Failure to commit

Despite my noticing early on that it was common for church members to be conservative (and being frustrated with that), it was still a new level of horror to find members wanting Trump. 

While technically he is not really that different from Reagan, previous Republicans at least tried to keep a veneer of civility. Without that, how do you not recoil from the ugliness?

Therefore, it does feel better this time around to see many people who have been traditionally conservative rejecting Trump. 

That is not just people I know from church. Other people I have not liked at all recently making good points against Trump include Stephen A. Smith, Charlamagne tha God, and almost kind of getting there is Joe Rogan. 

I don't want to reject this coming around -- which is so needed -- but there is something bugging me. I guess it's my concern that they still only really miss the veneer.

I am thinking of two things specifically. I do see them with members, but not exclusively. 

One is the tendency to vote for third party candidates or to write someone in. Recently there was someone who can't vote for Trump so she plans to write in Nikki Haley. 

Why?

Because Haley is a woman of color, but not THAT woman of color? Because Trump criticized Haley, so she must in some way be superior?

Haley endorsed Trump. She sent him dates when she could help with his campaign. 

Haley wants Trump to win. No, she probably doesn't like him as a person, but he is the power in the Republican party right now. She is willing to capitalize on that, no matter how repugnant he is.

Great protest.

The other thing I hate -- and this probably will surprise some people -- is ranked choice voting. I voted against ballot measure 117.

It feels to me like the people who favor it are the same ones who don't want Trump in office but they don't want to vote for Harris. They want this way to withhold their support without the bad consequences happening.

Let me tell you something about 2016: I don't believe that James Comey wanted Trump to win. I think he just wanted to tarnish Hillary Clinton's win to knock her down a peg, uppity women and Democrats and all that. I don't know how much difference he made, but it was the wrong thing to do.

For moderate Republicans, look, on the left we have a similar issue with "progressive" voters. They hate and feel superior to everyone. They are too conscientious and ethical to commit to trying to work toward something better, so they vote for Putin affiliate Jill Stein or they don't vote at all or they write in, well, probably not Mickey Mouse... maybe Bernie Sanders. 

The result is either we succeed without them, or we get something worse.

What I am asking for is commitment to the common good.

Don't try and weasel out of it. Don't cling to your ability to have contempt for everyone else. 

Actually look at what is needed, what is dangerous, what is hate-driven and what is at least trying, and commit to that.

The commitment doesn't end there. People are imperfect and systems are imperfect. It requires calling and letter-writing and maybe volunteering. It certainly requires paying more attention to local issues. 

But really, if you have any desire to be moral or ethical, do you think you can do it by looking down on everyone else and refusing to commit?

Do you think you can do it by putting the burden on everyone else?