T
he latest meeting of the
Conservative Political
Action
Conference
(CPAC) last month revealed
that
Republicans
around
the
country
continue
to
enthusiastically support former
President Donald Trump. In
a straw poll of hypothetical
Republican candidates, nearly
60%
signaled
they
would
back Trump in the rapidly-
approaching 2024 presidential
election. Coming far behind
in second place was Gov. Ron
DeSantis, R-Fla., who secured
just over a quarter of the tally.
With
the
Republican
presidential
primaries
less
than
two
years
out,
and
campaigning likely to begin
around a year before that,
many signs point to Trump
launching a bid for a second
term in the White House. If
strong levels of support for
Trump
among
Republicans
hold, it’s highly likely we’ll
be witnessing another face-
off between Donald Trump
and Joe Biden. Americans
won’t
cast
their
next
presidential ballots for more
than 30 months, but with a
number of polls now putting
Trump ahead of Biden in a
hypothetical matchup, there’s
a reasonable chance Trump
could end up back in the Oval
Office come January 2025.
When
Trump
departed
the White House only two
weeks after a group of his
rioting
supporters
stormed
the Capitol, the idea of Trump
returning
and
mounting
another
run
for
president
seemed wild and ridiculous.
According to Quinnipiac polls
taken in the final days of the
Trump presidency, almost 60%
of voters said Trump should be
barred from holding any kind
of elected office ever again,
while 53% said Trump should
resign from office before his
term ended.
Seven Republican senators
voted to convict the former
president
in
his
second
impeachment trial over the
January
6
insurrection.
Republican leaders like then-
Senate Majority Leader Mitch
McConnell, R-Ky., were widely
and publicly critical of Trump.
Multiple
loyal
officials
in
the
Trump
administration,
including
Attorney
General
William
Barr
and
the
Secretaries of Education and
Transportation, resigned.
But the picture is entirely
different only a short year later.
Too many Republicans seem to
have turned a blind eye to the
ugly final days of the Trump
administration,
threatening
to destroy any conservative
who stands against Trump.
After Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo.,
and Rep. Adam Kinzinger,
R-Ill., joined a Congressional
committee probing the events
of
January
6,
Republicans
censured both representatives
and
declared
the
Capitol
violence
was
“legitimate
political discourse.” The GOP
also removed Cheney from
House Republican leadership
last spring over her opposition
to Trump.
These recent trends within
the GOP illuminate Trump’s
extreme popularity within the
party and the headwinds most
mainstream Republicans face
in opposing him. Republicans
must change course quickly.
It’s time for the GOP to reset,
turn away from Trump and
support
candidates
who
reflect the values of not only
the Republican Party but of
America at large.
Not too long ago, Republicans
threw their support behind
presidential
candidates
like
former Sen. John McCain,
R-Ariz.,
a
Vietnam
War
veteran
who
exemplified
America’s democratic values
and
promoted
conservative
principles
like
smaller
government
and
lower
spending.
Republicans
like
McCain
had
reasonable
policy
disagreements
with
Democrats,
but
they
were
always firm advocates of the
American people, and were
respected on both sides of the
aisle.
President
Trump
surely
had positive accomplishments
during his term, like signing
the First Step Act, a bipartisan
initiative focusing on much-
needed criminal justice reform.
But by and large, it’s become
readily apparent that Trump
lacks the qualities Americans
need in their president. After
he lost the election in 2020
to
Biden,
Trump
launched
an unprecedented effort to
discredit the election results
and
overturn
the
will
of
the people so he could stay
in
power.
Those
efforts
thankfully failed, but if not
for the loyal Americans who
stood in Trump’s way, we
could
have
experienced
a
serious constitutional crisis.
Nevertheless, Trump’s election
lies continue to persist to
this day. A poll from last
November found only a third of
Republicans believe American
elections are fair. Over 70% of
Republicans said in a shocking
December
poll
that
they
doubted the legitimacy of the
2020
presidential
election.
Trump’s election rhetoric is
completely false as well as
dangerous.
In the end, it’s astonishing
that one of America’s two
major political parties is so
supportive of a figure who tried
to subvert the Constitution
and overturn fair, democratic
processes.
