What makes a "good Republican?"

[Snarky_Kong]

There are topics for which reasonable people can disagree.

More aggressive foreign policy, in certain cases, can be argued for.

Free trade is a traditional Republican position, but is currently out of vogue.

I think a moral person can oppose paternalistic policy, such as soda taxes, on ideological grounds. An equally moral person can be in favor of them if shown they are effective.

[elucidator]

First step: refuse the support of the Troglodyte Party, run on solid and traditional conservative values. Of course, you will lose. And whatever power you may have had will evaporate and whatever position you may hold will be taken by a knuckle-walking Trog who can muster support in the primaries.

But now, the Trogs own the Party. You can cease to be a “Republican” as a matter of principle, but they own the name. You can be some sort of “Conservative”, I suppose, but the Forces of
Darkness owns all the rest of it. And if, by some miracle, the sane and reasonable conservatives somehow managed to take control, they would probably lose the support of the Trogs, and would have to content themselves with being a rump party of the Loyal Opposition, well positioned to offer intelligent criticisms of policy decisions, but unable to enforce any of it.

[Budget_Player_Cadet]

@Velocity

If “being a good Republican” means “becoming a Democrat”, that would defeat the purpose of the thread, which is why I asked about good Republicanism in a way that is still distinct and different than Democratism.

I think **Little Nemo **nailed it. There are many good conservative principles such as low taxes, fiscal restraint, limited government, personal responsibility, family values, morality, sticking to the Constitution, strong but wise national defense, etc. that have simply been derailed or overshadowed in today’s GOP. Conservatism isn’t bad - in fact, it’s quite inherently good - it’s just been hijacked.

Oh, it’s about conservatism? That’s salvageable. But when’s the last time the repiblican party actually stood for any of that?

[Scumpup]

@Little_Nemo

I stopped being a Republican because I feel the party has moved away from these principles in the last few decades.

I have very similar feelings about the Democratic Party.

[EscAlaMike]

@Budget_Player_Cadet

Oh, it’s about conservatism? That’s salvageable. But when’s the last time the repiblican party actually stood for any of that?

In rhetoric or in reality?

[Budget_Player_Cadet]

@EscAlaMike

In rhetoric or in reality?

I mean, in rhetoric they pay lip service to this day.

[Ludovic]

@E-DUB

As in “good Germans”?

Germans couldn’t very well change their nationality. I have more sympathy for the conscripted enlisted German men of WW2 than I do for Republican politicians. At least, the solid majority of the Germans that did not enthusiastically support Nazism.

[Wesley_Clark]

When you value facts, evidence, competence, rule of law, democracy and western values more than power, money or tribalism.

[Little_Nemo]

@Budget_Player_Cadet

Oh, it’s about conservatism? That’s salvageable. But when’s the last time the repiblican party actually stood for any of that?

I never considered myself a conservative even when I was a Republican. I was a Rockefeller Republican (something that doesn’t seem to exist anymore). As far as I’m concerned, Barry Goldwater and Ronald Reagan screwed up the Republican Party.

[Littleman]

Basically the same things that make a good human…but I wouldn’t expect those things from anyone actually in politics.

Makes it kind of a conundrum to be a supporter of either party for good people.

[snowthx]

Generally, one that actually believes in fiscal conservatism and social liberalism. And is willing to discuss these areas with data, and is willing to adjust their viewpoint if shown their assumptions were incorrect (BTW, we on the Liberal side need to be prepared to do that as well).

Specifically, find one that is not constantly sucking on the teat of misinformation that is Fox News as their only source of info-tainment.

[Littleman]

@Snarky_Kong

There are topics for which reasonable people can disagree.

More aggressive foreign policy, in certain cases, can be argued for.

Free trade is a traditional Republican position, but is currently out of vogue.

I think a moral person can oppose paternalistic policy, such as soda taxes, on ideological grounds. An equally moral person can be in favor of them if shown they are effective.

Soda taxes , really, do we need the government that involved they tell us what to drink?

Let’s just make a list of good things and bad and tax all the bad. We can all go on the government’s diet plan , unless we are rich then we get choices and freedom.

[Littleman]

@Budget_Player_Cadet

Here are some important criteria for being a good person. I think the question of “who is a good republican” can basically be boiled down to “who is a good person, and also a republican”. Assume, for the moment, I’m talking about elected leaders.

1. Accept the current scientific understanding that global warming is an ongoing catastrophe that is only going to get worse, and that the longer we wait, the worse it’s going to get; take action towards addressing this crucial and pressing problem.

(Note: this already disqualifies about half of republican voters and almost all republican politicians.)

2. Oppose fascism. Oppose those who support fascism. Oppose those who equivocate on fascism. Have a zero-tolerance policy towards neo-nazis and their supporters.

(Note: this, again, disqualifies most republican voters and almost all republican politicians, given Trump’s statements after Charlottesville.)

3. Favor a sane, sensible government under the rule of law.

(Do I even have to say it?)

At this point, “republican” is so saddled with baggage that calling yourself a republican is akin to calling yourself a “gendercritical radical feminist” in terms of what it means about your personality. I mean, honestly, think about it - what’s most typically bundled up in that package? What do most people intuitively understand when they hear “republican”?

