I was a Republican, and I drew my red line too late. I'll answer for my choices for years to come.

[Dennis Donovan]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/08/07/i-was-republican-i-drew-my-red-line-too-late-where-is-yours/

<snip>

I made decisions out of political expediency, or hubris, or naivete. Republicans offered an inclusive vision of “Growth and Opportunity” for all; then we elected a man that didn’t even bother to fake it. I couldn’t make it right. I declined to endorse him and criticized his policies. Then, when he won, I continued to disagree with him in public, and my Republican colleagues said they would strip me of my leadership position unless I promised to stop speaking against him. So, I resigned from the party. A few months later, I joined the Democratic Party.

I drew my red line too late. I’ll answer for my choices publicly and privately for years to come. But admitting your mistakes is one of the best ways to keep from repeating them.

With a month to go before another round of voting begins, a few Republicans appear to be reassessing their relationship with President Trump and his Republican Party. Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) won’t say whether she’ll support Trump as she defends her once-safe seat. Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) questioned the president’s handling of the coronavirus crisis and on some issues of national security. Sen. Cory Gardner (R-Colo.), amid a difficult reelection, disagreed with Trump on removing Confederate names from military bases.

Distancing yourself from a failing party is an easy hedge when your position is either completely secure or increasingly desperate. But if Republicans are serious about reckoning with their futures, they must start by asking themselves: “Where is my red line? At what point would I say, ‘This is just too much’?”

If it wasn’t seeing kids in cages or seeking bribes from a foreign government, was it the repeated suggestion that the coronavirus would take care of itself? If it wasn’t Trump’s defense of white nationalists in Charlottesville, was it when he suggested we postpone the election in a tweet?

The autopsy the Republicans will need after this election could make the 2012 postmortem seem like child’s play. If Republicans do not ask themselves these questions between now and Election Day, they will surely be asking themselves after. And, I can tell you the answers will hurt.

</snip>

[chia]

1. In my circle of conservative family and friends, I've been told I've convinced one of them not

to vote for Trump a second time. 3-4 more are heading in that direction. I doubt they'll vote for Biden, I think they'll just not vote for President and just vote down-ballot. I don't expect more than that, but if enough Republicans abstain from checking that box it could make quite an impact.

[MaryMagdaline]

2. That's great Chia

[chia]

3. Thanks, it was a welcome surprise. I live in a blue state, but lots of red in my part of the county

[Baitball Blogger]

5. Let's just hope that a hacker doesn't figure out how to turn those no votes to

Trump votes.

[chia]

7. So true. November 3 is going to be such a stressful day to get through, I'm already stressed

about it now.

[klook]

16. Nov. 3-10 could be pretty stressful. That's why we have to run up the score,

so there is no chance of post-election absentee ballot cheating, shady recounts, vote nullification via Supreme Court a la 2000, or any of the other bullshit schemes these criminals have up their sleeves.

[TexasBushwhacker]

21. I'm seriously considering taking that week as a vacation

My boss and his wife are serious Evangelical Trumpublicans (no, I did not know before I took the job). It's going to be bad if he wins. It's going to be REALLY bad when he loses.

[klook]

23. Good plan.

Sorry about the work situation. I had to call into a work conference call immediately after John Kerry conceded in 2004, and this total asshole right-winger (redundant, I know) I worked with was just CROWING. It was sickening. (This guy was a complete slacker, too — surprise.)

The after Obama was elected in 2008, I remember I was in the office, walking around with a bounce in my step. I saw a conservative guy I didn’t know, whose cube was a couple of rows over from mine. He was on the phone with somebody, looking like his dog and his grandmother had both just died. I smiled faintly to myself and walked back to my desk.

I’m retired now, fortunately. Like most DUers, I spend far too much time obsessing over different post-election scenarios. I so look forward to the end of this nightmare.

[TexasBushwhacker]

24. Oddly enough, my boss and I agree on one thing

He said he had his guns ready for the riots that would happen when Trump gets re-elected. I told him I thought there would be riots no matter who was elected. He said, "You're probably right." He doesn't know I'm a Democrat and I'm not telling him!

[pandr32]

14. +1

[beachbumbob]

4. your friends and family members will answering as well

[bullimiami]

6. this line ""Republicans offered an inclusive vision of "Growth and Opportunity" for all""

it boggles the mind how anyone could buy this.

[Lokee11]

15. After reading that line could not continue

My Mind Boggled too

FDT!

[eShirl]

8. By Beth Fukumoto

[nuxvomica]

9. "kids in cages" is a bright red line for most humans

Infinity x 401K doesn't even approach that as a trade off.

[dewsgirl]

10. K and R

[Afromania]

11. I just don't get these people. Republicans have been horrible for my entire lifetime.

MY ENTIRE LIFETIME. I can't accept these people and their mea cuplas now that the abyss has gone from being driven toward at full speed, BY THEM. To the damn thing sitting in the next seat across asking if we want to see pictures of it's kid eternity and oblivion. Yea, its too damn late.... way past too damn late.

[Hortensis]

12. Notice Fukamoto's avoiding the subject of Russia and treason.

I suspect that red line was always glowing too bright to miss, if not to dismiss.

But, good for her of course. Our nation needs a tsunami of Fukamotos sweeping through the GOP from sea to shining sea.

[MyMission]

18. "Seeking bribes from foreign governments"

Was a veiled reference to treason, as I read it.

We do need more GOP to stand up against cult 45, and it looks like many are.

Hopefully more information will come out and he and his enablers will be formally accused of treason, like the ones who went to Russia for the 4th of July!

Less than 3 months til the election. Counting the days!

[B Stieg]

13. "But the sun was so bright and my shoes were too big...

so I dropped the ball."

Fuck you.

[keithbvadu2]

17. Whenever/however Trump is gone, there will be many GOP retroactive epiphanies.

Even a short time before the election if things look too bleak for Trump.

But not until it's safe to change.

Very few did when it would have been based on principles.

[stopdiggin]

19. all fine and good if you see Reagan

and Reagan Republicans as having core values. I remember Reagan as a populist huckster .. and quite a decent little racist himself. Same goes with if you were cool with Newt .. con artist and flim flam man. Ditto for, Bush and the famously "compassionate" Cheney, WMDs and Katrina. So, if you were with the party and all these "leading lights" right up until kids in cages ... Not really sure about those "values," kid.

OTH .. as I've said repeatedly .. better late than never. And I commend any repudiation of the toxicity and fascism currently entrenched ....

[irisblue]

20. Beth Fukumoto was an Hawaiian politician

From her wiki-"Fukumoto was first elected to the state House of Representatives in 2012 and was the youngest person to serve as the House Minority Leader.

In March 2017, she announced plans to change her party identification from Republican to Democrat citing concerns about racism and sexism.[5] Fukumoto remained an independent until approval of her request to join the Democratic Party on June 19, 2017.[6][7]

In 2018, Fukumoto ran in the Democratic primary for Hawaii's 1st congressional district in the 2018 elections to replace Colleen Hanabusa, who ran for Governor.[8] The election was won by former Congressman Ed Case."

[ecstatic]

22. They're irredeemable now. There's no reversing what they've done.

Since their refusal to hold trump accountable, over 160,000 Americans are dead from covid, with hundreds of thousands more deaths to come over the next few months.

They were completely worthless when they were needed the most.

Now they're actually conspiring with Russia to help trump win re-election.

Frankly, their red line doesn't matter much at this point. It was obvious that there was none when they refused to free the caged babies.