Why the Smart Move for Never-Trumpers Is To Become Democrats

[ffr]

There’s a new debate inside the #NeverTrump movement about how to respond to a president they loathe and the Republican Party that loves him. Some #NeverTrump conservatives, like the New York Times columnist David Brooks and former Bush White House aide Reed Galen, are talking about creating a new third party. Others, like George Will and Max Boot, have become registered independents and are urging voters to put Democrats in charge of Congress this November, as a kind of temporary stopgap measure until the Republicans return to their senses. But according to speculation reported by POLITICO, former McCain 2008 chief strategist Steve Schmidt may go one step further: He’s reportedly thinking about signing up with a 2020 Democratic presidential candidate, possibly former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz.

No doubt Schmidt would get attacked for being an opportunist. But if you are a conservative, #NeverTrump, pro-immigrant, free-trading, anti-Putin defender of the post-World War II international order, the only principled and practical move left is to join the Democratic Party.
<snip>

Besides, the best way to move the Democratic Party rightward would be for more conservatives to join it. It’s true that socialist-friendly Berniecrats are increasingly vocal in the Democratic Party, but conservatives should also recognize the ideological breadth of what is the nation’s only remaining big-tent party. Democrats are held together by a belief in active government to solve problems and a commitment to equal rights and opportunities for women and minorities.- Politico

[JI7]

1. gun control, abortion rights, pro environment/regulations etc

i didn't read the whole article but it leaves out many issues.

[ffr]

2. That's good, b/c a lot of it was Politico carrying water for false anti-democratic memes

For a second I thought of not posting, in case somewhere were to see what else they wrote. Kind of betrays the title.

[thucythucy]

3. Read the whole article.

The author expressly says, If you're anti-abortion no matter what the reason, love tax cuts for the rich and love conservative judges, don't bother joining, there's no place for you in the Democratic Party. But if you want to discuss what conservatives think are better solutions to climate change--as one example--then you're far better off as a Democrat than as a Republican.

I think the article makes a lot of sense.

I especially appreciated this paragraph:

"To the average conservative Trump-skeptic, the Democratic Party will not feel terribly cozy. You would often be fighting uphill, and you would lose more than you win. But so long as conservatives fight honorably, stick to the facts and genuinely seek common ground, they will be more comfortable among Democrats then they might now assume—certainly more comfortable than they are in a Republican Party that has rejected them already/"

That basically says, "If you want a rational, fact-based political debate about the important issues of our time, become a Democrat. Republicans have rejected being rational, facts, and caring about actual important issues. Democrats are about reality, Republicans aren't."

I also like how the author accuses NeverTrumpers of believing the right wing echo chamber caricature of the Democratic Party, as opposed to knowing anything about the Party as it is. Plus, the author doesn't let NeverTrumpers off the hook for not endorsing Hillary in 2016. THAT, the author says, would have been the best time to switch parties.

All together an interesting read, and I'm glad for the post.

Best wishes.

[JI7]

5. they didn't have to switch parties to support Clinton or other democrats

if it is about stopping Trump then just focus on that.

[thucythucy]

7. Switching parties would have had a more dramatic effect

but I agree, there's no law that says they couldn't endorse Clinton unless they switched parties.

[Blue_true]

8. I have always said that sane republicans, and there are a few.

Are better off joking the Democratic Party, helping to kill off the Republican Party as it now is, then splitting off ideological longtime democrats to form a truly functioning second party. The two new party, sane republicans and similar ideology democrats would then debate public policy with a Democratic Party composed of left of center liberals, farther left progressives and the far left, if the far left chooses to stay in the party.

[thucythucy]

4. Thank you for this post.

Read my post #3 in this thread, since I'm too beat right now (long day) to type it all again.

Best wishes.

[oberliner]

6. Or they support a John Kasich primary challenge?