‘Hate And Paranoia’: Politician Who Spent 44 Years As A Republican Leaves The Party

If Republicans were smart, they’d band together and figure out a way to formally distance themselves from so-called President Donald Trump. However, in general, they’re not smart. In fact, the manner in which many of them have rallied around Trump and supported his hateful, racist, exclusionary policies, is downright dumb. They’re allowing themselves and their party’s legacy to be forever smeared by one person.

The few members of the GOP who are pushing back against the Trump administration, aren’t being supported by their fellow Republicans on a large enough scale to affect major change. For some, the only option is leaving the party. Yes, it’s drastic, but drastic times call for drastic measures. Trump has indeed created drastic times.

For one former member of the Republican party, leaving the GOP was in fact the only option. In a July editorial, now Democrat, Bob Schneider, detailed why he could no longer sit idly by and associate himself with the party that has historically fancied itself as the party of Lincoln, the party that freed the slaves, but has now become the party that seems as if many of its members would bring slavery back if they could.

Not for sympathy, but to support just how difficult of a decision this was for him to make, Schneider outlines his history/relationship with the GOP:

“My family’s involvement in the GOP goes all the way back to the mid-1850s and the start of the GOP in Illinois. My Mother’s family helped organize the GOP in Illinois.  They were opposed to one human being owning another human being as chattel.  They found slavery morally repugnant and were zealots in advocating its demise. My family has been GOP blue-blood.”

Yes, “the start of the GOP.” That means that for Schneider, leaving the Republican party meant leaving the only political, social, and economic philosophies he has ever known. The same isn’t true for many other Republicans whose families actually have roots in what was the Democratic party, that pro-slavery party that now fancies itself as the liberal group that’s for the people.

Family history mattered, but morals, ethics, principles and values mattered more; Schneider couldn’t take it. He held nothing back as he called out Trump and Bruce Rauner as the paramount reasons he left the GOP. Schneider wrote:

“Donald Trump and Bruce Rauner are the two men who drove this decision for me. Trump loves to attack his critics and is particularly harsh on Republicans who don’t kiss his ring.”

As a result of the reckless behavior of people like Trump, Schneider asserts:

“Hate and paranoia have become an ideological principle in the GOP.  The common view is the poor are thieves and stealing taxpayer’s money.  They point to social programs as having failed to end poverty.”

Hate and paranoia have become an ideological principle in the GOP.” Nothing more need be said. Kudos to Bob Schneider for having the professional and personal courage that many Republicans don’t seem to possess.

Schneider’s full editorial may be found here.

Featured Image screengrab via YouTube.