I got a call this morning from an old college friend who’s been a lifelong Republican (for years we’ve kidded one another about our respective politics), who told me he had decided to leave the GOP.
“It’s become the Party of hatemongers and know-nothings,” he said. “I’m embarrassed to be one of them.”
I asked him what had tipped him over the edge.
“Everything,” he said. “Their harangues against undocumented immigrants and promises to round them up and build a wall along the southern border. Their willingness to accept charges Obama is a Muslim and not born in America; that vaccines cause autism; that global warming is a hoax.”
“Yeah,” I said. “Pretty awful.”
“But that’s not all,” he said, becoming agitated. “It’s also their knee-jerk warmongering substituting for foreign policy. Their intolerance of a woman’s right to choose, and of gays’ and lesbians’ right to marry. Their willful suppression of black votes. Their racism!”
It was as if I’d opened a sluice gate. He went on, almost shouting: “Their incessant pandering to their wealthy funders by wanting even more tax cuts for the rich and big corporations, and then lying that the benefits will “trickle-down.” Their attacks on teachers. Cuts in school budgets. Eagerness to cut school lunches for poor kids…”
“Whoa,” I stopped him. “I get it. But these aren’t all new. Why did you stay a Republican all these years?”
He was silent for a moment. “Because I admired Mark Hatfield and Nelson Rockefeller and Jacob Javits,” he said. “I supported Barry Goldwater and John McCain. They reflected my values. I kept thinking my Republican Party would come back. But now I know it’s dead. The Party is now a sinkhole of ignorance and bigotry.”
“So,” I asked with a smile in my voice, “does this mean you’re coming over to my side?”
“No,” he said, still deeply serious. “Not yet. For now I’m an Independent.”
“But you’ll vote for a Democrat in the presidential election?”
“Absolutely. The Republicans now running are all “a-- ----s.”
Robert Reich
“It’s become the Party of hatemongers and know-nothings,” he said. “I’m embarrassed to be one of them.”
I asked him what had tipped him over the edge.
“Everything,” he said. “Their harangues against undocumented immigrants and promises to round them up and build a wall along the southern border. Their willingness to accept charges Obama is a Muslim and not born in America; that vaccines cause autism; that global warming is a hoax.”
“Yeah,” I said. “Pretty awful.”
“But that’s not all,” he said, becoming agitated. “It’s also their knee-jerk warmongering substituting for foreign policy. Their intolerance of a woman’s right to choose, and of gays’ and lesbians’ right to marry. Their willful suppression of black votes. Their racism!”
It was as if I’d opened a sluice gate. He went on, almost shouting: “Their incessant pandering to their wealthy funders by wanting even more tax cuts for the rich and big corporations, and then lying that the benefits will “trickle-down.” Their attacks on teachers. Cuts in school budgets. Eagerness to cut school lunches for poor kids…”
“Whoa,” I stopped him. “I get it. But these aren’t all new. Why did you stay a Republican all these years?”
He was silent for a moment. “Because I admired Mark Hatfield and Nelson Rockefeller and Jacob Javits,” he said. “I supported Barry Goldwater and John McCain. They reflected my values. I kept thinking my Republican Party would come back. But now I know it’s dead. The Party is now a sinkhole of ignorance and bigotry.”
“So,” I asked with a smile in my voice, “does this mean you’re coming over to my side?”
“No,” he said, still deeply serious. “Not yet. For now I’m an Independent.”
“But you’ll vote for a Democrat in the presidential election?”
“Absolutely. The Republicans now running are all “a-- ----s.”
Robert Reich
