By Carol Lucas
All the news of the past week seemed to be focused upon the upcoming Republican debate. At first the issue was, “would Donald Trump be there or not?”
Those who are committed to participating were interviewed, and each, as expected, tried to skirt the question with a non-answer. Anything to avoid incurring the wrath of “the Donald.”
All that is except Chris Christie who seems to delight in taking aim at the former president with the same degree of “what-the-hell” as Trump, himself.
As a self-proclaimed member of that group who can’t believe Trump has the nerve to run again, I watch this confab with a mixture of amusement and fear. However, when the humor dissipates and the fear takes over, I then have to ask just how we have come to the point where one of the major political parties of our country has come under the spell of “denial and the acceptance of immorality.”
Hearing the hue and cry already of those who want to put Biden into the same category, I say, “don’t. Simply don’t.” The current president wasn’t my first choice, but I also know that your comparison is much akin to an orange and an apple, a brown, worm-ridden apple at that.
Trump, we know, is offering a platform of retribution. Make no mistake, this man wants to pay back his perceived enemies ten-fold and has said as much. I suspect that should he be elected in 2024, it will take at least four years to “get even” with those he has in his cross hairs.
Think about it. There are four indictments, and these four contain multiple charges. Just to name a few generalities, there are those for planning the insurrection; those dealing with election interference; six still out there that are of a financial nature (these tend to get lost in the shuffle); and that of sexual assault. If you were to create an outline (sorry, my teacher stance cannot be stifled), these would be just the Roman numerals. Arabic numerals, upper-case and lower-case letters are voluminous.
So what are the other Republicans offering to the voters? Exactly what agenda do they bring to the table that should make Americans sit up and take notice? To quote the old advertisement, “Where’s the beef?” I began my research to find this by accessing those candidates in the order in which they entered the race.
South Carolina’s own Nikki Haley was the first to challenge her old boss. For two years she was the top U.S. diplomat to the United Nations. Her agenda? She bills herself as the new generation of Republicans, and she has proposed a mental competency test for all politicians over 75. Well, OK. That should bring in the votes.
Ron DeSantis is running in second place to the former president. His stated goal? To make the USA just like Florida. This includes the overhaul (read rewrite) of history; the banning of books; and no abortions after six weeks. I’d respectfully submit that if everyone wants to live in a “Floridian paradise” that they move there. However, be careful that you aren’t bused to a state in which you have no desire to be.
Then there is Vivek Ramaswamy who declares himself “anti-woke.” He strikes out against those corporations whose investments are based upon environmental, social, and governance principles. Hmm. I guess his air conditioning didn’t go out this summer, but then at a worth of $600 million, that probably isn’t a concern.
The former Vice President deserves a glance although, in truth, he has offered very little as far as an agenda is concerned. To his credit, he has finally criticized Trump for his actions on January 6, but keep in mind that it took a while, despite the fact that “Hang Mike Pence” was the war cry that rang throughout the Capitol building as he and his family fled. And that President Trump sat back and watched.
There is Chris Christie, to whom I referred earlier. He seems to be on a mission to be the harbinger of reality by shoving Trump’s nose into the dirt. While those of us who are independent or liberal find a bit of delight in this, Christie doesn’t propose anything for the country except to say, “In recent years, leaders have led us to being small by dividing us into smaller groups.” Say what? I have yet to discern the underlying meaning of this or to whom or what it is specifically aimed.
Finally, I am going to mention the dark horse from Texas, Will Hurd. The former congressman authored an op-ed in 2018 that declared Trump is being manipulated by Russian President Vladimir Putin. He told “CBS Mornings” that the GOP needs to “grow the choir” and reach more voters, and warned that too many of his fellow Republican presidential candidates are afraid of Trump. “I believe the Republican Party can be the party that talks about the future, not the past,” Hurd said.
Perhaps it is this man’s words that the Republican party needs to take to heart instead of fearing a man whose power may be reduced by a jail sentence. I have voted for Republican candidates in the past and may do so again if they can get their act together and present someone who doesn’t rely upon histrionics and drama to make a point.
Sadly, I believe the Republican party has become the “take-away” party, and this is where my liberal views manifest themselves. Gerrymandering, as well as other kinds of legislation, is an attempt to take away voting rights. Educational rights are being increasingly devalued through the banning of books. Furthermore, history is being rewritten on the flimsy excuse that it makes some uncomfortable. When was the last time you observed a child’s discomfort over exposure to history? And to make clear, I don’t believe confederate statues should have been removed. Leave them and teach the facts about these figures.
Finally, a woman’s right to govern her own body and health issues is being stripped away, pushing us back to the time of backstreet abortions. My disdain for this is profoundly adamant.
I will watch the Republican debate sans Trump and see what each has to say that is substantive and addresses our national and international problems. I want to hear opinions on climate control, on poverty, on education, and yes, on abortion. I want direct answers regarding the support of a candidate who is under criminal indictment.
By the time this article is published, the debate will have passed, and I will have listened and decided. We are supposedly a government of the people, by the people, and for the people. Until then, I will continue to ask Republicans, “Where’s the beef?”
Carol Lucas is a retired high school teacher and a Lady’s Island resident. She is the author of the recently published “A Breath Away: One Woman’s Journey Through Widowhood.”
