This is the Republican Party’s darkest hour. But its future can still be bright if young conservatives stay and fight for one.
This is an opinion submission from a reader like you, part of a growing conversation about political affiliation and the future of the Republican Party. We encourage submissions from all perspectives in this most poignant of discussions.
On Friday, editor-in-chief here at the Liberty Hawk Justin Stapley, tweeted his thoughts on the impeachment vote, stating that he was on the verge of leaving the GOP due to the kowtowing to Trump that has occurred over the last three years. The tweet went viral, and in an article on the subject, Justin asked for advice in this life-changing decision.
Here are my thoughts on the matter.
First, I understand the desire to leave. In the Age of Trump, the GOP, a party that once brought prominence to men like Abraham Lincoln, Calvin Coolidge, and Ronald Reagan, has capitulated. The cult of personality surrounding Trump has engulfed elected officials at all levels of government. His flaunting of the Constitution has made fools out of a party who not ten years ago was promising to shrink D.C.
For those of us who have come into political maturity during this time, it is sickening. A party that I was once proud to claim has desecrated itself at Trump’s feet. If Trump says that it is okay for a President to be corrupt, then the GOP will declare corruption a desired trait. If he says Kansas City is in Kansas, then the globe, in the eyes of Republicans, must be wrong. It is disgusting, and it would make even the most stalwart GOP conservative think about bailing.
With all this in mind, I say, stay in the party.
There may not be hope for this election cycle. The national Republican party, by and large, is lost for the time being. Conservatives have either been driven out in D.C. or learned to love Trump’s big government. But that does not mean that all hope is lost.
State Republican parties across the country are not all lost, and continue to, for the most part, support conservative causes. Leaving the party will only exacerbate the problem. While a new party may be easier to influence locally, it will also be harder to propagate nationally.
To those in doubt as to my claim, I ask you for faith. The future of the GOP is still, in spite of the present, bright. Trump’s antics do not so easily sway future generations such as mine, and we will make a difference. I, along with my fellow Gen Z’ers, will work hard to restore integrity to the party. If need be, I will work alone. I hope I will not have to. Millennial conservatives such as our own editor have an established position in the party that, while small, is there. Help future generations use it to better the party.
I will be the first to admit that I may be wrong. There may come a time when Josh Hawley and Donald Trump Jr. are duking it out for the presidential nomination. If that comes, I will personally dedicate my life to burning what remains of the GOP to the ground. But, until such a time when there are no conservatives left to fight for, I will continue to fight. I ask you to stay and fight, as well.
This may be the Republican Party’s darkest hour, but in the words of the British government of WWII, keep calm, and carry on.
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Scott Howard is a constitutionally-minded conservative freelance writer with a focus on fiscal matters and foreign policy. He has been an active contributor to The Liberty Hawk. You can follow him on Twitter: @thenextTedCruz Â
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