I have a perfect solution for all those disgruntled Republicans who refuse to accept Donald Trump as their party’s leader; join me. Independents vote intelligently and for the best candidate, not a party. If Danny Jones can leave the GOP after 45 years, so can you.
Jones is the Mayor of Charleston, West Virginia. His voting status will now be “unaffiliated.”
“For the first time in my life, I cannot support the Republican nominee for president,” Jones said, although he described himself as “not a Trump hater.”
He also cited “the obsession of the West Virginia House of Delegates’ leadership with the so-called Religious Freedom Restoration Act.” He feels that this act is discriminatory against the LGBT community.
It’s difficult to find a Republican who is not a hypocrite. Far too many of Trump’s detractors capitulated to Republican leadership and now support the failed businessman. I cheer Mr. Jones for his principles and ethics.
A Pew research poll revealed in May that 39 percent of the electorate describe themselves as Independents, while 32 percent label themselves Democrats, and 23 percent Republicans. Personally, I find this encouraging. Voting for an individual because they have an “R” or a “D” next to their name is ignorant and the prime reason our government is in gridlock. The majority of our legislators are unqualified to hold a seat in Congress.
Jones has often been at odds with conservatives, who have become extremists. He is one of the few Reagan Republicans left, who is more moderate and believes in doing the right thing for voters, not the partisan choice.
“A whole lot of things make me uncomfortable about partisan politics, and I do not want to be identified with the political partisanship that is shaping so much of the debates nationally and in West Virginia,” Jones said. “I plan to complete my current term, and have no plans to run for any office ever again. I am not trying to pick a fight with anyone and, in fact, I am proud about how we’ve made so much progress in Charleston, where partisan politics has been non-existent in the 13-plus years I’ve been mayor.”
Mr. Jones is emblematic of how America works best. Extremism and a “party first” attitude fails to serve our nation’s people.
45 years is a very long time, and although Mr. Jones has focused his unhappiness towards Trump, the truth is that changes in the party and its leadership since 2000 have created the monster. “Trumpenstein” is the result of a failure by the establishment to insure that the principles and ideals of the once Grand Old Party remained intact.
If you follow politics closely, you are aware that although Trump is the worst choice of Republican voters, the other 16 passengers in the clown car were not impressive either. Not one of them was qualified to lead our nation and offered no ideas to cure our nation’s ills.
So, here we are; one of our two major parties is likely committed to supporting a buffoon and a racist. He is the party’s standard bearer, and represents his party in all aspects. “The party’s over; the fat lady has sung.”
Op-Ed
By James Turnage
Photo Courtesy of North Charleston
The Truth With No Restrictions 