While I am no fan of Nikki Haley’s conservative ideology, I applaud and admire her tenacity to stay in the race against the former Liar-in-Chief. Haley is, I believe, a woman of conscience who at the very least values the laws and people of this nation, unlike her rival. It is currently unlikely that Ms. Haley can walk away with the Republican nomination, but … she should still give Trump a run for his money because … any number of things can still happen. Trump could yet be disqualified in a number of states, he could be convicted of crimes that could make his candidacy illegal, he could suffer mental and/or physical health issues that would render him no longer a viable candidate. If any of those things happen, Nikki Haley would stand a good chance of being the Republican nominee. Our friend Keith wrote a letter to Nikki Haley urging her to stay in the race, to keep fighting the good fight, and I thought his letter and commentary needed to be shared.
Tag Archives: Republican primaries
The GOP — It Ain’t What It Used To Be
One of the columnists I most respect is Eugene Robinson of The Washington Post. I bookmarked his column from Thursday to further peruse and upon doing so, I thought it well worth sharing with you. We the People can still salvage the democratic foundations from under the ashes of conservative cultism, but … we don’t have many chances left, which is why it is so imperative that we make sure everyone votes this November and in November 2024 … it may be the last best hope for the survival of the United States.
State Sen. Doug Mastriano (R-Franklin), the Republican candidate for governor of Pennsylvania, gestures to the crowd during his primary night election party in Chambersburg, Pa., on May 17. (Carolyn Kaster/AP)
Cult or a conspiracy? The GOP sure isn’t a normal political party.
By Eugene Robinson
May 19, 2022
Is today’s Republican Party primarily a cult of personality or a seditious conspiracy? I can argue either side of that question. But it is clear that the GOP is no longer a political organization or movement in the traditional sense. And if Republican cultists and conspirators win power in November, voters have only ourselves to blame.
It’s not as if we can’t see the dangers that lie ahead. As Bob Dylan once sang, “You don’t need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows.”
The object of the GOP’s cultish devotion is, of course, former president Donald Trump. I have my doubts whether Trump will actually run for the White House again in 2024 (and risk losing twice, whether he acknowledges either loss publicly), but for now he is the unchallenged egomaniacal leader of the party he seized in 2016.
Tuesday’s primary results in Pennsylvania prove Trump’s primacy. As the party’s nominee for governor, GOP voters chose Trump’s preferred pick, a state senator named Doug Mastriano who trumpets the “big lie” about the 2020 election being stolen; was present at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021 (though he says he left before the insurrectionary portion of the events); and appeared at an event associated with the hallucinatory QAnon conspiracy theory about the nation somehow being run by a cabal of pedophiles.
His Democratic opponent, state Attorney General Josh Shapiro, should be able to win that race handily by simply keeping his rhetoric and positions within the bounds of reality as we know it — if, and only if, enough Democrats, independents and still-sane Republicans bother to vote in November.
The race for the Republican nomination for Pennsylvania’s contested U.S. Senate seat is, as of this writing, a virtual tie between Trump’s choice, television celebrity doctor Mehmet Oz, and hedge fund titan David McCormick. Far-right political commentator Kathy Barnette faded to third after Trump declared her too extreme even for his liking.
But look again at that lineup of candidates. None has any of the experience in elective office that used to be expected of a candidate for the Senate. And the campaign consisted mostly of all three professing their undying fealty to Trump and their faith in his infallibility.
The Democratic candidate in that November contest — Lt. Gov. John Fetterman, who won his primary easily, despite suffering a stroke Friday, and is on the mend — has a good chance of winning, which could increase the Democrats’ tenuous Senate majority if they can hold other seats.
In North Carolina, GOP Rep. Ted Budd, another Trump endorsee, won the primary for that state’s open Senate seat; Budd is another “big lie” espouser who voted against certifying the 2020 electoral vote, even after the Jan. 6 rioters had sacked the Capitol. One Trump-endorsed N.C. Republican, Rep. Madison Cawthorn, did lose his primary. But Cawthorn’s antics and transgressions were such that not even Trump’s lukewarm pitch for “a second chance” for the troubled young politician could save him.
The dominant pattern of the Republican primaries thus far is clear: It is very, very hard to win a statewide nomination without Trump’s support, or at least his amity; and it is impossible to win Trump’s backing if you reject his lie about the supposedly “stolen” election. How is that anything but cultlike?
This is the most dangerous aspect of the GOP’s devolution from party to personality cult: Devotion to Trump requires a willingness to betray democracy. Much of Trump’s attention is focused on states, such as Pennsylvania, where he falsely claims he was victimized by voter fraud. If Mastriano were to win the governor’s race, his handpicked secretary of state could refuse to certify 2024 election results that Trump did not like.
Vote-counting in the Pennsylvania Senate primary is not yet finished, but Trump has already called on Oz — who has a tiny, tentative lead over McCormick — to preemptively “declare victory.”
This is where the question of seditious conspiracy comes in. The Republican Party is shaping itself in Trump’s image, and Trump has shown nothing but contempt for the traditions of fair play and good will that allow our democracy to function. Refusing to accept the will of the voters is authoritarianism. Today’s GOP, increasingly, is just fine with that.
