The nation’s conservatives are at a crossroads. Do we follow Donald Trump as the leader of the party and risk oblivion? Or do we listen to some of the newer voices of the GOP, like Adam Kinzinger (R-IL16th), who voted for impeachment in the House of Representatives?
It’s a very tough question for those who rode #45 to victory in 2016. Trump was not afraid to say all the things ‘some’ conservatives wanted to say. As we saw during the debates, when Trump failed to denounce the Proud Boys, there is a line that should not be crossed. And now we see where that has gotten us.
The Republican Party is on the verge of splitting. Obviously there are those who are so far right that they are not willing to listen to what anyone else has to say anymore. Those same people were present during the January 6th riot and occupation of the US Capitol. The passion is extreme but they do not represent the conservatives who will carry the GOP into the future.
With that being said who is left? There are still many who follow Trump as the standard bearer of the future. But that path is littered with obstacles and distractions. Trump’s legal entanglements will go on for years related to election tampering (NYT, Fausset & Hakim, 02/10/2021), tax fraud (WSJ Paul & Ramey, 02/22/2021) and sexual assault (26 Women, Relman, 09/17/2020). Anyone who can’t see that following Trump into the future is a huge gamble, is not facing facts. But this is similar to those who wanted to believe the election was stolen. We can convince ourselves of anything.
The other choice is to not follow Trump. We must look for those candidates who approach the future in an intelligent manner. There will be candidates, like Rep. Kinzinger, who stand up and say “Its clear, Trump lost, to win again we need not embrace him, but move on from him, and NOW” (Twitter, 02/21/2021). There’s no other choice if we are to find a pathway around the train wreck that is about to happen.
Meet In The Middle For America is dedicated to finding conservative candidates who are willing to accept reality for what it is, who will debate the issues vigorously, and who are also willing to recognize that sometimes progress is made in small steps. Democrats hold the Executive Branch and Legislative Branch by a thin margin. Far right conservatives who are unwilling to adapt will find no audience for their voices, and they will become targets.
It’s time to find candidates who represent their constituents and not a single man with a distorted vision, who will step up, state their position, debate passionately, and then find a solution that we can agree benefits and protects ‘We the People’.