Sometime late Tuesday evening, it became clear that Democrats had once again prevailed in a key toss-up race. This time, it happened in Wisconsin, with Republicans coming up short in a state supreme court election that could have a profound impact on the outcome of 2024.

This wasn’t some low-profile, inconsequential contest. This was one of the most expensive supreme court races in history. Tens of millions of dollars were spent in an attempt to cement power in the all-important swing state. Unfortunately, most of it came from Democrats.

What were Republicans doing while the polls were open? We were all obsessing over Donald Trump.

I know that comment is ripe to make a lot of people mad but understand that I’m talking about myself in this article as much as anyone reading it. I’m not here to point fingers while pretending I’ve been perfect. What I’m here to do is offer some perspective in hopes that we can all learn a valuable lesson, before the country sinks further into an irreparable state.

Consider this: Nothing Democrats do is by accident.

We all love to dunk on the left and rightfully so, but those pulling the strings are not dumb. They are ruthlessly capable, and they’ve learned to play the game. While Republicans are laser-focused on nationalized grievances, Democrats outspend and out-hustle them on the ground. And surprise, guess who provided the latest nationalized grievance? Do you think Trump was arraigned on the day of an election that could help decide the 2024 presidential race by sheer chance?

As a voter, you must ask yourself what the end goal is. Is it to grasp the fleeting high of lashing out online? Or is it to win elections and make your political opposition pay?

That’s not to say you can’t express your opinion when something unjust happens or that the way to beat Democrats is to ignore their missteps. What I’m saying is that there must be some level of strategery and focus past the online dunks and complaints.

The most relevant and current example of that is the widespread notion that Trump must be made the 2024 nominee now to prove a point. But what point are you proving? That you can nominate a guy who continues to send independents running for the hills, and who has objectively become less popular with the general electorate since 2020? Democrats are literally begging you to do that.

Again, don’t misunderstand me and storm off in a huff. The point of this article is not to say you absolutely shouldn’t vote for Trump. It’s to say that if you do vote for him, it should be for the right reasons. It should be because he’s proven that something has changed. It should be because you truly believe he has the best chance to beat the Democrat nominee, and that belief needs to be based on something more than personal affection.

The rebuttal to what I’m saying will be that Trump’s indictment is just too important. That it must become the preeminent issue heading into 2024. Yet, the evidence is clear that the more Trump is made the center of the universe, the more Republicans lose, and what exactly are you winning if you ultimately lose? How can you exact political revenge without political power? What good is your temporary high, if it means Democrats get to write the history books?

You aren’t owning the left by doing exactly what the left wants. Likewise, you are not surrendering to the left by being strategic in your pursuit of power. That’s a realization all of us need to ponder. Everyone wants to make Democrats pay for what they’ve wrought, but you can’t make them pay if you don’t win, and you can’t win if your only political move is to recede further into your bubble.

That might mean swallowing your pride about some things in order to ensure victory. In regard to the Wisconsin loss, Republicans were clearly distracted, and that lack of focus has now put the party behind the eight ball. It doesn’t have to be that way in the next election, though. The GOP must start playing chess instead of checkers. If your first question about any field of generally acceptable candidates in any primary race isn’t who is most likely to win, you are continuing to play right into the hands of the left.

If Republicans are going to start winning again, they have to be willing to think past their own noses. Right now, they are reacting, and when you are reacting, you are losing. No one should be deciding their primary vote in April of 2023 based on Trump’s indictment. If you are doing that, Democrats are laughing at you because that’s what they want you to do. They want you to stop thinking strategically and to keep reacting because when you do that, they keep winning.