To paraphrase Tom Petty, this doesn’t have to be the big get-even. 2024 should not be about avenging 2020; it must be about the Republican Party putting itself in the best possible position to defeat the radical leftist agenda shoved down our throats by Joe Biden and the Democrat-controlled Congress.

Regaining control of the White House must be the singularly most important objective of every voting American who is sick to death with not only the disastrous Biden presidency but also the left’s hellbent quest to dismantle America as we know it, including a rewrite of history and the destruction of the moral fiber of the American people. In large part, the left is doing so by indoctrinating young children into believing they have the maturity to make gender-altering decisions, and programming kids not only to believe America is a racist country at heart and that “white supremacy” and “systemic racism” are the greatest threat to this nation. That is a complete load of crap.

Oh, I almost forgot: and that white Americans, simply by virtue of being born white, are “inherently racist” and as such, must spend their entire lives atoning for their whiteness through demonstrable acts of anti-racism. (See: Critical Race Theory.)

So, here we find ourselves, less than three months from the 2022 midterms, in which the Republican Party will likely regain control of the House — although I don’t believe the so-called “red wave” predicted by many political pundits will happen — and have a 50-60 percent chance of regaining the Senate majority.

Control of the House would be yuuge, which would then set the stage for taking back the White House, thus denying the Democrats the opportunity to continue destroying America, beyond January 2025.

As one might imagine, I have thoughts.

Internecine warfare: Never-Trumpers v. Always-Trumpers.

Internecine warfare is an ominous dynamic and remains the bane of the Republican Party. That is a fact; denying it only makes it worse. The GOP can’t afford the “luxury” of entering the 2024 presidential campaign season as divided as it now is. Again, denying the fact serves no one on either side of the chasm — and only plays into the hand of the Democrats.

While Trump Derangement Syndrome on the left is one thing, the continuing divisiveness with the party is quite another. The dynamic is made even more troublesome by the reality of each faction blistering the other, while generally denying its own respective role. Hence, Always-Trumpers summarily dismiss the notion that they even exist, pointing to the Never-Trumpers as the only problem. That simply is incorrect. And make no mistake: It is often bitter and benefits the Democrats.

Personal case in point: I voted for Trump in 2016 and 2020 and I will vote for him in 2024 if he is the Republican nominee. Period. Moreover, my votes were validated by Trump’s Supreme Court nominees, Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, and Amy Coney — three of the five associate justices to vote in the 5-4 overturn of Roe v. Wade.

In addition, Trump’s efforts to secure the southern border were largely successful, particularly in stark contrast to the continuing border crisis purposely created by Biden. Toss in tax and regulatory reform, putting the world’s bad guys on notice that there was a new sheriff in town who was not afraid to act, after eight years of the kowtowing Obama administration, and working to shore up the U.S. military, and I was generally pleased with Trump’s presidency from a policy perspective.

As most RedStaters are aware, I have also criticized Trump when I’ve disagreed with his actions and will continue to do so. That is the job of an objective, albeit conservative, political pundit. Yet, despite my overall support of Trump’s policies as president, I’ve been called every name in the proverbial book when I’ve dared to criticize him, including my recent favorite: “MAGA-hating communist piece of garbage.” It bothers me not; I’ve been at this for quite a few years. But what does bother me is that 2024 is going to be a tough, bitterly fought election, and the GOP simply cannot afford the baggage attached to Trump — whether attached by Trump himself or by his detractors.

For that reason, while Trump’s presidency was largely successful in the eyes of Republican voters, it’s time to move on. The windshield is larger than the rear window for a reason; 2020 is over and no amount of relitigating it will change a thing. While I understand the argument of those who suggest it must be “resolved,” I respectfully disagree. Frankly, the 2020 election and its aftermath will never be “resolved” to the extent that some continue to demand.

Trump-DeSantis ticket?

Dream team? It depends on who’s dreaming. Social media keyboard warriors and various pundits have run wild with the idea of Trump-DeSantis 2024, with memes popping up, regularly. The “logic” often goes something like this: “DeSantis would make a great vice president under Trump and then could run in 2028, giving us 12 years of Republican control of the White House.” Multiple problems exist with that pipedream but the bottom line is that it’s not going to happen.

While Trump himself has teased the idea, I’m not convinced he would even want DeSantis in the two-spot, given the Florida governor’s equally-strong personality and at least equal intelligence. Second, I don’t believe DeSantis would accept the offer, or believe it would be in his best interest to do so. Simply asked, why would he? What are the plusses for the governor, moving forward?

The fact is, Trump remains toxic to much of America. This is a reality.

Regardless of how much of Trump’s baggage is self-inflicted, as opposed to the irrational obsession of the TDS-riddled left, the facts remain the same. In 2016, tens of millions of Trump votes were in fact not-Hillary votes; the script was flipped in 2020 when he was defeated in part by not-Trump votes, vs. votes for Biden. If Trump is the nominee in 2024, that reality will happen again.

The bottom line:

It’s my belief that Donald Trump isn’t the best option for the Republican Party in 2024, for the reasons outlined above.

As my colleague Susie Moore suggested in an August 19 piece:

It would be hard to argue that there’s a more polarizing figure in modern history than Donald Trump. He has his most devoted supporters and his most determined detractors. Over the course of the past seven years, we’ve largely divided ourselves into Trump camps – ya love him or ya hate him, and the people who feel the opposite? Well, they are the worst.

This is neither an indictment of Trump, nor a defense of him. It’s an observation – and a reflection on us. Too many have allowed their sentiments on one man – or, truthfully, what he represents to them – to steer most everything they say and do. And whether they’re operating under blind allegiance or blind hatred, they’re still flying blind.

Which is why it’s critical to fix your sights on principles, not people.

Susie’s point remains spot on. As I said at the top, 2024 doesn’t have to be the big get-even. Those who believe it does, and others who fix their sights on people instead of principles, might very well be the bane of the conservative cause in 2024. Let us hope not.