The GOP debate was a circus of Trump support and voter alienation

On a debate stage in Milwaukee, candidates for the Republican nomination spoke to Republicans and only Republicans. 

They didn’t speak to independents or disillusioned Democrats, they spoke to just Republicans. That may work in a primary, but for two hours, Republicans created attack ads for every Democrat running in the 2024 general election. 

Now as a Democrat, I’ll gladly hand Republicans the shovel that helps them dig their grave; but as a political observer, I’m amazed. Not only are the Republican candidates for president taking a shortsighted approach to the primary, but they are ensuring down-ticket candidates have to answer for their stupidity. 

Consider the top two challengers to Donald Trump’s inevitable nomination. Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-Fla.) had the chance to go nuclear on Donald Trump  — to reset the reset that his campaign reset before the last reset. He could have rolled the dice and taken his political godfather to the proverbial woodshed. Instead, DeSantis barely even mentioned his name. The governor of Florida looked more like a candidate impersonating the Tin Man for Halloween than a principled candidate for higher office.

Vivek Ramaswamy was no better. He may have spent debate night smugly laughing at what was said on stage, but a majority of American voters will likely see nothing funny about his performance. Our democracy isn’t a joke, but when Republicans play clown games, we get a circus onstage. If Republicans think that anything said or done on stage is going to bring more voters into the fold, I’ve got news for them — it won’t. The inmates aren’t just running the Republican asylum, they’ve overrun it and are attempting to burn it down.

The views on stage were nothing short of political extremism. Climate change is a hoax, check. A national ban on abortion: Absolutely! Burn more fossil fuels, who needs a planet to live on? Jabs for not firing Dr. Fauci, a man who is already retired; makes complete sense. And of course, when all else fails, add in supporting a four-time indicted former president just to own the libs — hell yes. 

This primary may be the gift that keeps on giving to Democrats, but if we stop and pause for a minute, its effect is horrifically unhealthy for our democracy. Democracy thrives when there’s healthy debate and the ability to hold leaders accountable. What we witnessed from the Republicans on stage wasn’t just a lack of accountability, but a lack of political courage or interest in protecting our Constitution. 

Thankfully, the responsibility for protecting our democracy doesn’t rest solely on our elected or aspiring elected officials. The American people have a role to play in shaping the political landscape. The upcoming election is about reaffirming our commitment to those principles.

Do we want to become a country led by used car salesmen masquerading as political candidates, or do we want to have a serious debate over differing ideas? What we saw onstage in Milwaukee is a party fresh out of ideas and substance, hellbent on embracing cultish personalities. That’s a losing combination.

Voters made clear in 2020 and 2022 that nominating Trump or a cheap imitation is a recipe for defeat. Yet somehow Republicans are determined to drive their clown car off a cliff.

Voters don’t want more anti-choice, anti-intellect and anti-democratic candidates. The Trump years were a disaster, we don’t need a sequel. Voters want stability and consistency, not pandering and weak knees. 

What is clear from suffering through two hours of Republican talking points is that the winner of debate night wasn’t the ghost of Donald Trump or the over-caffeinated governor of Florida, Ron DeSantis. It wasn’t Vivek Ramaswamy, Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.), Nikki Haley or the rest of the contestants who participated in a battle of self-immolation. The winner of the first Republican debate was nowhere near the dumpster fire: President Joseph R. Biden and down-ticket Democrats.

We’ve got a long way to go before the first round of ballots are cast, but if what we saw on stage was any indication of what we will see in the future, down-ballot Republicans should start panicking. No one running for the Republican nomination for president can save them. 

But then again, let’s be honest: After blindly supporting Donald Trump for the last eight years, are they really worth saving?

Michael Starr Hopkins is a founding partner at Northern Starr Strategies.