Former Republican National Committee (RNC) chair Michael Steele announced on Tuesday morning that he would be voting for Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden instead of his own party’s standard-bearer, President Donald Trump.
While I appreciate his sentiment, and the guy was never altogether bad, I don’t think he holds much sway in the party anymore.
The GOP has had its heart ripped out over the last dozen or so years. Steele was part of the rooting out of humanity.
Steele endorsing Biden is hardly a surprise, but his statement made a point that should be made by everyone who is running against a member of the GOP: that the animating principle of the party has become the celebration of Trump. Here in my reddest of red states, all of the GOP runs on the claim that they are with Trump, that they support Trump, and that the opponent will be a Pelosi-supporting socialist. In the primary it was even worse, but now in the general the Dems are running on the idea that they are for Oklahoma, while the GOP is running on their support of Trump.
It’s Trump’s Party.
Your Party died the second Trump was sworn in.
I think that the GOP has been turning into a rotten steaming pile of corporate and 1% welfare pushing assholes for a while… the turn into a blind psychotic death cult happened over the last 4 years, and has been pretty staggering… I’ve been trying to think how they may reinvent themselves, but at this point, it’s trumps party and it’s very hard to see how it doesn’t collapse under its own weight. maybe Nancy and Chuck can be the new ‘right wing’ party and the progressives can be the left and these republican psychos can form their own tiny angry little gadfly party? there’s definitely no place for Mike S in the current party.
Whatever his sins, it’s good that Steele isn’t just saying he can’t vote for Trump: He’s saying he has to vote for a Democrat.
Good reasons well argued, Chairman Steele. I’ll just add: Trump is a racist and it’s not okay to have a racist as President.
“It has given up its voice on things that mattered and instead bent the arc of the party towards the baser motives of one man, who is neither a Republican nor a conservative.”
This is like saying Joe Biden is neither a Democrat nor a liberal. Trump is the ne plus ultra of what it has it meant to be a Republican for these last 25 years. You couldn’t find someone more Republican than him–more compassionless, more hostile to racial minorities and women, more corrupt, more intent on letting profiteers destroy the planet, more of an asshole.
So what’s the bet on this even appearing on Fox or the other wingnut outlets?
Michael is a regular on MSNBC. This is no surprise.
While he has been a major Trump critic, this is still a courageous stand for him to take. He was probably already dead to Republicans based on his criticism of Trump, but he certainly has killed any future for himself as a Republican. He is doing well as a TV talking head, so maybe he figures that is the future for him.
The more voices against the incumbent, the better.
Regardless of his position, title, reputation this will have an effect on the electorate. Each brick in the load is noticed, I’m sure.
He’s also a part of the Lincoln Project
I think that the ‘solid’ trump followers (the 30%-36%) are pretty much the less educated rural folk that subscribe to white supremacy beliefs along with the conspiracy of ‘deep state’ control addicts.
I am much more frightened by the ‘educated’ people that vote for trump because of party loyalty. They are simply dangerous and have abandoned free thought for party line crap. Steele, I don’t know about. Saying ‘I Cannot Support The Nominee Of My Party’ is still very much different than saying " I am voting for XYZ because they are the BEST candidate.’
“Some of my best friends are Trumpers.”
Probably doesn’t much matter in the final analysis, but Mr. Steele must feel good to stand up and declare that he will be on the right side of history on this one. He’s welcome to share my foxhole for a few weeks, after which maybe we can go back to disagreements on policy.
I think what is important here is that more and more higher level Goopers are saying clearly and succinctly “it’s okay to vote Biden”. It gives others permission to as well.
And this is 150% better than whatsisname (too lazy to search) who said he wouldn’t vote BLOTUS but instead would write in “St Ronnie”…
Benadick Donnie Trump is their warlord, and all must kneel before him in the Republican party.
He was the war lord they were looking for, and the war lord they want, although some like Senator Cornyn wish he was more agreeable in his persona.
What Steele meant to say was, “I cannot support the nominee of my party who cannot keep his mouth shut, and stop saying the secret stuff which the rest of us have been keeping under wraps for the last 35 years out loud.”
What I want to know is, beside the Taliban and Putin, who is actually endorsing Trump?
A short list, I know, but SOMEone must be endorsing him, no??