My Progressive Republican View
The Republican Party today is mostly a foul breeding ground for Wierdos, Grifters and Fascists. It wasn't always this way. I would like to start the hard work of fixing it.
The tradition of Progressive Republicans. It’s long. We all owe it a great deal. It is not extinct, though it has, sadly grown rare. I am a Progressive Republican. Proudly.
Progressive Republicans must ask these questions before considering any change:
Will it advance The Common Good?
Does it promote Domestic Tranquility?
Will it unjustly interfere with individual Liberty?
Does it make those I represent, as a whole, Stronger?
This is a partial list of the things US Citizens enjoy because of Progressive Republicans fought to make them happen.
The end of Slavery.
Women’s Right to Vote
The National Park System
The National Forest System
The Clean Air Act
The Clean Water Act
Progressive Income Tax (functionally crippled today, but can and should be restored)
The National Highway System
License Plates and Driver’s Licenses
Yes. No one is more aware that may members of my Party now actively seek to destroy many of these accomplishments. It’s a real and urgent concern. If you are not aware, for more than three decades I have called them what they are: Fascists. They have not interest in democracy, nor any of the tenants of our oath of office. They want absolute power for themselves and themselves alone, and one of the primary interests of these vicious weirdos is the absolute destruction of anyone from the Progressive Republican tradition who dares to remain in the party.
I have for the most part enjoyed their many efforts to make me leave. Some of us are wired that way.
Despite them, I persist. When facing any public question I ask the following.
How much must the public invest, and will the likely return exceed the investment?
If the change works, will it conserve or grow what we already have for Posterity?
How will this change favor some groups over others, and is there some way to mitigate?
This tradition has a long history in America and globally if you wish to explore, start here.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Progressive_conservatism
And for my own thinking it was initially formed by the works and lives of these men who I only met through the written words they wrote, and others wrote about them.
John Adams.
Thomas Jefferson.
Teddy Roosevelt.
Gifford Pinchot,
Dwight Eisenhower.
Nelson Rockefeller.
Richard Brinsley Sheridan.
Pliny the Elder.
My thinking was then advanced by working directly with and learning from these amazing Republicans:
William Ruckelshaus.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Ruckelshaus
Deane Davis.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deane_C._Davis
Mike Bloomberg (Now a Democrat. Formerly GOP Mayor of NYC)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Bloomberg
Tom Ridge
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Ridge
I have also learned from, and admire many democrats and independents.
My loyalty is to my Nation, and all aspects of our Government including leadership of every political Party should comply with this oath.
“We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity.”
Vote SPOONAMORE for Centre County GOP Chairman on May 19th.
I think Obama was closer to Eisenhower than to many democrats. But the Grand Old Party had weaponized racism and ethnic hate along with misinformation already. So whatever virtues he had were denied major accomplishments. At least there’s the ACA. A compromise for sure. Not real national health care. And they demonized that. The two party system is a problem because both sides realize polarization serves them well. The primary system weeds out moderates. The general election is won by gerrymandering. We need a nationwide philosophical change. Your principals are excellent. I’d vote for those! And I vote democratic. But insanity rules and gets the retweets.
Republicans have been advocating for and creating evil since at least Reagan. Every administration ends in economic calamity, moral squalor, and illegality. Immense power centers of money and media are going to keep it that way. You may as well be campaigning to bring back horses and buggies. Or as a Progressive Nazi.
You’re better off running and advocating as a conservative Democrat.