The Old GOP Is Gone


R.I.P., G.O.P.

This aligns pretty closely with what I've been saying.

The GOP used to be a party with a set of values at its core. I didn't often find those values matched mine, but I can respect a value system I don't agree with.

These days, the party acts as if it cares about just one principle: "We wanna win."

Not preserving democracy or defending against authoritarianism. Not defeating racism or sexism. Not protecting the country against threats, like this pandemic, that affect everyone regardless of political affiliation. Not even doing what's best for the economy. They are now the party of "win at any cost", even when the cost is the soul of the country.

Donald Trump becoming their party leader has made this clear: they back him up whatever he says, and he exemplifies a person who makes decisions without referencing a value system.

He didn't start this transformation of the GOP though. He would never have won the 2016 primary if not for all the groundwork previously laid. He would not have survived his impeachment without the morally bankrupt support of Republicans in Congress. When you consider the hundreds of thousands of Americans killed by COVID-19, McConnell is every bit as guilty as Trump. Had he allowed the impeachment to be executed fairly and fully, with respect for facts instead of a desired outcome, Trump would have been out long before COVID-19 showed up. (Would Pence have done better? We'll never know. But he could hardly have done worse.)

Today, vote Biden. Tomorrow and going forward, support election reform in your state. Support Instant Run-off Voting, and other measures that break the power of the duopoly. We need a second viable party to compete with the Democrats. The GOP ain't it.

Original Facebook post

Location: Waikoloa Village, HI, USA

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