https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/11/opinion/2022-house-senate-trump.html

GUEST ESSAY

We Are Republicans. There’s Only One Way to Save Our Party From Pro-Trump Extremists.
Oct. 11, 2021


By Miles Taylor and Christine Todd Whitman

Mr. Taylor served at the Department of Homeland Security from 2017 to 2019, including as chief of staff, and was the anonymous author of a 2018 guest essay for The Times criticizing President Donald Trump’s leadership. Ms. Whitman was the Republican governor of New Jersey from 1994 to 2001.

After Donald Trump’s defeat, there was a measure of hope among Republicans who opposed him that control of the G.O.P. would be up for grabs, and that conservative pragmatists could take back the party. But it’s become obvious that political extremists maintain a viselike grip on the national G.O.P., the state parties and the process for fielding and championing House and Senate candidates in next year’s elections.

Rational Republicans are losing the G.O.P. civil war. And the only near-term way to battle pro-Trump extremists is for all of us to team up on key races and overarching political goals with our longtime political opponents: the Democratic Party.

This year we joined more than 150 conservatives — including former governors, senators, congressmen, cabinet secretaries, and party leaders — in calling for the Republican Party to divorce itself from Trumpism or else lose our support, perhaps by forming a new political party. Rather than return to founding ideals, G.O.P. leaders in the House and in many states have now turned belief in conspiracy theories and lies about stolen elections into a litmus test for membership and running for office.

Breaking away from the G.O.P. and starting a new center-right party may prove in time to be the last resort if Trump-backed candidates continue to win Republican primaries. We and our allies have debated the option of starting a new party for months and will continue to explore its viability in the long run. Unfortunately, history is littered with examples of failed attempts at breaking the two-party system, and in most states today the laws do not lend themselves easily to the creation and success of third parties.



So for now, the best hope for the rational remnants of the G.O.P. is for us to form an alliance with Democrats to defend American institutions, defeat far-right candidates, and elect honorable representatives next year — including a strong contingent of moderate Democrats.

It’s a strategy that has worked. Mr. Trump lost re-election in large part because Republicans nationwide defected, with 7 percent who voted for Mr. Trump in 2016 flipping to support Joe Biden, a margin big enough to have made some difference in key swing states.

Even still, we don’t take this position lightly. Many of us have spent years battling the left over government’s role in society, and we will continue to have disagreements on fundamental issues like infrastructure spending, taxes and national security. Similarly, some Democrats will be wary of any pact with the political right.

But we agree on something more foundational — democracy. We cannot tolerate the continued hijacking of a major U.S. political party by those who seek to tear down our Republic’s guardrails or who are willing to put one man’s interests ahead of the country. We cannot tolerate the leaders of the G.O.P. — in 2022 or in the presidential election in 2024 — refusing to accept the results of elections or undermining the certification of those results should they lose.

To that end, concerned conservatives must join forces with Democrats on the most essential near-term imperative: blocking Republican leaders from regaining control of the U.S. House of Representatives. Some of us have worked in the past with the House Republican leader, Kevin McCarthy, but as long as he embraces Mr. Trump’s lies, he cannot be trusted to lead the chamber, especially in the run-up to the next presidential election.


And while many of us support and respect the Senate Republican leader, Mitch McConnell, it is far from clear that he can keep Mr. Trump’s allies at bay, which is why the Senate may be safer remaining as a divided body rather than under Republican control.

For these reasons, we will endorse and support bipartisan-oriented moderate Democrats in difficult races, like Representative Abigail Spanberger of Virginia and Elissa Slotkin of Michigan and Senator Mark Kelly of Arizona, where they will undoubtedly be challenged by Trump-backed candidates. And we will defend a small nucleus of courageous Republicans, such as Liz Cheney, Adam Kinzinger, Peter Meijer and others who are unafraid to speak the truth.

In addition to these leaders, this week we are coming together around a political idea — the Renew America Movement — and will release a slate of nearly two dozen Democratic, independent and Republican candidates we will support in 2022.

These “renewers” must be protected and elected if we want to restore a common-sense coalition in Washington. But merely holding the line will be insufficient. To defeat the extremist insurgency in our political system and pressure the Republican Party to reform, voters and candidates must be willing to form nontraditional alliances.

For disaffected Republicans, this means an openness to backing centrist Democrats. It will be difficult for lifelong G.O.P. members to do this — akin to rooting for the other team out of fear that your own is ruining the sport entirely — but democracy is not a game, which is why when push comes to shove, patriotic conservatives should put country over party.

