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Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson speaks at the Vision 24 National Conservative Forum in Charleston, South Carolina. | Win McNamee/Getty Images

DARK HORSE The Republican women who hosted Asa Hutchinson at an Orange County golf club on Wednesday had all sorts of questions for the former Arkansas governor and likely presidential candidate. But for the fourth or fifth straight meeting since he arrived in California this week, even he was surprised that nobody asked about the biggest story going in the GOP the expected indictment of Donald Trump.

There are several possible reasons. It could be that Hutchinson, a relative unknown, isnt really seen by Republican activists as a serious contender. Or it could be that far from Washington, there are simply other things on Republicans minds. Non-stop news about a potential indictment, said Elaine Gennawey, vice president of the Laguna Niguel Republican Women Federated, the group that met with Hutchinson, is a distraction.

But to Hutchinson, who has called for Trump to drop out of the race if he is indicted, the lack of questioning was evidence of something more.

It just illustrates the fact, he said, while theres an appreciation for a lot of what happened during the Trump administration, people are ready to move on.

Theres conflicting evidence among Republicans, at least, about whether this is true. Trump remains the frontrunner in the presidential primary, and recent polls suggest his grip on the contest, if anything, is tightening. An indictment may be deeply problematic for Trump in a general election. But it probably wont hurt him with the Always Trump set in the primary. In a race dominated by Trump and the similarly MAGA-powered governor of Florida, Ron DeSantis, there hasnt been much room for anyone else. Outspoken critics of the former president, like former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, have looked at the dynamics of the race and taken a pass.

But not Hutchinson, who appears to be edging toward a campaign, with a likely announcement next month.

I think my lanes getting bigger, he told Nightly. Its the non-Trump lane. Not an anti-Trump lane, but a non-Trump lane.

Hutchinson, to put it mildly, is a longshot. Survey Republican strategists, as Nightly has, and youll get reactions like, Nooooo, Nice guy. I just dont see that dog hunting much, or Who the fuck is Asa Hutchinson?

But whether Hutchinson or someone else, the real question is if there is an opening for any Trump-critical candidate in 2024. Sitting on a sun-splashed patio at the golf club, Hutchinson said, I think that theres a growing recognition that we need alternatives to Donald Trump.

Electorally, that might make sense for the GOP, after Trumps defeat in 2020 and a midterm in which high-profile, Trumpian candidates lost races in competitive states.

Republicans, Hutchinson told the GOP women in San Juan Capistrano, should keep in mind that a general election is not a primary, with a whole different swath of voters the party will need to win over. Republicans, he said, should use rhetoric that doesnt turn off voters. It should look forward, not back, and demonstrate that the GOP is the party of ideas.

The problem for Hutchinson and Republicans like him is that the coarser way of doing things isnt so easy to let go. On his way out, the group gave Hutchinson a bottle of wine as a gift. On the label of the 2013 Merlot was printed Lets Go Brandon not one of the partys most aspirational refrains.

Welcome to POLITICO Nightly. Reach out with news, tips and ideas at [emailprotected]. Or contact tonights author at [emailprotected] or on Twitter at @davidsiders.

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer. | Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

Michigan strikes right-to-work law detested by unions: In a major victory for labor unions, Michigan today became the first state in more than half a century to repeal a right-to-work law. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed legislation passed by the Democratic-controlled Legislature, overturning a 2012 GOP law that allowed workers to choose not to join unions or pay union dues as a condition of employment, even if the union represents them in negotiations.

U.S. launches airstrikes in Syria after drone kills U.S. worker: A strike yesterday by a suspected Iranian-made drone killed a U.S. contractor and wounded five American troops and another contractor in northeast Syria, the Pentagon said. American forces said they retaliated soon after with precision airstrikes in Syria targeting facilities used by groups affiliated with Irans Revolutionary Guard, with activist groups saying they killed at least four people.

COLD SHOULDER As Ron DeSantis emerges as a prospective rival for the Republican nomination, Donalds Trump campaign has put word out that anyone who works for the Florida governor will be blackballed. RealClearPolitics reports that Justin Caporale, who helps lead the advance team for the former president, has said that anyone who staffed a recent DeSantis book tour will be considered persona non grata. A top Trump ally was more comprehensive, telling RealClearPolitics that the prohibition would apply to more than just the junior aides tasked with setting up folding chairs and hanging banners. Its a time for choosing, the source close to the former president said. If you work for Ron DeSantis presidential race, you will not work for the Trump campaign or in the Trump White House.

