The Modern Day Time for Choosing
Go vote on Super Tuesday!
“Leaders must invoke an alchemy of great vision.”
-Richard M. Nixon, 37th President of the United States
Many of us often feel politically homeless. The majority stands against the pitfalls of socialism, central planning, and ‘wokeness,’ which appear prevalent within much of the Democratic Party. And the same majority also rejects isolationism, election denial, and partisan purity tests. It is true that many members of our political parties no longer embody these principles that bind us; instead, they flourish on what divides us. The time has come for us to represent ourselves, even if the sole outcome is making our voices heard.
Whether you have supported one party in the past, shifted your vote as a swing voter, or have never participated in an election before, it’s safe to assume there exists a reverence for the core values that have constituted the American ethos for the 248 years that our Republic has endured. This Republic, immortalized by our founding fathers, guarantees inalienable rights eloquently articulated by Locke and enshrined by Jefferson: life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness and property. What may seem like mere words are, in fact, the living, breathing ideals that have guided our nation’s journey. Sustaining this ethos is of the utmost importance.
We are entrusted with, as Ben Franklin said, “a republic if you can keep it.” Franklin was aware that the survival of our democratic republic was inextricably linked to its citizenry's active support and engagement. Thus, whether realized or not, we are entrusted with the responsibility of upholding a society where freedom is not just a promise but a lived reality. America is exceptional because it is the only nation where governance has not been about consolidating power but has instead served to defend its citizen’s natural rights and welfare. It’s exceptional, not because we boast of its superiority, but because this American experiment has stood as a beacon of hope and opportunity to the world, the shining city on the hill, as Ronald Reagan proclaimed.
The prospect of a Donald Trump and Joe Biden rematch fills many with dread, signaling a further departure from these core values. Many wonder if this is the best we can do. Americans have never settled for being average; our nation’s history is a testament to strength against adversity. Whatever differences, no matter what hardship presents itself, throughout our history, we have been driven time and time again by the relentless pursuit of a more perfect union.
You don’t want a Trump-Biden rematch in November—it's neither a choice you wish for nor a choice you want for the country—can anything be done to avoid it? Must we resign ourselves to this inevitable fate and prepare to choose between the lesser of two evils? It seems likely, and a choice between Trump and Biden, in the words of William Barr, is a “bridge I'll jump off when I get to it.” But I maintain that the right to complain about this outcome is forfeited if you have not personally exerted any effort to avoid it.
On March 5th, Republican voters in fifteen states will vote to select their party’s nominee. Many of these states allow those unaffiliated with a party to participate in any primary they choose — which means there are few excuses for not participating. So go vote, but for whom?
I have never been one to make endorsements. The opinion of a nineteen-year-old student ought not to carry, nor is it intended to carry any significant influence. But I believe there remains one answer for a return to ‘normalcy,’ sanity in governance, the protection of our traditional way of life, democratic world order, and a president who channels the best and not the worst of America.
Suppose you’re inclined toward a Republican candidate who respects the rule of law, offers refreshing moral clarity and sobriety on foreign policy, and has an experienced track record of conservative governance. If you are so inclined, only one option remains — vote for Nikki Haley.
Because if you don’t, you end up with Donald Trump and thus forfeit any right to complain.
Mrs. Haley's résumé is enviable; serving her state of South Carolina as Governor and United States Ambassador to the United Nations is a testament to her governance skills and foreign policy expertise. The most solemn responsibility of an American president, and the founding father’s original intention for president, is to protect our nation's defense and borders.
President Biden has failed dramatically on both fronts. At all costs, his reelection and continued tenure in office must be prevented. Mr. Biden has intentionally left our southern border unguarded. He has refused to enforce existing immigration statutes. At the same time, his weak 'America-last' foreign policy has jeopardized our national security and thus placed our country and our allies in harm’s way. A new choice is required.
Mrs. Haley has been the most vocal Republican voice for opposing the nihilistic, isolationist, and pro-Putin sentiment that has quietly crept into parts of the Republican party. On the domestic front, Mrs. Haley took on the Obama administration’s Department of Justice after passing one of the strictest illegal immigration bills in the entire country.
Considering that our city’s finances have been placed under siege by unchecked illegal immigration and that it is an utter mockery of those who obey the law, not to mention the fact that an illegal immigrant, illegally hired by the University of Georgia, recently murdered a young nursing student, named Laken Riley, it is obvious why illegal immigration has become the most important election issue for voters in the country.
