As a fiscal conservative and social progressive, I left the Republican Party about twelve years ago. My main reasons for becoming an independent were the Republican stance on climate change, an unhealthy focus on evangelicals and guns, and a tendency to make things up. These reasons still exist twelve years later.
The Grand Old Party is no longer grand and it really is no longer Republican. At the recent RNC convention, they did not vote on a platform, so as one reporter said, “the platform is whatever Donald Trump says it is.” In and of itself, this is the final takedown of the old flag and raising of the new Trump Party banner.
Further, evidence of the dissolution, is an Alternate Republican convention was held the same week. This convention brought together several groups of Republicans bent on the defeat of Trump in November. They include The Lincoln Project, Republicans for the Rule of Law, and Republican Voters against Trump. Two additional groups of former Republican governors and intelligence leaders have also come out against Trump.
The Trump Party is a sad group led by sad people. Here are a few things that seem to be the major tenets in of the Trump Party:
– Truth, decency and empathy are not valued
– Protecting Americans against the COVID-19 pandemic is less important than winning the election. Not informing Americans of known risks is inexcusable.
– Civil rights of non-whites is less important and protestors of all races seeking equality for blacks are “thugs.”
– Soldiers who fight for America are “losers” and “suckers” and if captured, not heroes. It is OK that a country can put bounties on our soldiers without pushback.
– Using the presidency for profit is acceptable and it is OK to extort and use other countries for personal gain.
– Any Inspectors General, whistleblowers or those who testify under oath over legitimate concerns about wrongdoing can be removed without questions.
– Finally, it is OK to say absolutely anything to further the cause. It is OK to malign the voting process without doing a darn thing to make it secure. It is OK to blame any person or group for things that are caused by the president. It is OK to name call any critic. Trump called two-time Pulitzer Prize winner Bob Woodward a “wack job,” but it was the president’s own words that are causing the furor.
These words make me sad for our country. It makes me more sad to know sycophants, rationalizers, and enablers have allowed this to happen. Names like McConnell, Graham, Cotton, Johnson, Nunes, Cruz, Jordan, McCarthy, Meadows, Miller, Kushner, et al should be remembered along with the Trump name as people who led to the demise of the Republican Party, our democracy and our planet. If this corrupt and deceitful person wins again, America will move even more toward an autocracy run by a sad person.
musingsofanoldfart
Independent views from someone who offers some historical context
musingsofanoldfart 
I must return for this. Excellent and sadly. Too true.
Thanks Holly. Feel free to forward anything I write to those trolls. This might get their dander up. So, few Trump Party followers know of the alternate convention, eg.
Holly, I just posted this on my two senators and Congressman’s websites. To be honest, this is a broken record to them, but they cannot get out of their chair and fix the needle. Keith
They are particularly harsh with me. 😊imagine a woman with an opinion and no MAGA hat.
Holly, like the head of the Trump Party, the male followers do not like a woman who has an informed opinion. It is unsettling to them. Trump reacts more negatively to women than men. It goes back to Meghan Kelly asking him questions he did not like (and as we learned later was not fed beforehand) in the Fox televised debates, which led to his taking his sand-toys home from the next debate, if she attended. Keith
Note to Readers: I posted this as a comment on a previous post, but will add it here as well.
Silverapplequeen guided me to this link, which shows by rally after rally held by the president, why not telling people the risk of the pandemic is heinous. The words “hey folks, you may be at risk” were not spoken. But, the words “it is a Democrat hoax” were, at least through the end of February. That is not avoiding a panic – that is gamesmanship jeopardizing people’s lives.
https://thewayofimprovement.com/2020/09/10/trump-knew-it-was-deadly-and-airborne-and-he-lied-about-the-coronavirus-anyway/
Hello Keith. The tRump party is not so much a political party but more like a cult. tRump doesn’t have principles just wants that he requires everyone to fulfill for him. Surprisingly they try to do so losing all dignity and respect. Hugs
Scottie, I agree. If he served kool-aid, many would drink it. But, just think with me for a second. He knowingly knew the virus was transmittable by air and he still had rallies. Saying it a different way, “their votes were more important than their lives.” What kind of person does that? The word is a sociopath. Keith
Hello Keith. Even worse, he needs those people alive and able to vote. But these rallies could prevent that. Seems to me it is against his direct interests to hold them this way. But he still does. Why? What kind of person kills off his own voters? Hugs
Scottie, it must be the adulation. Keith
Keith – Maybe I just haven’t been paying enough attention, but this is the first time your name ‘Trump Party’ caught my eye. It’s a fitting name for the former Republican Party. Thanks for the post – Susan
Susan, I may have used that term before, but I think I will use it going forward, since it is official with no GOP platform. Keith
Note to Readers: I cut the list short, but two more tenets of the Trump Party are:
– retrench from global responsibilities viewing all relationships as transactions
– treat the environment poorly and not worry about chemical waste or climate change.
It’s hard to imagine having a spine rubbery enough to twist yourself into the shape of trump. I wonder if Graham, Cotton, Johnson, Cruz, etc. will ever try to get their reputations back?
Janis, I just watched a PBS Newshour report where the head of the Trump party continues to be at odds with Republicans on voting by mail and using drop boxes. The former has a lawsuit to stop them in PA, while the latter says the are safe and secure. Keith
So much I could comment on here, but it is late and I am not well tonight, so I will have to return later, but … good post, Keith. In fact … excellent post! The question in my mind is, “Where do we go from here?” The system revolves around two viable parties, and right now we have only one. Does the Republican Party step back in the post-Trump days and re-group, of do they stick with their racist, xenophobic ideologies?
Jill, I think a lot depends on whether Trump wins and the Republicans retain the Senate. If they lose both, then change is in the offing. If Trump wins, who knows what may happen to the GOP. Keith
PS – I hope you feel better.
Note to Readers: Below is a link to an article how the head of the Trump Party is at odds with others in the party on mail-in voting as its working well is at odds with his story.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/a-huge-risk-trump-s-allies-can-t-sway-him-on-mail-in-voting/ar-BB18XIa2?ocid=msedgntp
Shocking
Truly. Thanks for stopping by.
“As a fiscal conservative and social progressive, I left the Republican Party ”
This form of political cowardice of cedeing a majo party to the fruitcakes instead of fighting is one of the dominant themes in the corruption of the body politic.
As a “fiscal conservative” you still endorse the idea of rewarding the powerful and punishing the weak. Since fiscal conservatism advocates less social services because of cost and lower taxes to “starve” social programs.
So by pretending that your fiscal conservatism is separate from social progressiveism and denying the conspicious fact fiscal conservatism implicitly denys socila progresiveism you are engage in a malicious form of cognitive dissonance.
Congratulations demented donnie is the natural and inevitable result of your political cowardice rationalized by your cogniitive dissonance.
Thanks for commenting. You certainly make a lot of assumptions based on two words. As a fiscal conservative, I have concern that we pay for things and get a ROI on where we invest. No more, no less. We used this model when we merged three agencies together to help working homeless families. We provided a housing subsidy, social work and volunteer mentors. The subsidy is based on their ability to pay. Plus, we measured results and can report that over 80% of our families were still housed on their own after two years.
This is what I mean by making sure we get an ROI. Our government plays a huge role on helping folks, but we need to make sure we are spending wisely. Plus, we must be concerned with our building debt. That is what I mean by fiscal conservative.
I appreciate your stopping by. Keith