BLOC BUSTER Trumps relationship with the evangelical movementonce seemingly shatterproof, then shaky after his violent departure from the White Houseis now in pieces, thanks to his social-media tirade last fall blaming pro-lifers for the Republicans lackluster midterm performance. Numerous other Republicans are preparing to make a play for conservative Christian voters, according to the Atlantics Tim Alberta. What unites these efforts is a common recognition that, for the first time since he secured the GOP nomination in 2016, Trump has a serious problem with a crucial bloc of his coalition.

CANDY CRUSHED France will prevent civil servants from downloading all types of social media platforms, gaming and video-streaming apps on their work phones because of cybersecurity and privacy concerns, according to a statement released today, writes Laura Kayali.

The ban, which is effective immediately, includes TikTok but is not limited to the Chinese-owned platform. Frances move follows bans by European institutions and other EU countries such as the Netherlands. Unlike Brussels and The Hague, however, the French government also targets Western apps and platforms from Europe and the United States.

These recreational applications are not designed to guarantee a sufficient level of cybersecurity to be deployed on the administrations digital tools, said Digital Minister Jean-Nol Barrot. TikTok, but also CandyCrush or Netflix are affected by this measure.

SEND MORE AMMO Germany has fallen short in supporting Ukraine, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki told POLITICO, lashing out at Berlin as Europe searches for ways to continue arming Kyiv., writes Lili Bayer and Jacopo Barigazzi.

In an interview following the EU leaders summit in Brussels, the conservative Polish leader said the EUs biggest economy must step up and lead part of a broader call he made for the EU and NATO to revise their spending rules and unleash massive military investments.

Germany should be sending more weapons, sending more ammunition, and giving more money to Ukraine, because they are the richest and the biggest country by far, he said. They were not as generous as they should have been, the Polish prime minister said. I still encourage them to do so.

Poland, which leads the EU in military support to Ukraine, has joined with eastern capitals to repeatedly push western countries on their own aid for Kyiv. And while powerhouse countries like Germany and France note they have given Ukraine considerable stockpiles of arms, vehicles and money, their efforts have still left some eastern counterparts unmoved.

3,000

The number of hectares (equivalent to around 7,400 acres) engulfed as a forest fire raged in Spains eastern Castellon province today, causing 1,500 people to be evacuated and 18 water-dropping planes and helicopters, as well as 500 firefighters and soldiers, to be deployed to attack the growing flames. The fire signifies an earlier than normal beginning to Spains fire season amidst dry conditions and high temperatures. Last year was the hottest on record in Spain, and fires burned through area about four times the size of New York City. This year, major fires have begun even earlier.

UNCANCEL CULTURE Just about everything is a subscription these days. And sometimes, those subscriptions are difficult to cancel by design. In fact, sneaky companies know the more difficult they make it to stop paying for their services, the more cash they can take in from people who dont know they were signed up for a paid service in the first place. That could soon change. In fact, the Federal Trade Commission recently announced that it is proposing a click to cancel rule, which would compel businesses to make it as easy to sign off as it was to sign up. If the rule gets approved, say goodbye to handwritten letters, in-person visits, or waiting on hold for hours to cancel. Read Sara Morrisons report in Vox into the end of the era of impossible subscription cancellations.

On this day in 1958: Elvis Presley (right) indicating he had no sleep the night before reporting to his local Memphis draft board for military service. Presley, already a famous musician, spent two years in the army. | AP Photo

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Original post:
The longshot Republican betting big on Trump fatigue - POLITICO

While the outcomes of the presidential nomination races are sure to gain the lions share of the attention in 2024, the spring is certain to include some interesting intra-party challenges. Some of the features of modern politics have become the battles over ideological purity, loyalty to party agenda, the sin of not supporting party leaders and disappointment on the part of voters that progress on issues has been slow.

This was not always the case. There was an era when elected leaders pursued agendas that were not explicitly approved by their party, when it was considered acceptable to create bipartisan legislation, when officials worked without fear of being primaried for not supporting what other members of their party believed and when party members could challenge an incumbent without it being part of a larger war often for the direction and soul of the party.

