2022 Pennsylvania Republican Primary

The 2022 Pennsylvania Republican Primary is on Tuesday, May 17. On the ballot statewide are nominations for the offices of Governor, Lieutenant Governor and United States Senator. Nominees will also be chosen in districts for U.S. Representative and for half the seats of the State Senate and all State Representative seats. Trumpist Influence: Nearly all the statewide candidates, as well as many of the other candidates, are Trumpist, not only seeking the endorsement of Donald Trump or promoting their ties to him, but expressing typical Trumpist views, instead of conservatism. Trumpism is a populist set of beliefs and practices, including protectionism, nativism, isolationism, authoritarianism, cruelty, falsehood and corruption. It is typically accompanied by minimizing or denying the threat from the Coronavirus 2019 Pandemic, or at least regarding the reasonable, responsible restrictions as a greater threat than the diseases that has killed tens of thousands of Pennsylvanians and sickened millions of others, most of whom suffer long-term consequences. Trumpist Pennsylvania Republican statewide candidates usually repeat the populist GOP talking points that misplace the blame for inflation, exaggerate it and even offer proposals that would be inflationary, like cutting taxes or exacerbating the labor shortage from decreased immigration that businesses are complaining about by making it harder for migrants to enter, instead of a reasonable reform of immigration law based on security and economic interest. Trumpist candidates, particularly in closely contested States like Pennsylvania, typically espouse false conspiracy theories about the 2020 election and make exaggerations and misleading statements about it and Pennsylvania’s election law, which undermines confidence in elections, instead of focusing on valid reforms to ensure election security. Reject Trump and Trumpism by Voting for Conservatives: Such candidates do not deserve a vote for the nomination to public office, not only because their views are disqualifying, but because nominating candidates endorsed by Trump or who seek his favor or play to his crowd by adopting Trumpist platforms increase the hold over the Republican Party held by Trump, validates Trumpist ideas, and rewards populism/demagoguery over truth, reason and principle. Although it is tempting to vote strategically for those who are relatively less Trumpist versus those who are more Trumpist, choosing the “lesser of two evils” is nonetheless choosing evil. Choosing a non-Trumpist conservative, or writing in the name of a qualified conservative, even if those candidates are unlikely to win the GOP nomination, is the only morally acceptable way to exercise the privilege to vote and the only way to express a rejection of the supplanting of conservatism with Trumpism as the Republican platform, which is a necessary step to return the GOP to its principles. Furthermore, it is vital to save the party to support such candidates in order to encourage more of them to seek Republican nomination to office. Dr. Nche Zama for Governor: There appears to be only one statewide Republican primary candidate who is not Trumpist: Dr. Nche Zama of the Poconos, who is seeking the GOP nod for Governor. Zama typifies the American Dream, as he grew up in a grass hut in Cameroon, saw his mother die in childbirth from a preventable disease, and had difficulty obtaining formal education. After he was finally able to receive an education, he immigrated legally to America, becoming a surgeon and director of various surgical departments, and founding a philanthropic organization to provide healthcare to the needy. Understanding the effects of the pandemic, the reknown doctor criticized Trump’s withdrawal from the World Health Organization as “shortsighted.” Reforming education and the healthcare system are Dr. Zama’s major platform planks. He is pro-life and pro-right to keep and bear arms. The polls are open Tuesday from 7:00 AM to 8:00 PM. Make plans today to vote for non-Trumpist conservative candidates for Republican nomination.