LETTER: GOP should pick a centrist, not a Trumper, to run for governor

To Ozaukee Press:

Sen. Ron Johnson suggested that the Wisconsin GOP bypass primaries and instead get together and settle on a candidate for governor that can be run in the general election.

     If it weren’t for the motive, this is a great idea. Generally, primaries reward the most extreme in a particular party, setting the stage for a contentious general election that pits extremist against extremist, leaving the centrist majority with a poor choice.

     The problem here is that Johnson is most assuredly calling for this so that they can bypass the messy affair of ensuring that a candidate is fully in line with President Donald Trump. We might as well just have Trump pick the candidate and call it a day.

     If they really want to select a candidate by committee, with the goal of picking a candidate that is centrist enough to win the general election, they should have the courage to stand up to Trump and say, “We chose the candidate because this candidate is best for a majority of Wisconsinites, not best for Trump.”        

John Hopkins

Mequon