{"id":2667332,"date":"2026-09-22T08:21:00","date_gmt":"2026-09-22T12:21:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/utm_sourcerssutm_mediumrssutm_campaignrepublicans-are-allowing-the-election-to-be-about-nothing\/"},"modified":"2026-09-22T08:27:04","modified_gmt":"2026-09-22T12:27:04","slug":"utm_sourcerssutm_mediumrssutm_campaignrepublicans-are-allowing-the-election-to-be-about-nothing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/utm_sourcerssutm_mediumrssutm_campaignrepublicans-are-allowing-the-election-to-be-about-nothing\/","title":{"rendered":"Republicans Are Allowing A Muddled Election To Be About Nothing"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">20<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Futm_sourcerssutm_mediumrssutm_campaignrepublicans-are-allowing-the-election-to-be-about-nothing%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2667332&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>the article discusses the upcoming midterm elections amid early voting in several states, emphasizing the superficiality of some campaigns and the lack of clear, positive principles behind many candidates. it highlights the Republican strategy of framing the election as a contrast-chaos versus normalcy-without offering a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/democrats-wont-always-be-able-to-deflect-to-trump\/\" title=\"Democrats won&#039;t always be able to deflect to Trump\">compelling affirmative vision<\/a>. The piece critiques the empty messaging and outdated campaign aesthetics, such as rudimentary websites, signaling a focus on opposition rather then substance. It questions what voters are truly voting for when supporting Republican candidates,citing a specific example of a candidate advocating for policies that recognize biological differences between sexes,yet also engaging in divisive rhetoric like misgendering. The author reflects on the importance of candidates having clear purpose and convictions-illustrated through Ted Kennedy\u2019s failed 1979 presidential bid, which was hindered by a lack of self-awareness about his motivations. Ultimately, the piece suggests that without a meaningful, principled platform, the 2026 elections lack a substantive direction, underscoring the need for voters and candidates to understand and articulate their core reasons for seeking or supporting office.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>It\u2019s late. The time for defining the choice is passing in a hurry. Election Day is coming, and some people have already voted. In <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/4732384\/states-september-early-voting-midterm-elections\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">several states<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/voters-set-to-pick-who-will-lead-new-york-citys-economic-recovery-fight-against-rising-crime-and-more\/\" title=\"Voters Set To Pick Who Will Lead New York City...s Economic Recovery, Fight Against Rising Crime And More\">early voting began<\/a> on September 18, and at least a few ballots are already in. But what are we voting <em>for<\/em>? This is where it gets awkward.<\/p>\n<p>The Senate race in Delaware is probably pretty meaningless, and there\u2019s not much reason to believe that Chris Coons is losing sleep over it. But go spend a few minutes at the <a href=\"https:\/\/drmikekatz.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">campaign website of Dr. Mike Katz<\/a>, the Republican who\u2019s running against Coons. This is from the front page:<\/p>\n<figure><figcaption>\n<div>\n<p>         <span>Image Credit<\/span>Screenshot       <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Katz believes in policies that produce results. In case you were wondering, he\u2019s <em>for<\/em> affordability and economic growth. He doesn\u2019t want to deliver talking points, he wants to deliver real solutions. He believes in having discipline. He is not for the special interests.<\/p>\n<p>Several decades ago, the supermarket chain Ralph\u2019s sold generic groceries that were just labeled with the name of the product: BEER, for example, or COFFEE, a word or two on a white package with a stripe. <\/p>\n<figure>\n<p><span><\/p>\n<blockquote data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">In the 1980s, a Southern California grocery chain called Ralphs introduced an entire line of generic products called Plain Wrap, which simply had the name of the product in medium blue against a white package. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/3zYpGr9b18\">pic.twitter.com\/3zYpGr9b18<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 George Kaplan (@GeorgeKaplan8) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/GeorgeKaplan8\/status\/1635850587635064834?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">March 15, 2023<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><\/span> <\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<p>That\u2019s apparently what we\u2019re doing this year, and we should probably be paying royalties to Ralph\u2019s for the idea. The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.srcc.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">website<\/a> of the Senate Republican Campaign Committee currently appears in black and white with a few little dashes of red at the top and bottom, like they were worried about paying a printshop for extra ink:<\/p>\n<figure><figcaption>\n<div>\n<p>         <span>Image Credit<\/span>Screenshot       <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>If you were an early adopter of dialup AOL, you remember when websites looked like this. It was about thirty years ago.<\/p>\n<p>The Republican strategy for the midterms is that they\u2019re <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/politics\/johnson-turns-democrats-socialist-civil-war-new-weapon-midterms\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">framing this one<\/a> as a contrast election: crazy people versus normals, recognizably human Americans versus weirdo socialists and the bizarre space alien creature from Texas who thinks Jesus wants you to trans your kids. In his midterm convention, Trump <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=i3hB7SqGnGw&#038;t=48s\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">said<\/a> that \u201cwe went through four years of embarrassment, hurt, harm, sickness, filth. It was bad.