My conservative friends think I’m a socialist, or worse. The President calls me a radical lunatic who hates my country. It’s true that I’ve voted for more Democrats in my life, but also for some Republicans who I believe shared my values, some of which can be reasonably called conservative: I love free markets, capitalism that doesn’t exploit, fiscal restraint, personal freedom, minimization of regulation and good manners. Somewhere there must be a principled Republican in national politics who shares some of my values and supports the rule of law, but there are none in sight.
Like many others, I am appalled at how President Trump and his administration are serving themselves and the ultra-rich while making lucrative business deals with Arab countries, accepting gifts up to and including a palace in the sky in return for favors, promoting automobiles on the White House lawn, creating a private club called “Executive Branch” in DC where a $500,000 membership will buy access to top politicians, and reaping massive profits from a cryptocurrency scheme that will bring the top 220 donors to a private dinner and White House tour.
All this while plans are moving forward to cut Medicaid and SNAP and FEMA and Voice of America and US AID and so much more to enable additional tax reductions for those most wealthy. Eliminating fraud is great—another shared conservative value—but most of what’s happing now is illegal, unconstitutional and often cruel. Where is the principled, courageous Republican Congress member I might be able to support? Why have so many Republicans in politics become sycophants to an immoral, avaricious, vengeful dictator-wanna-be?
Most importantly, what am I to do about it? For now, write letters, make phone calls, stand in protests, talk to friends and try to continue and build relationships with those who might call me a socialist or worse. I must try to convince enough people who voted for Trump, or who didn’t vote at all, to work together to assure that our government once again is ruled by law and the Constitution, and is a government of, by and for the people.
Meanwhile, I will continue to dream about the day I can again vote for a principled Republican.
Keith Porter
Grass Valley