Editor, Gazette-Journal:
I recently resigned from the Mathews/Virginia Republican Party because party rules would ban me for four years for supporting an opposition candidate. Paraphrased excerpts of my resignation letter include:
As a lifelong Republican and Political Conservative it is impossible in good conscience to support Donald Trump—a con-man, liar, serial womanizer and bigamist, military coward, now convicted felon, a complete failure as President of the United States—for a return to that office.
I handed out “I Like Ike” buttons in first grade (1956), have run three times on the Republican ticket, contributed hundreds of thousands of dollars, worked for three Republican Presidents and served as U.S. Federal Maritime Commissioner under Bush 41. I’ve never voted for a Democrat—but if it looks like Trump might take Virginia I will.
As President, Trump sowed division, created chaos, despoiled our institutions. He’s no Conservative. He’s a Populist, not a Republican. He is irredeemably corrupt.
Real Republicans aren’t Populists. We used to pride ourselves on light-handed Conservative governance, supporting institutions and social mores that met the test of time—differently from Social Conservatives, many who prefer forcing their views onto those who disagree. Destroying a woman’s inherent right to manage her body and health, punishing businesses that disagree with our policies, threatening to “lock up” opponents when they don’t come to heel—that’s not Conservative governance and it didn’t used to be Republican.
Regrettably, Trump has become an alternative religion, the Golden Calf of Exodus, a conceit for the gullible—even for some who wear their religion on their sleeve. They know he’s wrong and immoral yet excuse themselves saying “look at the alternative” or “He was such a great President!”
I don’t like the alternative either.
Too many have a nostalgia for Trump that’s built on a falsehood. While it’s partly true that life pre-Covid was briefly a time of nearly full employment and low inflation, the rest of the story is much grimmer. Under Trump our social fabric frayed, abortions increased, the murder rate skyrocketed, drug deaths hit new highs, marriage and birthrates fell.
He increased the national debt by $7 trillion. I’m still waiting for Mexico to pay for the border fence. His incompetence is legendary, failing to appoint a third of the people who might have implemented any good policy into law. He routinely insulted women, minorities and veterans—most notably, John McCain.
Ronald Reagan famously said that he didn’t leave the Democrat Party—the party left him. I understand his pain.
Some may say “good riddance”—that I’m a “Globalist” or a “RINO” or even a “traitor” for opposing Donald Trump but I am confident that I am none of those things.
As Trump once said in a different context some “…very fine people…” follow him—but they’re wrong. I hope when this is all over to re-join my Party to rebuild a New Conservative vision that better reflects our Country’s values in its 250th year.
Rob Quartel
Gwynn, Va.