What I’ve Gained by Leaving the Republican Party

[Formerly Once-Ler]

https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2019/02/i-left-gop-because-trump/581965/

I’m more willing to listen to those I once thought didn’t have much to teach me.
Feb 6, 2019
Peter Wehner

I'm a politically homeless person these days. For most of my life, I’ve been closely affiliated with the Republican Party. My first vote was cast for Ronald Reagan in 1980. I worked in his administration, as well as that of George H. W. Bush; for seven years, I was a senior adviser to President George W. Bush.

<snip>

Instead of rejecting him, however, the Republican Party eventually nominated Donald Trump. His defenders say, with some justification, that he has delivered on the agenda that they wanted. But that is hardly the whole story. Trump has shown himself to be a pathological liar engaged in an all-out assault on objective facts—on reality and truth—concepts on which self-government depends. The president is also cruel, and dehumanizes his opponents. He’s volatile and emotionally unstable. He relishes dividing Americans along racial and ethnic lines. He crashes through norms like a drunk driver crashes through guardrails. And he’s corrupt from stem to stern. The difference between Trump supporters and right-leaning Trump critics is how we balance the scales of his conservative achievements (like with the courts) against the harm he’s caused and the ways he’s changed the Republican Party and the country, as we weigh what will be most definitional to his presidency.

Some Republicans quiescently accept Trump’s transgressions, unwilling to take him on, fearful of incurring his wrath. Others convince themselves that the Trump agenda is worth the price of lavishing praise on him and turning a blind eye to his offenses. Still other Republicans protect and defend him at every turn, serving as his attack dogs. As an institution, the party rallied behind him. The few Republicans who have challenged Trump from time to time—Jeff Flake, Bob Corker, and Mark Sanford come to mind—feel the anger of the party’s base. It cost all three their seats in Congress. The Republican Party is both shrinking and getting more Trumpified. 

more at link.

[Wingnut]

What a loser.

[240B]

blah blah blah yammer yammer yammer, lots of words but no point other than I hate Trump

[Frank Cannon]

What a loser.

He writes for the NY Times and claims he was a GOPer. Like all the other Rats he lies. Right here is a bold faced one....

The few Republicans who have challenged Trump from time to time—Jeff Flake, Bob Corker, and Mark Sanford come to mind—feel the anger of the party’s base. It cost all three their seats in Congress.

Flaky and Bailout Bob crawled away from DC because they were unelectable. Flakes approvals were in the 20's because he lied to his voters. Corker never saw a bailout he didn't like. We also didn't lose three seats.

[TomSea]

The thing is, no matter how much we love Reagan,  his record can be severely scrutinized as well. That's before the internet. Can one imagine if 250 Marines were killed in a Beirut barracks bombing attack as in Beirut under Trump? That is but one example.

Yes, Trump seems to error in things he says sometimes. I don't place that much importance on it. It seems more like embellishment, a misstatement of facts and things like that.

It's easy to google "Obama lies" and find a whole lot of stuff on that.

[Free Vulcan]

If the author clutched his pearls any harder, he'd strangle himself.

[Frank Cannon]

If the author clutched his pearls any harder, he'd strangle himself.

Well what do you expect from a guy who brags about working for one of the worst Presidents, GWB, the country ever had.

[Bigun]

I got all the way to "The Atlantic" before I quit!