All is not lost, however. Turnout in midterm elections is traditionally much lower than in presidential years. Voters who are appalled at what the GOP has become can send a powerful and definitive message by abandoning their traditional nonchalance and voting in huge numbers. We can reject Trumpism, both for its cultishness and for its proto-fascism. We can take a stand.
It’s up to us what kind of country we want to live in. We had better speak our minds with our votes — while we still can.
Three Republicans Speak Up …
Yesterday, the three republican candidates challenging Donald Trump for the GOP nomination for president in 2020 — Bill Weld, Mark Sanford, and Joe Walsh — jointly penned an editorial that was published in The Washington Post. I will share that editorial with you momentarily, but first, a few thoughts of my own.
The Republican Party has been making a concerted effort to ensure that Trump stays in office for a second term, whether by hook or by crook. To this end, states have begun cancelling their republican primaries, for they apparently fear that if there is competition, Trump will not pass muster. This, folks, is not … I repeat is NOT … how a democracy operates! If a candidate cannot win on his own merit, then it becomes obvious that he or she is not qualified, is not the choice of the people. When a state cancels a primary, that state is taking away the voice and choice of the people and can … nay, must … then be considered to be an authoritarian state. Will we elect a president next year, or will one be shoved down our throats?
That three contenders for the same position have come together in agreement speaks volumes. They are, in essence, saying that they stand together against the demolition of democratic principles, that they are united in their belief that elections should be fair, honest, and unfettered. In U.S. politics today, that is almost unheard of, and I think it would behoove everyone in both parties to listen to these men.
The GOP, in throwing all their support to Trump, in ignoring or worse, stifling any and all competition, are shooting themselves in the foot. They have virtually shot themselves in the foot and lost all credibility. The party is on a downward spiral because of their support of an ignorant madman, but will republicans allow the central party to drag themselves down too? It remains to be seen, but so far it seems that the cult-worship for Trump, trumps good sense, trumps democracy, trumps survival of the planet earth.
And now, the editorial by the three republican contenders …
We are Trump’s Republican challengers. Canceling GOP primaries is a critical mistake.
Republican presidential candidates, from left, Joe Wash, Mark Sanford and Bill Weld. (Associated Press photos/AP photos)
By Mark Sanford, Joe Walsh and Bill Weld
September 13, 2019 at 8:30 p.m. EDT
(Mark Sanford was governor of South Carolina from 2003 to 2011. Joe Walsh represented Illinois’s 8th Congressional District in the House of Representatives from 2011 to 2013. Bill Weld was governor of Massachusetts from 1991 to 1997. All three are seeking the Republican presidential nomination.)
The three of us are running for the Republican nomination for president in a race that will inevitably highlight differences among us on matters of policy, style and background. But we are brought together not by what divides us but by what unites us: a shared conviction that the United States needs a strong center-right party guided by basic values that are rooted in the best of the American spirit.
A president always defines his or her party, and today the Republican Party has taken a wrong turn, led by a serial self-promoter who has abandoned the bedrock principles of the GOP. In the Trump era, personal responsibility, fiscal sanity and rule of law have been overtaken by a preference for alienating our allies while embracing terrorists and dictators, attacking the free press and pitting everyday Americans against one another.
No surprise, then, that the latest disgrace, courtesy of Team Trump, is an effort to eliminate any threats to the president’s political power in 2020. Republicans have long held primaries and caucuses to bring out the best our party has to offer. Our political system assumes an incumbent president will make his case in front of voters to prove that he or she deserves to be nominated for a second term. But now, the Republican parties of four states — Arizona, Kansas, Nevada and South Carolina — have canceled their nominating contests. By this design, the incumbent will be crowned winner of these states’ primary delegates. There is little confusion about who has been pushing for this outcome.
What does this say about the Republican Party? If a party stands for nothing but reelection, it indeed stands for nothing. Our next nominee must compete in the marketplace of ideas, values and leadership. Each of us believes we can best lead the party. So does the incumbent. Let us each take our case to the public. The saying “may the best man win” is a quintessential value that the Republican Party must honor if we are to command the respect of the American people. Cowards run from fights. Warriors stand and fight for what they believe. The United States respects warriors. Only the weak fear competition.
Across the aisle, the Democratic primary challengers are still engaged in a heated competition of debates, caucuses and primaries to give their voters in every corner of our country a chance to select the best nominee. Do Republicans really want to be the party with a nominating process that more resembles Russia or China than our American tradition? Under this president, the meaning of truth has been challenged as never before. Under this president, the federal deficit has topped the $1 trillion mark. Do we as Republicans accept all this as inevitable? Are we to leave it to the Democrats to make the case for principles and values that, a few years ago, every Republican would have agreed formed the foundations of our party?
It would be a critical mistake to allow the Democratic Party to dominate the national conversation during primary and caucus season. Millions of voters looking for a conservative alternative to the status quo deserve a chance to hear alternate ideas aired on the national stage. Let us argue over the best way to maximize opportunities in our communities for everyday Americans while the Democrats debate the merits of government intervention. Let us spend the next six months attempting to draw new voters to our party instead of demanding fealty to a preordained choice. If we believe our party represents the best hope for the United States’ future, let us take our message to the public and prove we are right.
