February 6, 2024

We’ve heard lots of speculation over President Donald Trump’s VP choice. Whoever Pres. Trump picks, it must be a Washington, D.C. outsider.

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Why must Trump bring in someone independent of the Washington establishment? Something taints people after spending too much time in D.C. Even those considered strong conservatives should be viewed with a jaded eye.

Pundits are pushing Congresswoman Elise Stefanik or Senator Tim Scott as solid VP choices. I disagree wholeheartedly.

While a principled legislator and a defender of President Trump during the Russia-Russia hoax, Stefanik is a member of Congress. This means she makes her living compromising for the best legislation. After all, isn’t that the nature of politics: giving something to get something?

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The same goes for Senator Scott. He seems to be a decent guy, and has defended Trump on numerous occasions, but despite his Christian-conservative bona fides, he’s still an insider.

Yes, the executive branch has to sometimes compromise with the House and Senate. And yes, sometimes “inside baseball “knowledge is needed to get things done.

But in the times in which we are living, any compromise with Congress must mean them coming to the people’s side, as represented by Trump, rather than the other way around. This means Washington insiders are the last thing needed due to their exposure to the D.C. virus.

What is the D.C. virus? It is a contagion that taints politicians’ view of the people, weakens their spines, and grafts them into the hive mentality of doublespeak, fence-sitting, and taking “principled” stands only when election time rolls around.

Because of this virus, every soundbite or vote a legislator makes becomes a political calculation. Standing strong on a matter usually comes after wetting that finger and figuring out which way the political winds are blowing. Are there exceptions to this? Of course, Ms. Stefanik is probably one of those exceptions; perhaps even more so than Mr. Scott.

Non-politicians are needed to fix Washington: ordinary men and women who view the current system with disgust and believe the needs of the American people (not lobbyists) should take prominence in every piece of legislation.