I have for some time been amazed by intelligent friends of mine who are Republican and have remained Republican in the Trump era. It is easy to change parties, and I don’t understand how a thinking person can stay in that party.
Bret Stephens is a columnist for the New York Times. He is considered to be an in-house conservative; he and Gail Collins frequently debate each other on issues. It is worth quoting Mr. Stephens at length on the Republican Party. His remarks appeared in the July 25 issue.
If there were truth in advertising, Republicans would have to rename themselves the Opposite Party. They were the party of law and order. Now they want to abolish the F.B.I. They were the party that revered the symbols of the nation. Now they think the Jan 6 riots were like a “normal tourist visit.” They were the party of moral character and virtue. Now they couldn’t care less that their standard-bearer consorted with a porn star. They were the party of staring down the Evil Empire. Now they’re Putin’s last best hope. They were the party of free trade. Now they’re protectionists. They were the party that cheered the Supreme Court’s 2010 Citizens United decision which argued that corporations had free speech. Now they are being sued by Disney because the company dared express an opinion they dislike. They were the party that once believed that “family values don’t stop at the Rio Grande,” as George W. Bush put it. Now some of them want to invade Mexico.
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