced his way back on as Board Chairman and was shopping the company around so that HE could make billions. And so he did, but even then, Endeavor made him Board Chairman of the newly formed TKO corporation that not only was overseeing WWE, but UFC too. He earned billions, had millions of TKO shares, and he was still in charge. Then, during the week of the Royal Rumble, details of the lawsuit hit the fan and Vince was finally held accountable… However, while he’s gone as TKO Board Chairman, he’s swimming in billions and billions of dollars from the share sells. But, the Department of Justice is now looking into him… What happens to the DOJ investigation when his old pal becomes President again, possibly from the 2024 election?

It’s this LACK of accountability for the guys at the top, lack of income opportunities for most workers, and the lack of disregard for how prices keep inflating faster than incomes can even rise that is fueling the division that I see out there. People are clinging to a politician out of hope that they’ll change their lives instantly… They find channels online to debate 24/7 a day and can yell at each other over which wrestling promotion is better, WWE or AEW? Hell, they can yell at their family members, too, regarding politics or whatever. Everyone is trying to find a punching bag to whale on for everybody frustrations.

That’s America and wrestling fans in a nutshell here on July 4th, 2024.

I really worry about this upcoming election. Not just for who may win or who may lose, but the reactions of both sides to winning or losing. One side will celebrate and possibly feel the need to rub it in, while other side will have anger sitting in. Just seems like a powder keg is out there and ready to explode… Many just need to pop in the Avett Brothers and check out their great song Head Full of Doubt/Road Full of Promise… In that song, it states:

When nothing is owed or deserved or expected
And your life doesn’t change by the man that’s elected
If you’re loved by someone, you’re never rejected
Decide what to be and go be it

And your lives as wrestling fans won’t be improved by being 100% devoted to just one promotion or another. Enjoy ALL wrestling… If you don’t like a particular promotion, just prune that off of your viewing tree and let other people just enjoy it without hassle. Save yourself some time by not screaming at each other online.

Or just join me and become an “equal opportunity hater” of both WWE and AEW. 😉

Onto your F’N questions, y’all.

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Do you think that AEW has too many matches on their card?

YES – If you attended AEW’s Forbidden Door, you witnessed 15 wrestling matches and endured over 3.5 hours of in-ring action alone and that’s NOT including any promotional breaks during the show. As a TV viewers of the main show, you witnessed about 2 hours and 40 minutes of in-ring action from 10 matches but that is also not including any promotional breaks during the show. That is an exhausting evening…

Now, in case you haven’t noticed, WWE is now opting for FEWER matches on the card and going with shorter one-night shows. For Wrestlemania, they are providing you with 2 shorter one-night shows that are each up to 3 hours in length per night of the total show but much less on the total in-ring action.

BUT I think that AEW is packing their Pay Per View cards because (a) they HAVE to pull in the Pay Per View dollars because they don’t have a streaming service and (b) nobody is watching AEW for the storylines, or at least that’s what Tony Khan is thinking. He’s over-compensating for his product by packing in more action inside the ring because they guy cannot write creative storylines if his life depended on it.

Eventually, AEW is going to run into the same headaches that WCW and later the WWE endured by packing their RAW, Nitro, and Smackdown shows and monthly Pay Per Views with too many matches. You’ll get to a point by doing too much that everybody has worked with everybody already, and no match-ups are special. The “great” Will Ospreay has already burned through several top match-ups and guys like Omega, Okada, and Ospreay have already wrestled themselves many times elsewhere or already had big match-ups with wrestlers on the AEW roster. But what many don’t realize is the mileage each of those 3 have accumulated, so if they try to redo their past glory, it won’t be as good as it once was. Father Time always wins.

Packing too many matches on a card is just a sign of Tony Khan’s desperation. If his storylines cannot draw you into spending $50 per show, then a whole bunch of matches will. Tony has ZERO concept of “less is more” and will eventally burn out that entire roster from being over-exposed or injured.

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What are your WWE Money in the Bank predictions?

