As we enter 2024 we can expect more traffic in the middle of the road. This will be mainly due to Republican candidates for everything from President to dog catcher struggling to hold on to voters in the Trump base without losing moderate voters turned off by the former President's increasingly authoritarian positions. Anyone inclined to sympathize with them in their predicament should remember that Republicans have no one to blame but themselves for their electoral woes. Even after they saw what Trump did as President, Republican elected officials at local, state and national levels could not bring themselves to shun him for fear of losing their own seats. Liz Cheney, who we saw recently making the rounds of media outlets and talk shows which would have her as she promoted her book and denounced Trump as a threat to democracy, admitted she voted for him both times. Her justification was that she was voting as a representative of Wyoming voters who overwhelmingly went for Trump. When she finally broke with Trump to serve on the January 6 Committee those voters cast her out unceremoniously. A similar fate awaits any Republican who dares to even appear to cross Trump. Even the mild expressions of disapproval of Trump by a seemingly popular Republican like Nikki Haley are drawing the ire of Trump supporters. The only Republicans who can openly criticize Trump are the ones who have no political hopes. All attempts by Republicans, whether in or out of politics, to appear to moderate their views should be viewed with skepticism. A good test of their true colors would be their position on abortion, climate change, gun control or denial of the results of the 2022 election.
As the election nears, we can expect candidates of both parties to test the wind and adjust their position according to their reading of the priorities of the voters who form their base. Middle-of-the-roaders must therefore clarify in their own minds where they stand on the issues. Speaking for myself, all attempts by Republican candidates to woo moderate voters will fall short - as the expression goes, "day late, dollar short".