Alan Zendell, December 16, 2023

In 2016, Donald Trump introduced a brash, profane style of campaigning that relied on insults, slander, and chaos. He lied pathologically and bragged about it. He knew millions of Americans felt disenfranchised or otherwise left behind by both major parties, and they were angry. He knew millions of evangelists were like lemmings led by corrupt churches who could be won over by promising to outlaw abortion. He knew millions more were ignorant racists looking for a messiah to tell them expressing their hate was okay.

Trump’s two most impressive talents are shameless pandering and his ability to sense other people’s weaknesses and vulnerabilities. He uses them so ruthlessly and consistently, everyone can see it, but it doesn’t matter. His supporters know exactly what he is, but they allow him to prey on their personal needs, prejudices, and desires. Thus, they’re ripe for Trump’s selfishness and narcissism. His supporters feel enabled to behave as he does.

Far more people despise Trump than admire him. If not for our irrational nomination processes,  our anachronistic Electoral College, and extreme gerrymandering which conservative courts are not inclined to curb, Trump would never be elected. If we were a true democracy in which every citizen’s vote carried equal weight, Trump would never obtain a majority because most Americans are fundamentally decent, and he is the antithesis of decency.

While a small minority of extremists are only too happy to carry Trump’s water for him, and several media outlets find it profitable to promote and agree with everything he does, I believe  most Republicans find him disgusting. Yet, they’ve been unable or unwilling to do what is required to silence him. In 2016, they were like deer caught in his headlights. They had no idea how to deal with him, and their own huge egos made the idea of banding together to defeat him a nonstarter. Consolidating behind one candidate would have meant all the others had to back out. We know how that combination of selfishness and cowardice turned out.

The 2020 Republican primaries were simpler because Trump was an incumbent. If the others seeking the nomination couldn’t coalesce behind a single contender in 2016, it was virtually impossible in 2020. To the great misfortune of Americans who believe in democracy and decency, the 2024 candidates seem no more able to stop Trump than their predecessors.

Vivek Ramaswami is an egomaniac whose views are in some ways more extreme than Trump’s, and like many billionaires, he has nothing to lose by pursuing his campaign. Ron DeSantis has an equally huge ego and may be even more dangerous than Trump. His only serious criticism of Trump is that he’s been a consistent loser since 2016. And Chris Christy, despite his bombast and loud condemnation of Trump, has no credibility. In 2016, salivating for a position in Trump’s Cabinet, he became one of Trump’s lapdogs, prostrating and embarrassing himself. Turning on Trump now shows as little integrity as Trump’s former fixer, Michael Cohen’s sudden grasp for respectability – or was it the money his tell-all book made?

That leaves Nikki Haley. The former South Carolina Governor and UN ambassador is smart, talented, and self-assured. She has a grasp of the major issues facing the country and is able to conduct herself like a mature adult who cares about people. I disagree with almost every aspect of her political ideology, although she deserves credit for being committed to NATO and supporting Israel. She’s not my choice to be president, but she’s the best hope for silencing Trump, and that’s no small thing.

The question most of us who believe Joe Biden has been a successful and productive president need to answer is whether we want him running against Haley, who the polls suggest has a better chance of winning than Trump. Is it more important to annul Trump’s influence or to assure Biden’s re-election? I like Biden, but I like America more, and America will be very much at risk if Trump wins again.

The good news is that there’s a way to beat Trump, and Democrats and Independent don’t have to rely on Republicans to do it. If you live in a state with an open primary system you can vote in either party’s primary. Since Biden is running unopposed, voting in the Democratic primary is meaningless. Use your vote to get behind Nikki Haley. If your state has a closed primary system, simply register as a Republican before casting your primary vote. You can still vote for whomever you like in the general election.

In a badly divided Republican Party, Democrats and Independents have the power to clean up the mess the Republicans have made, and probably save their party for them. They may save our country as well.