{"id":46953,"date":"2023-12-14T17:19:43","date_gmt":"2023-12-15T00:19:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/nevadanewsandviews.com\/?p=46953"},"modified":"2023-12-20T03:25:33","modified_gmt":"2023-12-20T10:25:33","slug":"conservative-crossroads-trump-or-desantis-for-2024","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nevadanewsandviews.com\/conservative-crossroads-trump-or-desantis-for-2024\/","title":{"rendered":"Conservative Crossroads: Trump or DeSantis for 2024?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><em><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-42053 size-full\" src=\"http:\/\/nevadanewsandviews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Muths-Truths-FE.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"520\" height=\"336\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nevadanewsandviews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Muths-Truths-FE.png 520w, https:\/\/nevadanewsandviews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Muths-Truths-FE-300x194.png 300w, https:\/\/nevadanewsandviews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Muths-Truths-FE-95x60.png 95w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 520px) 100vw, 520px\" \/><\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>(Chuck Muth)<\/em>\u00a0\u2013 There are valid reasons for conservatives to support Donald Trump in the GOP presidential primary.\u00a0 And there are valid reasons for conservatives to support Ron DeSantis in the GOP presidential primary.<br aria-hidden=\"true\" \/>\u00a0<br aria-hidden=\"true\" \/>There aren\u2019t so many when it comes to Nikki Haley.\u00a0<br aria-hidden=\"true\" \/>\u00a0<br aria-hidden=\"true\" \/>If you\u2019re a conservative who doesn\u2019t much care for Trump, DeSantis is the viable conservative option.\u00a0 Haley just reminds me too much of John McCain, Mitt Romney, and Paul Ryan.<br aria-hidden=\"true\" \/>\u00a0<br aria-hidden=\"true\" \/>All conservative hat; no conservative cattle.\u00a0 Not my cup of tea.\u00a0 And her call for the government to eliminate anonymous speech on social media \u2013 even though I personally don\u2019t do so &#8211; is disqualifying for me and lot of others on the right.<br aria-hidden=\"true\" \/>\u00a0<br aria-hidden=\"true\" \/>As hard as the media is trying to prop up Haley, she simply doesn\u2019t have the juice to go all the way.\u00a0 So the choice for conservatives is really between Trump and DeSantis.\u00a0<br aria-hidden=\"true\" \/>\u00a0<br aria-hidden=\"true\" \/>Personally, if the election were held today \u2013 it\u2019s not \u2013 I\u2019d cast my ballot for DeSantis despite being an unapologetic Trump supporter in 2016 and 2020.\u00a0 But I understand and accept why many others are sticking with Trump.<br aria-hidden=\"true\" \/>\u00a0<br aria-hidden=\"true\" \/>Among us conservatives, we simply need to agree to disagree and move on after the nomination fight to retake the White House \u2013 as well as Congress.<br aria-hidden=\"true\" \/>\u00a0<br aria-hidden=\"true\" \/>But that nomination fight is still ongoing.\u00a0 And there\u00a0<u>ARE<\/u>\u00a0former Trump supporters who are still on the fence and\/or persuadable. So hearing both arguments for and against Trump is helpful to the undecideds or those not firmly committed.<br aria-hidden=\"true\" \/>\u00a0<br aria-hidden=\"true\" \/>Dr. Wayne Grudem, an evangelical leader in Arizona, has\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/citizenoutreach.us12.list-manage.com\/track\/click?u=ace05927626f4709ff67049e0&amp;id=855f2104b6&amp;e=2e6a81701d\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-auth=\"NotApplicable\" data-linkindex=\"1\">published a thorough column<\/a>\u00a0listing both Trump\u2019s accomplishments and his weaknesses and concludes that it\u2019d be best if Trump \u2013 not DeSantis \u2013 dropped out of the race.<br aria-hidden=\"true\" \/>\u00a0<br aria-hidden=\"true\" \/>Now, Trump supporters, before reflexively hitting the \u201cdelete\u201d button, hear the man out\u2026<br aria-hidden=\"true\" \/>\u00a0<br aria-hidden=\"true\" \/><em>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\u201cI voted for Donald Trump twice. I published several op-ed pieces defending him and his policies. I spoke in support of Trump on podcasts and before live audiences. I do not regret those decisions and I remain convinced that, given the alternatives (Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden), supporting Trump in 2016 and 2020 was the right choice.