There is some good news in the midst of the Donald Trump dark cloud hanging over America.
It’s the Lincoln Project, a political organization established and run by Republicans. Not just any Republicans, but people who are staunch conservatives and were once major players in the Party.
Rick Wilson, former Republican consultant, George Conway, former Republican heavyweight who is married to Kellyanne Conway who works for Donald Trump, Steve Schmidt, a former Republican consultant who helped run the George W. Bush campaign, and John Weaver, a former Republican consultant who worked with the John McCain and John Kasich campaigns decided they had to do something to stop Trump.
They didn’t quit the Republican Party because they thought Donald Trump was a bad president. They quit because they believe he is a threat to our future as a nation.
That is why the Lincoln Project has one mission: “Defeat President Trump and Trumpism at the ballot box.”
Noting how as soon as Abraham Lincoln saw that the Union Army would be victorious, he immediately turned his attention to binding up the nation’s wounds.
That inspired the founders of the Lincoln Project to do the same thing in our time, explaining:
“Today, we find ourselves divided again – sectionalism in the country and factionalism in government has led to ever uglier examples of how our political system is failing. President Donald Trump and those who sign onto Trumpism are a clear and present danger to the Constitution and our Republic. Only defeating so polarizing a character as Trump will allow the country to heal its political and psychological wounds and allow for a new, better path forward for all Americans.”
Now let me say right here that I am a liberal Democrat. You can define that in whatever way you want to and it will likely describe me in some fashion.
Yet I believe the Lincoln Project is light in our darkness, a bright light, in fact. They give me hope for our country.
These former Republicans will no doubt become Republicans again once Trump and those members of Congress who support him are gone. Even at that, to my mind they are examples of Americans who are willing to put loyalty to the country above loyalty to a political party.
They have never supported Democratic policies and have never voted for a Democrat before now, but, given the two-party system we have, they realize that the only way Trump and Trumpism will be defeated is for Democrats to win.
Having people care enough about the nation to serve its interests first is something to be admired. It seems to happen so seldom these days, but these former Republicans are proving it can still be done.
What is more, other Republicans are doing the same thing, people like former Florida Congressman David Jolly, and journalists like Nicole Wallace, Bill Kristol, Charlie Sykes, and members of the Bush family.
I think Joe Biden could defeat Donald Trump without the Lincoln Project because of Donald Trump, but the Lincoln Project will play a major role in making sure that happens.
Their latest ad, “Mourning in America” is brilliant, and it made Trump go berserk. Make no mistakes, Steve Schmidt and Rick Wilson are brilliant at what they do.
As I said, seldom do we see anyone engage in self-sacrifice for anything as these Republicans are doing.
They are successful, wealthy, and well respected, with no reason to get into this fight at all. Like most Republicans, they could simply sit on the sidelines and let Trump be Trump and say nothing publicly about him.
But they are not willing to do that, which speaks volumes about their personal character.
Because I also believe Donald Trump is not only incompetent and unfit to be President, but is using his office to threaten the survival of our system of government, I believe the Lincoln Project is the best political news we have had in a long time.
For this reason I have already made a modest donation to the Project. I know they don’t need my money. These are Republicans, after all.
But I need to give it as my small way of thanking the Lincoln Project leaders for reminding all of us in this age of cynicism that there are still people of principle in public life.
linnposts.com 