The purpose of this post isn't to persuade anyone to vote for Democrats. However, I will be explaining why I (a registered Republican, who had never voted for a Democrat prior to 2018) am voting largely for Democrats again this cycle.
I hesitate to talk politics--I don't wish to offend or sour relationships over differences in opinion. Nevertheless, I feel compelled to share what I'm feeling. Maybe some of you are looking at the crazy state of the world and wondering, "Is anyone else seeing this?!" and perhaps my words will resonate with you.
While I don't wish to persuade anyone to vote against their conscience, I do hope to persuade you of the importance of the following principles that were (and I hope, still are) core to our country's ideals:
1) We need more moderation, and less extremes, in politics. More compromise, less single-issue litmus tests.
2) We need strong checks and balances and fewer, shorter periods of single-party rule.
3) We need to participate in primaries and vote for candidates of strong moral character.
4) We need to make more phone calls and write more letters to our representatives to rein in excesses and demand the highest standards of conduct.
5) We need to reduce gerrymandering to make more seats competitive in the general election to increase accountability and discourage pandering to vocal radical wings of each party.
These principles will protect our democracy from the root cause of our current political division and discord, which are symptoms of a rift that goes beyond a single candidate, party, or issue.
Let me preface by saying: while I argued against his reelection, I completely understand why good people would vote for Donald Trump in 2024 when faced with a binary choice. I understand wanting a secure border. I understand wanting to curb inflation. I understand wanting to rein in out-of-control spending. (Of these, only the border seems to have been an actual priority for the GOP, but I digress.) Regardless, that election is now ancient history. What matters now is what we do next.
The State of Things
I have always tried to avoid speaking in hyperbolic or sensational terms, including when describing our current president. But I will be honest and direct, and it's hard to avoid superlatives under the circumstances. So let me lay it out for you:We have the most overtly and openly corrupt president in modern history. He and his family have made billions off the presidency in obvious conflict of interest. He has weaponized the U.S. Department of Justice and other agencies against his political enemies in a way that makes previous alleged instances (which he loudly complained of) seem like child's play. He is petty, self-centered, crass, ill-informed, and conceited. If anything these attributes have been exacerbated by the apparent onset of senility. He cozies up to dictators and bullies allies. He discards facts and expertise in favor of his whims.
His brinksmanship has gotten our country into a gerrymandering war, resulting in fewer competitive districts and less influence on our representatives, for which we are all worse off; a trade war with Canada (among others), resulting in higher tariffs, for which we are all worse off; and a hot war with Iran, resulting in higher gas prices, an equally tyrannical ruler in that country, and no clear path to victory, for which we are all worse off.
Trump has a few positive traits -- one of which is that having a chaotic and unpredictable president can be advantageous when negotiating with foreign countries who fear him -- and he has enacted a few policies that I agree with (e.g., certain tax policies and reduced regulation). But the cost far outweighs the benefits.
All of this I could tolerate.
We've had presidents who are immoral before. We've had presidents with large egos. We've had presidents with authoritarian tendencies, who have stretched the executive authority beyond its constitutional bounds. We've had presidents who are selfish.
What we have never had in my lifetime -- and rarely prior -- was a president who felt no shame when his misdeeds were brought to light. Who felt no obligation to serve all Americans, even those who oppose him. Who demanded loyalty to himself above loyalty to the Constitution and the country. Who failed to appreciate the value of our alliances and was enamored with our enemies. Whose excesses could not be constrained by his party thanks to populist pressures from his base. And all of this while the president's party held power in all three branches of government.
In short, we are without meaningful checks on presidential authority, and the man in power has a temperament that is sorely in need of checks.
A Wicked President
Donald Trump is a wicked king. No, he's not actually a king -- yet. But he thinks and behaves like one. And I don't think he deserves to be described as "evil" -- he wouldn't murder someone (which is different than directly or indirectly causing deaths, which all presidents do) or carry out a holocaust. But he completely lacks any sense of morality except what pleases his own ego. He sits on his throne, oblivious to the suffering of others, caring only for gilded ballrooms, triumphal arches, and peace prizes bearing his name.