\u201d So we\u2019re voting in 2026 to still not go back to the Biden years.<\/p>\n<p>All of that is just fine, as far as it goes. It\u2019s true, and you should vote against socialism, open borders, and trans everything. But what are you voting <em>for<\/em> if you vote for Republicans? Trump has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/shorts\/ahhgq9lwRbc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">framed<\/a> the midterms as a referendum on his presidency: \u201cPretend I\u2019m on the ballot.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>What does that mean? Is the Iran War on the ballot? We should oppose Democrats, who are about as culturally sick as it\u2019s possible to be, but what is your vote for? What affirmative set of principles and intentions lives inside a vote for a Republican congressional candidate?<\/p>\n<p>As a sign of the empty core inside the oppositional framing, the Delaware senate candidate Mike Katz <a href=\"https:\/\/drmikekatz.com\/platform#womens-sports\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">says<\/a> on his campaign website that he\u2019ll \u201csupport policies that preserve women\u2019s sports as a competitive category for biological females,\u201d which he describes as a necessary approach \u201cbecause biological differences between males and females can affect athletic performance.\u201d So sex is real, men and women are different, and policy should recognize biology.<\/p>\n<p>Last week, Katz was on the stage with other candidates when another Republican referred to Rep. Tim \u201cSarah\u201d McBride, a man who wears a dress to Congress, as a gentleman. The hosts of the forum cut his microphone, ending his participation in a public event.<\/p>\n<figure>\n<p><span><\/p>\n<blockquote data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">The second time Republican US House Candidate \u201cDr. Joe\u201d Arminio referred to Rep. Sarah McBride (D) as a gentleman during Thursday\u2019s debate at the Siegel Jewish Community Center in Talleyville. He left after having his mic cut off. <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/hashtag\/netde?src=hash&#038;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#netde<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/QSWbmIov3k\">https:\/\/t.co\/QSWbmIov3k<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/p9zVgcDLok\">pic.twitter.com\/p9zVgcDLok<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Sean Greene (@SeanGreeneWDEL) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/SeanGreeneWDEL\/status\/2100757617408639450?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">September 18, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><\/span> <\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<p>Katz responded by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/100092662750874\/posts\/dr-mike-katz-condemns-joseph-arminios-remarks-toward-rep-sarah-mcbride-calls-for\/1015278908237525\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">condemning<\/a> the other Republican for \u201cmisgendering\u201d McBride:<\/p>\n<figure><\/figure>\n<p>You could be forgiven for wondering if Republicans know who they are and what they believe. They\u2019re against Democrats, and they\u2019ll let you know when they figure out the rest.<\/p>\n<p>In 1979, Ted Kennedy was preparing to run for president, becoming the third brother to seek the same high office. But then the CBS News reporter Roger Mudd asked him a simple question: \u201cWhy do you want to be president?\u201d Infamously, Kennedy couldn\u2019t even begin to answer. He obviously hadn\u2019t given it much thought.<\/p>\n<figure>\n<p><span><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"The interview that blindsided the Ted Kennedy presidential campaign | Boston Globe\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/e5TkhNWPspM?start=81&#038;feature=oembed&#038;enablejsapi=1\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><\/span> <\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<p>He just thought he was entitled to it. He wasn\u2019t sure why. That half-conscious grasping didn\u2019t work for him, and that was effectively the end of his presidential ambitions. To run for office, you\u2019re supposed to know why you\u2019re doing it, what you intend to do, and what you believe. <\/p>\n<p>In 2026, <em>we\u2019re not Democrats<\/em> isn\u2019t much of an offer.<\/p>\n<hr>\n<p>      Chris Bray is a senior correspondent at The Federalist and a former infantry sergeant in the U.S. Army. He has a history PhD from the University of California Los Angeles, not that it did him any good. He also posts on Substack, at &#8220;Tell Me How This Ends,&#8221; <a href=\"https:\/\/chrisbray.substack.com\/\">here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Election choices blur as early votes roll in<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2086,"featured_media":2667333,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/tariff-is-my-favorite-scaled.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[3728,37043,5894,3756],"class_list":["post-2667332","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-election","tag-political-debate","tag-politics","tag-republicans"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/tariff-is-my-favorite-scaled.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2667332","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2086"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2667332"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2667332\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2667336,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2667332\/revisions\/2667336"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2667333"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2667332"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2667332"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2667332"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}