My last blog provoked a response that surprised me. One reader seemed to either miss the seriousness of the current political crisis or simply did not want to acknowledge it. Why is this the case? What is it about the last seven years that we don’t get? Really.
Voters need to look in the mirror and take stock not as Democrats and Republicans but as Americans. Arguing ad nauseam, I must again remind us that the issues that threaten the nation today are not traditional differences between conservatives and liberals. We are facing self-destruction led by Donald Trump, MAGA Republicans and the likes of the Proud Boys and other crazies.
Questions concerning the proper role of government, the appropriate economic system, taxes, and representation are essential and deserve healthy debate and discussion. Differences about these issues does not mean that you are an enemy of the state, that you do not love America or that you must be a fascist or a socialist. Really.
Republicans and fellow travelers need to face up to the fact that Trump and others must be defeated to preserve democracy and the rule of law. They should actively support other candidates during the Republican primary. Nominating Nikki Haley, Chris Christie, Asa Hutchinson or Tim Scott, for example, would help defeat demagoguery and advance conservative values. They offer the best chance of beating Joe Biden. Failing to do this, the Democrats, no matter how awful they might be to some, offer the better alternative to the disaster of another Trump presidency.