An evil king hides his misdeeds in the shadows, because he is ashamed of them and knows if discovered, they would be his undoing. A wicked king conducts his iniquity openly. He isn't afraid of being found out, because he sincerely believes whatever he does is right. And a funny thing happens, as we have collectively learned: once-discerning people who excuse, overlook, justify, and ignore their king's wickedness will eventually call it good.
Many are willingly blind to his faults. Others are consciously aware, but accept it as a cost of having their preferred policies enacted. But what makes a man a king is not that he doesn't do what the people want, or that he is not popular. What makes a man a king is that he flaunts the rule of law and circumvents the established order.
A man does not become a king overnight. It starts with incremental erosion of norms and standards until one day, the country awakens to discover they are living under tyranny. This very nearly happened in Hungary with Viktor Orbán, and Hungarians are lucky to have escaped that fate. It is happening before our very eyes in the United States of America, and it will continue unless we actively put a stop to it.
I would not expect a Republican Congress to impeach their duly elected president. It would be unrealistic to expect them to squander their opportunity to enact their long-sought after agenda once they got the chance. But I would expect Republicans to take steps to protect the Constitutional rights of Americans; to preserve democracy; to prevent gross injustices; to promote ethical principles; to speak the truth and to stand up for what is right. In the situations where they have, I have applauded them and been very grateful for their courage.
But too often, Republican politicians at every level have bent over backwards to please the president. They've rolled over instead of putting up opposition to actions they know are wrong. They've pledged their loyalty to a man instead of to the Constitution and the country.
For that, they deserve to lose power.
In our two-party system, the only way to cause this is to elect Democrats in their place.
On Naked Emperors
Sometimes it frustrates me that not everyone sees things the way I do. I constantly have to remind myself to be humble, because all of us -- every single human -- sees clothes on naked emperors, so to speak. Why? I don't know -- ask a psychologist. I suppose it arises from our need to fit in with our tribe. We're conditioned to accept as fact what those around us claim to see.
It seems that it is the situations where we are most sure we are right where we will most often be deceived by invisible clothing. And so I must acknowledge that everything I have written here could be wrong.
The only safeguard, therefore, is to hedge. Spread power around. Don't let it concentrate in one person, place, or party. While people are capable of unspeakable horrors under the wrong circumstances, I believe that we are fundamentally good. When decisions are spread across a diverse set of individuals and groups rather than vested in a single strongman, it is more likely that good outcomes will follow.
Democrats are Not the Solution
At this juncture, for this election, I plan to vote for Democrats in Congress. I also plan to vote for Democrats in certain state and local races where the GOP candidate has indulged Trump in his fantasies too often.
But Democrats are not a magic solution to all our woes. The day Democrats are elected, a whole new set of problems will arise. Now, I have respect for Democrats in general and believe most of them earnestly believe that their policies are what is best for the country. However, left unchecked, they will overtax, overspend, and overregulate (just as Republicans tend to undertax, underregulate, and ... still overspend).
Unfortunately, giving some power to Democrats is a risk we will have to take and countering their excesses is a bridge we will have to cross when we get there. Today, the problem is too urgent to neglect.
The Solution is Checks and Balances
Over the past 250 years (or 238 if you count from the signing of the Constitution), our country has enjoyed the fruits of a delicate system of checks and balances that was established by our Founders and other patriots along the way. Every seat of power in this country is offset by others such that no one person is able to accumulate sufficient authority to impose tyranny -- be it in government, commerce, religion, or other venues. Various powers are vested in the President, the Cabinet, Congress, the courts, the states, the press, the clergy, corporations, and voters themselves. Every cog in this gearbox is essential to the well-oiled machine that is our democratic republic.
But in the last ten years, that system of checks and balances has instead degraded to a feudal system of tributes and fealty to one man's ego. This must end.
Consider this: The only reason we still have a democratic republic is because people have said no to Trump. If Trump had always gotten everything he asked for, the House of Representatives would have rejected the legitimate electors chosen by voters in Georgia, Arizona, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, and Michigan. Fake electors supporting Trump would have been seated instead. Trump would have overturned the results of the 2020 election and remained president.
Similarly, if Trump had gotten everything he wanted this cycle, more safe Republican seats would have been gerrymandered in more states, eliminating the possibility of a competitive election. The SAVE Act would have made it difficult or impossible for millions of citizens, especially married women, to vote. The Post Office would have failed to deliver legitimately cast ballots.
