We are Trump's Republican challengers. Canceling GOP primaries is a critical mistake.

[brooklynite]

Washington Post

Mark Sanford was governor of South Carolina from 2003 to 2011. Joe Walsh represented Illinois’s 8th Congressional District in the House of Representatives from 2011 to 2013. Bill Weld was governor of Massachusetts from 1991 to 1997. All three are seeking the Republican presidential nomination.


The three of us are running for the Republican nomination for president in a race that will inevitably highlight differences among us on matters of policy, style and background. But we are brought together not by what divides us but by what unites us: a shared conviction that the United States needs a strong center-right party guided by basic values that are rooted in the best of the American spirit.

A president always defines his or her party, and today the Republican Party has taken a wrong turn, led by a serial self-promoter who has abandoned the bedrock principles of the GOP. In the Trump era, personal responsibility, fiscal sanity and rule of law have been overtaken by a preference for alienating our allies while embracing terrorists and dictators, attacking the free press and pitting everyday Americans against one another.

No surprise, then, that the latest disgrace, courtesy of Team Trump, is an effort to eliminate any threats to the president’s political power in 2020. Republicans have long held primaries and caucuses to bring out the best our party has to offer. Our political system assumes an incumbent president will make his case in front of voters to prove that he or she deserves to be nominated for a second term. But now, the Republican parties of four states — Arizona, Kansas, Nevada and South Carolina — have canceled their nominating contests. By this design, the incumbent will be crowned winner of these states’ primary delegates. There is little confusion about who has been pushing for this outcome.

What does this say about the Republican Party? If a party stands for nothing but reelection, it indeed stands for nothing. Our next nominee must compete in the marketplace of ideas, values and leadership. Each of us believes we can best lead the party. So does the incumbent. Let us each take our case to the public. The saying “may the best man win” is a quintessential value that the Republican Party must honor if we are to command the respect of the American people. Cowards run from fights. Warriors stand and fight for what they believe. The United States respects warriors. Only the weak fear competition.

Across the aisle, the Democratic primary challengers are still engaged in a heated competition of debates, caucuses and primaries to give their voters in every corner of our country a chance to select the best nominee. Do Republicans really want to be the party with a nominating process that more resembles Russia or China than our American tradition? Under this president, the meaning of truth has been challenged as never before. Under this president, the federal deficit has topped the $1 trillion mark. Do we as Republicans accept all this as inevitable? Are we to leave it to the Democrats to make the case for principles and values that, a few years ago, every Republican would have agreed formed the foundations of our party?

[DetlefK]

1. The GOP hasn't realized that they are willfully giving up any moral higher ground.

Sex-scandals.
Financial scandals.
Arguing for an imperial presidency.
Sabotaging investigations.
Running roughshod over traditions and precedents.
Ridiculously blatant lies, told without embarrasment.
Self-dealing, abuse of power, corruption.

The GOP hasn't realized that WHATEVER scandal ANY future US politician will get caught in, from now on the conversation will always circle back to one question:

"Is it worse than what Trump did?"

[IronLionZion]

3. They'll still project scandals onto Dems as if we're the sinful ones

They found it very scandalous that Obama wore a tan suit and ordered mustard on his burger, since he didn't have any sex scandals or financial scandals.

[Saint PeLSU]

13. They've never had the moral higher ground...

Words matter... Stop calling them the 'right'. Right is always right. This is the same as calling them pro-life. The opposite of that is anti-life.

[TxVietVet]

22. Call them conservanazis

That's what they are.

CONSERVATIVE NAZIS. Evil bastards

[Saint PeLSU]

26. or just conservatives?

[zaj]

19. Authoritarian regimes five concern themselves with morality

[Act_of_Reparation]

23. The moral high ground doesn't matter.

At least not for them.

[CurtEastPoint]

2. Jesus, they are actually making sense.

[mikeysnot]

4. Until you get to this part?

Are we to leave it to the Democrats to make the case for principles and values that, a few years ago, every Republican would have agreed formed the foundations of our party?

a few years ago... Eisenhower was not a few years ago....

[CurtEastPoint]

7. YOu are right. I missed that.

[pangaia]

18. There's a lot more in there that is pure bullshit as well....

[Hermit-The-Prog]

8. still Gaslighting Old Perverts

[cstanleytech]

5. I suspect they are gambling that it will help them down the road either in 2024 or 2028 by

positioning themselves as a moderate.

[True Blue American]

6. Republicans have cheated,lied

Bribed since Nixon. Getting progressively worse with each election.

[pangaia]

14. Not this part-- "guided by basic values that are rooted in the best of the American spirit."

And of course this--

"The saying “may the best man win” is a quintessential value that the Republican Party"
Well, they sure DID get this right

[Kaiserguy]

9. The best their party has to offer

From what I see the best they have to offer has been going down hill for a long time. They don't have anything left but a pack of lies to offer America.

[jayschool2013]

10. "may the best MAN win"

Republicans occasionally may sound cogent, but they always reveal their true regressive ways eventually.

[usaf-vet]

11. Ok which is it GOP? States rights? No state rights? Or is it only what benefits the GOP's interests?

When it to your advantage you allow states to establish rules that cancel primaries. Arizona, Kansas, Nevada and South Carolina.

When it isn't to your advantage you deny states the right to establish election-related rules that they see as necessary to inform the electorate.

California and other states are establishing rules that say to get on the primary ballot in their state you have to provide your tax returns. This ensures that voters can see where a political candidate's financial interest might conflict with their policy-making decisions.

In this case, you have denied California's choice to fully inform their voters about where a candidate allegiance may affect their decision making. Is it in the best interest of all Americans? Or solely in the best interest of the candidate?

Other national issues that you've selectively decide for or against state rights. Gun laws, abortion rights, environmental policies, and Land use policies to name a few.

[Saint PeLSU]

15. Obviously whatever they say is right

[gibraltar72]

12. Weld says treason and death. I could get behind that.

[dlk]

16. Cancelling primaries is what fascists do-wake up!

Seriously

[pangaia]

17. "..., fiscal sanity and rule of law..."

Name ONE of your last 5 presidents who has followed these 'bedrock principles !! Name ONE !!!!!

[AZ8theist]

20. Thoughts and prayers, GOP. Thoughts and prayers...

[Martin Eden]

21. Joe Walsh was among the most vile Tea-haters

He's changing his tune only because he sees an opportunity to revive his political career.

[defacto7]

24. On basic principle the article is correct.

But I would rather tRump not have any GOP competition. They would take votes away from those rw voters who are disillusioned with him and would vote dem to get rid of him. As it sits we are going to slime tRunp out of existance. Let them cancel their primaries.

[dajoki]

25. Yes it is...

we need to cancel the entire party.