Commentary by Sanford D. Horn
November 10, 2022
I voted for, and supported Donald Trump for President, twice. I think he did an excellent job and if he is the Republican nominee in 2024 I will do so again. However, I would prefer Donald Trump remain on the sidelines in 2024. Graciously play kingmaker, or stay silent. Abide by Ronald Reagan’s Eleventh Commandment: “Thou shalt not speak ill of any fellow Republican.”
I believe there was chicanery and shenanigans at play in 2020 in Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin costing Trump reelection. But, the time has come to put that behind us, work to create a better electoral system and process preventing that from happening again. The United States must come up with a better way to reinvent the wheel, so to speak. If the United States continues electronic balloting, there must be a paper printout receipt of how each citizen cast his or her ballot. Returning to the days of paper ballots is not a bad idea either. In both cases, ramped up security protecting the integrity of all our votes is vital.
The process should be streamlined. Early voting should be restricted to two weeks prior to Election Day and after the first debate. I wonder how many people in Pennsylvania who voted for John Fetterman for the US Senate before the debate, might not have, following his disastrous debate performance. Only American citizens with appropriate identification should be permitted to vote. Signatures must match and deadlines enforced for absentee ballots to be validated. Ballots must be received no later than Election Day, unless postmarked from an overseas military base. Waiting days or even weeks for election results in the United States is amateurish and smacks of a banana republic.
The American electorate must be able to go to sleep at night with the confidence that their votes will count. With that confidence, hopefully there will be fewer accusations of election tampering, fewer lawsuits, and less election denial.
Look to the future, whoever that may be. Stop harping on a “stolen election” the way Hillary Clinton (D-NY) has continued doing since 2016, and the way Stacey Abrams (D-GA) has done since 2018. Abrams lost by a larger margin, again, to Governor Brian Kemp (R-GA) on Tuesday than in 2018. At least this year Abrams had the decency and common sense to admit defeat and concede appropriately upon seeing the results of November 8. And, yes, as Trump himself has been doing since November 2020.
As good a job as Trump did, he can be unnecessarily petty, salty, and bombastic. There are those who call him narcissistic, but isn’t that true of anyone who thinks they could or should be president of the United States? (I think I would be a good president, but have never woken up on any given day thinking there’s a snowball’s chance in Guam that I should be president.)
Reinstate Trump policies - especially regarding energy independence and the wall on the southwestern border - but under someone’s leadership less toxic, less arrogant, and less dramatic. For all his millions of supporters - still two years after his questionable defeat - Trump can still fill arenas with thousands of cheering throngs. Biden can’t get enough people at his events to fill out a baseball lineup card.
At their relatively similar ages, Trump’s mental acuity at three and a half years younger than Biden, is far superior, and this is painfully obvious. This is not to mock Biden - it’s tragic for him and his family, but more importantly for the nation, and based upon the role the United States plays on the global stage, for the world as well. It’s not necessarily an age issue, but Brit Hume of Fox News is just seven months younger than Biden, yet his reports and analysis are crisp, on point, and he easily reacts and responds to comments and questions from his colleagues adroitly. Former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, at 99 years of age, has a new book out (Leadership: Six Studies in World Strategy) and his counsel is still sought out in the political world. Kissinger has had recent editorials in The Wall Street Journal that are relevant and sharp.
Forget the so-called mainstream media - they will vilify any and all Republicans - even ones they seem to root for - at first. They did it to the late Senator John McCain (R-AZ) and Senator Mitt Romney (R-UT) in 2008 and 2012 respectively. What the United States needs is a free and open press - not calls for censorship from the progressive woke because someone doesn’t like someone else's opinions or stances on various issues. At present I’d be hard pressed to say that we have that. From Thomas Jefferson in 1787 came the following: “Were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers, or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter.” It’s perfectly permissible to criticize and complain about the Democrats and their policies - that’s why there is the First Amendment to the United States Constitution. But be prepared to offer solutions.
The GOP has a deep bench heading toward 2024 and there is reason to have positive feelings for the future of the United States. Whether Ron De Santis (R-FL), who after his reelection rout on November 8 to remain Florida governor, or anyone else - look forward. I would like to see a ticket of Nikki Haley (R-SC) and Mike Pompeo (R-KS) take the reins and lead this nation into the next decade. Should De Santis be the GOP standard bearer, I would not hesitate to cast my vote for his ticket.
Other potential GOP hopefuls could include current or former governors Bill Lee (TN), Kristi Noem (SD), Mike Pence (IN), Kim Reynolds (IA), Chris Sununu (NH), and Glenn Youngkin (VA). Senators with potential White House aspirations include Tom Cotton (AR), Ted Cruz (TX), Josh Hawley (MO), Mike Lee (UT), Rand Paul (KY), Marco Rubio (FL), Tim Scott (SC), and Tom Scott (FL). I would include US Rep. Jim Jordan (OH) in the mix. For potential vice presidential candidates, in addition to the above, US Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (WA) is part of the GOP House leadership, and a longshot darkhorse - former US Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (HI) who not just left the Democrat Party, but took to the campaign trail for several conservative Republican Senate candidates including Blake Masters (AZ) and Don Bolduc (NH).
I love the United States of America, warts and all, which is why we strive for a “more perfect union.” I want the United States to succeed and thrive all the time, regardless of who is in the White House. (I would prefer a Constitutional Conservative.) It is in all our best interests. When America prospers, so too does the world. A nation whose people believe in the republic, who believe in representative democracy, who support the Constitution, who understand the importance of a free market economy and the evils of socialism and communism also want the United States to succeed and thrive. Free nations create, invent, build, invest, worship, and yes, openly debate, all without fear of retribution. These should have been more emphasized during the midterm campaigns. That the GOP learns from their mistakes and rights the ship of state in the 2024 elections is my hope and prayer.
Sanford D. Horn is a writer and educator living in Westfield, IN.
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