Dear Governor Scott,
I am writing to urge you to leave the Republican party and run for re-election as an independent. You have publicly stated that you will not vote for Donald Trump in November, and while I respect that decision, it does nothing to address the underlying deficiencies with today’s GOP.
For the first time in their history, the Republican party did not put forth a platform at their national convention! In other words, they have not publicly stated what the party stands for or what they’ll do if Trump wins re-election. Think about that. The ability of our planet to support human life is threatened by global warming and climate change, but there is no plan to address this existential crisis. We are in the midst of the worst health emergency in U.S. history; no plan to address it. Our economy is in tatters, people are losing jobs, homes, their sense of security; no plan to fix it. Our nation is seething with unrest because of 400 years of racial violence and inequality, and the wealth gap between the richest 1% and the rest of us is bigger than at any time since the 1890s; no plan to address any of it.
Republicans used to be fiscal conservatives, concerned about budget deficits. Not now; they passed a huge tax cut for the wealthy that increased the deficit by trillions of dollars. Republicans used to brag that they were the party of “family values.” Now, their standard bearer paid a porn star $175,000 in “hush money” to cover up an adulterous affair, and brags about being able to get away with grabbing women in the crotch because he’s rich and famous.
Governor, your party is all about maintaining power, knowingly doing things to undermine our democracy such as: (1) dismantling post office mail-sorting machines at a time when millions of people will vote by mail, (2) eliminating polling places in minority neighborhoods, (3) gerrymandering Congressional districts into bizarre configurations, and (4) purging tens of thousands of legally registered voters. Trump has made it clear; he believes that if everyone who could vote, does vote, he will lose.
Donald Trump is the standard bearer for the Republican party; whatever he wants, whatever catches his attention on Fox News, becomes the “platform” for the party. The GOP appears to lack any cohesive economic, political, or societal vision or moral principles.
The Republican party has no platform; it has become “the Party of Trump.”
Mitch McConnell, and every other Republican politician is afraid to challenge even the most outrageous lies and policies.
Therefore, Governor, it is not enough to simply state you won’t vote for Trump. Anyone supporting or running on the Republican ticket – for any office – is wholeheartedly endorsing Donald Trump.
Carl Bucholt , Manchester
