Could Don Bacon become our next president?

It’s a long shot, but he’s dipping his toe in the water to see if there’s a chance.

During an interview on the Our American Legacy podcast, when asked if he is considering running for president in 2028, he said, “I won’t lie. Yes, I would love to.” He then went on to say that he would also consider being someone’s running mate or the right-hand or left-hand man for someone who shares his values.

Which begs the question: can a more traditional Republican like Don Bacon turn the party around, or is the brand so tarnished and taken over by the MAGA crowd that he has no chance?

I would argue that if Don Bacon truly wants to make a difference, he needs to organize big-money donors, build a coalition of moderate Republicans and Democrats, and start a new party from the ground up.

Ghislaine Maxwell has a better shot at hosting a children’s television show than any traditional Republican has at putting that party back on solid ground.

Now don’t read that as a shot at our congressman- far from it. I like and respect him. I voted for him in the past hoping that electing a sane Republican could make a difference. In a House that included people like Jim Jordan, Marjorie Taylor Greene, and Matt Gaetz, I thought it was important to have a congressman like Don Bacon in there to help turn things around.

And Don Bacon gave it a good shot. But as evidenced by the crowd in Dallas last week, the sane Republicans are harder and harder to find. That crowd took a pledge to Donald Trump to go out and cheat if they must to get Republicans elected at the midterms.

And Republicans running in blue or purple parts of the country may not be cheating, but they certainly are misdirecting.

In Iowa, Ashley Hinson is running for the Senate. If you’ve seen her TV ads, they brand her as a bipartisan candidate running for the post. Not a Republican.

But if you go to her website, you’ll see that she is praising and supporting Donald Trump. There is nothing bipartisan about Donald Trump.

Likewise, Nebraska’s Second Congressional candidate Brinker Harding’s latest TV ad is trying to show that he’ll work across the aisle. But Donald Trump has already endorsed him, and Brinker has accepted and embraced that endorsement.

Can Brinker work across the aisle and not upset the president? Color me skeptical.

I asked someone close to Harding’s campaign if his candidate was going to be in Dallas for Trumpapalooza, and he wouldn’t give me an answer. But then I saw that very same person post pictures of himself and his partner celebrating in that Dallas convention hall.

In the Nebraska primary, the incumbent Republican Secretary of State Bob Evnen, a traditional, ethical public servant, was voted out by Republicans in favor of a Trump loyalist who’s an election denier.

Can Don Bacon save this party? Can he return it to what it once was?

A venture capitalist has a better shot at bringing back Blockbuster Video.

Don’t read what I’m saying here as praise for the Democrats. They are no longer the party of JFK either. I know Democrats who are fearful their party is going too far to the left and worried that they’ll turn into a leftist version of MAGA.

I believe there’s a place for moderate Republicans and moderate Democrats to come together. A place where fiscal and social responsibilities can both be achieved. A place where we can have a strong military but only use it for defense and not to start wars.

The last general who became president was Dwight D. Eisenhower, a republican who, in his farewell address, warned us about the military-industrial complex. He warned us of the dangers of deficit spending. He warned us of what we are experiencing now.

Could Don Bacon be the next general to become president?

Perhaps.

If he gets on the ballot, I will vote for him. But can he get on the ballot as a Republican? Will the party’s primary voters put him in? I seriously doubt it. The party he joined no longer exists.

Don Bacon may not be running for re-election, but he is not getting out of politics. We’ll have to wait and see how his involvement in politics manifests itself.

President Don Bacon is a long shot, but you’ve got to give him credit for trying.

Tom Becka is a long time Nebraska broadcaster who for over 30 years has been covering Omaha and Midwest issues on both radio and TV. He has been a guest on numerous national cable and news shows, filled in for nationally syndicated talk radio programs and Talkers Magazine has recognized him as one of the Top 100 talk show hosts in the country 10 times. Never afraid to ruffle some feathers, his ‘Becka’s Beat’ commentaries can be found online on Youtube and other digital platforms.

Opinions expressed by columnists in The Daily Record are not necessarily those of its management or staff, and do not constitute an endorsement or recommendation. Any errors or omissions should be called to our attention so that they may be corrected. Contact us at news@omahadailyrecord.com.