Carlson’s rising popularity and the fact that his message is resonating with so many people right now at this critical moment in our country’s history were both cited as factors that made a potential run more appealing and welcomed:

“Let me put it this way: If Biden wins and Tucker decided to run, he’d be the nominee,” said Sam Nunberg, a former top political aide to Trump who knows Carlson. But Nunberg said he doesn’t believe Carlson will run because “he’s so disgusted with politicians.”

Sixteen prominent Republicans interviewed by POLITICO said there’s an emerging consensus in the GOP that the 51-year-old Carlson would be formidable if he were to run. Some strategists aligned with other potential candidates are convinced he will enter the race and detect the outlines of a stump speech in Carlson’s recent Fox monologues. Others, particularly those who know him well, are skeptical that he would leave his prime-time TV gig.

I’m not among the “others” who know him well nor do I have any other inside track into Carlson’s thinking but my .02 in all of this is that Carlson shouldn’t run for all the reasons people are saying he should.

Yes, the Fox News primetime anchor is immensely popular with frustrated Republican/conservative voters all across America right now.

Yes, Carlson is making a lot of sense when he talks about cancel culture, mob rule, statue toppling, and feckless Republicans and Democrats.

Yes, Carlson understands that now more than ever is the time for real leaders in America to put political correctness to the side and instead put all the cards out on the table and see what happens in November rather than hold back while the Democrats and the media unleash hell.

It is precisely all those reasons why he should stay far away from any run for public office, whether it be for town dog catcher or president of the United States.

As much as I’ve enjoyed Carlson’s monologues over the last few months, my concern is that the moment he declared his candidacy he’d start modifying his tone. And if he didn’t do it then, he’d do it the moment he won the nomination in an effort to make himself more “electable.”

And even if he was that rare Republican presidential candidate who stayed true to his principles once the primaries were over and it was on to the general, what would happen if he won the election? Would he turn into the type of DC Republican who would focus more on being liked by Democrats than championing Republican ideals?

In this writer’s humble opinion, Carlson should stay right where he is, because that’s where he can make the biggest difference. In the chair he sits in at Fox News, he doesn’t have to be politically correct. He doesn’t have to moderate his tone. He doesn’t have to cater to the whims of his political opposition in order to “make peace.”

He can be who he is. Which is how it should be.