South Carolina is the latest front in the redistricting arms race, with Republicans debating new maps after pressure from President Donald Trump.

Yet Trump has faced unusual resistance from within his own party, particularly from South Carolina Senate Majority Leader Shane Massey. Massey’s opposition is not rooted in policy disagreements with Trump, but in a fundamentally different view of how Republicans should wield power.

Massey and other conservatives opposing the effort believe the GOP should win by persuading voters, not by insulating itself from political competition. Trump and his allies see that instinct as weakness. In reality, parties become weaker when they no longer have to compete for public support.

'Competition makes you better, y'all'

“I will tell my Republican friends: Republicans are stronger when the Democrat Party is vibrant and viable,” Massey said in a speech opposing Trump’s redistricting demands. “Competition makes you better, y’all.”

When either party believes victory is........

© USA TODAY