This
country
is
built on democratic values that
have guided it for hundreds of
years. Russia’s blatant assault
on freedom and democracy
in Ukraine exhibits just how
fragile democracy truly is,
even in 2022. Trump’s attack
on democracy here at home
should drive every American
— Republican, Democrat or
independent
—
to
support
people up and down the ticket
who believe in democracy and
support
it
wholeheartedly,
even when it’s not in their own
political interest to do so.
With
time
running
out
before 2024, it’s imperative the
GOP does a hard reset, and fast.
Republicans must return to
promoting American values and
firmly reject misinformation
and propaganda. Rather than
vote for a candidate who has
done
much
to
undermine
American
democracy,
it’s
time
Republicans
throw
their support behind people
with proven track records of
defending and celebrating our
precious democracy.
A
merican intervention”: two
words that represent a very
loaded
topic.
Revisiting
any part of our history shows that
debate over intervention is present
at every turn. From the beginning
of our country’s history, President
George
Washington
famously
believed that the US should avoid
any foreign entanglements. Then,
during the 1800s into the 1900s,
as the U.S. was strengthening its
economic influence, it involved itself
aggressively in other countries. After
World War I, America adopted an
isolationist policy for a time, but by
World War II it had switched gears
again to join the fight against the
Axis powers. Throughout the 1900s,
U.S. involvement in foreign affairs
turned controversial with its fight
against communism during the
Cold War. Though the Korean War
is considered a success as it stopped
communism from taking root in the
country, the Vietnam War is mostly
viewed as a mistake.
Such a complicated past in
foreign policy has proven that when
addressing this question, there is
no easy answer. Now, as Russia
continues its invasion of Ukraine, we
are entering a new period of history
that has raised the question once
more. Yet, for me, the answer seems
quite clear.
Throughout
the
centuries
America has taken extreme steps
to protect their economic exploits
across the globe. Though it is
clear that the U.S. is an economic
powerhouse in our current global
stage, its journey to get to the top
wasn’t the most ethical. From
overthrowing
Hawaii’s
Queen
Liliuokalani when she wouldn’t
succumb to U.S. economic desires,
to leading several military coups
against leaders — such as Guatemala’s
democratically elected president —
that were simply uncontrollable, the
U.S. was everywhere. Considering
the variety of ways America has
influenced other countries’ affairs,
often in a negative manner and for its
own benefit, I have started to doubt
the wisdom of intervention. I mean,
why should one country be allowed
to have that much power over the
rest of the world? So for a very long
time, I thought America should keep
to itself instead of back-handedly
controlling the world.
But recently, with the conflict
between
Russia
and
Ukraine
steadily worsening, I have been
forced to rethink. Specifically, I find
myself thinking a lot about bullies.
In school, if there is a child being
bullied, I would consider it wrong for
any bystanders who have the power
to help the child in need to just stand
idly by; some would even go as far
to say that those bystanders are just
as bad as the bully. And I can’t help
but think of bullying when I think
about our current global crisis. For
those who may be unaware, though
Russia recently invaded Ukraine, the
tension between the two countries is
one that has been building up since
the fall of the Soviet Union. After
the USSR fell, Ukraine became its
own country, but Russian President
Vladimir Putin never let go of his
desire to rebuild the old Soviet Union
empire; in his words, Ukrainians and
Russians “were one people — a single
whole.”
That is why he has already
invaded Ukraine once before, back
in 2014, and annexed Crimea in the
process. Experts think the reason he
has chosen to continue his mission
now is because of the strengthening
relations between Ukraine and
NATO. Though Ukraine will not
be joining NATO anytime soon, it
is working to gain admission into
the European Union and is the
fourth-largest recipient of U.S.
military funding; in some ways it
has become an informal member of
NATO, which threatens Russia. As
a result of his fears, Putin decided to
invade Ukraine to take back what he
believes is Russia’s rightful territory,
and make sure NATO doesn’t inch
closer.
