Which would mean the several Trump Republican challengers would not be on the GOP primary ballots in South Carolina, Nevada, Arizona and Kansas.
And so many people keep yelling about the way the Democratic Party conducts its elections, about the many candidates for the presidency. Stop yelling! There are Democratic candidates running against each other, not none.
The GOP action reminded me of my father’s response to one of my boyfriends who had traveled to Cuba, and expressed admiration for Castro and what he was doing in the country.
My boyfriend’s contention was that Castro was immensely popular, supported by the whole Cuban population and consequently he had no need to call for elections.
“That may very well be true,” said my father, “but if it is, why doesn’t he hold open elections to prove his popularity?” Because, as my father pointed out, you can’t possibly know how popular an official is until he runs for office in a free and open election against actual challengers.
So simple. Open, fair elections, the difference between democracy and dictatorship.
This is the dilemma Putin is facing. He has to hold elections to prove he isn’t a despot but since he is a despot, has to go to the considerable and well reported trouble blocking his actual challengers from being on the ballot. (Having them and their supporters arrested is the least lethal method he uses.)
Trump and the GOP do not apparently worry about broadcasting the proof that Trump is an autocrat — at least not in four states.