US Midterm Primaries: The Division Goes beyond Trump
Published in Mainichi Shimbun
(Japan) on 6 June 2022
by (link to original)
The primaries in advance of November’s congressional midterm and state elections are underway across the country. Former President Donald Trump is a focal point of these races.
Primaries are held to determine the nominees for each party in November’s general election. Many Republican are looking to Trump for support, and so far, more than 140 candidates have secured Trump’s endorsement. A large percentage of these candidates have already won their state primaries.
Last year, Joe Biden took office despite the fact that Trump never conceded his loss. There is speculation that by returning to the center stage of American politics, Trump is laying the groundwork for a second presidential run in 2024.
The Senate primary in Ohio last month is an example of how popular Trump is. All three major candidates saluted Trump and expressed their loyalty, but the candidate that Trump endorsed prior to election day was the winner.
Surprisingly, Trump still decides whether or not to support candidate based on a loyalty test whereby a candidate must agree that the 202 presidential election was stolen. He has withdrawn support from candidates who refuse to do so.
Even now, Trump’s support within the Republican Party is more than 70%. His base consists largely of conservative white voters, and the prediction that this demographic group will make up less than half the American population in 20 years is exacerbating a sense of impending crisis.
Trump’s slogan, “Make America Great Again,” implies that he wishes to return to a white-centric society. There is an extreme faction within the conservative party that promotes discrimination and agitates social division.
Conversely, the Democratic Party is emphasizing diversity and speaking out against racial discrimination. The party is making an effort to change white-centered society in schools and workplaces around the world.
What sort of country is America and who are Americans? The fact that its citizens do not have a shared understanding of their society is deepening the division among them, something that will only grow wider with shifting demographics.
Several American politicians have said they believe this year's midterms will be the most important in U.S. history. We need a broader perspective that not tied to Trump.
If the United States mends this division, it will create a new version of itself. We need to have a conversation that focuses on hope for the future, not nostalgia for the past.
Primaries are held to determine the nominees for each party in November’s general election. Many Republican are looking to Trump for support, and so far, more than 140 candidates have secured Trump’s endorsement. A large percentage of these candidates have already won their state primaries.
Last year, Joe Biden took office despite the fact that Trump never conceded his loss. There is speculation that by returning to the center stage of American politics, Trump is laying the groundwork for a second presidential run in 2024.
The Senate primary in Ohio last month is an example of how popular Trump is. All three major candidates saluted Trump and expressed their loyalty, but the candidate that Trump endorsed prior to election day was the winner.
Surprisingly, Trump still decides whether or not to support candidate based on a loyalty test whereby a candidate must agree that the 202 presidential election was stolen. He has withdrawn support from candidates who refuse to do so.
Even now, Trump’s support within the Republican Party is more than 70%. His base consists largely of conservative white voters, and the prediction that this demographic group will make up less than half the American population in 20 years is exacerbating a sense of impending crisis.
Trump’s slogan, “Make America Great Again,” implies that he wishes to return to a white-centric society. There is an extreme faction within the conservative party that promotes discrimination and agitates social division.
Conversely, the Democratic Party is emphasizing diversity and speaking out against racial discrimination. The party is making an effort to change white-centered society in schools and workplaces around the world.
What sort of country is America and who are Americans? The fact that its citizens do not have a shared understanding of their society is deepening the division among them, something that will only grow wider with shifting demographics.
Several American politicians have said they believe this year's midterms will be the most important in U.S. history. We need a broader perspective that not tied to Trump.
If the United States mends this division, it will create a new version of itself. We need to have a conversation that focuses on hope for the future, not nostalgia for the past.
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