One of those races is in Pennsylvania, where a bevy of pro-Trump candidates are vying to replace the outgoing Republican senator, Pat Toomey. The only prominent moderate in the G.O.P. primary, Craig Snyder, recently bowed out, and if no one takes his place, it will increase the urgency for Republican voters to stand behind a Democrat, such as centrist Representative Conor Lamb, who is running for the seat.



For Democrats, this similarly means being open to conceding that there are certain races where progressives simply cannot win and acknowledging that it makes more sense to throw their lot in with a center-right candidate who can take out a more radical conservative.

Utah is a prime example, where the best hope of defeating Senator Mike Lee, a Republican who defended Mr. Trump’s refusal to concede the election, is not a Democrat but an independent and former Republican, Evan McMullin, a member of our group, who announced last week that he was entering the race.

We need more candidates like him prepared to challenge politicians who have sought to subvert our Constitution from the comfort of their “safe” seats in Congress, and we are encouraged to note that additional independent-minded leaders are considering entering the fray in places like Texas, Arizona and North Carolina, targeting seats that Trumpist Republicans think are secure.

More broadly, this experiment in “coalition campaigning” — uniting concerned conservatives and patriotic progressives — could remake American politics and serve as an antidote to hyper-partisanship and federal gridlock.

To work, it will require trust building between both camps, especially while fighting side by side in the toughest races around the country by learning to collaborate on voter outreach, sharing sensitive polling data, and synchronizing campaign messaging.

A compact between the center-right and the left may seem like an unnatural fit, but in the battle for the soul of America’s political system, we cannot retreat to our ideological corners.

A great deal depends on our willingness to consider new paths of political reform. From the halls of Congress to our own communities, the fate of our Republic might well rest on forming alliances with those we least expected.

They can be ex-Republicans if they should choose to be, but they don't

Like there are no on the fence republicans who just need to be persuaded with clever ads to do the right thing?


**********
"Everyone has a plan until you punch them in the face. Then they don't have a plan anymore." (c) Mike Tyson

"what's a leader if he isn't reluctant"

.

attempt. And has continued down the path to subvert representative government under the banner of white supremacy.

Over here acting like some Coke Zero confederacy is better that the Civil War version

There’s no moderate Klansmen
No moderate confederates
No moderate isis
No moderate nazis

The Republican banner is an extremist banner

Name one thing that theyre FOR that isn't subjugation?

lmao

Not a single moderately leaning person left in the republic.

And you want me to convince you otherwise? Lol

Words have whole ass meanings and shit
Like Gruden is a racist. He may say he’s not a racist but his ass has said some racist ass things and behaved in racist ass ways, is he burning crosses on lawns? No. But he’s still a racist.
So just because someone says they dont hold the more extreme views of an extremist group, if they still identify with that group, particularly when that group IS extremist in nature then thats a problem.

And this is only even being debated because its white Americans
Nobody is talking about Moderate Talibans
Moderate German AFD
Moderate Hezbolah

Nobody says that shit. But white Americans from some of yall get all kinds of grace.

Even if you say you don't align with their racism, you do just by the act of associating with that group of people.

Repugs are that.

I would argue that this statement is simply true if one examine the situation.

So in comparison to what is this position extreme?

Reductive
What is a moderate supporter of the legacy of enslavers, what is a moderate eco terrorist, what is a moderate supporter of forced theocracy?
The Republican party is a globally extreme party
And to not only downplay that but to say that my acknowledgment of that is extreme is gross

I challenge anyone to name one thing that the Republican party stands for that isnt subjugation to their dogma.

>RE: Id even disagree on this point. Their use of extreme is insulting and Reductive
>What is a moderate supporter of the legacy of enslavers, what
>is a moderate eco terrorist, what is a moderate supporter of
>forced theocracy?
>The Republican party is a globally extreme party
>And to not only downplay that but to say that my
>acknowledgment of that is extreme is gross
>
>I challenge anyone to name one thing that the Republican party
>stands for that isnt subjugation to their dogma.

Extreme means nothing absent context. I actually agree that there is no such thing as a moderate republican.

Entertained as rational. Just because they want to co-opt the language doesn’t mean it’s a good faith statement.
Fuck them.

Are bad.
The gall.

that's the tactic

dominate with F-bombs



anytime someone tries to dominate - that's FBI

The Republicans who voted for Biden are complicit in getting us out of trump's control.

