States Move To Cancel Republican Primaries, Pave Way for Trump's Re-Election Campaign: Report
It looks like President Donald Trump will have a clear path toward the 2020 election with minimal interference from his own party, at least if reported decisions in four states are any sign.
The run-up to a presidential election usually includes a primary process, where the two major parties narrow down the field of contenders in the months before the general election.
But while Democrats are duking it out, Trump has far fewer obstacles.
According to Politico, the GOP in four states — South Carolina, Nevada, Arizona and Kansas — has chosen not to hold Republican presidential primaries or caucuses next year.
That means they presume Trump would be the nominee, and party officials have decided to save time and money by foregoing primary contests.
It’s good news for the president: Although no serious Republican primary challenger has emerged, it’s one less speed bump as he attempts to win re-election and stay in the White House for another four years.
But not everyone is happy. Liberals and even some conservatives are crying foul, claiming that Trump is bullying the party.
“Trump and his allies and the Republican National Committee are doing whatever they can do to eliminate primaries in certain states and make it very difficult for primary challengers to get on the ballot in a number of states,” former Rep. Joe Walsh, a Republican from Illinois who is running against the president, told Politico.
“It’s wrong, the RNC should be ashamed of itself, and I think it does show that Trump is afraid of a serious primary challenge because he knows his support is very soft,” Walsh said.
However, it must be noted that the Illinois Republican is considered a long-shot candidate at best.
Although he has fringe support, nearly every analysis shows that Walsh would only be a distraction — and to Walsh’s chagrin, Trump’s Republican support is far from “soft.”
“In the latest Reuters/Ipsos poll, [Trump’s] approval among registered Republicans was 87 percent,” The Washington Post reported in late August.
“A primary challenge won’t peel away those voters.”
And despite objections from anti-Trump voices, the facts show that primaries have been canceled before.
Democrats have done the exact same thing many times when they had an incumbent candidate, making complaints that the decision is undemocratic seem rather silly.
“Arizona … did not hold a Democratic presidential primary in 2012, when Barack Obama was seeking a second term, or in 1996, when Bill Clinton was running for reelection,” Politico reported.
“Kansas did not have a Democratic primary in 1996, and Republican officials in the state pointed out that they have long chosen to forgo primaries during a sitting incumbent’s reelection year,” the outlet continued.
It’s the same story with two of the most famous GOP presidents of the modern era.
“South Carolina … decided not to hold Republican presidential primaries in 1984, when Ronald Reagan was running for reelection, or in 2004, when George W. Bush was seeking a second term,” Politico added.
In other words, the hand-wringing by the few conservatives who are not onboard with Trump’s re-election seems a bit overwrought.
“As a general rule, when either party has an incumbent president in the White House, there’s no rationale to hold a primary,” South Carolina GOP Chairman Drew McKissick said.
Make no mistake, the 2020 election is far from over.
A lot can happen between now and Election Day, and it may prove to be a close race.
But with state Republican parties acknowledging that Trump will be their nominee, the president can focus all his energy on defeating whichever liberal ends up on the ballot.
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