Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton is in it to win it and he’s been trying to convince his Republican donors to toss more Ben Franklins in his hat to help land him in the Oval Office. He isn’t worried about Donald Trump or anyone else stealing his thunder. Cotton believes his storm is far more powerful. And, it’s gaining strength.
Cotton told a couple of dozen of his deep-pocketed donors that he could sink Trump like an eight-ball in a corner pocket should he be brazen enough to make another run at the presidency.
The wanna-be-president said he’s holding off on making any official bids until he sees how the mid-terms work out, but either way, it’s certain Cotton is gonna run. He’s just waiting to develop his final strategy prior to making the big not so surprising announcement.
Cotton revealed a detailed infrastructure of what his national campaign would look like down to every single waking hour spent beating the pavement. He told his donors that he would back down from no one.
The greatest challenge for Cotton will be in developing a strong and recognizable national profile. He isn’t a household name like Trump or the illustrious Fl. Gov. Ron DeSantis who’s blowing in like a hurricane. Nonetheless, the Cotton crew made some strong points about why their guy shouldn’t be ignored.
Cotton’s trusted longtime political advisor, Brian Colas, took to the podium with a PowerPoint presentation to reassure the donors that they were backing the right guy. He and his advisors, along with Cotton’s assistance, had intensely studied almost every Republican campaign in history.
They found that fame had nothing to do with any previous elections’ final outcome. The real recognition came when a candidate simultaneously tossed their name in the ring and started screaming their message.
Cotton has a distinct advantage in that his 2020 reelection was unopposed. He didn’t have to spend hardly a dime while at the same time freeing him up to increase his donor base. But he didn’t stop with just raising the money he knew his future campaign was going to need, he started reaching out to activists who felt they weren’t being heard, and not only in his home state of Arkansas.
Since 2020, Cotton has made six trips to Iowa and four trips to New Hampshire, both key states for securing the presidency. If he can win them over, he’s in there.
Cotton told his donors that he had developed widespread appeal among populists and the tried and true establishment wings of the Republican party. He claims their strength has been underestimated.
Cotton is already sitting on $8 million clams from the Senate campaign funds he didn’t need to use. A single transaction could easily transfer that money into a presidential campaign fund which would have him dancing and prancing right out of the starting gate.
Cotton may be smart in his maneuvering, but he still has a long road to bulldoze. You got your Trump and your DeSantis, but then comes South Carolina Senator Tim Scott, tech-wiz Larry Ellison, gazillionaire Steve Wynn, former U.N. ambassador Nikki Haley, who already has strong support, Ted Cruz, and on, and on, and on. Suffice it to say, it’s early.
Cotton might stand a good shot, but he and his money might also get buried alive. Regardless, he’s an interesting character with some novel ideas who bears keeping a close eye on. Time and the mainstream press will tell us everything else we need to know.
