Read this article this morning:
http://www.cnn.com/2016/06/27/opinions/trump-not-causing-gop-exodus-obeidallah/index.html
It's a rather fascinating insight into the dissolution of the Republican Party. Here's a couple of quotes I found particularly interesting:
Trump didn't persuade the GOP base to embrace his extreme and at times bigoted views -- he didn't have to. Those views match up well with what the rank and file of today's Republican Party already believes.
...
Win or lose, Trump will come and go -- but his views truly represent a solid majority of today's Republican Party. The bigger question for Republicans like Rep. Love, Romney, Paulson, and others is: do they try to change the GOP from within or is time for them to find a new political party?
I don't have any idea what I would do if I were a Republican, but I am sure that I would feel increasingly that the Republican Party didn't represent my views. This was a conclusion that I came to a long time ago when I decided that I just couldn't be associated with the kind of stances that I see many Republicans taking on different issues, such as economics/taxation and the way the poor should be treated. The fringe issues of immigration and national security and gun control were not really that big of a deal in my mind, but they have become more important as the years have gone by and my understanding and position has changed. Further, some dear friends have awakened me to the importance of women's rights issues, and I think that there are few issues that are more important.
So the question becomes - how loyal should one be to a particular political party? How closely does a political party reflect my views? I consider myself to be somewhat of a centrist, seeking a rational, measured approach to issues, and I find that in the Democratic Party on most issues that I'm concerned about. But that doesn't mean I can't or don't support a candidate or platform that is outside of the Democratic Party. For example, I'd be in favor of a third party, garnering say 10% of the vote, such that no other party has a clear majority and must work with the others. I think this might go a long way towards mutual understanding and getting things done. But that's not a Democratic Party idea.
In short, I find myself bemused by those who continue to blindly support a particular party at the expense of personally held values. If the Republican Party doesn't represent my views, perhaps it's time to align myself with another party. Or maybe create a new party...
http://www.cnn.com/2016/06/27/opinions/trump-not-causing-gop-exodus-obeidallah/index.html
It's a rather fascinating insight into the dissolution of the Republican Party. Here's a couple of quotes I found particularly interesting:
Trump didn't persuade the GOP base to embrace his extreme and at times bigoted views -- he didn't have to. Those views match up well with what the rank and file of today's Republican Party already believes.
...
Win or lose, Trump will come and go -- but his views truly represent a solid majority of today's Republican Party. The bigger question for Republicans like Rep. Love, Romney, Paulson, and others is: do they try to change the GOP from within or is time for them to find a new political party?
I don't have any idea what I would do if I were a Republican, but I am sure that I would feel increasingly that the Republican Party didn't represent my views. This was a conclusion that I came to a long time ago when I decided that I just couldn't be associated with the kind of stances that I see many Republicans taking on different issues, such as economics/taxation and the way the poor should be treated. The fringe issues of immigration and national security and gun control were not really that big of a deal in my mind, but they have become more important as the years have gone by and my understanding and position has changed. Further, some dear friends have awakened me to the importance of women's rights issues, and I think that there are few issues that are more important.
So the question becomes - how loyal should one be to a particular political party? How closely does a political party reflect my views? I consider myself to be somewhat of a centrist, seeking a rational, measured approach to issues, and I find that in the Democratic Party on most issues that I'm concerned about. But that doesn't mean I can't or don't support a candidate or platform that is outside of the Democratic Party. For example, I'd be in favor of a third party, garnering say 10% of the vote, such that no other party has a clear majority and must work with the others. I think this might go a long way towards mutual understanding and getting things done. But that's not a Democratic Party idea.
In short, I find myself bemused by those who continue to blindly support a particular party at the expense of personally held values. If the Republican Party doesn't represent my views, perhaps it's time to align myself with another party. Or maybe create a new party...
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