[ul]
[li]Climate denialist[/li][li]Trump supporter[/li][li]Possibly a young earth creationist[/li][li]Probably a homophobe[/li][li]Almost definitely a transphobe[/li][li]Possibly a fascist, or at least willing to put up with fascists[/li][li]Not racist, but willing to vote for racists and people who tolerate racists*[/li][li]Not misogynist, but has no problem voting for people accused of sexual assault[/li][/ul]

It ain’t pretty! Almost none of those positions are defensible. Any of them individually makes you kind of a shitty person. And these are absolutely the banners of the republican party in 2019.

So I’ll go ahead and say it. There are no good republicans. Not any more. Any “good republican” should have recognized by now that they don’t belong in the party of Donald Trump and either fought vigorously for reform or left. That group of people… basically doesn’t exist. There’s a handful of state legislators who swapped parties, and a handful of representatives who decided not to go for reelection (while rubber-stamping everything Trump did). As for the voters… Well, you can be a good person, or you can vote for the party of Donald Trump. Maybe you’re a decent human being aside from that, but if you’re looking for good people… Nah, you’re shit outta luck.

*It took the republican party until 2019 to figure out that Steve “We can’t repopulate with other people’s babies” King was a white nationalist, and even then only after he flat-out fucking said he was, and asked what was wrong with that.

Swapping parties also puts you in a position of likely being drastically outnumbered in opposition of your important views, so it’s kind of a catch 22 to swap parties because the current top of the party is evil…

As voters go, like I said I’m afraid it’s kind of always a bit of a conundrum. You’re basically deciding who you think can best swindle in favor of your views.

[slash2k]

@Littleman

Soda taxes , really, do we need the government that involved they tell us what to drink?

The counterpoint is that lots of sodas cost both society at large and the government specifically a lot of money in increased healthcare costs, and the soda tax is merely an attempt to recoup those monies. Obesity isn’t just a personal choice, but instead something that the obese person’s fellow citizens will have to pay for as increased taxes to support Medicaid, disability spending, etc., etc.

Now, there’s plenty of room for argument here on both sides, and I’m not advocating one position or the other. However, simply framing this as “freedom!” is not looking at evidence and costs and rational positions.

[black_rabbit]

Jim Jeffords was the last good one.

[Derleth]

@running_coach

Wrap him in copper wire and he could generate electricity.

Why? His party’s doing what it was doing in his time.

The most you can say is that the façade has been peeled back.

[Chronos]

It used to be that both parties wanted what was best for the country, and just disagreed on what that was. Being a good Republican means believing that conservative policies are what’s best for the nation. And there are a few Republicans for which that’s still true. Mueller has already been mentioned. I think that Kasich is another.

Followers of Donald Trump, however, are neither conservative nor good.

[Crane]

Republican Club members vote for and with the organization.

Republican Conservatives vote for ability and values.

To do so a Republican Conservative would have voted for Carter over Reagan and Clinton over Trump.

[Sam_Stone]

@Little_Nemo

Here are some of the principles I feel the Republican party used to embrace (back when I was a Republican):

1. Fiscal responsibility: You pay for the amount of government you have. You don’t finance programs on borrowed money. You either collect the money via taxes or you shut down the program. (There can be exceptions during major emergencies like wars or depressions.)

2. National security: You defend the United States, its allies, and its national interests. And you choose allies and national interests with care. You fight necessary wars and support necessary military spending. You avoid unnecessary wars and unnecessary military spending.

3. Limited government: Let people live their own lives. Don’t tell people how to live, what to consume, or who to have sex with. People should be able to make their own decisions about their own lives. The government should also regulate business to support the free market and prevent bad business practices. And the government should provide some social services and infrastructure.

4. Rationality: You need to deal with the world the way it is. That doesn’t mean that you can’t work for changes; progress is important. But you have to base your policies on what is real.

I stopped being a Republican because I feel the party has moved away from these principles in the last few decades.

Those are some fine principles, and I agree that the Republicans no longer seem to care about them. Excellent post. I agree with every word of it.

[Sam_Stone]

@septimus

“in which ways can a Republican be a “good” Republican”

@ OP — when you write “good Republican” do you actually mean “rational centrist”? if so, the answer is simple: Join the Democratic Party and use your power in primaries to push back on what you believe to be liberal excesses. At this point, destruction of the Republican Party is the best way forward. Perhaps the Democratic Party will then fissure into two rational parties as it did in the 1820s. (By “rational centrist” I mean what was labeled in the 20th century by a now-obsolete meaning of the word “conservative.”)

The Democratic party has no room in it for centrists of any sort any more. Just as the Republicans have veered away from their traditional principles, so have Democrats. Democrats used to be the party of blue collar workers. Now the Democratic party is made up of radical activists, anti-semites and socialists.

The new Democratic Party is too far to the left for the freaking owner of Starbucks. But it has lots of room for people like Ilhan Omar and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez - who is planning to help the other radical democrats primary the centrists in the next election.

Both traditional parties in the U.S. are damaged beyond recognition. Here’s hoping Howard Schultz can force both of them back towards the light. Not that I think that’ll happen…