Nearly every election, many people view the impending vote as some sort of existential moment for the country. That this language has returned in the lead-up to the midterm elections is not surprising. It’s a fool’s errand to assume dire warnings will sway voters from one side to another. But that’s exactly what Jill Lawrence did in a column for USA Today.
Lawrence’s piece is titled “If you care about your country and your rights, don’t vote for any Republicans in 2022.” Immediately, it threatens the reader: If you actively identify as anything other than a Democrat, you don’t care about your fellow man or very basic freedoms. Imagine thinking this kind of thing will do anything to persuade someone in your direction.
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Lawrence starts by saying, “If you care about the future of America, democracy and your own rights, don’t vote for Republicans. Any of them. Even the officeholders who have stood up to Donald Trump and the newcomers who pitch themselves as reality-based and results-oriented.” Any of them? Apparently, she means it.
This brand of persuasion only comes from those who believe former President Donald Trump is the litmus test on which everything must rest. Unfortunately, that Trump-centric ideology is found on both Left and Right. Too many on either side believe Trump matters most of all. But Donald Trump doesn’t define conservatism. And that is where Lawrence gets it wrong.
Throughout the article, Lawrence references the so-called “Big Lie” more than once. To be sure, it is wrong to deny the results of a free and fair election. Whether one likes President Joe Biden or not, there was no widespread voter fraud in 2020. GOP candidates shouldn’t beclown themselves by repeating Trump’s falsehoods.
But none of this means conservatives should abandon non-Trump Republican candidates. Lawrence goes on to reference Biden’s recent speech as if it were a good, nonpartisan move for a supposed unifier. She also wonders of Republican candidates, “Would they cement minority rule and further restrict fundamental rights like voting and abortion?” That Lawrence views the GOP as against voting rights and the “right” to an abortion is very telling. It is pure leftist drivel masquerading as a moderate attempt to save the nation. Of toss-up races, Lawrence says, “Concerned conservatives and moderates could make the difference in these contests — particularly if they vote Democratic no matter what kind of Republican is running.”
There are plenty of voters who, disillusioned by a Trump-led GOP, have voted for Democrats. That’s no shock. The real question is: If one’s frustration with the GOP is such that they’d vote Democrat as a protest, were they really a conservative in the first place? It’s one thing to have disdain for Donald Trump and his entire persona. It’s another thing to support Democrats who favor abortion on demand, lax immigration policies, a weak national defense, outrageous taxing and spending, unrealistic ideas for social justice, gender and culture wars, and more. Voting for Democratic candidates is unthinkable if one holds fast to conservative values. Democrats aren’t the lesser of two evils when compared to Republicans. They don’t exist as an option at all.
It’s rather arrogant to believe not being affiliated with Trump makes one morally and electorally superior. This level of confidence is not much different than believing Trump himself is, or should be, the authority on all things right of center. But the Left desperately needs Trump to exist. Standing opposite him is the only way to make themselves appear as an acceptable alternative.
It would be best for the country if Trump quietly stepped out of the spotlight and allowed others, such as Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, to take the party’s reins. That’s not likely to happen. As a result, Democrats will continue to behave as though conservatives can easily make the switch to their side. This conclusion only proves what many don’t understand: Disgust with Trump is never automatic acceptance of leftist ideals. As long as principles remain a priority in the mind of the actual conservative voter, Democrats will never gain their support.
Kimberly Ross (@SouthernKeeks) is a contributor to the Washington Examiner’s Beltway Confidential blog and a columnist at Arc Digital.
