As we approach the midterm elections, unsatisfied right-leaning voters must make up their minds: Will they actively support Republicans? Will they dissent by backing away from the voting booth or by choosing a less offensive, but also less viable, candidate? Will they go extreme and vote for Democrats? The further we get into the Donald Trump presidency, the more it seems that some estranged members of the GOP are likely to vote for Democrats out of retaliation.
In the eyes of many, the Republican Party has lost its way. Instead of a focus on conservative substance, there is an obsession with defeating the ideological opponent at any cost. But winning is not the same as winning well, and that has been proven especially true in the past two years. Voters on the right side of the aisle looked at both major party candidates in 2016 and concluded that they could support neither. A deep and principled Republican field was pared down to one inexperienced newcomer with tenuous political leanings and questionable character.
On Election Day, some formerly reliable GOP voters, including myself, dissented by opting for a third party choice or abstaining entirely. It was a discouraging conclusion to a season that had, at least initially, held so much promise. Refusing to vote for the party candidate by choosing a lesser option is one thing. Actively voting against them by supporting their Democratic counterpart on the ballot is another thing entirely. However, this seems to be the most enticing option for some former Republicans who feel as if they’ve been deserted.
In February, well-known “Never Trump” Republican and author Tom Nichols wrote, “…for now, I really am a Republican In Name Only, because I actively want to see the Republicans defeated — soundly — in 2018 (and in 2020, if the president is not primaried out of his seat).”On Wednesday on Twitter he noted, “I’m not abandoning the party. I’m arguing for pushing back the number of elected Republicans until the party comes to its senses. (Or doesn’t.)” These statements of a highly dissatisfied Republican, still holding out hope for an awakening, differ from other Republicans who have stated outright support of pulling the lever for the opposition come November and beyond. Or do they?
Read more at the Washington Examiner.
