Current Events > Former elected officials threaten to split from GOP

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https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/11/us/politics/republicans-third-party-trump.html?smid=tw-nytimes&smtyp=cur

More than 100 Republicans, including some former elected officials, are preparing to release a letter this week threatening to form a third party if the Republican Party does not make certain changes, according to an organizer of the effort.

The statement is expected to take aim at former President Donald J. Trumps stranglehold on Republicans, which signatories to the document have deemed unconscionable.

When in our democratic republic, forces of conspiracy, division, and despotism arise, it is the patriotic duty of citizens to act collectively in defense of liberty and justice, reads the preamble to the full statement, which is expected to be released on Thursday.

The effort comes as House Republican leaders are expected on Wednesday to oust Representative Liz Cheney of Wyoming from their ranks because of her outspoken criticism of Mr. Trumps election lies.

This is a first step, said Miles Taylor, an organizer of the effort and a former Trump-era Department of Homeland Security official who anonymously wrote a book condemning the Trump administration. In October, Mr. Taylor acknowledged he was the author of both the book and a 2018 New York Times Op-Ed article.

This is us saying that a group of more than 100 prominent Republicans think that the situation has gotten so dire with the Republican Party that it is now time to seriously consider whether an alternative might be the only option, he said.

The list of people signing the statement includes former officials at both the state and national level who once were governors, members of Congress, ambassadors, cabinet secretaries, state legislators and Republican Party chairmen, Mr. Taylor said.

Mr. Taylor declined to name the signers. Reuters reported earlier that the former governors Tom Ridge of Pennsylvania and Christine Todd Whitman of New Jersey will sign it, as will former Transportation Secretary Mary E. Peters and former Representatives Charlie Dent of Pennsylvania, Barbara Comstock of Virginia, Reid Ribble of Wisconsin and Mickey Edwards of Oklahoma.

Mr. Taylor declined on Tuesday to reveal the specific changes that the coalition was planning to demand of the Republican Party in its statement.

Im still a Republican, but Im hanging on by the skin of my teeth because how quickly the party has divorced itself from truth and reason, Mr. Taylor said. Im one of those in the group that feels very strongly that if we cant get the G.O.P. back to a rational party that supports free minds, free markets, and free people, Im out and a lot of people are coming with me.

I think "former" is the key here; nobody who has to win Republican votes in 2021 or beyond will be a part of this, and those who do will happily ignore this crowd.

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Ya know, I expected a third party because of trump. I just didn't expect it to happen like this. Neat!

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Bump

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and republicans will shrug their shoulders and declare them rhinos... it sounds like they're all mostly out of office anyway.

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Are there enough opinion columnists and political analysts to fund them?

Lol

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Good, do it. Idiots will split their votes 2 ways and the Dems will get more votes.
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100 Republicans ain't shit when trump has 60 million standing by at his orders
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Unfortunately, this most likely won't amount to anything.

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I would think leftists would want this because then it would give power for them to split off from Democrats and we may start to slowly move from a two party system

V-E-G-Y- posted...

100 Republicans ain't shit when trump has 60 million standing by at his orders

60 million redhats
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CruelBuffalo posted...

I would think leftists would want this because then it would give power for them to split off from Democrats and we may start to slowly move from a two party system

Whether I want it or not, this won't amount to anything. There's no constituency for it.

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Antifar posted...

Whether I want it or not, this won't amount to anything. There's no constituency for it.

True, they need someone charismatic to lead that charge for moderate republicans but when I heard Cheny speech...by literally reading out a prepared statement lifelessly she definitly aint it.

As I keep saying...Im afraid of Trumps GOP.

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The republican party has been a strange mix of Milton Friedman, Ayn Rand, and Jesus for quite a while. A shakeup is a good thing.

imagine putting your political career on the line... to defend a neoconservative

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TheMikh posted...

imagine putting your political career on the line... to defend a neoconservative

Never underestimate the power of a cult of personality.

CruelBuffalo posted...

I would think leftists would want this because then it would give power for them to split off from Democrats and we may start to slowly move from a two party system

leftists are idealistic, not stupid

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Questionmarktarius posted...

The republican party has been a strange mix of Milton Friedman, Ayn Rand, and Jesus for quite a while. A shakeup is a good thing.

nowadays it seems more like adolf hitler lite mixed with adolf hitler classic

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Yeah, former officials doesn't mean shit. Pussy move. You don't get to act like you're a hero when there's nothing on the line.

I respect any GOP who leaves GOP party to form their own. But not like, super respect. More like, geez I'm happy you understand that having a dictator never goes anywhere good.

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Sackgurl posted...

nowadays it seems more like adolf hitler lite mixed with adolf hitler classic

Ersatz Reagan would be far more accurate, and slightly less hyperbolic.