Y’all keep asking me for predictions, probably ribbing me because you know that I hate writing predictions columns. They just bore me, because part of me keeps thinking on what the WWE should do while trying to predict what they’ll actually do.

But I’ll give it the old college try because I like my readers…

Men’s Money in the Bank: Jey Uso vs. Carmelo Hayes vs. Andrade vs. Chad Gable vs. LA Knight vs. Drew McIntyre
Alright, let’s predict who WON’T win it. Carmelo, Andrade, Chad Gable, and Drew McIntyre. Too early for Carmelo, Andrade is there for big spots but isn’t a serious World Title contender, I think Gable will win a midcard title soon instead, and Drew McIntyre’s focus is 100% on CM Punk and not on a briefcase to possibly cash-in. Punk will likely do something to screw Drew and that will pour gasoline onto their SummerSlam match that may actually headline SummerSlam 2024…

That leaves Jey Uso and LA Knight. When the Rock arrived, it quickly extinguished the fire of LA Knight though he did have a good match at Wrestlemania 40 with AJ Styles. That said, he just doesn’t feel too strong as a World Title contender at the moment BUT the MITB briefcast could used to boost him as a threat to take the World Title at any point and time. MITB is a clear booking crutch, but LA Knight needs something like that right now.

Jey Uso is very over and WWE may feel the need to reward the fans who have been heavily supporting him. Does he have bad habits that are exposed when he works as a singles wrestler? Yes, you saw that very much on display at Wrestlemania 40. BUT HE’S OVER and personality wise, he has been the 2nd most important Bloodline wrestling member behind Roman. It wouldn’t surprise me to see Jey attempt a MITB cash-in at a Pay Per View, only to get screwed out of that opportunity by Solo’s Bloodline group.

Tito Predicts: Jey Uso wins MITB

Women’s Money in the Bank: Iyo Sky vs. Chelsea Green vs. Lyra Valkyria vs. Tiffany Stratton vs. Naomi vs. Zoey Stark

To me, there is only one who should truly win this… Tiffany Stratton. I understand that she’s young, needs more experience, and maybe we’re rushing her too early… But damn, she’s ready. Tiffany is one of the most talented female wrestlers on the roster and has the personality down. Her winning the MITB briefcase would create heat itself and I think she can back it up. Otherwise, Chelsea Green would be my secondary choice as I’m always rooting for her to succeed. In my opinion, she’s been Triple H’s best re-signings of past released talents and has the talent to do well with the MITB opportunity.

Tito Predicts: Tiffany Stratton

Damien Priest vs. Seth Rollins
Priest just isn’t a strong champion, though he has the tools but the presentation of him limits his possibilities. That or some people just aren’t main eventers. I think Priest would benefit from a tough loss and then work during the next year to define his character. Think about what Drew McIntyre just did this year and the guy is on absolute fire after years of being a bland character himself. THAT is what Priest needs. Seth Rollins was heavily relied upon during Wrestlemania 40 and needs rewarded (along with showing his wife that WWE cares still about Seth and Becky).

Tito Predicts: Seth Rollins

Sami Zayn vs. Bron Breakker
We saw the news that WWE’s plans for Bron have reportedly changed… That’s all I need to know, WWE is serious about pushing him now. That said, I suggested that Chad Gable might be chasing the IC Title… If Zayn loses, I don’t see heel Bron Breakker feuding with heel Chad Gable. I could see Sami escaping loss and then allowing Gable to take the IC Title away from Zayn later. Maybe Gable cashes in the MITB to win the IC Title immediately over the winner of this match and maybe that turns Bron into a babyface? Don’t know…

Tito Predicts: Bron Breakker, but I’m torn on this choice. Could go either way.

Bloodline (any of the 3) versus Randy Orton/Kevin Owens/Cody Rhodes
Jacob Fatu will sit this one out and just interfere often in the match instead of performing. Match will be all about setting up Solo Sikoa vs. Cody Rhodes for SummerSlam 2024 and thus you’ll see Solo pinning Cody Rhodes to win this match. Very likely that Cody seems to get better of Solo, but then Jacob Fatu interferes and helps Solo score the win. That pin in this 6-man match gives Solo the reasoning to challenge Cody for the WWE Title at SummerSlam 2024. This seems too much in stone, as Cody vs. Solo is reportedly going to be the SummerSlam match-up for the Smackdown World Title.

