It's time for me to go on a rant about my own party.
When I turned 18, I joined the Republican Party out of a belief that free markets work best. In history, when we tax less, regulate less, and allow people to pursue their own happiness free of the hands of big government, we do best as a nation. I am a firm believer in lower taxes, balanced budget, fiscal responsibility, a safety net that doesn't lead to a welfare state, free trade, less rules & regulations, and state's rights. I also believe that while the United States should have a strong military, strong human intelligence capabilities, and a leadership position in the world, we are not the world's policeman, though we must be a force for good. I apply these values and principles to specific policy areas.
When Barack Obama ran for President in 2008, I saw someone who didn't share my values. Barack Obama believes in bigger government, more rules & regulations, a larger federal government, and an American foreign policy based on the idea that we shouldn't be a leader in the world because we have exerted our influence too often. I have questioned the President's judgement, his record, and his policies. I have even questioned his honesty. But I have never questioned his birthplace, and I have always been grateful that our country looked past a person's skin color in electing a President, and no I didn't vote for him but that was 100% based on policy.
The Republican Party's reaction to Barack Obama's election and re-election have given me great pause. When the tea party started, I felt that they were on the same page as me - they were for fiscal responsibility and free markets. But as 2009 became 2010 and primaries began taking place, I became skeptical of the tea party. What started as a movement against the health care law and the stimulus now became an ideological litmus test for the GOP. What I began to see by the summer of 2010 was angry people. Look, I have been angry at the policies coming from Washington, but I have never been angry at America - the folks in the tea party believe that our best days are behind us, I disagree. My reaction to Obama's election was to oppose any bad policies he'd propose, it wasn't to question where he was born.
Unfortunately, the rise of Donald Trump and this episode have given me the opportunity to look at the party I am active in. I believe in the principles held by most Republicans. But when roughly 30% of Republicans nationally support either Donald Trump or Ted Cruz, who I believe to be extremely damaging to the brand, something is wrong. The folks supporting Trump and Cruz are angry, and they are completely ignorant not only of public policy, but of how most Americans feel. They blame free trade for their economic problems, immigrants for everything, and they believe we have a muslim President, that isn't the case. They believe that the government should control nothing except morals. I am for freedom and for economic growth. I believe that immigrants contribute to economic growth and we should have a legal immigration system that reflects that reality. I believe it is fiscally irresponsible to deport 11-20 million illegals, let's have a pathway to citizenship and a guest worker program because in reality, there are many jobs folks from South America will do that those from the U.S. won't. But many in the GOP, though not a majority in polling, would believe my approach is amnesty, they are immature and lack an understanding of the issue. Secondly, the GOP is on the wrong side of the marriage debate - let's stop discriminating against same-sex couples. The Republican Party and the Libertarians are fighting for the values that made this country great, my hope is that a minority of Republicans hijacking the party and supporting Mr. Trump and Mr. Cruz don't succeed because if they do, the Democrats will win and our country will face continued economic stagnation.
The current GOP is the most disloyal opposition of any I can think of. Truthfully, if the Democrats filibuster every nominee of any GOP President elected in 2016, the GOP will not have much of a defense.
