Why I Disagree With Calls For Nikki Haley To Drop Out.

Yesterday the Georgia Republican Party, in a letter signed by Chairman Josh McKoon, and RNC Committee members Ginger Howard and Jason Thompson, called on Ambassador Nikki Haley to drop out of the race for the GOP Presidential Nomination and support former President Donald Trump.

Apparently the Executive Committees of several local Republican Parties have also voted to formally endorse Trump. This is happening all over the country as the GOP Establishment falls in line with the former President in his bid to recapture the White House.

Some have questioned if this is the proper role of a political party. Others have suggested this unprecedented pressure on Haley is not in compliance with the rules of the Georgia Republican Party.

Years ago when I was a lowly county Party Chairman in Gwinnett, I routinely did battle with some members of my Executive Committee who wanted to use their position within the Party and their title to endorse candidates and influence the outcome of primaries. I was and still am of the opinion that it’s not the role of elected Party Leaders to take sides publicly in primaries. Clearly my view is out of fashion these days. Yet another example of how I’m out of step with this Modern MAGA GOP.

I disagree with Elected Party Leaders at the national, state, and local level calling on ANY candidate to end their campaign before either the voters reject that candidate, or the candidate decides to end his or her campaign. I will continue to be of the belief that it’s not the proper role of the GOP Party apparatus to in any way attempt to pick a candidate in a primary.

The idea that money donated to Nikki Haley is “wasted” or could be put to better use by giving it to Trump is ill founded. Donors, like voters, have the right to send their money and their vote to whomever they wish. It’s up to Donald Trump to win over those donors and voters to his side, not for those donors and voters to be forced by the Party Establishment into compliance with their wishes.

Looking at the results of the Iowa Caucus and the New Hampshire Primary, it’s clear the former President has a lot of work to do to unite the Republican Party. Exit polls showed an overwhelming number of those who voted for Haley were unlikely to vote for Trump in the General Election. MAGA dismisses those folks as “Never Trumpers” and Democrats. But in 2024, Trump has no margin of error. He cannot win if independents, former Republicans, and moderate Democrats don’t vote for him. He must figure out how to win those folks over.

Allowing the primary process to play out on it’s own gives the former President the chance to woo skeptical voters back to his side – if he really wants to win. Telling folks like me who prefer someone else to shut up and fall in line could very well have the opposite effect.

After learning that Trump has ordered people to stop giving money to Haley with the threat they will banished forever from MAGA, I sent the Ambassador some money. I will not “bend the knee” to Trump under threats from him or anyone else. Go ahead and put me on the Enemies List.

I don’t like standing in opposition to the Party I call home. I still remain a conservative Republican in the mold of the late, great Jack Kemp. I’ve been voting Republican since the first time I could vote in 1984, when I proudly supported Ronald Reagan. I grew up reading National Review and listening to Rush Limbaugh. I haven’t changed, but the Party I’ve long supported is barely recognizable to me. Please don’t drive folks like me away.