Let's Tell the GOP The Party's Over

David Bernell 

 

I have a request. Would some decent, thoughtful, principled, truth-telling Republicans please form a new political partly? Call it the Conservative Party or the Freedom party, whatever works. 

 

John Kasich, Lisa Murkowski, Michael Steele, Jennifer Rubin, David Frum, Steve Schmitt, Condoleeza Rice, Bill Weld, Joe Scarborough, William Kristol, somebody, please? 

      

The Republican party has demonstrated over the past few years that it will eagerly abandon truth and reality for power, and live in fear of Donald Trump (and his supporters/voters) as a guide for action. Now it is showing that its fear and desire for power are stronger than its commitment to democracy. By refusing to acknowledge that Donald Trump lost his bid for reelection, and by claiming that votes for Democrats must be considered illegal if they constitute a majority, Republicans undermine democracy itself. It’s time to sweep them aside. The party is a danger to our republic.

 

A capable, functioning democracy in the United States requires a responsible, reasonable, sane, and thoughtful party on the center-right of the political spectrum. We don’t have that party any longer. We need that party.

 

In order to do this, we have to replace it with something. Conservatives won’t go to the Democratic party. A number of conservatives and Republicans voted for Joe Biden and other Democrats in 2020 to get rid of Trump and his enablers, but they’re not going to make the Democratic party their permanent home. Let’s give these voters and political leaders a place they can inhabit.

 

There are conservative ideas that rely on some combination of market-based solutions and government institutions to address economic growth, inequality, climate change, poverty, energy security, homelessness, aging infrastructure and a great number of other challenges our country faces -- including first and foremost the coronavirus pandemic. These ideas need a place to be turned into policy proposals, to gain political support, to elevate politicians who advocate and seek votes for these policies in legislative bodies, who ask voters to support them in realizing their vision of the future. I believe there are a great many of us in this country – millions – who would welcome such a party as an alternative to what the Republican party has become.

 

There may be a few election cycles in which both the Conservative/Freedom party and the GOP compete for the same voters and end up losing to Democrats. But this new party, if it doesn’t move too far to the right, will also attract some Democrats who are uncomfortable with their own party moving further to the left. It can certainly become a clear and better alternative to the GOP, and a competitive force in American politics. And if it doesn’t, then maybe this new party can at least break the fever that is taking the Republicans down a path that threatens democratic government, and turn it in a better direction.

 

Somebody, please…