By Bruce Thompson
Bruce is an adjunct instructor of philosophy at Palomar College. His Ph.D. is from the University of Colorado. His major emphasis in philosophy is critical thinking, formal logic, and American pragmatism. He is also a poet, violinist, and raiser of back yard chickens.
Bruce is an adjunct instructor of philosophy at Palomar College. His Ph.D. is from the University of Colorado. His major emphasis in philosophy is critical thinking, formal logic, and American pragmatism. He is also a poet, violinist, and raiser of back yard chickens.
To the Creators of the Lincoln Project
An open letter to Steve Schmidt, Nicole Wallace, and to the many other Republicans and former Republicans whose opinions have served to educate and inform me:
It has been a pleasure. When the Lincoln Project was formed I believe I was among the first liberals to email you to ask, “How can I support you? Where can I send money?” I have since given more money to the Lincoln Project than I gave even to Democratic candidates that I supported. It was a small amount (because I am only an adjunct college teacher), but every dollar of it was heartfelt and given without regret.
I believe our destinies must now part ways. You are called to do important work, and to go where I cannot follow. You must rebuild an honest, patriotic, and sincere conservative party. I am a liberal, and that is not my work. I will work to see a liberal agenda enacted: universal public health care, strict environmental regulations, and high taxes on the rich to fund programs that benefit the poor. I do not expect you to follow me in those efforts.
But I wish you well. The country needs an opposition party. Sometimes that opposition will be the conservative party; sometimes it will be we liberals. But we cannot thrive without each other. The party of Trump was so venal, so corrupt, so out of alignment with the values that all Americans share, that honest Republicans could no longer be a part of it. It had to end. But I have seen this before: given enough years in power, Democrats are capable of becoming just as corrupt and authoritarian as Republicans have shown themselves to be. When that time comes (and may it be many years away) we will need each other again.
I don’t believe the “Republican” party can be saved. It is now too much the “party of Trump,” devoted to tinfoil-hat conspiracies, racism, misogyny, as well as the denial of science, facts, reality, and basic logic. We need a new conservative party. Perhaps it could be called “The Party of Lincoln,” or, simply, “The Lincoln Party.” Made up of centrist Democrats and disaffected former Republicans, such a party could quickly become a formidable force in American politics.
But forming such a party is not my job. It is yours, and I sincerely wish you the best of luck with it. I will be your opposition, but I will never question your victories, nor celebrate your defeats.
Bruce Thompson
It has been a pleasure. When the Lincoln Project was formed I believe I was among the first liberals to email you to ask, “How can I support you? Where can I send money?” I have since given more money to the Lincoln Project than I gave even to Democratic candidates that I supported. It was a small amount (because I am only an adjunct college teacher), but every dollar of it was heartfelt and given without regret.
I believe our destinies must now part ways. You are called to do important work, and to go where I cannot follow. You must rebuild an honest, patriotic, and sincere conservative party. I am a liberal, and that is not my work. I will work to see a liberal agenda enacted: universal public health care, strict environmental regulations, and high taxes on the rich to fund programs that benefit the poor. I do not expect you to follow me in those efforts.
But I wish you well. The country needs an opposition party. Sometimes that opposition will be the conservative party; sometimes it will be we liberals. But we cannot thrive without each other. The party of Trump was so venal, so corrupt, so out of alignment with the values that all Americans share, that honest Republicans could no longer be a part of it. It had to end. But I have seen this before: given enough years in power, Democrats are capable of becoming just as corrupt and authoritarian as Republicans have shown themselves to be. When that time comes (and may it be many years away) we will need each other again.
I don’t believe the “Republican” party can be saved. It is now too much the “party of Trump,” devoted to tinfoil-hat conspiracies, racism, misogyny, as well as the denial of science, facts, reality, and basic logic. We need a new conservative party. Perhaps it could be called “The Party of Lincoln,” or, simply, “The Lincoln Party.” Made up of centrist Democrats and disaffected former Republicans, such a party could quickly become a formidable force in American politics.
But forming such a party is not my job. It is yours, and I sincerely wish you the best of luck with it. I will be your opposition, but I will never question your victories, nor celebrate your defeats.
Bruce Thompson
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