Tito Predicts: Bloodline wins

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Do you think that Warner Bros. Discovery’s reported bids on Paramount Global could affect the re-signing of AEW?

Nope… Corporations can walk and chew bubblegum at the same time, though often, they tend to have a high level of debt. To me, I think Warner Bros. Discovery ditching the overpriced NBA contract could be their desires to obtain the live sports contracts that Paramount Global has. CBS has great NFL coverage, NCAA basketball coverage (which now becomes 100% with WBD), and NCAA football coverage. Merging MAX with Paramount Plus would be huge, along with merging HBO/Cinemax/Showtime to make a venue for ultimate adult premium content would be huge as well.

If Warner Bros. Discovery is willing to pay up to $70 billion to acquire Paramount Global, then giving AEW over $100 million per year is chump change. WBD needs cheap live sporting content to fill time on their channels that is LESS expensive than airing re-runs of television shows, replays of movies, or creating original televised content. However, I don’t see WBD paying over $125 million for something that draws less than 800,000 viewers and cannot attract high paying sponsorships. $110 million, the reported number, almost doubles what WBD is paying for content now and AEW should take it for the exposure.

Who else is going to pay them? If WBD buys Viacom, that’s one less buyer off the table. Netflix and Comcast/NBC/Universal are in bed with WWE. Disney has its own debt and expensive content problems. Maybe Amazon or Apple, but I just don’t see their executives being overly impressed with Tony’s content offerings.

If AEW agrees for something just above $100 million, then WBD will pay ball… If Tony thinks that his declining show deserves more, then he’ll get lowballed by someone else. I just don’t see AEW getting more than $110 million per year from any other buyers, especially with the way they aren’t drawing viewership or sponsors right now.

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4th of July Related Question: Who was the best United States Champion of all time?

With this question, we’re going to look at the NWA/WCW title combined with the United States title iterations that the WWE has tried. THANKFULLY for me, the WWE somehow links their 2003 created United States Title with the WCW lineage, so thus I only have 1 big list to look at. However, this is difficult because the United States Title before 1985 was a very competitive title because as the NWA Title as traded among the territories, the US Title in the Mid-Atlantic NWA that later became WCW had a real importance to it because that became a defacto top title if the NWA world title was somewhere else. It is a serious who’s who of top wrestlers ever with Harley Race, Ric Flair, Ricky Steamboat, Terry Funk, Roddy Piper, Sgt. Slaughter, and Greg Valentine.

And I didn’t watch it closely back then, only beginning to watch NWA stuff during 1988 and backtracking through the rental of tapes back then for just a few years back.

To me, Barry Windham’s 1988-1989 run was perfect and he was the US Champ of the best version of the Four Horsemen when Flair, Tully, and Arn. Barry held the title from May 1988 until February 1989 when he put over Lex Luger at Chi-Town Rumble (one of my personal favorite PPVs ever). After that Barry title reign, the U.S. Title switched hands repeatedly during most years and was just a transitional title.

Outside of that, John Cena’s initial 2004 run, I felt was very important. He won the title at Wrestlemania 20 and beat a credible champion in the Big Show to achieve that, but it was icing on the cake for John Cena’s growing character. He had so much swagger with that title and eventually introduce the spinning U.S. Title which was cooler than the spinning WWE Title he’d later introduce. The title was just a midcard title when was re-introduced on the Smackdown brand during 2003, but John Cena made something of that belt after he won it at Wrestlemania 20.

I gotta say, Logan Paul is an excellent U.S. Champion. I don’t care that he barely wrestles… When he does, IT MATTERS and he’s treating that U.S. Title like it’s a big deal. He had it in front of the former President during their interview, for God’s sakes.

