Opinion: I had hoped that decent people working from the inside could save the Republican Party from those who believe the Big Lie. I was wrong.
In February, I wrote an op-ed urging Republicans not to leave the party.
My hope was that the GOP could still be saved by decent people working from the inside. After more than two decades as a Republican, I had seen, met and worked with the many good folks who make it up.
I hoped that the extremism we were seeing – those questioning the results of the 2020 election, those advocating against a peaceful transition of power, those defending the terrorists who attacked the Capitol on Jan. 6, those ignoring science and advocating for horse dewormer as a public health measure – was a fringe element.
While many Republicans failed to show leadership during Trump’s presidency, it seemed that in the wake of Jan. 6, those leaders would finally stand up for truth and democracy.
I was wrong. . . .
I had hope back in February that we could correct course. Especially after Jan. 6, a return to sanity seemed necessary, maybe inevitable. But after months of meeting with folks on the ground, watching the news and seeing the 2022 GOP primaries unfold, I’m less optimistic.
One of the few remaining tools to influence the Republican Party is to sever ties. So I urge remaining Republicans who stand for truth and democracy to vote with their feet, and leave.