So, you voted for Trump or Stein or anyone else in the 2016 election. Now, you regret it. A lot of your liberal friends, if you have any, are giving you guff about the horrible mistake you made and maybe they want you to apologize or do penance. Hey, I get it, they are mad and may have a reason to be.
But, let me say something to you: you are welcome to any event I or anyone I know put forward. Part of making progress is welcoming people who understand they have made a mistake and want change. Many Americans were on the wrong side of numerous issues and they changed their mind. Hey, I’ve written diaries about how I grew up Republican, and at Netroots Nation, I sat on a panel next to Jorge Aguilar and Christine Pelosi and made a point that I am a first generation Democratic member, coming from a long line of Republicans.
There are going to be a lot of Americans, just like you. They were Republicans, some even viewed themselves as moderate Republicans. I’ve heard the constructs: well, Trump is probably pro-choice, he defended Planned Parenthood once on the campaign trail! He can’t be anti-gay, I saw him with the sign! Yes, he’s brusk, but come on, it’s all bluster, he’s a showman!
A lot of Republicans said to themselves that, hey, he could be controlled and things would change. But he couldn’t, and now you regret it. Let’s talk.
There comes a moment where you were hit with the reality that things went really wrong. This wasn’t what you thought you voted for, or you wouldn’t have regrets. Hard-line Republicans? They are still on the other side, still rooting him on, but the further we get into the Trump presidency, the easier it is to feel isolated from the Republican friends you once knew who seem to be invested in a lunatic, and liberal friends who may want to castigate you for that Trump, Green or Libertarian vote in November.
It’s OK. You will certainly run into members of the left, even on this website, who may want you to feel guilty and ashamed for your vote. I’m betting if you are in regret mode and reading this, you are already there and thinking through this yourself, you may not need anyone to make you feel any worse than you already do. That’s why you are in regret mode.
If you don’t have regrets, well, you wouldn’t be here reading through something like what I’m writing now.
Many of you sit in districts that trend or lean Republican because of gerrymanders. They can be your state house, your state senate, or your US House races. You’ve always voted Republican in the past because you grew up Republican, or you became Republican due to your spouse or partner, who also thought of Republicans as small government pro-business types.
Hey, I know those people too. I live in a red state. I also know that not every Republican you know is a bad person. A lot of them are good, decent people who just punch in everyday, work hard, go home and take care of their kids.
But now you’ve decided that what was comfortable before isn’t comfortable now. I get it. Been there. Just because someone left before now doesn’t mean they can’t welcome you to the table today.
You see, I recognize that maybe you haven’t thought about it deeply. You had too many other issues in your life, politics received little daily attention. Now it is, and now you’re concerned. Good for you.
I’m not here to tell you every Republican you know is a bad person. Because, well, they aren’t. I may disagree with them on issues, but not every Republican is bad, not every Democratic member you meet is good, either. They are human beings.
I will, however, tell you that right now in states around the country, elected Republicans count on you making that argument to yourself. That you are voting for “one of the good ones”. Hey, I get that too.
But look around your state house and the US House. The first vote that your good Republican legislator is one that says "present" and determines the division of committees and leadership. And ask what kind of leadership you are seeing out of your Federal and State Republican party.
Oh, maybe, they tell you, your good Republican can stage a takeover against the Bad Republicans. You've heard that before, right? Ask yourself: have they spoken up against Trump, out loud and in public? Have they denounced this behavior? If they are too afraid to stand up to the leader of their party and against Nazism, do they have the political courage to mount an effective takeover in the US House or your state House & Senate?
But you aren't an elected official. You are just a voter. You realized you made a mistake and you regret it. Welcome aboard. I'm not here to castigate you or blame you. Hell, send me a private message, and I'm willing to tell you there are a lot of people who will reach out to you and try to help you change other friends around you.
PS — If you're an elected official, and you're just now sorry about Trump.. well, you have two options: if you are a moderate: denounce him. In public, now. Proclaim openly you do not support this and call for censure at a minimum. Tell your fellow Republicans this is wrong. You ran knowing the standard bearer of your party was deranged. It was your job to serve the public, not your party, and no matter how moderate you are, unless you screamed out loud in October "do not vote for Trump" you kept the R label because you knew you needed some Trump voters to saddle up and vote for you. And you have a responsibility to say where you stand. You're an elected official. Whether it is state house or the mayor's office, you are part of your party infrastructure. You must become the white blood cells that fight off the disease that is taking over your party, and if you aren't prepared to do that you need to either switch parties or be defeated at the ballot box.
Don't say it is too tough. I know a few Republicans who have done it, in the open, in statehouses all over the country.