\u201d<\/em><br aria-hidden=\"true\" \/>\u00a0<br aria-hidden=\"true\" \/>So this guy, like me, is\u00a0<u>NOT<\/u>\u00a0a \u201cNever Trumper.\u201d\u00a0 And he readily acknowledges all the good Trump did and accomplished in office, including\u2026<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Nominated three outstanding justices to the Supreme Court<\/li>\n<li>Cut taxes<\/li>\n<li>Reduced illegal immigration<\/li>\n<li>Cancelled thousands of government regulations<\/li>\n<li>Negotiated the Abraham Accords in the Middle East<\/li>\n<li>Kept Russia out of Ukraine<\/li>\n<li>Kept Hamas from attacking Israel<\/li>\n<li>Made America energy independent<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\u201cAnd the list goes on,\u201d Grudem writes.\u00a0 \u201cTrump built a stronger US military, expanded educational freedom, defended freedom of conscience for artistic professionals, defeated ISIS, persuaded several European nations to increase their NATO funding, protected freedom of speech on college campuses, and instructed the Department of Education to protect boys&#8217; and girls&#8217; bathrooms, locker rooms, and sports teams.\u201d<br aria-hidden=\"true\" \/>\u00a0<br aria-hidden=\"true\" \/><strong>But (there\u2019s always a but)\u2026<\/strong><br aria-hidden=\"true\" \/>\u00a0<br aria-hidden=\"true\" \/>Much of what Trump accomplished has already been rolled back by the Biden administration.\u00a0 And if Democrats are given another four years in the White House, \u201cnearly all of Trump\u2019s legacy will be lost.\u201d<br aria-hidden=\"true\" \/>\u00a0<br aria-hidden=\"true\" \/>As such, Grudem urges Trump to drop out of the race (even though we all know he won\u2019t) because \u201che is a weaker candidate than he was in 2016.\u201d<br aria-hidden=\"true\" \/>\u00a0<br aria-hidden=\"true\" \/>\u201cWhile Trump remains popular among conservative Republicans,\u201d Grudem continues, \u201chis support among independent voters is abysmal, and independents will decide the general election. \u2026 A candidate will have to win a majority of Independents in order to win the election. And that is where Trump comes up short.\u201d<br aria-hidden=\"true\" \/>\u00a0<br aria-hidden=\"true\" \/>Among the factors that have driven independent voters away from Trump since his loss to Biden in 2020 is his incessant whining about the election being stolen.<br aria-hidden=\"true\" \/>\u00a0<br aria-hidden=\"true\" \/><em>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\u201cAfter the 2020 election, Republican lawyers filed more than 60 lawsuits attempting to prove that the electoral votes in some states where Biden won by a narrow margin should instead be awarded to Trump.<\/em><br aria-hidden=\"true\" \/>\u00a0<br aria-hidden=\"true\" \/><em>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\u201cBut in every case, judges ruled that the Republican lawyers had not produced enough evidence even to bring the case to trial, which means there was nowhere near enough evidence to overturn the election in any single state. \u2026<\/em><br aria-hidden=\"true\" \/>\u00a0<br aria-hidden=\"true\" \/><em>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\u201cMany faithful Trump supporters will still believe that the election was \u2018stolen,\u2019 and they are entitled to their own beliefs. But I&#8217;m concerned that endlessly repeating this claim quickly turns off many independent voters. What they see is a sore loser.\u201d<\/em><br aria-hidden=\"true\" \/>\u00a0<br aria-hidden=\"true\" \/>Grudem is also concerned with Trump\u2019s political judgment, noting that Trump\u2019s \u201crash endorsements of weak Republican candidates\u201d cost the GOP seats in the U.S. Senate in both 2020 and 2022.<br aria-hidden=\"true\" \/>\u00a0<br aria-hidden=\"true\" \/>Indeed, last year Trump endorsed candidates in Arizona, Pennsylvania, and Georgia \u201cwho agreed with his claim that his election was stolen\u201d over stronger candidates \u201cwho would have won the election and would have given Republicans a 53-47 majority in the Senate.\u201d<br aria-hidden=\"true\" \/>\u00a0<br aria-hidden=\"true\" \/>And then there are the legal problems.<br aria-hidden=\"true\" \/>\u00a0<br aria-hidden=\"true\" \/>Yes, we all agree that Democrats are hunting Trump down like the coyote chasing the road runner and abusing the justice system in doing so.\u00a0 But Republicans are foolish to ignore the potential electoral consequences of the Democrats\u2019 jihad.