Anyone from pre-1985 can be considered the BEST United States Champion ever… Aside from that era, I’m leaning towards John Cena. That US Title win from Wrestlemania 20 legitimized the great growth that he did during 2003 and he made that championship felt meaningful, insomuch that he was rewarded with the WWE Title later.

But damn, I love me some Barry Windham from 1988-1989, and I’m always sad that his career didn’t go to bigger heights. Not sure what the WWE did with the “Widow Maker” gimmick, but hey could have had an excellent opponent for the Ultimate Warrior or Hulk Hogan but bad booking and bad luck (Barry had to take care of family later that year) intervened.

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What are your expectations for an “unfiltered” Monday Night RAW on Netflix?

I don’t expect too much, other than some lighter curse words being used or maybe some more sexual inuendo used on promos. F-bombs will be only used for a purpose, but I can see the word “bullsh*t” used often or “piece of sh*t”. In other words, expect a whole lot of “sh*t”. If anything else, angles will be a big more violent and we’ll see some increased use of blood.

I don’t see them pushing sexualized angles, though, like we saw with Sunny or especially Sable during the Attitude Era and later with Torrie Wilson and Trish Stratus. Women are used differently… Besides, what they wrestle in now is quite revealing…

I just think you’ll see promos getting more adult themed and more violence… But going full blown into the Attitude Era, I just don’t see it.

HOWEVER – I do see one day Netflix being under scrutiny with their content and all it takes is for the FCC to gain review power of streaming services. You don’t think that’s possible? Right now, there is a push for banking regulations to be applied to financial apps (Venmo, Cash App, etc.) and I could see a push for the FCC to place their tenacles into the streaming world. That same Parents Television Council (PTC) group that went after the WWE still exists and they still have a ton of political clout (part of the reason for political correctness on television). Furthermore, Network and Cable/Satellite television know people in Washington, too, and could lobby for the FCC or other agencies to regulate streaming as well.

For that reason, I don’t think the WWE will be allowed to push the envelope that much on Netflix. Aside from a few shows, Netflix has a lot of tame content for everyone of different ages to enjoy. At the end of the day, parents should monitor what their kids are watching.

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Thoughts on Jeff Jarrett getting bounced early in AEW’s Owen Hart Tournament?

Isn’t Jeff Jarrett 56 and about to turn 57?

And isn’t Adam “Hangman” Page 32 years old, about to turn 33? And isn’t he a former AEW World Champion from 2 years ago?

Sure, I understand that Owen Hart was a close friend of Jeff Jarrett’s, but Owen Hart has ZERO connection to All Elite Wrestling other than his widow lending his name to the promotion. Sorry, the “doing it for Owen” stuff isn’t going to fly here and old man Jarrett. And if fans are behind Jarrett during his match with Adam Page, then that helps with Page to obtain some heat for beating Jarrett.

Sorry, but about to be 57 year old wrestlers shouldn’t be defeating about to be 33 former World Champions from just 2 years ago.

This is the LOGIC of the online wrestling fans that I’m constantly calling out and holding accountable.

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Will WWE Hall of Famer Donald Trump win the 2024 election?

I’ll say this on the 4th of July 2024, the odds are in his favor… Just looking in terms of energy, those on the right really want Trump as president whereas those on the left are just settling for Biden to return as president. That was the problem heading into the June debate, as Biden is older and was literally selected to be the candidate during 2020 because the other Democratic candidates weren’t polling strong against Trump. So hence, they settled on an older Joe Biden who is now 4 years older and sadly, it’s showing. That debate performance was terrible and ripped the Band-aid off the worries about Joe’s faculties declining. I think the past 4 years of cleaning up the COVID mess, restarting the economy, trying to prosecute the wrongs of January 6th, and the many conflicts around the world have aged him quickly. Trump was full of lies during that debate, yet Biden couldn’t hit any of those softballs out of the park because he was physically struggling to get through that debate.

And now the stakes are even higher, thanks to the Supreme Court voting 6-3 to declare that a President has full immunity from law for what are deemed “official acts” of the President.