That all changed 45 years ago in the 1978 Republican Party primaries: It was at that moment when a sea change began and the concept of independence and bipartisanship, once a common trait, began to wane.

In the late 1970s, some Republican leaders first committed to remaking their party. While many factions within the party once existed Eastern Establishment liberals, Midwestern moderates and conservatives from the south and west many believed that the best course for the future was as a party for conservatives. Buoyed by Ronald Reagans challenge to Gerald Ford in 1976, the more sophisticated use of direct mail, and frustration with the lack of a party identity, the 1978 primaries were chosen to be their testing ground. Step one for this emboldened group was a purge of the infidels.

Three moderate Republicans found their way to the top of the conservatives hit list two veteran northeastern senators (Clifford Case and Edward Brooke) and one House member, John Anderson of Rockford. Since Illinois was hosting the first primary in 1978, Anderson became the initial target. Anderson held the House Republican Conference chairmanship, so knocking off a party leader in the seasons opening electoral event would garner widespread attention.

Anderson was a good choice for a target by conservatives. He often strayed from the GOP agenda, had taken controversial positions that had lost him support in his district, and had little campaign experience.

His opponent was Don Lyon, a television evangelist who had conservative beliefs and values and media experience. This was not symbolic opposition even though Lyon was a political novice, he dedicated himself to the campaign and ran to win.

Anderson tried to ignore the challenge, but that failed quickly. Lyon raised funds through direct mail, went to candidate training workshops, hired an experienced campaign manager and received support from conservatives around the country.

Lyon built his campaign around some of the same issues that still divide voters today lower taxes, abortion, registration of handguns, foreign aid and government spending policies, as well as some issues of the era, like the ERA and the Panama Canal Treaty. The polls showed Lyon rising rapidly.

Anderson was an impressive congressman. He had an encyclopedic knowledge of legislation. He was a favorite of the news media, so he frequently appeared on national television. To bolster his GOP credentials, Anderson persuaded prominent Republicans to campaign for him. There were appearances by Ford, Henry Kissinger and Jack Kemp. Anderson raised a great deal of money, hired a political consulting firm, and aired television commercials all things he had never done before. In March 1978, helped by a huge turnout, Anderson defeated Lyon 58% to 42%.

Case and Brooke were less fortunate; emboldened by nearly knocking off Anderson, conservatives came out in force against them. Case lost his primary in June. Brooke narrowly survived his challenge in September but limped to a double-digit defeat in November. Rather than face another challenge, this would be Andersons final term.

Anderson won his race, but conservatives won the war for the soul and direction of the party. It became unacceptable to stray from party orthodoxy. Working with Democrats on legislation was frowned upon. Disloyalty to the party became an open wound. Those who questioned party ethos often found their way onto challengers hit lists. Democrats soon developed their own tests for purity.

Now, 45 years later, we still suffer from these wounds because the parties are unwilling to work together and civility is gone. When politicians from either aisle, be it Liz Cheney, Joe Manchin or Mike Pence, choose to speak out on their own, they do so at risk to their careers. So we ask why did it become so important to conform and so wrong to work together for the common good?

Jim Mason is the author of No Holding Back: The 1980 John B. Anderson Presidential Campaign. He lives in New York City.

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Seeds of today's bitter political divisions were sown in 1978 ... - Chicago Sun-Times

As they mourn the death of County Commissioner Deb Hays, the New Hanover County Republican Party is preparing to undergo the task of recommending someone to fill the 64-year-old's vacant seat.

"We're absolutely devastated by the untimely passing of Deb Hays. She was a phenomenal community servant and leader and an even greater person," according to a statement from the party, which is chaired by Nevin Carr. "Unfortunately we do have to go about the business of replacing her and we will be following a process similar to what we did with the recent opening at the register of deeds. We will open applications ... and we will begin an interviewing process in the coming days with an objective to have a name to the commissioners by April 14."

Because Hays was a Republican, the Republican party recommends a person to fill the seat on the Board of Commissioners, explained county spokeswoman Jessica Loeper in an email Monday. "That recommendation will come to the Board of Commissioners, but then it is the boards decision as to who fills that seat. The person must be a resident of New Hanover County and registered as Republican, since Commissioner Hays was elected as a Republican. This process must be done within 60 days of a seat becoming vacant."

