The midterm elections were not about President Trump, though the Democrats, and even some Republicans, certainly ran with that narrative. Last week’s elections were about policy, not personality.
On Nov. 8, 2016, I voted for GOP candidates for all offices except the presidency. Knowing that Hillary Clinton was also not an option for me, I voted my conscience and went with a third-party alternative. In the two years since, I have not regretted my vote. Even though I have not agreed with every step taken by the Republican Party and its leadership, there have been some gains. Overall, though, my hesitance to fully embrace the GOP rests not only in the words and actions of Trump but the endorsement of same by many in the party.
If Republicans wish to capture my vote in 2020, two things need to occur: The president must improve and the party must hold him accountable.
The biggest problem the GOP has as they face the next two years is the behavior of the man who sits in the Oval Office. Undoubtedly, this turns away even fence-sitting Democrats averse to extremism on the rise within their own ranks. Similarly, the undecideds and independents are swayed by how the president conducts himself in front of cameras and on social media more than by legislation and executive orders. Trump is the president in an age when everything is captured and played on repeat. This reality can easily overshadow progress made by the administration. We’ve seen it before.
Adding to this issue is the way both Republican leaders and the rank and file react, or don’t react, to Trumpism as a whole. When there are very obvious issues with the way the president interacts in person and online, it should be addressed by those we’ve vaulted to places of authority within the party and the nation. Acting as if insults and unbridled commentary that degrade the highest office in the land don’t exist is not only damaging to the party, but extremely unhealthy for the country. What I would hope is that legislators place principle above all else and emphasize the need to uphold morality more than the desire to win their next race.
Both Sen. Ben Sasse, R-Neb., and U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley have been critical of President Trump’s sometimes damaging rhetoric. Sasse is often alone in his condemnation, and is ridiculed by many in the unquestioning “MAGA” crowd, but remains dedicated to holding everyone responsible for their behavior. We desperately need more of this going forward. Haley is more subtle in her disapproval, but readily admits that she privately addresses her concerns with the president. Haley has also countered her boss’ words with respectful dissent of her own. While Trump may label his political opponents “true enemies of the American people,” Haley is quick to remind us that true evil exists far beyond our borders.
Without a doubt, my individual worldview is more closely aligned with the Republican Party than the Democratic Party. As long as the latter embraces larger government, considers socialism, urges the expansion of entitlements, encourages a mob mentality, casually addresses national security, chips away at religious freedoms, and disregards unborn life, they will never be able to count me as one of their converts. My frustrations with the GOP will never lead me in the direction of my ideological, and at times, immoral, opposition.
But there must be change and dissatisfied current and former Republicans should demand it.
Republicans are not the best choice simply by being different than the Democrats. That would only be true in a binary world without options. In order to be a truly positive alternative to their political adversaries, Republicans must actively work at improving themselves, the morality they claim, and the compassion they should hold. The Trump effect will linger long after he is out of office, so the work needs to begin now.
I’ll be watching to see if the GOP improves over the next two years. If not, I’ll find myself picking neither presidential candidate again, and won’t think twice about doing so.
Kimberly Ross (@SouthernKeeks) is a contributor to the Washington Examiner’s Beltway Confidential blog and a senior contributor at RedState.com.
