Like many Americans Wednesday night, I viewed the GOP debate, which showcased the attributes of the many candidates. Ron DeSantis was notable for his soldiery determination. Nikki Haley was remarkable for her gravitas and mastery of foreign affairs. Vivek Ramaswamy was singular for the fire of his convictions. And Governor Doug Burgum was a breath of fresh air for his forthright common sense. If the audience was looking for kindness, a steady demeanor and conservative faith, Tim Scott had it all. If one was looking for spontaneous wit, Chris Christie impressed. If you were hopeful of seeing a politician with steady experience, that was Mike Pence. If collaborating with political opponents is important to you, one appreciated Asa Hutchinson’s capacity to compromise.

But the candidates, who filled the stage, missed the elephant in the room – and that elephant was not Donald Trump’s absence from the room. None of the candidates showed an awareness of the gravity of this national moment – or what is necessary to face a socialist opposition party in the upcoming election of 2024.

Those who wish to “conserve” America face an adversary in the Democratic Party which has become opposite in philosophy and in its daily policy to our nation’s founding: Socialism is opposite in philosophy to our founding because socialism’s foundation is tyranny.

Therefore, to “conserve” America as constitutionally designed, a nominee of the Republican Party needs to base their policy on the following foundational cornerstones of our nation, which are diametrically opposed to the socialist Democrats’ agenda. The conservative nominee must defend what the Democratic Socialist Party attacks every single day:

The socialist Democrats have been attacking our nation’s foundational freedom of faith since the 1960’s. A conservative nominee must defend every citizen’s faith from the attacks being made daily by the socialist left. The socialist left has a belief system based on one thing: a belief in the monolithic power of the state, which it deems superior to any rights of citizens to believe in a higher spiritual being.

The socialist Democrats have been attacking our free enterprise system since the 1930s. It began with the utilities industry. Most notably today, it can be seen in the willful takeover of the energy sector through the euphemistically called Inflation Reduction Act, which is crippling our nation with inflation. A conservative nominee must defend the free enterprise system and capitalism, a nominee must defend the rights of enterprises to be free of government interference. A nominee must counter socialist attacks made by the media against capitalism, the foundational cornerstone of our nation’s prosperity.

The socialist Democratic Party has been attacking our nation’s federalism system since Woodrow Wilson’s presidency. Our system of federalism was a founding principle of our Constitution and is based on local and state governance and autonomy. The socialists have been concentrating power in Washington DC for a century at the expense of local and state independence. A conservative nominee must defend federalism, and the rights of states and localities to rule themselves, as protected by the 9th and 10th Amendments.

The socialist Democratic Party does not believe in the people’s right to a representative republic, with law deriving only from the people’s representatives as stipulated in Article One Section One, Sentence One of the Constitution. The socialists in the “Democratic” Party prefer administrative law, made in the catacombs of their administrative state, where no one but lobbyists has influence or representation.  Since Joe Biden took office, his administrative state has produced 16,963 “regulations” with the force of law, while passing only 373 pieces of legislation through the constitutional process, most of which were housekeeping matters. A conservative nominee must defend the principle of representative government which assures that “We The People” are in reality, as Alexander Hamilton stated, “The only true spring of original authority.”

The Socialist Party does not believe in common law, which predates our nation and was founded in the Ten Commandments and the Magna Carta. The Socialist Party believes its administrative agencies can be used to persecute their political opponents. A conservative nominee must defend the principle of common law and decapitate the federal agencies who exercise this systematic persecution of conservatives, as occurred to the Tea Party movement, to the Little Sisters of the Poor, and today, to parents being persecuted for attending school board meetings.

Lastly, the socialism this country defeated in foreign countries around the globe has attained power here at home in the Democratic Party. It is a party that does not believe in the United States Constitution, which is the single, social compact and the highest law on which this nation is based. The Democratic Socialist Party has been attacking our Constitution for a century. A conservative nominee must defend “our” Constitution!

There are other attacks upon the foundations of our nation that get more media attention these days, because it is the socialist media making the attacks on our basic decency and morality. Such attacks too, must be met with a vigorous defense from every conservative in our country – by choosing to turn the garbage off!

We are in a national moment which is really quite simple to understand. The Socialist Democratic Party wants to exercise tyranny over our country. Such a will to tyranny must be opposed by a conservative nominee who will vigorously defend the founding principles of our country, and defend thereby, every foundation of our freedom!

Richard C. Lyons, author of The DNA of Democracy: Volume I and Shadows of the Acropolis: Volume II  is a third generation printer, whose early career centered on religious and special education publishing. Lyons has since engaged in literary pursuits as a poet, essayist, screenwriter and indie publisher.