Bill Barr doesn’t want Trump to be President, but he’s going to vote for him anyway. This is an example of “vote no, hope yes”. You all heard about Congressmen voting against a spending bill so they can say they are “fiscal conservatives” in their campaign ads, but then showing up at the ribbon cutting ceremony for a project funded by the spending bill they voted against.
I believe that Bill Barr knows that a second Trump term will be a disaster for the country in general and for Barr in particular. He knows what Trump tried to do to Mike Pence, and he knows that could happen to him too. Bill Barr is a smart man, just not a brave or a good man.
Bill Barr expects that Trump will lose the election. He knows that a candidate facing criminal charges has long odds. He is more concerned about the Republican Party surviving the next election.
If Trump gets at least 40% of the popular vote, Republicans can tell themselves that they could stand a chance at winning if only they have a better candidate. “Let’s get back to basics and nominate a governor!” they’ll say.
If Trump’s meltdowns cause him to lose by more than Barry Goldwater’s margin of defeat (22%!), then the Republican brand might be seen as permanently tarnished. Republican candidates for Congress, governor, and water board won’t be able to count on that coat tail effect anymore.
Barr is trying to save his party. I can empathize with that, because I was a party hack when I was a Libertarian. But the LP reached a point where I decided it wasn’t worth saving anymore. Maybe Barr has more options than I do, but I still have to live in this country no matter who wins the election.
A centrist might argue “If the Republican Party finally disbands, that would be bad for democracy because voters should have more than one choice in the polls.” But if you have one good option and one bad option, then you really only have one option. The folks who are consistently providing us with bad options should take a break, think things over, and present the voting public with better options if they want to stay in the game.