- The Washington Times - Monday, March 4, 2024

It is almost Super Tuesday when primaries across 15 states and one territory will prove decisive in determining the Republican and Democratic nominees for the upcoming presidential race.

Normally, it’s a big day. But in 2024, it’s a yawn.

“It never mattered less,” Frank Luntz, a political consultant and pollster, told The Guardian. “I don’t know any political event that’s got more attention for being less relevant. The decision has been made. The choice is clear. You know who the two nominees are and 70% of Americans would rather it not be so.”

On Tuesday, more than one-third of the total delegates will be allotted in this critical juncture of the political calendar leading to the Republican National Convention scheduled for July in Milwaukee. The Republican race is expected to culminate with President Donald Trump conclusively securing his party’s nomination over his last standing opponent, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley.

Despite being a politically charged moment, the series of elections is anticipated to unfold with minimal suspense, given Mr. Trump’s successful rallies leading up to this point. President Biden is similarly traversing a straightforward course to the Democratic nomination, surpassing minimal resistance from his challengers, Rep. Rean Phillips of Minnesota and author Marianne Williamson. Such dominating performances from the incumbents reveal a lack of the traditional thrill and competitive edge normally associated with Super Tuesday.

“We’ve learned once again that the Republican party just can’t quit Donald Trump, that there is no red line, that there’s no going back. Nikki Haley and earlier Chris Christie gave speeches that would have been well within the mainstream of the Republican party as recently as 2015 but now they sound like they’re being beamed in from another country,” Charlie Sykes, a contributor and columnist for the MSNBC network, told The Guardian.

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