Finally, a Republican who’s standing up to Donald Trump
I am certainly no fan of Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, but I give him props for not taking abuse from Donald Trump. While Republicans like Chuck Grassley eat the words they earlier said, Raffensperger stands his ground. In the face of what must be intense public scrutiny and backlash, Raffensperger intends to run for reelection, with or without Trump’s endorsement. Besides, the weight of an endorsement from Trump is still an unproven commodity, but integrity should never be for sale. Raffensperger is hoping Georgia voters agree.
According to Politico, Raffensperger’s reelection campaign is being closely watched by other Republicans. Should he ultimately prevail, he will largely put a muzzle on the Republicans who claim the election was stolen, especially given that Raffensperger never bowed to their pressure. Former Republican representative Lynn Westmoreland claims that “87 percent of Republican primary voters felt like the election was stolen. With those kinds of numbers, I don’t see Brad getting through the primary.” Wouldn’t you love to see him proven wrong? Republicans are so stuck on this tired old line, and it would be nice to see voters comes to their senses and choose integrity over a lie. After all, one of the biggest complaints from people about politicians is that they lie, yet they have embraced the lie of the century.
Trump continues to attack Raffensperger. During his Georgia, rally, Trump referred to Raffensperger as “incompetent and strange,” Politico reported. Raffensperger is a Republican, but he is neither incompetent nor strange. In fact, he is one of the few normal Republicans left on earth. He did his job, and he should not be denigrated for that. All Donald Trump knows is belittling and denigrating anyone who does not agree with him, and it is refreshing to see one who stands his ground, even if it costs him his office. Trump’s ire in Georgia is not limited to Raffensperger. He quipped that Stacey Abrams would be a better governor than Kemp (which we know), and he has also insulted Lt. Governor Geoff Duncan and Attorney General Chris Carr. While Duncan has criticized Trump, Kemp and Carr have ignored Trump and remained silent, but Raffensperger is having none of it. He even wrote an op-ed for USA Today, comparing Trump to Abrams, claiming the two are similar, which likely infuriated Trump even more. Hopefully, his testimony will help in convicting Trump of felony election interference in Georgia.
Raffensperger’s book “Integrity Counts” is due to hit shelves next month and is billed as his “inspiring story of commitment to the integrity of American democracy,” according to Politico. Raffensperger told Politico: “We’re out there setting the record straight. No. 1 is that President Trump did not carry the state of Georgia.” He further points out that “multiple recounts, reviews, and investigations” confirmed the vote in Georgia, and even though he stands to lose his primary election because Republicans choose to support the Big Lie, you must give the man credit for doing his job. That level of integrity is missing in Republican politics, and for that alone, he should be applauded.
Shirley is a former entertainment writer and has worked in the legal field for over 25 years