Remember when you were in school and one of the bad kids would do something wrong and if the teacher didn’t catch them, she’d ask the rest of the class who did it?  If the rest of the class remained silent the whole room would get punished with detention or extra homework. 

I’m reminded of that when I see what’s currently happening to the Republican Party. Not only nationally but here at home.  

Allow me to explain.  

Let’s be honest.  So far, the Trump administration has been a dumpster fire.  Whether it’s the haphazard firings by DOGE, the disregard of the courts and due process, cozying up to dictators and alienating our allies, the turmoil in the Defense Department, the tariffs that are hurting farmers and 401K’s, the treatment of minorities and migrants in general and Kilmar Abrego García specifically, the attacks on higher learning, or any number of other breaks from governmental norms and basic human decency. The behavior of this administration and the silence and complacency of other Republicans have hurt the GOP’s brand. 

But it’s not just the behavior of the national Republican Party.  Last week, here at home, a jury punished the state party by awarding former Unicameral candidate Janet Palmtag a half a million dollars in damages after they put out a mailer with false and misleading information. She claimed the mailer ruined her business, her family life, and reputation. 

It’s that kind of MAGA behavior that makes it hard for me to vote for Republican politicians these days. 

Historically, I have voted for candidates from both parties.  I consider myself to be an American, not a Republican or Democrat. 

During the 2024 elections, I wrote that I believed that Don Bacon was a good and decent man who deserved to be reelected. But I couldn’t vote for him in case Trump returned to power. I was afraid that a Trump administration combined with a Republican House and Senate would not be good for the country. 

I believe I was right in that assessment. 

I have the same feelings when it comes to my vote in this mayor’s race.  I like and respect both our candidates, and I believe John Ewing would do a good job if elected.  But Jean Stothert has already done a good job and deserves to be voted in as well.  Should she be punished because of the actions of the leaders of her party? I’m wrestling with that in my mind. Under normal circumstances, I would vote for her to remain in office, but we aren’t living under normal circumstances.

Now granted, Jean Stothert has nothing to do with what is going on in D.C. However, she supported Donald Trump and the state party when she endorsed Winner-Take-All. Winner-Take-All disenfranchises voters and hurts the city and state’s economies. 

And while not a vocal supporter of the president, she did go along with the party by voting for him.  Ironically, while she has shown loyalty to the party, the new guard of Nebraska’s Republican Party has not been loyal to her.

The old adage of “One bad apple spoils the whole bunch” has stood the test of time because it’s grounded in truth.  Trump’s actions have spoiled the rest of the GOP bunch for me.

If Mike McDonnell were up against Jean, there’s no doubt I would support her.  But he isn’t and now I’m torn.

I commend both candidates for getting out and connecting with voters.  Both have agreed to several debates.  Some will be televised, and others held in front of community groups like the Free Speech Society.  They also make joint and individual appearances at neighborhood organizations throughout the city.  It’s refreshing in an era where so many candidates avoid debates and forums, to see two people relying on more than TV attack ads and rallies to sell themselves.

Recently, Senator Lisa Murkowski said that her GOP colleagues are afraid to speak out for fear of retribution.  I guess “snitches get stitches” is not only true in street gangs and classroom bullies but in politics too. Their silence is punishing the entire country.

Is it fair to hurt good Republican candidates because of the actions of a few?  Probably not. Was it fair to punish the entire classroom based on the actions of a few?  I certainly didn’t think so at the time.  

Trump’s bad behavior shows no sign of easing up.  If the Republican Party remains silent, it could end up punishing Jean and other good candidates.  

Tom Becka is a long time Nebraska broadcaster who for over 30 years has been covering Omaha and Midwest issues on both radio and TV. He has been a guest on numerous national cable and news shows, filled in for nationally syndicated talk radio programs and Talkers Magazine has recognized him as one of the Top 100 talk show hosts in the country 10 times. Never afraid to ruffle some feathers, his ‘Becka’s Beat’ commentaries can be found online on Youtube and other digital platforms.

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