Saturday, July 23, 2016

An extraordinary GOP resignation letter from a lifelong Republican

Nathan Wellman | July 22, 2016

York Township Republican committeeman Chris Ladd just posted an open resignation letter to the GOP that has gone viral, in which Ladd says his conscience won’t allow him to be associated with the party of Donald Trump.

In his now-ironically named blog GOPLifer, which features a tagline that says “Because leaving isn’t exactly an option,” Ladd posted a detailed account about how leaving had become his only option.

Ladd began by acknowledging that compromise is essential in politics, saying

“We come together in political parties to magnify our influence. An organized representative institution can give weight to our will in ways we could not accomplish on our own. Working with others gives us power, but at the cost of constant, calculated compromise. No two people will agree on everything. There is no moral purity in politics.”

After describing his 30-year loyalty to the GOP, Ladd then writes of his sad realization that the temptation to fall in line is inconsistent with his own morality.

“With three decades invested in the Republican Party, there is a powerful temptation to shrug and soldier on. Despite the bold rhetoric, we all know Trump will lose. Why throw away a great personal investment over one bad nominee? Trump is not merely a poor candidate, but an indictment of our character. Preserving a party is not a morally defensible goal if that party has lost its legitimacy.”

In a particularly damning passage, he says the following of Trump:

From his fairy-tale wall to his schoolyard bullying and his flirtation with violent racists, Donald Trump offers America a singular narrative – a tale of cowards. Fearful people, convinced of our inadequacy, trembling before a world alight with imaginary threats, crave a demagogue. Neither party has ever elevated to this level a more toxic figure, one that calls forth the darkest elements of our national character.

Ladd then declared his intention to leave the Republican party forever:

“I will not contribute my name, my work, or my character to an utterly indefensible cause. No sensible adult demands moral purity from a political party, but conscience is meaningless without constraints. A party willing to lend its collective capital to Donald Trump has entered a compromise beyond any credible threshold of legitimacy. There is no redemption in being one of the “good Nazis.”

Ladd finishes his letter by resigning from his position as a committeeman and formally severing ties with the GOP.

http://usuncut.com/politics/gop-resignation-letter/

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