“Republicans need to unite and pick the best candidates if they want to start winning again,” according to columnist William Haupt III.
William Haupt III
The author is a Center Square contributor
“America only stops being great when its people cease cooperating and start blaming each other. These divisions have been ruthlessly created and exploited in recent years.”
– Stewart Stafford
In an attempt to get back into the good graces with the Medici family in the 16th century, Niccolò Machiavelli wrote a book called “The Prince.” In his book, he praised the Prince’s power to conquer the people by dividing them into discontented groups.
That was 500 years ago and every successful politician has read it. Why? It still applies today because people let them do it to them.
In 1768, a song published in both the Pennsylvania Journal and Pennsylvania Gazette newspapers helped to inspire and unite the colonies in their fight for independence. Scribed by founding father John Dickinson, it became known throughout the colonies as “The Liberty Song.” Dickinson told the colonies to “Join hand in hand, brave Americans we all! By uniting we stand, by dividing we fall!”
Midterm elections follow a predictable script. The party who occupies the Oval Office always loses seats in the Senate and especially in the House. Historically this has been called the “presidential penalty.” No matter how good or bad the country is doing, people use the midterms to let the party in charge know they expect more.
This election didn’t fit the mold, and the GOP wonders why.
For weeks, Republicans predicted a “red wave” in the midterms that would carry them back into power in Congress. They believed voters would repudiate Democratic policies that have caused runaway inflation, a rise in violent crime and an ominous border policy that threatens their security.
As Republicans lick their wounds, they fail to see the forest through the trees in their historic losses.
Despite the fact that 70% of the country thinks progressives are taking America down the wrong path, two-thirds think we’re in a recession, are pessimistic about our future, and many Americans believe Biden’s policies are destroying capitalism, the GOP midterm red wave turned into a ripple.
“Voters showed they believe our party is leading the country in the right direction.”
– Nancy Pelosi
Although the nation is in a mess from top to bottom, voters chose status quo over change that they could believe in because they didn’t have faith in many candidates that ran against the incumbents.
The GOP themselves lost this election in the primaries, and they don’t realize it or want to admit it.
Republicans are now the party of average America. Democrats are the party of factions, identity groups, liberal white college grads, wealthy left coast kooks and liberal media. If the GOP doesn’t retool its message to serve their average voter, it’ll soon become an antique political dinosaur.
The Grand Old Party is living in the past using antiquated weapons to fight a modern campaign war. The new liberal far left has adapted and changed and has a tool box of new weapons to use against Republicans and use them freely to take out anyone who is a threat to their dominance.
“Unlike Republicans, we Democrats never lie or deceive voters to win elections.”
– Hillary Clinton
Since all politics are local, that is where the GOP continues to fall flat on its face. While Democrats have hand picked their candidates for the primaries, Republicans fight each other for months over who is the best candidate, which exposes their weaknesses and liberal media exploits it for the left. Democrats remain united since that easily out-duels a divided Republican army.
Political strategists claim races considered “toss-ups,” “leaning” or “too close to call” were won by the left because of weaker candidates on the right. They contend that was the key to so many victories by the left.
Successful politicians profit from their mistakes. If a party’s favorite son becomes damaged goods in the eyes of the media, they distance themselves from the public for the good of the party. They are willing to work “out of sight and out of mind” to help elect other qualified candidates for their party.
Our founders envisioned patriots like Donald Trump would step forward and run our nation out of dedication for maintaining the principles established in our Constitution. And he did that and more. He was the only president since George Washington who was not a politician but a patriot to serve.
And it was for that very reason the liberal media went out of their way to turn America against him.
Republicans have a long history of shooting themselves in the foot criticizing their own candidates during the primaries, which turns into critical talking points used by the Democrats and the media.
“To anger a conservative, lie to him. To anger a liberal, tell him the truth.”
– Theodore Roosevelt
It is sad but true the liberal media has used Mr. Trump to divide the Republican Party as well as America. And the more Mr. Trump fights back to protect his reputation and false charges waged against him by Democrats and media, the more they discredit him in every form of media.
A recent Pew Research poll shows only 22% of Republicans say they would like Mr. Trump to continue to remain a major political figure within the GOP but prefer that he did not run again for president in 2024. A third of Republicans, 32%, say for the good of the party, Mr. Trump should retire from politics, and 25% are undecided. Only 21% feel that Mr. Trump should run again for president.
No matter what your opinion is about Donald Trump, he was a very successful president. But that is in the past, and it is time to move on. No matter how much he is admired as a patriot, Republican strategists blame his endorsement of marginally qualified candidates for many losses this election.
“Beware who endorses you. Media picks up on it quickly and uses it to bury you.”
– Herman Cain
Abraham Lincoln told us, “A house divided against itself cannot stand.” Republicans are the party of working class Americans who believe in the traditional values that made this a great nation and want to see it remain that way.
It is time the GOP realizes they are playing into the hands of the left with divided loyalties to Mr. Trump. As long as liberal media can vilify Donald Trump to benefit the left, they will. Republicans need to unite and pick the best candidates if they want to start winning again and use Donald Trump’s business acumen to work behind the scenes to finance and win elections.
With so many independent voters today, it is vital for the GOP to avoid as much controversy and ridicule of their candidates as possible if they want to win support from the independents. These people are “independents” because they wish to avoid political controversy or won’t admit they support either political platform, even if they do. This group can deliver any party a win or a loss.
It is time the GOP unites under one banner to support candidates that have a broad appeal to the average voter rather than one segment of the party. This is what the GOP must do to win elections. “
Jesus knew their thoughts, and said unto them; every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand.”
– Matthew 12:25
