Last November, ahead of the midterm elections, we wrote about the importance of candidate quality and the ultimate responsibility by both parties to put forth their best and brightest.
We’re now in the midst of our presidential primary season and delivering the first GOP debates to the American voters. Republicans were recently given a preview of 6 of those 8 presidential hopefuls, during “The Gathering” hosted by Georgia’s own conservative talk radio host Erick Erickson. Most noticeably, and rightfully so in our opinion, absent from the two-day event was former President Donald Trump.
Georgia First applauds Erickson’s decision not to include Trump. Additionally, we wholeheartedly agree with his recent comments that the presidential debate is an opportunity for candidates, but that the candidates must put in the work after the debate.
Credit: contributed
Credit: contributed
However, the candidates aren’t the only ones who need to put in the work — if this country is to move forward from the 2020 chaos created by former President Trump, Republican elected officials and GOP members across the country need to be putting in the work too.
What is also not being adequately addressed is the responsibility of the voting public to tune in to these national debates to help them make a more-informed decision at the polls. We further believe that both Georgia’s Republicans and the GOP overall should heed the warnings and follow the lead of presidential hopeful and former Trump supporter Chris Christie. We’re not endorsing Christie as a candidate, we’re affirming his position on Trump’s re-election.
If the Republican Party is going to survive, we must move away from Donald Trump. Whether you believe Georgia’s former Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan is a committed conservative or RINO, his recent position is spot on — this is a pivot point for the GOP. Gov. Brian Kemp was correct as well — not a single swing voter in a single swing state will vote for a Republican nominee, if they choose to talk about the 2020 election being stolen. Is the Republican Party to become a party of tyrannical ideology or one that champions the ideals of limited government and individual liberties?
We can’t even begin to govern, if we can’t win a seat at the table.
That’s why Georgia First is urging all Georgia Republicans to speak up and speak out, but not in the way you might assume. We implore fellow Republicans to stop giving Trump any oxygen in the room; it’s not your job to defend Trump. Don’t indulge the media’s focus, but instead give all your energy to the slate of Republican presidential hopefuls not mired in divisiveness, those looking forward and presenting a vision for healing and unification. We also challenge our fellow Republicans to focus on those presidential candidates who bring real ideas and solutions for what American families care most about — and not more rhetoric, clickbait and grifting.
And for those GOP party members who are quick to cite Trump’s national polling numbers, even after four indictments, we should all be proactively giving voters reasons to consider the other candidates. Every elected and non-elected Republican has a duty to help educate and inform voters of the many positive candidates from which they can choose. We cannot impact polling numbers unless we are collectively and vocally making the case for why another presidential candidate is the better option.
The GOP cannot survive another presidential term with Trump and that’s assuming he can beat incumbent President Joe Biden in the general election.
The GOP has put up some of its best and brightest, but we simply can’t stop there.
Natalie Crawford is a native Georgian, lifelong Republican and unapologetic pragmatist, who served two terms as a Habersham County commissioner. Crawford founded Georgia First in early 2022 to advance economic opportunity and health outcomes for all Georgians while adhering to “old-school” Republican principles.
Georgia First is a center-right 501(c)4 political advocacy group, dedicated to preserving and growing Georgia’s ever-shrinking middle class by building strong faith-based and community coalitions, limiting government overreach, promoting fiscal responsibility and advancing individual liberty. By design, the Georgia First board of directors is made up of equal Democrats and Republicans and an independent to help hold the organization accountable to the middle.
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