Trump Showed GOP Voters Value Vibes Over Policy

This week, Donald Trump effectively kicked off the general election for the year 2024 by becoming the first candidate from the Republican party other than the incumbent to win a Republican primary in both Iowa and New Hampshire.

In the course of the Republican National Convention in 2020, there was no new party platform that was constructed. On the other hand, their lack of policy proposals may be even more apparent this time around.
One of the most significant policy debates of the day was the one that took place between Nikki Haley and Vivek Ramaswamy during the Republican primary. The topic of discussion was whether or not the United States should assist Ukraine. On the other hand, the fact that Donald Trump decided to abstain from participating in the debates was a warning sign.

I have the impression that vibes have always been more important than problems, whether I am conscious of this or not. In today’s media-driven society, candidates for president are frequently evaluated on their height, charisma, and physical attractiveness. This is especially true in the United States.
In every single action, there is always a “good” and “real” rationale behind it. Instead of giving in to our instincts, we make an effort to come up with more rational justifications for why we voted the way that we did.

One example that may be used to illustrate this point is the problem of expenditure. When it comes to the issue of budget deficits and debt, have Republicans ever given a hoot? It was a waste of time to participate in the Tea Party demonstrations, which frequently featured men wearing tricorn hats. Due to the lack of additional information, I am unable to.

To put it another way, if you are curious about the Republicans’ lack of spending rhetoric, it is primarily because they lack credibility when it comes to fiscal restraint in the era that follows the Trump administration.
In the same way that Republicans are unable to use the budget issue as effectively against Democrats at this time, it also has very little power within Republicans themselves. (Haley attempted to use Trump’s enormous expenditures as a weapon against him, but she was not very successful.)

If one subscribes to the “great man theory” of history, then it is reasonable to assume that devoted supporters of a powerful leader would eventually follow the policies that the leader has implemented. It is abundantly clear that this was the situation with Republicans and Trump.

Only the previous year, for instance, Republicans like Ron DeSantis were frantically searching for a right-wing strategy that would allow them to unseat Trump. They reasoned that there is no doubt that Trump will be found wanting by ardent conservatives due to some policy betrayal, as well as a particular framing of the issue by those conservatives.

There was no justification for the expenditure of millions of dollars on this endeavor. Republican primary voters “find a way to rationalize and dismiss it,” the group’s head said, even when shown a video with the relevant context in which head Trump says something that primary voters would find disagreeable.
Even if problems have always been exaggerated, there was a period when they were really important. Issues at the regional level that impacted key players had considerable influence in key states not long ago. Think of how John McCain had to change his position on energy in Iowa; in 2007, he joked, “I drink a glass of ethanol every morning with Chuck Grassley for breakfast.”

I didn’t hear anything about ethanol or agricultural subsidies while I was watching the Iowa caucuses 2024 campaign. We no longer have a choice in the matter; all that matters is how loyal one is to Trump.

To be clear, I am not an emotionally distant materialist who believes that voters have always been primarily concerned with financial matters. I suppose it was once a must-have for Republicans nationwide to believe in the right to life as well.

It would seem that the abortion issue is no longer a sticking point in Republican politics, given the several stances Trump has taken on the matter.

Truthfully, voters likely still have a few issues they will not budge on; the difference is that these issues tend to align with the more extreme right-wing views.

After receiving boos for urging voters to get vaccinated, Trump has avoided discussing his role in Operation Warp Speed, which expedited the delivery of the first COVID vaccines to the United States and contributed to the end of the pandemic. Trump may have thought it was easier to follow rather than take the lead.

Even though there is no difference of opinion between Orange Caesar and the GOP base, there are some issues that the base does care about, such as immigration and the border crisis. The fact that Trump would prefer the problem persist than take action suggests how seriously he takes the matter.

So far, I have concentrated on the fact that Republicans do not have any problems. Realistically, though, there is just going to be one issue in the general election, and that is Donald Trump.

Joe Biden indeed covers a lot of ground. Like in the Republican primary debates, Trump is the nation’s biggest problem. After the election, Biden will want everyone to focus on him. Indeed, Trump is an important matter.

This election is not a “show about nothing” like the one on Seinfeld. Plenty is on the line. Wonks who are interested in the details of public policy, however, have chosen to live during the wrong era.

A lot of people believe in vibes, and when people vote, they usually get what they desire. The most meaningless election in modern times is already shaping up to take place in 2024. Fight the zeitgeist all you want.

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Trump Showed GOP Voters Value Vibes Over Policy