In my last article, I discussed the decline of the Democrats, so it would only seem logical to discuss my issues with the Republicans. As a conservative Republican, I have long been distraught by the way that the party has been run. The attitudes carried by conservative politicians has degraded to the point of mud slinging and ill tempers. To see a party where such great men such as Dwight D. Eisenhower, Theodore Roosevelt, and John McCain, fall into shambles is disheartening to many. The “Grand Old Party” is no longer grand.
There are several systemic issues plaguing conservatives, one of the more pressing ones being the rise of the reactioniarism. With the Left starting to lean more and more to the left, the Right has responded by becoming move volatile in its attitude. Reactionaries, in my opinion, are Republicans whose actions are geared more towards vexing the Democrats, and who have lost sight of the values that were so important to the party. One of these values is that of conservatism. There was a point where Republicans greatly cared about the protection of the land. Theodore Roosevelt, a long held idol of the party, was the president who brought the national park systems into play. It was through him that Republicans gained a greater appreciation of the land, and consequently fought to protect it. But recently, the party view has shifted to the polar opposite. In the “The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act,” a bill passed by the current Republican senate, it authorized the drilling of oil on the Alaskan Coastal Plain. To see this forsaking of a crucial value as a conservative is infuriating. And the sole purpose of the passing of these bills is to flex the proverbial muscles of the GOP.
Another substantial issue is the blind leadership of the President. I am an avid critic of the current president. I believe he does not represent conservative values, and his lack of decorum has created an environment for such language in all aspects of life. What frustrates me the most is to see the party follow the president, regardless of policy or statement. An example of this was the emergency funding for the border wall that President Trump attempted to gain. Anyone with a viewpoint in conservative economics would agree that the project is a black hole for money, with no substantial gain to be had in the security of the country. And yet Republicans continue to campaign for this asinine wall. This is not to say I do not support stricter border control. I agree with the idea of strengthening our borders, and reforming our immigration system. But a wall does not work. Ask the Chinese, they would know from their history. And I grow tired of the Republican silence on the manners and choice of words that the president has. If any other politician from the Democrats were to say such heinous words about Minorities and women, I guarantee that the Republicans would be up in arms about this “flagrant attack on good Americans.”
The final issue is the division within the party. This division has been caused by the two reasons listed above. On one side, you have the reactionaries, supporting the president and degrading the left. On the other side, you have the conservatives, not happy with the left, but willing to cooperate for the greater good. This has caused the party to lose much of its identity, turning into a party that only cares about winning at all costs. While I was never a supporter of Speaker of the House Paul Ryan, I respected his decision to leave when he did. He saw what the party was doing, and left with part of his integrity still intact. John McCain was another example of a Republican who would not bow to what the party was doing. His infamous “thumbs down” to vote against a Republican Healthcare bill resonates to this day. He stood by his values, and would not budge to fit in with the party. Senator Lindsey Graham went from being a Senator of moral character, to bending to the will of the president and conforming to fit in. I was particularly disappointed with Graham, as I had respected him greatly before his change of mindset.
As a Republican, I am dismayed at the actions my party is taking. No longer does the party work towards the betterment of the people, simply to the betterment of the party and to win their elections. I draw hope from great conservatives in this day and age, such as Senator Susan Collins, former Governor of Utah John Huntsman, and Meghan McCain, John McCain’s daughter. I speak to all of my colleagues and friends who identify themselves as Republicans and Conservatives. Stand up for the values you know are right and just. I still believe in the GOP, but it is down to us to truly make it grand.
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