On Sunday, former Rep. Mark Sanford from South Carolina announced he would run for president. In His statements, Sanford said the Republican Party has lost it’s way. He claims that there needs to be conversation around President Trump and that Republicans have not had a choice regarding Trump.
Sanford, once a prominent figure in the Republican Party while SC Governor, lost his standing after an affair. Many of the objections against Trump are regarding his treatment of women. How is it that Mark Sanford believes he is the person to set this straight? Well, he claims it’s through Christian repentance and renewal. This is interesting seeing as how no one has been willing to give President Trump the same courtesy.
While I voted for President Trump in the 2016 election, I’m certainly not a “Trump is everything” supporter. I’ve called out his comments and tweets multiple times on podcasts and in my writings. I had a lot of respect for Mark Sanford back when he was Governor and expected him to be a Presidential candidate at the time. Since that time, I have lost this respect and disagree with Sanfords actions.
First of all, Republicans have had a choice on President Trump. He was chosen as the candidate in 2016 from a long list of candidates. He is wildly popular among Republicans at the moment as well. So the thought that Republicans have not had a choice is not a very good argument.
I do agree with Sanford’s statements regarding debt, deficit, and spending. I spoke about that this past week on the podcast episode in how we need elected officials to go back to focusing on the real issues. Sanford, along with the other 2 candidates that have announced a primary challenge against Trump, are not helping the issues. In fact, I think the approach has been wrong with Trump all along.
Republicans have struggled coming together behind a candidate for several years, dating back to the Tea Party days under Obama. The party was very similar to that of the current Democratic Party, one that was only united against President Obama. Between the Libertarian movement, Liberty movement, Tea Party and any other faction of the party you want to refer to, Republicans have had a hard time coming together for a while.
The difference in Republicans and Democrats is that Democrats do a very good job of maintaining their differences and objections behind closed doors. You may hear of infighting in the Democratic Party, but they quickly quell the statements and take it behind closed doors. Meanwhile, the Republican Party just continues to lash out openly.
So while I agree with some of Sanford’s statements, I think it’s a mistake for him to run against Trump. The only thing a primary challenge does for Trump is divide the Republican Party and give Democrats talking points. Sanford is most likely upset because Trump supported Sanford’s challenger in the 2018 elections, but it is no reason to make such a mistake and run against Trump.
You can contact JD through the Liberty Loft website or by Twitter.
