"You've got to stand for something, or you'll fall for anything."
There were a great many Republicans who did not show up for their convention last week. It appears many of them, knowing that Trump will lose, did not want to be associated with his demagoguery, let alone his defeat.
But do they expect that Trumpism will just blow over after one election cycle? One Republican Committee member, from the Tea Party stronghold of DuPage County, Illinois, refuses to fall for that. The resignation letter he published at Huffpo is a fiery denunciation of the past 25 years of Republican politics:
At the national level, the delusions necessary to sustain our Cold War coalition were becoming dangerous long before Donald Trump arrived. From tax policy to climate change, we have found ourselves less at odds with philosophical rivals than with the fundamentals of math, science and objective reality.
The Iraq War, the financial meltdown, the utter failure of supply-side theory, climate denial, and our strange pursuit of theocratic legislation have all been troubling. Yet it seemed that America’s party of commerce, trade, and pragmatism might still have time to sober up. Remaining engaged in the party implied a contribution to that renaissance, an investment in hope. Donald Trump has put an end to that hope.
From his fairy-tale wall to his schoolyard bullying and his flirtation with violent racists, Donald Trump offers America a singular narrative: a tale of cowards. Fearful people, convinced of our inadequacy, trembling before a world alight with imaginary threats, crave a demagogue. Neither party has ever elevated to this level a more toxic figure, one that calls forth the darkest elements of our national character.
With three decades invested in the Republican Party, there is a powerful temptation to shrug and soldier on. Despite the bold rhetoric, we all know Trump will lose. Why throw away a great personal investment over one bad nominee? Trump is not merely a poor candidate, but an indictment of our character. Preserving a party is not a morally defensible goal if that party has lost its legitimacy.
I hope every Republican everywhere reads this letter, not to mention the media. Maybe Joe Scarborough could have Mika read it on the air tomorrow morning?
