Republicans can win by ignoring Trump

If the Republican Party nominates Trump in 2024, it should expect to lose. Winning once and then losing dramatically, and losing a majority in Congress, should spur the GOP to close the “Trump as nominee” chapter. There may be no way to keep him off the stage entirely, but he should be relegated to the figurative background.

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In the immediate post-Trump era, it must be tempting to make every issue or election about Trump. This may seem smart from a certain perspective within both major parties, but it is not. Based on Tuesday’s results, it is part of the lesson that Democrats are incapable or unwilling to learn. While Democrats flail from multiple defeats, Republicans should blaze a new trail and move beyond Trump-centered mania.

There is no placing Trump on a ballot if he is not running. No matter the stunts pulled or references to Jan. 6, it just doesn’t work. When the options are to select an ordinary, non-Trump GOP candidate or cling to progressive policies, your average center or center-right voter is likely to pick the former. Trump may have made some voters tune in during 2016. But in 2021 and beyond, droning on about Trump, whether for or against, can easily make voters tune out.

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