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Over my four decades as a voting citizen, I have chosen person over party. Although my beliefs and votes typically skewed towards the Democrats, there have been Republicans that I’ve supported. In New Mexico, Pete Domenici and Heather Wilson were honorable people committed to our state. And although I frequently disagreed with John McCain, I knew he had the county’s best interest at heart. I can’t say that about our current President.
When George W was President, he seemed bumbling and surrounded by war mongers, but I never thought he was out to ruin our democracy. In the past, I’ve had Republican friends and Green Party friends. I may have thought at times they were misguided, but I didn’t hate them.
My dismay isn’t with Republicans who are fed up with Trump and have walked away, but those who continue to stand by him.
So why is it different now? It’s because Republicans think all Democrats want to take their guns away, open up abortion kiosks, and ban oil and gas. They put us all in the same box. And most Democrats think that Republicans who support Trump have allowed their party to be hijacked by a greedy, Russia-loving autocrat who instead of draining the swamp, has invited the Swamp People in. Instead of balancing the budget and lowering taxes, he’s blown it all sky high. All this while killing 230,000 Americans in the process.
I’d give anything right now for a good, old fashioned Republican like Eisenhower or John Kasich. I find myself longing for Barry Goldwater! For me, this political divide is almost insurmountable. I can’t fathom how someone who has been watching, reading, and paying even a little attention to anything other than Fox News can think that Trump not only deserved his first four years, but deserves four more. They have sold their soul to the Devil by supporting a despicable man devoid of morals, who lies and cheats at every turn, who bullies and berates, who devalues women, people of color and immigrants. He has trampled our constitution and turned Congress, the CDC, the Attorney General, Secretary of State, USPS, all into his political henchmen.
His supporters seem determined to stay misinformed and enable him. They are blind to his corruption. It’s sad, it’s scary, it’s infuriating.
I just can’t be friends with someone who thinks separating 545 migrant children from their parents is ok, no matter how “ nice and clean” the facility is where they’re being warehoused. I don’t want to hang out with people who think it’s fine to mock the handicapped, cheat charities, or call our military suckers and losers. If someone refuses to wear a mask during a pandemic because it’s their personal freedom, they’re a selfish idiot. They’re not helping.
If there was verified, documented, undisputed proof that the President is a serial killer, 40% of Americans would rationalize it with such ludicrous statements as “ Well, he’s building the Wall” or “the economy is great” or “ he’s Pro-life” or my personal favorite, “ He’s been chosen by God”. Not mine!
I never used to view Republicans with disgust and contempt. But if someone can’t see how morally and spiritually bankrupt this President is and realize his aberrant behavior puts our country in peril, we have no common ground. We won’t be meeting at Starbucks for coffee. Oh that’s right, we can’t meet anywhere for coffee due to COVID-19 that Trump and his supporters have allowed to spread.