by Russ Lawrence, Hamilton
For my friends and neighbors who are accustomed to voting Republican, I have a few questions.
For starters, just what IS a Republican any more? RINOs, MAGAs, Birchers, Solutions Caucus, Freedom Caucus Republicans and more each claim to be the “true” Republicans, often to the exclusion of others. As we’ve seen in Ravalli County’s recent primary, two candidates, each running as Republicans, will have widely divergent stances on many important issues, and the same applies at the state and national levels. Simply voting the “R” column no longer assures that the candidate shares your values.
Next, why elect candidates from a party that is demonstrably more concerned about ideological purity than about governing our state or country? Just a year ago, the US House of Representatives was shut down after Republicans deposed their own Speaker because he wasn’t the right “kind” of Republican, then held Congress hostage for days while factions argued among themselves over a new leader. Our Republican-dominated Montana legislature is so fractious that serious bills are only passed when enough Democrats vote “aye” to overcome defections by Republican ideologues.
Is the Republican party the party of freedom? Not if you’re a female who wishes to make her own reproductive decisions; not if you’re a parent who wants their child to receive a complete, well-rounded education and to read books from a variety of perspectives; not if you’re that child’s teacher, concerned about the state’s snitches listening to your classroom presentations; not if you want schools and other public institutions to be free from religious and ideological intrusions that may not match your own values; and most certainly not if your race, religion, or gender expression deviate from a narrow standard.
Are you in favor of economic prosperity for all? Over the last 70 years, our country’s economic well-being has consistently lagged in nearly every indicator—GDP, employment, the stock market—under Republican administrations. Republican tax cuts for the rich have resulted in repeated cuts to programs that help people who legitimately need it: health care, food assistance, and education, public infrastructure, all have suffered when Republicans are put in charge.
And really, how many Bozeman gazillionaires does Montana need to elect? We already have Gianforte and Daines (and Zinke, from his Whitefish mailing address); do we really need to add Sheehy to that club? A bunch of rich Bozeman white guys do not represent the rich diversity of Montana, and they certainly don’t look out for the rest of us.
Lastly, at the top of their ticket, Republicans have a ghastly example of self-serving infantilism for whom they must constantly make excuses. How many of his transgressions against basic human decency are you willing to shoulder?
I urge voters who once automatically marked their ballots for Republicans to take a deep breath and to consider voting for thoughtful candidates of sound mind and mature judgment, who will put country ahead of party; they’ll find plenty of them if they look beyond the Republican column.
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