We are more than just lucky that these things did not happen. Good people, including Republicans in state and federal office, and Republican-appointed judges, pushed back. But this doesn't mean we're safe. It simply highlights how important those checks on Trump's power are. And how terrifying it is to see the very people who pushed back branded RINOs, primaried out, ejected from the party, and removed from their positions, leaving us with fewer and fewer safeguards against authoritarianism the longer this administration lasts.
Why I am a Moderate
I consider myself a "radical" moderate for two main reasons:
1) I believe that moderate policies are often the best ones.
I don't believe in extremes in most cases--usually the correct approach is somewhere in the middle, even in seemingly straightforward situations.
For example, I don't believe that every gun should be banned, nor do I believe the 2nd amendment is unlimited in scope. Rather, I believe in reasonable restrictions on gun ownership. I would wager that most people agree. The difference is in degrees, not absolutes.
So where along the spectrum of possible policies is the best one? It would be nice if we could actually have that debate instead of retreating into comforting, absolutist corners and punishing politicians who fail litmus tests. In the mere act of trying, we will be more likely to find an acceptable equilibrium than if we fail to engage.
2) In a pluralistic society, moderate policies are necessary for compromise and peaceful coexistence.
During my lifetime, politics has become a game of ping pong as two extremes compete with each other to enact their most radical and unpopular policies. During successive administrations, these policies are undone and replaced with extremes in the opposite direction. This is an expensive and unsustainable way to run a government.
Instead, politicians should be doing the hard work to convince the people that their preferred policies are best. The citizens in turn should pressure their politicians, regardless of party, to enact popular, common-sense policies.
This dynamic, which is beautiful when it works properly, is failing on both ends. Politicians are ramming through unpopular policies that benefit themselves and their cronies -- usually sensational laws and programs that rile up a base but that the majority takes issue with.
As for the citizenry, instead of holding their own party leaders accountable, both sides merely make excuses for their politicians and argue that the other side is worse. (I'm as guilty of this as anyone.)
To these ends, I believe split power, competitive elections (i.e., no gerrymandering) and an engaged citizenry (votes, letters, and phone calls) is the best approach to ensure palatable policy and national unity.
On Compromise
Very little in this world is completely black and white. Life is complex, as are the solutions to its problems. I wish it were so easy as to outsource all our thinking to the candidates who profess to be pro-life and then wash our hands of "politics." Republicans' insistence on reducing policy to being merely pro-life or irredeemable is our downfall. We have to make room for consensus and compromise. We have to keep a watchful eye on those with whom we agree on fundamental issues -- we can't be so naive as to think they can do no wrong; or conversely, to think that those with whom we disagree on such issues can do no right.
If we have learned one thing in the last ten years, it is that you must learn to engage in healthy compromise or you will become compromised, or in other words, "hacked" by self-serving politicians. Integrity is multi-faceted -- you can't be anchored to only one point, otherwise you will be carried wherever the wind blows. Our values must include honesty, charity, selflessness, generosity, and courage (among others). These timeless virtues can't be boiled down to one or two policy positions.
Example: Abortion
Most people don't believe abortion should be allowed in every instance, nor do they believe it should be prohibited in every instance. Many people agree that abortion should be legally permitted in cases of rape or incest. Others believe it is ok in the first 24 hours or during the first trimester. The further you go in either direction along the spectrum of abortion policy, the fewer people you will have in your camp. Somewhere along the line, you will hit a critical mass of tolerance for a compromise solution.
The consensus will not please everyone, but it will be sustainable. There will always be fringe groups that agitate at the margins, but if sound policy is enacted, such movements will not gain traction.
If you sincerely believe your preferred abortion policy is best, do the hard work of convincing people it is so and then it will be easy to enact the policy. Don't force it on an unwilling populace -- it won't last and it will backfire, possibly leading to even worse policy down the road.
Example: Immigration
Immigration is another area where we have seen the effects of extreme policies backfiring. The first Trump election brought the construction of border walls, a policy of family separation (that to their credit, the administration ended after it was widely criticized), bans on immigration from predominantly Muslim-countries, and other strict enforcement efforts.
The election of Joe Biden was partially a reaction to the xenophobic tone of the Trump administration. But instead of enacting sensible policy, the Biden Administration did not take border security seriously and we arguably ended up with a second Trump administration as a result.