Hays, who died of what was likely a heart attack Saturday, was elected to the board in 2020.

The board of commissioners, which now has two Republicans (LeAnn Pierce and Chairman Bill Rivenbark) and two Democrats (Jonathan Barfield and Rob Zapple) doesn't have to approve the party's choice. In 2012, the commissioners voted against the New Hanover County Republican Party's nominee to fill the seat that had been occupied by Rick Catlin, who left as a result of his election to the N.C. House of Representatives. Instead of physician Derrick Hickey, according to a WHQR story at the time, the BOC voted for Republican Thomas Wolfe to fill the vacancy.

But filling the seat was not on the minds of Hays' friends, colleagues and fellow elected officials Monday as they tried to absorb the news. In addition to serving as a county commissioner, Hays was a Realtor with Wilmington-based Intracoastal Realty Corp.

"Our team at Intracoastal is shocked and devastated by her passing. She had been with us for almost 20 years and was part of our companys cultural foundation. Deb was a servant leader, first and foremost," Trey Wallace, president of Intracoastal Realty, said Monday. "She always put her family, her clients, her friends, and the community above all else, and was doing great work for many of us as a recently elected New Hanover County Commissioner.

"In todays polarized world, she was one of the few bridge builders, and selfless champion that the world is already in short supply of."

In addition to her roles as commissioner and Realtor, Hays had served on other community boards, including chairing the Wilmington Planning Commission. She was most recently the chair of Wilmington Downtown Inc.

Barfield said she is already missed. "Deb Hays was very passionate about the work she did in county government. She wanted to see downtown businesses flourish, and she had a big passion for education. I am still trying to process this news; [she died] at such a young age. I'm grateful she was with her daughter and grandchildren; they were the highlight of her life."

According to Pierce, "This is a difficult time for the county and its citizens, mourning her loss. Deb's true passion was to represent the citizens of New Hanover County, and she was good at it. Right now, we're just working through everything and passing our condolences along to her daughter and grandchildren."

As of about 2 p.m. Monday, funeral arrangements for Hays had not yet been announced.

For the community, her death is a major loss, Wallace said.

"She has been involved in so many things, and in so many peoples lives, and there will be a void for many of us with her passing, me included, that may never be filled," he said. "We will miss her energy, her smile and her huge heart. The best way we can remember her is to be more like her, and if we can all do that, the world will be a better place, which is what she would have wanted."

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As they mourn Deb Hays, local Republican officials begin process of ... - Greater Wilmington Business Journal

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Link:
Letter to the editor: Those who vote Republican should think twice - Bozeman Daily Chronicle

Regarding "Trump is stoking the fires of Waco (Editorial)," (March 23): I am so disgusted by Republicans who seem to be interested only in power and not in the rule of law. This old white guy will probably never again vote for anyone with an "R" after their name.

Alan Jackson, Houston

Regarding "TEA needs to get its own house in order (Opinion)," (March 24): I taught many students from HISD at a local community college for many years.

I had a 30-year career as an English teacher. A large number of my first-year students were clearly unprepared.

Many were not used to reading anything they did not have to read. Administrators pushed large classes on teachers in areas like English, where there was great need for individual tutoring and basic literacy work. There were simply too many students and not enough time.

At the root are two related problems: What, or who, we value and thus are willing to spend money on. Everyone values their own children and wants them to do well. We must value other children and help them, too. There is only one race, and that is the human race.

Another article cites a successful takeover in Massachusetts, a state that seems to value the common good more than the state of Texas. There the students of low-income families improved in math and reading. A key reform was increasing classroom learning time and targeted small-group instruction.

Ruth N. Lpez Turley, who directs the Kinder Institute at Rice, points out that increased funding is central. As she indicates, and anyone who has read much of the research knows, learning success is highly correlated with economic status. Parents have more leisure and energy at higher economic levels to give personal help to their children, as well as more school knowledge themselves. Turley notes that HISD comprises mostly poor children, not the well-off.

We must have a revolution of values, for the good of all.

Paul L. Rowe, Houston

From school shootings to school district takeovers, it seems that parenting is the real key. Here are my thoughts and advice to parents after 67 years.

Mark Brooker, Houston

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This old white guy won't vote for a Republican any time soon (Opinion) - Houston Chronicle