Do you know why Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey would make a great conservative alternative to Trump?

Well, George Will told us why in his recent column by that title.

While Will lauded Ducey’s conservative accomplishments as governor, he based his alternative-to-Trump recommendation on Ducey’s attitude.

He cited a September speech Ducey gave at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in California. “A vocal corner of conservative politics is defined more by attitude – and anger – than commitment to a specific set of ideals,” Ducey said. “And yes, a good many small-government conservatives have morphed into bullies – people who are very comfortable using government power to tell companies and people how to lead their lives.” He added that such conservatives “are just as happy bossing us around and telling us – and businesses – how to lead our lives as the progressive left is”.

“I’m a conservative, I’m just not angry about it.”

Will said that attitude separates Ducey from other Trump alternatives like Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, whom he called “a brawler against woke corporations.” He described Ducey as “a cheerful malcontent.”

“A plurality of Americans call themselves a conservatives, and probably a majority of this plurality are not angry but are embarrassed by today’s politics,” Will said.

Later in his article Will praised the “strong Republican bench” of potential presidential candidates. “Surely one of them will prevent Donald Trump from being, through a third election cycle, the florid face of one of the two parties that since 1856 have framed American politics.”

Will named the bench. Besides Ducey, he included DeSantis, Tennessee’s Bill Lee, New Hampshire’s Chris Sununu, Massachusetts’ Charlie Baker, Maryland’s Larry Hogan, Ohio’s Mike DeWine, Texas’ Greg Abbott, Iowa’s Kim Reynolds, Arkansas’ Asa Hutchinson, Nebraska’s Pete Ricketts, and Virginia’s Glenn Youngkin.

Most Mississippi conservatives have probably never heard of Ducey. But they have heard of DeSantis and several of the others. And they must be muttering about Will’s glaring omission, at least from their point of view.

Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves was not listed.

Hmmm.

It wasn’t that long ago that state GOP leader Frank Bordeaux distributed a newspaper column proclaiming, “Nation should follow Mississippi’s conservative example” and extoling the performance of Gov. Reeves and other GOP leaders. “Conservative-led states – including Mississippi – are rising to the occasion and producing real results for their citizens,” said Bordeaux.

Darn. Will obviously got the scoop on those other governors, but missed Mississippi’s. Not making Will’s long list of talented conservative governors must be ego-busting for the guv.

That will pass. Campaign season begins in January. Soon the governor et al will be all over the state letting us know why he should have been at the top of the list.

“If I bear witness of myself, my witness is not true” – John 5:31.

Crawford is a syndicated columnist from Jackson.