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Opinion: Republican Party needs to look ahead

Decades ago my sister Maureen called the Republican Party “The Stupid Party.”

Today, the Party of Lincoln — the Party of Reagan — is again proving her right.

Instead of concentrating on retaking the House next year and regaining control of the Senate, the GOP is looking backward and engaging in intra-party squabbles.

Instead of uniting to attack — and stop — President Biden’s plans to turn the U.S. into the United Socialist States of America, the GOP is still fighting over the results of the 2020 election.

The party’s leaders aren’t able to take advantage of Biden’s early blunders because of one man — Donald Trump.

By refusing to shut up about how he was cheated in 2020, and teasing everyone about whether he’ll run in 2024, Trump is not just splintering and distracting the Republican Party. He’s also giving the lazy national media an excuse to focus on him every day, instead of covering the Biden-created crisis at the southern border and other Biden fiascos-in-the-making.

I agree with Rep. Liz Cheney when she says Trump has to get over Nov. 3.

He lost. It’s over. It’s history. He has to face it and stop branding it “The Big Lie.”

Given his ego and need to make headlines every day, I don’t think he’ll be able to shut up about the past and look to the future.

But Republicans in federal and state office have to stop buying in to “The Big Lie” to make Trump happy with them.

The best thing they can do is ignore Trump, forget about primaries, get unified and figure out how to win the general elections next year.

Republicans also have to figure out how to stay at the top of the news, talking about what our view of America is, what we are doing and how we’re going to do it — as a party.

We should leave Cheney in her position as House GOP conference chair, the No. 3 spot in the party. (It’s not like she’s a maverick. She voted with Trump 92 percent of the time.)

In any case, I don’t want a 100 percent party of conservative robots.

We are always going to have people on the fringes of the party who are going to agree or disagree on certain issues.

We can’t say if you don’t agree 100 percent with the Republican majority or the leadership we’re going to kick you out of the party.

Cheney simply got tired of Trump talking about Nov. 3.

She spoke out because she doesn’t want “The Big Lie” to be used against the party in the 2022 elections.

I’m tired of “The Big Lie” too. So are lots of other people.

Cheney wants the party to move on and work on winning back the House and Senate. So do I.

The GOP will never win back Congress or block the socialist visions of Biden if the focus continues to be about Donald Trump and his vision for America.

It’s got to be about the Republican Party’s vision, and it’s up to GOP leaders in Washington to lead — so please lead.

Michael Reagan is the president of The Reagan Legacy Foundation. Contact him at:

http://www.reagan.com

 
 
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