Now with a burgeoning ICE, infractions against Constitutional rights, court rulings against the administration's policies on birthright citizenship and unlawful deportations, etc., public backlash once again may bring Democrats into power to counter Trump's excesses.
Notice how both those who favor excessive immigration enforcement and those who favor no enforcement both lose in the end. Immigrants suffer worst of all. But this game of ping-pong will continue until sensible immigration policy -- not extremes -- wins the day.
Sensible immigration policy does not mean a return to the pre-Trump status quo. Undocumented immigrants should not be forced to live in the shadows. The borders need to be secured to some degree. We need comprehensive immigration reform which includes higher quotas, easier legal immigration, and a path to legal status for those already here (especially those brought as children). Legislators need to come up with a plan that the majority of Americans can get behind, come to the table and make the necessary compromises, and move the country forward beyond this period of retributory policymaking.
A Word on Ukraine
I'm grateful the U.S. has continued to provide intelligence and allowed our allies to supply weapons. But oh, how I wish we were doing so much more! Why have we delayed the bipartisan sanctions that are so popular? Why have we not provided more missile defense systems to protect civilians from daily bombardment? Why did we just agree to buy diesel from Russia, directly funding Putin's war machine? I will never understand. Many more Ukrainians (and Russians!) will die because of our inability to put pressure on the one who could actually end this conflict -- Vladimir Putin.
Democracy is Hard Work
Keeping our politicians honest and focused on the issues that matter most is hard work -- but it is absolutely essential to restoring good faith among the various factions. We can no longer stand by when a president we voted for makes a mistake. We can't make excuses. We the People have the power, and we must exercise it.
That doesn't mean we have to march or boycott. It doesn't even require a public statement on social media. Sometimes all it takes is a letter or a phone call to your representatives. Let them know that you are watching, and that you care. They will listen to their constituents, but it takes many voices to move the needle.
Above all, VOTE IN THE PRIMARIES.
Donald Trump won the 2024 GOP presidential primary with 17 million votes. 17 million Americans (about 5% of the population) decided who our "conservative" choice would be. We must do better than that. We must participate in the primaries and select candidates of strong moral character who share our common values as Americans -- including compromise and working across the aisle to enact broadly popular legislation.
Please select candidates of strong moral character with broad appeal. I would love to be able to vote for Republican candidates again in 2028.
A Malevolent Undercurrent
Donald Trump's presidency has partially been enabled by a (small) group of people who believe in a very ugly ideology. This is a group that doesn't just want secure borders -- they want no legal immigration either (at least from non-white countries). They don't just want to do away with "DEI" -- they want white men in charge of everything. They don't just want to stop getting caught up in foreign wars -- they want to make deals with the most evil regimes on the planet. They don't just want to limit who can enter single-sex spaces or competitions -- they want to eliminate LGBT people entirely or severely restrict their freedoms.
Not all Republicans are like this -- most aren't. But never in my lifetime, and perhaps not since the Civil Rights Era, have such people had so much influence, including within the White House itself. We have to be more cognizant of the malicious fringe groups in our midst -- in both parties. We can't stop someone from believing something wrong or evil, but we can denounce their beliefs and we are under no obligation to hand them positions or platforms.
I have faith that things can get better because the Republicans I know -- including MAGA Republicans -- are fundamentally good people who help their neighbors, serve in their community, and conduct themselves with integrity. It will take some work to get on the same page about what is happening in Washington and what needs to be done, but I'm confident we will get where we need to go.
Conclusion
After watching rigged elections in Russia, Belarus, Georgia (the country), and other places around the world, I will never again take for granted that feeling when you wake up the morning after Election Day to the news that the incumbent lost. Power changing hands is itself a great gift, even if that means our preferred party loses from time to time. Ask Ukrainians. Ask Hungarians. An incumbent losing an election is a reminder that no matter how bad things get, change is possible.
If the polls are accurate (never a guarantee), Democrats are likely to win control of one or both chambers of Congress next month. Whether that ends up being a good thing or a bad thing will entirely depend on how we, Americans, act in response. If we can keep our politicians in check, regardless of party, and guide them toward good, popular policy with our words and actions, the government can remain "by the people, of the people, and for the people" as our Founders intended and hoped it could be.
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