<br aria-hidden=\"true\" \/>\u00a0<br aria-hidden=\"true\" \/>\u201cI think that the charges against Trump are a malicious misuse of the courts as weapons against political opponents,\u201d Grudem continues. \u201cBut the trials will go on, and they must be taken into account.\u201d<br aria-hidden=\"true\" \/>\u00a0<br aria-hidden=\"true\" \/>Yes, the lawsuits will continue to keep Trump off the campaign trail.\u00a0<br aria-hidden=\"true\" \/>\u00a0<br aria-hidden=\"true\" \/>And yes, leaks from the lawsuits will provide \u201ca drip-drip-drip of embarrassing and damaging new information about Trump after he wins the Republican nomination and it is too late for Republicans to replace him with a non-scandal plagued candidate.\u201d<br aria-hidden=\"true\" \/>\u00a0<br aria-hidden=\"true\" \/>\u201cThe mainstream liberal press,\u201d Grudem predicts, \u201cwill mostly hold off on running negative stories about Trump until after he wins the GOP nomination, and then the avalanche will start.\u201d<br aria-hidden=\"true\" \/>\u00a0<br aria-hidden=\"true\" \/>As will the Summer of \u201924 BLM\/Antifa riots, almost guaranteed to be worse than 2020.\u00a0 And the media will play these \u201cmostly peaceful\u201d protests up 24\/7.<br aria-hidden=\"true\" \/>\u00a0<br aria-hidden=\"true\" \/>And, yes, age is an issue \u2013 though certainly more so for Biden (if he ends up being the Democrat nominee) than Trump.<br aria-hidden=\"true\" \/>\u00a0<br aria-hidden=\"true\" \/>\u201cTrump is now eight years older than when he began his successful campaign in 2015,\u201d Grudem notes, \u201cand at age 77 there is always the risk of an unexpected health problem in the middle of a demanding campaign.\u201d<br aria-hidden=\"true\" \/>\u00a0<br aria-hidden=\"true\" \/>And there\u2019s growing concern about Trump\u2019s temperament.\u00a0<br aria-hidden=\"true\" \/>\u00a0<br aria-hidden=\"true\" \/>He\u2019s made it clear this is a \u201cvengeance\u201d campaign and he doesn\u2019t care who he has to take down \u2013 including solid conservatives who are supporting other candidates in the race who he falsely labels as \u201cRINOs\u201d and \u201cdisloyal.\u201d<br aria-hidden=\"true\" \/>\u00a0<br aria-hidden=\"true\" \/>And if you\u2019re already suffering from the onset of Trump Fatigue now, wait\u2019ll he becomes the nominee.<br aria-hidden=\"true\" \/>\u00a0<br aria-hidden=\"true\" \/>\u201cQuite honestly, the thought of having to defend Trump again and again for another year produces in me a great feeling of weariness,\u201d Grudem wrote.\u00a0 \u201cI think millions of other Republicans feel the same way. We would vote for Trump, but the needed enthusiasm and willingness to spend volunteer hours and to contribute money are simply not there.\u201d<br aria-hidden=\"true\" \/>\u00a0<br aria-hidden=\"true\" \/>Don\u2019t pooh-pooh this.\u00a0 I feel the same way.\u00a0<br aria-hidden=\"true\" \/>\u00a0<br aria-hidden=\"true\" \/>If Trump\u2019s the nominee, I\u2019ll vote for him \u2013 but I\u2019m not going to walk through walls for him like I did in 2016 and 2020.\u00a0 His personal attacks and trashing of DeSantis and conservative DeSantis supporters \u2013 not to mention conservatives who worked for him, such as Kaleigh Mcenany \u2013 has left a very bad taste in my mouth.<br aria-hidden=\"true\" \/>\u00a0<br aria-hidden=\"true\" \/>Grudem concludes by painting a picture of what the fall campaign will look like with and without Trump as the GOP nominee\u2026<br aria-hidden=\"true\" \/>\u00a0<br aria-hidden=\"true\" \/><em>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\u201cIf Donald Trump becomes the Republican candidate, the election will focus more on Trump than on the policies of the two parties. We will have endless media coverage of Trump&#8217;s trial, Trump&#8217;s lawyers, Trump&#8217;s friends and enemies, Trump&#8217;s health, Trump&#8217;s conduct on January 6 &#8211; and endless media delight in asking speculative questions such as: Could Trump actually go to jail?<\/em><br aria-hidden=\"true\" \/>\u00a0<br aria-hidden=\"true\" \/><em>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\u201cBecause he is such a forceful personality, and because he is so controversial, and because any story about him attracts viewers and readers, all of the 2024 election season will be Trump, Trump, Trump stories all year long. Is this really what we want as a nation?