...and....


anyone not willing to form an alliance with those Republicans who voted for Biden seem very very very close to that Nader purist thing that got 6 right-wing folks on the court - and you know I try to stomp that Nader left-wing thing all over the place any time I get.


Is there some more Nader left-wing logic that gets us more right-wing Supreme Court justices going on here? I'm ready to stomp that.

That despite everything the Republican party openly stands for, they still identify as Republicans IS the problem.

I don’t see how this isn’t glaringly obvious

Like let’s take this to an extreme
The Los Angeles Lakers come out tomorrow and they’re pro-child molestation. Like just all about it, proud of it, and want not only the freedom to molest children but want to prevent the majority of the country from doing something about it.

In that example are we really sticking by the people that say “well I’m a fan of the Showtime Lakers” and keep wearing the jersey but not buying tickets? No absolutely not.

Extremism calls for rejection. Complete and total rejection. There are no good Republicans. Period. Anyone that’s a good person for whatever that means isnt a Republican. Now are all non Republicans good? No. Fuck no. But there are zero good Republicans.

THERE IS NO GOING BACK FROM THAT

Fuck your child like emotional attachment to whiteness.
There is no redemption to current Republicans. Doesn’t matter on any level how cool they are to have a beer with or what a sports game. No good Republicans

The Republican Party is no longer a political party. Haven’t been for a while.
Not about to sit here and normalize extremist bullshit.

DECISION OF THEM ALREADY REJECTING trump IS SOME NADER JUNK

Again.

That despite everything the Republican party openly stands for, they still identify as Republicans IS the problem.

I don’t see how this isn’t glaringly obvious

Like let’s take this to an extreme
The Los Angeles Lakers come out tomorrow and they’re pro-child molestation. Like just all about it, proud of it, and want not only the freedom to molest children but want to prevent the majority of the country from doing something about it.

In that example are we really sticking by the people that say “well I’m a fan of the Showtime Lakers” and keep wearing the jersey but not buying tickets? No absolutely not.

Extremism calls for rejection. Complete and total rejection. There are no good Republicans. Period. Anyone that’s a good person for whatever that means isnt a Republican. Now are all non Republicans good? No. Fuck no. But there are zero good Republicans.

demands is the same Nader junk which is seeming like COINTELPRO to me.

At this point the entire party is poisoned, and has been for a while - specifically top-level RNC leadership, donors, etc. Trump is just the current symbol representing the rot that is that quote unquote "party." If it's not him, someone else will step in to fill his role. And will probably be worse.

Reagan was really, really bad. Bush was horrible. Trump was abhorrent. Next step ...

Rejecting Trump is not enough. "Moderate" republicans need to either form their own party or join with democrats. Remaining a republican at this juncture is co-signing anti-democratic ideologies and behavior.

yep


McCarthy in the 1950's was bad. Nixon was bad. I know Republicans can always go bad...but I can't wait around for "pure" Republicans in order for me to advise a rejection of trump HERE AND NOW!!!!!!!!!!!

Better to be thought of as a fool than to prove it.

yep

Right now today there’s a growing insurrection group that also has the backing of numerous militias
Additionally a large number of oath keepers and three percenters are in law enforcement or associated with the military.
That’s what being a Republican means. Everything else is just window dressing.

But not exclusive to those we named.

The only "good" republicans left the party. If they haven't left, they're not good.

I mean today's media will have us believe Liz Fucking Cheney is a "good" republican.

So. If that doesn't prove the point ...

If they're willing to go against trump, that can't be rejected.


that's the same Nader logic to reject that.

And even appreciate them ! I'm not rejecting that. It's important.

But I'm also not willing to "partner" with them on anything beyond that, unless they leave the party entirely. Until they do, they are not to be trusted.

I live in Massachusetts/Boston, where we often have a repug governor in an otherwise deep blue state.

Many people in my sphere will argue that Mitt Romney, or now Charlie Baker, are "good republicans," yet Romney voted with Trump positions nearly 80% of the time. Baker would (and will) do the same thing if he ever goes national repug. Only reason Mitt and now Baker seemed/seem "moderate" when they governed MA is because they were governing blue states. In these instances, RINO is actually an appropriate way to describe them.

But once they go national, they line up behind Trump and his disgusting ilk because that's what the RNC is now.

yep

they are all pieces of shit until they reject the party. the ones that arent that bad are just smaller pieces of shit

https://youtu.be/am9BqZ6eA5c

They’re great at this kinda stuff.