John, It’s a question I’ve thought about quite a bit this year.
I’m often asked why I think so many Republican leaders who had been outspoken critics of former President Trump over the past eight years seem to suddenly do a U-turn and endorse his candidacy. |
As you know, after being a first-hand witness to his endless barrage of shocking words and divisive behavior when I opposed him in the 2016 presidential campaign, I was resolved never to support a candidate like him. I may have paid a heavy price politically for that decision, but it's not one that I've ever regretted because it simply came down to what I thought was best for America. And, in the long run, what was best for conservative Republican values.
You know my track record. I've been in the trenches fighting for those values for more than forty years and I cherish them deeply. As a well-known “budget hawk” during my 18 years in Congress, I chaired the U.S. House Budget Committee and spent much of my time working to achieve the first balanced federal budget in decades. (And the last balanced budget anyone’s been able to achieve ever since!) Supporting pro-growth policies and fiscal restraint used to be critical components of what it meant to be a Republican. |
As governor of Ohio, I continued to champion conservative principles such as fiscal restraint, removing burdensome regulations that were standing in the way of job creation, and cutting taxes to help create a better business climate. It was a winning formula as we created approximately 500,000 new private-sector jobs, while not leaving anyone behind. |
It seems that for many in politics today, while they call themselves Republicans, their policies are not consistent with the conservative values of traditional Republicans. - Why have we become the party that enables a toxic and divisive figure like Trump or his enablers in Congress?
- Why do we not have any kind of hopeful vision for the future of America?
- Why are we retreating from our international alliances?
- Why are we not pro-job creation, pro-legal immigration, and so many other issues we could – and should – champion?
For the past eight years, it doesn’t feel like we are for anything, we're just against everything!
I'll have much more to say about this as the year goes on, but the reality is that nobody is going to solve our problems for us. It's going to take each of us to chart a more hopeful path forward for our country. I’m not saying that any of this will be easy, but we're not afraid of the challenge, are we? |
I'm so appreciative for your ongoing support. Thank you! -John |