Mr. Trump’s attacks on her, mainly that she is ‘pro-open-borders’ and a ‘puppet of the establishment’ are nothing short of projection. It was not Mrs. Haley who pledged to build a border wall and then tried to ram through amnesty for 2 million illegal aliens. Mrs. Haley helped make South Carolina the first state to prohibit undocumented students from enrolling in state colleges and universities, barred professional licenses for the same, and, as aforementioned, enacted a ‘show-me-your-papers’ law, taking inspiration from Arizona at the time. The Obama administration sued her — and lost. And Mrs. Haley has never had to pay a 1.4 million dollar settlement for stiffing a union pension fund by employing illegal immigrants to help build a vanity-infused tower.
Now, I harbor no delusions of grandeur and am rooted in the reality that, absent any conviction for Mr. Trump, he is likely to not only be the next Republican nominee but also be elected with a majority and plurality of the electoral and popular vote, respectively. Yesterday’s result in Michigan reinforces the seeming inevitability of a Trump nomination. But this does not deter the hundreds of thousands who continue to rally and vote for Mrs. Haley. Her donor base not only surpasses Mr. Trump's but improves daily, attracting voters who are aware of the slim chances of her nomination and support her. Mrs. Haley is staying in, not even for the sake of 2024 or even 2028, but to recapture a party that has alienated many conservatives.
Should Mr. Trump secure the nomination and triumph in November, he will remain in office until 2029, when I expect his influence over the party will wane. It may appear naïve, but Mr. Trump lacks the enduring commitment and ideological conviction of Reagan or Goldwater and shows no interest in the Republican Party's welfare beyond its immediate utility to fulfill his ambitions. Not as many Republicans identify as ‘MAGA’ as one would think, and while it seems the party has been fully taken over by Trumpism— though maybe I am coping and, like a true conservative, I am refusing to embrace a new reality.
In the event of a Trump loss and the reelection of Joe Biden, though it would be the ascension of Kamala Harris, history will record their reign as a struggling gasp of liberalism's failure and what shifted the pendulum towards the beginning of a 21st-century conservative era. Mrs. Haley and her rebel alliance of independents, traditional conservatives, and the disillusioned would find themselves vindicated. Exit polls, in this scenario, will tell a familiar story of alienating educated voters and women, incidentally, the very historically Republican demographics that appear to rally behind Haley. It would be seven years of underperformance for the Republicans, linked to Mr. Trump and his 'MAGA' populism.
Because at the end of the day, whether it be the narcissism and theatrics that Mr. Trump offers or the brutal incompetence and dereliction of duty presently served by Mr. Biden — the reality remains that irrespective of the results in individual states and the eventual nomination, Mrs. Haley's campaign is really about sending a message. Those who believe in American exceptionalism, reject the bitter nature of modern partisan politics, and believe in peace through strength have allowed the Republican party to be taken over for far too long.
The Trump show ends this year — one way or another. And Republicans have a funny history of second-place finishers. Ronald Reagan, Bob Dole, George H.W. Bush, and Mitt Romney all finished as runner-up in their first presidential primary bids and later emerged as party nominees. In 1976, Reagan challenged incumbent President Gerald Ford, who was viewed as insufficiently conservative, and in defeat, built the grassroots conservative base that propelled him to victory four years later. Reagan was gracious and conciliatory at the Republican convention and gave the speech of a lifetime. Many Republican delegates walked out, questioning whether they had nominated the wrong man. Even if Mr. Trump is the nominee, Mrs. Haley finishes as runner-up, hardly ending her political career.
It boils down to Donald Trump or Nikki Haley. If you value American constitutional democracy, the rule of law, a free economic system, and a US-anchored liberal world order, Mrs. Haley is your choice. If you live in Alabama, Arkansas, Minnesota, Texas, Vermont, or Virginia, you may know that the Republican primary is open; one may participate regardless of party registration or lack thereof. No excuse for not participating!
And if you care about only sticking it to Joe Biden and retribution, by all means, vote for Donald Trump. I only ask that you refrain from complaining about whatever outcome emerges this time.
The beautiful thing about our electoral process is you cannot be forced to do one thing. You can opt out of the whole process altogether, vote for the third party, which is nothing but a covert vote against the incumbent, or vote for whichever candidate you believe is the ‘lesser of two evils.’ But it is much better to vote for a candidate whose vision and policy you believe in and to exercise your civic duty based on genuine preference rather than disdain for the alternative.
It's an easy choice to make.