Polls in recent years showed that Republican voters much less likely than Democrats to support an active U.S. leadership role in world affairs, and Trump pollsters argue that the base not interested in protecting other countries. At the same time, Establishment Republicans respect the Cold War party’s “peace through force” stance, a stance best articulated by Ronald Reagan.
“I think Ohio Republicans have the same two mindsets as national Republicans when it comes to how aggressive they should be in defense of Ukraine,” said Mark R. Weaver, a Columbus Republican strategist.
Ohio has large and politically active Eastern European communities, including about 80,000 Ukrainian Americans. But the state also has a history of supporting isolationism, dating back to the days of Robert Taft, Jr., a senator who opposed US involvement in World War II.
The question in the Ohio Senate primary is: Which faction is bigger?
“Vance clearly suggests that with his America First isolationism, he is drawing in more voters than he is turning off,” said Jeff Sadoski, a former adviser to Senator Rob Portman of Ohio. Sadoski is currently neutral in the race.
Portman, a Republican retiring this year, made his bet: Last week he endorsed Timken, followed by three more senators. Portman, who leads the Ukraine caucus in the Senate, remains popular in Ohio, and his endorsement is likely to carry weight in the eyes of Republican donors.
Vance made a different calculation.
For several weeks now, he has been bombarding his Twitter feed with comments about Ukraine, touching on several topics at once. First, that the fate of Ukraine does not excite America. Secondly, he is more concerned about illegal immigration. And third, the corrupt elites conspired to drag the Americans into senseless wars.
“It’s worth repeating: our leaders care more about Ukraine’s border than our own,” Vance wrote. on twitter.