There is no doubt that this is an
extremely complicated situation. But
breaking it down to its core, the way I
see it is that Russia is using its power
to bully Ukraine and as a result, we
are witnessing hundreds of innocent
and unnecessary deaths. There are
many debates going on pertaining
to what the U.S. should do. The
Biden administration has remained
firm on keeping U.S. soldiers out
of Ukraine, which is something
the majority of Americans agree
with. However, 83% of Americans
have also said they favor increased
economic sanctions against Russia.
So people do think America should
intervene, but are afraid of getting
involved in yet another overseas war;
and honestly, who can blame them?
However, though I do understand
people’s
hesitation
to
escalate
involvement in Ukraine, I believe
that if all else fails, we might not have
any other choice.
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Opinion
10 — Wednesday, March 16, 2022
Intervention or isolation
PALAK SRIVISTAVA
Opinion Columnist
EVAN STERN
Opinion Columnist
Building a more diverse, equitable,
and inclusive U-M community
takes the will and work of all of us.
Learn about our transition from
DEI 1.0 to DEI 2.0.
2021-22
Evaluation
2022-23
Planning
2023-24
2.0 Launch
LEARN MORE:
diversity.umich.edu/dei-2
It’s time for a Republican reset
Read more at
MichiganDaily.com
E
ach
of
the
roughly
50,000 students at the
University of Michigan
has their own story of how they
became a Wolverine. Some of us
were dressed in maize and blue
practically from the moment we
were born. Others discovered our
love for Michigan on a campus
visit led by a Michigan student tour
guide. Some of us were the first
in our families to receive higher
education, beginning a brand new
legacy.
No matter what our pathway
to becoming a Wolverine was,
the moment we accepted our
offers we accepted a list of various
stereotypes. In general, university
students are perceived as lazy,
reckless and wealthy.
In addition to this general
stereotype,
every
university
seems to come with even more
specific versions of these traits. In
a study performed by researchers
Andrea Abel and Amy Binder, 56
Harvard University and Stanford
University students were surveyed
regarding their perceptions of
other highly respected campuses
such as The University of Chicago
and Princeton University. They
criticized the other universities as
being too social, not social enough
or
overly
career-minded
and
uptight.
Abel
and
Binder
reported
that
these
micro-comparisons
students draw between different
universities are a result of the
universities’ highly competitive
nature. They report that this is
largely due to working your whole
life to be admitted to a selective
university and then, once admitted,
doing all you can to elevate your
university’s status in order to
bolster your own self-confidence.
My two cents? Competition is
ingrained in the system. To get to
these top universities, students
not only need an exceptional
application, but also one that is
better than that of their peers.
This rigorous college admissions
process has primed students to
carry their overly competitive
sentiments
into
their
higher
education endeavors.
In Abel and Binder’s study, the
University of Michigan was not
mentioned by any of the surveyed
students. However, it is fair to say
that we have spun our own web of
reputations, some ugly ones and
some not so ugly ones. Many of
these perceptions are fairly earned.
Our
competitive
mentalities
translate into the process of
applying
to
the
University’s
selective clubs and rushing its
professional fraternities. These
actions could be considered feats
of bravery, as they sometimes feel
even more difficult than getting
into the University itself.
Many of these clubs hold
networking events where students
who are already in the club can
meet with those who are looking
to join the club. Unfortunately,
this can become a demeaning
experience — existing members
could flout their accomplishments
in the club or speak down to
nonmembers.
Semester
after
semester, club after club, rejection
after rejection, we begin to feel
beaten down by the process.
Despite our hopelessness, we
continue to put ourselves through
the endless stacks of applications.
Sometimes, this draining process
is less about the desire to join the
organization and more about the
idea that extracurriculars are
necessary for success in the future.
Additionally, seeing our peers
doing more than us — posting
about
their
new
internships,
exclusive clubs or special programs
— ultimately leads to constant
comparison. Comparing ourselves
to others, and feeling behind
because of it, is very damaging
to our mental health and self-
confidence. To cope with these
damages, students ramp up their
competition, creating an even more
cutthroat environment. As you
can see, this is a self-perpetuating
cycle.
ANNA TRUPIANO
Opinion Columnist
It’s time to break down the stereotype
of a University of Michigan student
Design by Tamara Turner, Opinion Cartoonist
Slava Ukraini! (Glory to Ukraine!)
Read more at
MichiganDaily.com