Trump loyalists in the four states that have canceled their primaries and caucuses claim that President Trump will win by a landslide, and that it is therefore a waste of money to invest in holding primaries or caucuses. But since when do we use poll numbers as our basis for deciding whether to give voters an opportunity to choose their leaders, much less their presidents? Answer: We don’t.
Besides, the litigation costs these four state parties will likely be forced to take on in defending legal challenges to the cancellations will almost certainly exceed the cost of holding the primaries and caucuses themselves.
In the United States, citizens choose their leaders. The primary nomination process is the only opportunity for Republicans to have a voice in deciding who will represent our party. Let those voices be heard.
Another Dirty Trick …
I am not a republican, and most of you reading this aren’t either, however we have a vested interest in the GOP at this point in time, for their dirty tricks in 2016 placed the most unsuitable candidate in the history of the nation into the highest position, and the GOP is up to even dirtier tricks for next year’s election.
I mentioned a few days ago that Joe Walsh had declared his candidacy for president in 2020 on the Republican Party ticket. Now, under the best of circumstances the odds are stacked against Mr. Walsh, in part because an incumbent president almost always has the upper hand. However, what we can hope for from Mr. Walsh’ run is that it will detract some of the attention away from Donald Trump, and that he may be able to help republican voters see that there are better options than Trump. But …
The GOP is doing everything in its power to keep Walsh’ name off the ballot next year. Four states — South Carolina, Nevada, Arizona and Kansas – will finalize the procedure to keep Joe Walsh off the primary ballot for the 2020 presidential election. Think about that … republican voters will be robbed of their opportunity to choose a candidate other than Trump. And this may well be only the beginning, for it will not surprise me at all if other states follow suit.
The question comes to mind: What are they afraid of? Mr. Walsh had the same thought …
Joe Walsh
“Trump and his allies and the Republican National Committee are doing whatever they can do to eliminate primaries in certain states and make it very difficult for primary challengers to get on the ballot in a number of states. It’s wrong, the RNC should be ashamed of itself, and I think it does show that Trump is afraid of a serious primary challenge because he knows his support is very soft. Primary elections are important, competition within parties is good, and we intend to be on the ballot in every single state no matter what the RNC and Trump allies try to do. We also intend to loudly call out this undemocratic bull on a regular basis.”
Good for him … I really hope that he raises such a stink that even the cotton balls republican voters are wearing in their ears are penetrated. Another, less likely contender for the republican nomination, Bill Weld also weighed in …
“We don’t elect presidents by acclamation in America. Donald Trump is doing his best to make the Republican Party his own personal club. Republicans deserve better.”
The cancellations have been orchestrated by the Trump campaign, not the GOP itself, though these days, the Trump campaign seems to be calling the shots for the entire party. You almost have to feel sorry for diehard republicans these days … like sheep being led to the slaughter, they are corralled, deprived of the freedom of choice, the freedom to think for themselves, and are apparently not informed enough to see what’s happening.
South Carolina GOP Chairman Drew McKissick made a statement that I take offense to …
“As a general rule, when either party has an incumbent president in the White House, there’s no rationale to hold a primary.”
So … what if that incumbent has proven over the past four years to be totally incompetent and unfit to serve for another four years, such as the current incumbent? Just because his fat patootie is already sitting in the Oval Office doesn’t mean it should stay there. Being president should be an honour that is earned, not given by default! And second … perhaps the republicans, not known for deep thinking these days, haven’t considered that if their own voters have become disenchanted with that incumbent, they may just either vote for a democrat or stay home on election day!
Nevada GOP Chairman Michael McDonald has an interesting and disturbing spin …
“It would be malpractice on my part to waste money on a caucus to come to the inevitable conclusion that President Trump will be getting all our delegates in Charlotte. We should be spending those funds to get all our candidates across the finish line instead.”
What I find so disturbing about that remark is the precedent it could potentially set. To extrapolate … if it’s too expensive for states to hold primaries and caucuses, when we come up on the 2024 election, if Trump is still in office, does he decide the nation cannot afford to hold a presidential election and he’ll just stay in office? No … wait … I hear you, and you’re right … that would be unconstitutional. But think about it … Donald Trump has been trampling the U.S. Constitution for two-and-a-half years now. Much of what he does goes against the text and intent of the Constitution, but nobody has bothered to stop him. Can you imagine how much the Constitution will actually matter if he stays in office another 5.5 years? My guess is that by that time people will laugh when they hear the word “constitution”.
Bottom line is that the people’s choice is being taken away from them. Perhaps not unlawfully, but certainly immorally. Will republicans sit down and take this? Sure they will … they haven’t risen up against the injustices perpetuated by Trump and his minions yet, so there is no reason to believe they will over this, either. If I were a republican, I would be screaming at the top of my lungs, but fortunately I am not. We can only hope it turns the tables and proves to be an advantage to the democratic candidate as at least some republicans leave the GOP in disgust.
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