BRAUN MAY HAVE A REAL ASSET IN BECKWITH

Micah Beckwith’s election at the Indiana GOP convention to run for Indiana Lieutenant Governor has caused quite a stir in political circles. Pundits on the left and the right have expressed skepticism about the pairing of Beckwith and Mike Braun.

When the outcome of the delegates’ vote was announced, there was a palpable shock. The tradition of delegates rubber-stamping the Gubernatorial candidate’s choice for his running mate was shattered as the delegates rejected Braun’s choice, Julie McGuire.

The media and observers on the left jumped at the opportunity to talk about a divided ticket and paint Beckwith as an unwelcome burden to Braun.

Braun was obviously surprised by the rejection of his choice for running mate, and he made it clear that he was in charge. He knew that Beckwith had invested a year traveling around the state to generate support. Beckwith has aspirations beyond the standard role of lieutenant governor, and Braun sees himself as the one who sets policy.

Can two strong-willed men with differing agendas work as a team to win the election and run the state? Can they overcome their generational differences? The left says no, and the media also says no.

But these two men share much in common: they believe in the conservative values of less government and lower taxes. They support Donald Trump, have a business background, and see Indiana as a great place to live.

The task now is building a team that can present a united front. Braun, Beckwith, and their wives spent a day together recently in Jasper, and both sides sounded more confident after the experience. Then, the two should do a unity tour together and spread the vision for the future of Indiana.

Beckwith will need to be patient and build trust from Braun, and Braun would be well served by looking at some of the ideas that Beckwith has been discussing during his campaign.

We can imagine the negative ads that will be broadcast during the campaign: grainy, slo-mo, black-and-white footage of an out-of-context statement from Beckwith, with a voice-over reinforcing a message crafted to show how dangerous his beliefs are to our freedoms.

The more the left tries to paint Beckwith as a radical “Christian Nationalist,” the more the GOP needs to focus on the principles of good public policy. Smaller government, lower taxes, more individual freedom—keep these values at the forefront and avoid the temptation to outstink a skunk.

Even though the team was forced together, Braun, Beckwith, and Attorney General Todd Rokita can present a unified ticket to move Indiana into a prosperous future.

FOOTNOTE:  This article was posted without opinion, bias, or editing.