<\/em><br aria-hidden=\"true\" \/>\u00a0<br aria-hidden=\"true\" \/><em>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\u201cBut if Trump drops out and another Republican is nominated, the election will be much more about big issues facing the nation. The election will focus on inflation, taxes, securing the border, crime, support for police, school choice, Israel, Ukraine, our military preparedness, race relations, abortion, climate change, the role of judges, the Supreme Court, the national debt, etc.\u00a0<\/em><br aria-hidden=\"true\" \/>\u00a0<br aria-hidden=\"true\" \/><em>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\u201cAnd if the campaign is about issues, Republicans will likely win the presidency\u2026\u201d<\/em><br aria-hidden=\"true\" \/>\u00a0<br aria-hidden=\"true\" \/>For those who are firmly committed to voting for Trump, I understand and accept your decision.\u00a0 For those who are firmly committed to DeSantis or one of the other candidates, I understand and accept your decision.<br aria-hidden=\"true\" \/>\u00a0<br aria-hidden=\"true\" \/>For those who are still on the fence and undecided, I hope the above helps you in your decision-making as we reach exactly one month before the actual casting of ballots begins.<br aria-hidden=\"true\" \/>\u00a0<br aria-hidden=\"true\" \/>And to end on a lighter note\u2026<br aria-hidden=\"true\" \/>\u00a0<br aria-hidden=\"true\" \/><strong>Laughter is Still the Best Medicine<\/strong><br aria-hidden=\"true\" \/>\u00a0<br aria-hidden=\"true\" \/>A cardiologist died and was given an extravagant funeral. A huge heart, covered in flowers, was positioned behind the casket during the service.\u00a0 Following the eulogy the heart opened up and the casket rolled inside and closed, sealing the doctor inside forever.<br aria-hidden=\"true\" \/>\u00a0<br aria-hidden=\"true\" \/>Then, one of the mourners burst into laughter.\u00a0 When all eyes were staring at him, he said, &#8220;I&#8217;m sorry, I was just thinking of my own funeral.\u00a0 I&#8217;m a gynecologist.&#8221;<br aria-hidden=\"true\" \/>\u00a0<br aria-hidden=\"true\" \/><strong>FAMOUS LAST WORDS<\/strong><br aria-hidden=\"true\" \/>\u00a0<br aria-hidden=\"true\" \/>\u201cHunter Biden has told friends that he might have to flee the country if Donald Trump is reelected, after already enduring months of deeply personal political attacks and mounting legal woes.\u201d \u2013\u00a0<strong><em>Daily Mail, 12\/14\/23<\/em><\/strong><br aria-hidden=\"true\" \/>\u00a0<br aria-hidden=\"true\" \/><em>Mr. Muth is president of Citizen Outreach, publisher of Nevada News &amp; Views, and founder of CampaignDoctor.com.\u00a0 You can sign up for his conservative, Nevada-focused e-newsletter at MuthsTruths.com.\u00a0 His views are his own.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>(Chuck Muth)\u00a0\u2013 There are valid reasons for conservatives to support Donald Trump in the GOP presidential primary.\u00a0 And there are valid reasons for conservatives to support Ron DeSantis in the GOP presidential primary.\u00a0There aren\u2019t so many when it comes to Nikki Haley.\u00a0\u00a0If you\u2019re a conservative who doesn\u2019t much care for Trump, DeSantis is the viable [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":42053,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[748],"tags":[3466],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nevadanewsandviews.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46953"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nevadanewsandviews.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nevadanewsandviews.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nevadanewsandviews.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nevadanewsandviews.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=46953"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/nevadanewsandviews.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46953\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":46955,"href":"https:\/\/nevadanewsandviews.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46953\/revisions\/46955"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nevadanewsandviews.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/42053"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nevadanewsandviews.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=46953"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nevadanewsandviews.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=46953"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nevadanewsandviews.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=46953"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}