We’re 124 days away from Election Day on November 5th and changing your ticket could prove to be challenging, particular since voters approved of Joe Biden as their candidate. Because he won those delegates, those are his and the Democrats can’t just strip him. Biden, himself, would have to resign as the Democratic presidential candidate in order for a replacement process to begin. What happens after that? Do the Democrats have a nationwide election held for the people to choose and then that vote is ratified at the August 19-22 Democratic Convention? Or do they rip up the votes made by the people and the party chooses the ticket at the Convention?

It’s messy and you’ll have to remember WHY Joe Biden won the 2020 primaries in the first place… The others weren’t drawing well, particular in the Midwestern swing states, particularly Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin. However, because the Democrats went with an older Biden, they ditched any possibilities for a youth movement in their party. And I just don’t see much development from Kamala Harris, the Vice President, who hasn’t really made much of a stamp as Vice President. Joe Biden and Dick Cheney, for example, were heavily relied upon as the #2 guys whereas Kamala Harris has been quiet. If she runs for President instead of Biden, they’ll expose how ineffective she has been on the border for Biden as her side-project.

Again, what everyone has to realize is that this election is literally decided by the 3 Midwestern states of Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin. Ohio is now fully red and same with Missouri, as those were swing states. There’s a chance that North Carolina, Virginia, Arizona, Georgia, and Nevada could create some election day chaos, but still, it’s how you appeal to Midwestern voters is what matters now in Presidential elections. I just don’t see California Democrats, such as Kamala Harris or Gavin Newsom, appealing here and can be easily lampooned as “left coast liberals”. Your better bets would be the Governors of Michigan or Pennsylvania, though I think Josh Shapiro would be a better 2028 candidate. Gretchen Whitmer from Michigan is a possibility, but I think she’d have to win it in a voting contest instead of being selected by the Democrat Party. Leapfrogging Kamala Harris without the people voting could be bad optics. We could always go with Harris as President and Whitmer as VP, but would an all-female team win in 2024? We’ve never had a female President yet…

You could always go moderate and try someone like Joe Manchin, though he’d be another stopgap guy because he’s 77 years old himself. But, he’d have that Midwestern charm and lots of credibility as a middle of the road guy. Manchin would uncheck a lot of advantages that Trump has, but as a moderate, the hard left has some disgust for Manchin.

What Democrats need is ENERGY, as they’ve been hesitant on old man Biden and unsure about his handling of the border and inflation. What Democratic voters wants is someone with a plan of the future and to reduce the daily financial pressures that they are enduring. But they also need someone who can win within the major swing states, particularly here in the Midwest.

Big x-factor, too, is who Donald Trump selects as his VP. Had a Dakota governor not admitted to shooting her own freakin’ dog, Kristi Noem had it in the bag (and still may). Some are saying the other Dakota governor Doug Burgum or Ohio Senator J.D. Vance, maybe Florida Senator Marco Rubio. While people think that Trump will pick a loyalist, I think the Supreme Court ruling on immunity gives Trump the confidence to go the other way. I think he’ll pick someone experienced and possibly slightly moderate to sure up the base and ensure election victory. The Virginia governor, for example, Glenn Youngkin. I don’t think he’ll select Florida governor Ron DeSantis, but I think selecting Nikki Haley is a possibility despite things she’s said during the campaign. At the very least, Haley shows that she’ll question authority in the public’s eye (though that may be different behind the scenes). A good VP will help Trump, especially as he’s not a young spring chicken either.

I don’t know, folks… We’re in complete unchartered territory and likely to see some major fundamental changes of our country following the 2024 elections.

Odds of Trump winning depends the economy’s performance for the 2nd half of 2024 along with his VP selection.

Odds of Joe Biden or Democrats winning depends significantly on the perception of the party and how hard can the immunity threat stick.

But I do know one thing… Vince McMahon is rooting for Donald Trump and if Trump wins, the Department of Justice backs off or Vince will be pardoned of any crime alleged by that department. I believe that is where Vince’s billions from the sale of WWE and TKO shares is going right now.

Happy 4th of July!

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