As we approach the 2020 election in November, we hear incessantly about the participants in the democratic race, but little attention is paid to the republicans who are running.
Whenever there’s an incumbent, the RNC and DNC never market other members of their party alongside him or her. While Joe Walsh and Bill Weld are challenging him, there does not seem to be any real competition for Donald Trump. This is just the way things are, but we must ask ourselves if that’s how they should be.
The fact that the incumbent does not face competition from his own party is based on the assumption that he will have the best chance of winning the election over the other party. This is probably true due to the fact that the incumbent has more to run on than any challengers, as well as the fact that he has developed rapport with the party simply because they have gotten used to seeing his face in the news.
For this reason, there is no practical reason for other republicans to run. They don’t stand a chance against this incumbent, especially given his stellar economic record. Republican voters wouldn’t want candidates like Joe Walsh and Bill Weld, but that does not mean Trump would be a superior POTUS to any challenger. Voters have gotten so familiar with the incumbent that they are more willing to maintain the status quo than they are to seek the best outcome in the White House.
However, the nation would be better-served if we were not so blinded by the status quo that we couldn’t see beyond that. Were we to use our critical thinking to assess the available options when we have an incumbent, I propose that the country would see better results.
While in an ideal world I support same-party challenges to the incumbent, I do not believe that would do much for the country since I simply see the incumbents winning the nominations anyway. Besides, for this election, I don’t know of any republican I would prefer over President Trump to begin with.
Another issue is our two party system. The current set-up gives no voice to anyone who doesn’t fall within the two major parties. Ideally, I would vote for a more conservative candidate than Trump – perhaps a Christian from a different party supporting a Biblical government.
In the meantime, however, things are the way that they are. I suggest using our minds to assess all candidates – including Trump – and making the best decision within the system we have inherited.
