The new but committee-less Member of Congress from Georgia Tweeted that, “The vast majority of Republican voters, volunteers, and donors are no longer loyal to the GOP … Their loyalty now lies with Donald J Trump.”
Whether you think this is right, wrong, wonderful, terrible, or something in between, it reveals how urgent the need is to revisit what the Republican Party itself believes and stands for, and to present a clear vision that people can rally around that is not dependent on the given beliefs of a single person — and that makes sense at all levels of government.
As a reminder, the Georgia Republican Party has no platform on its website, but it does say it “works tirelessly with our donors, activists and candidates to elect Republicans and continue the tradition of conservative leadership.”
Another long-time Member from Ohio similarly Tweeted to say, “President Trump is the leader of the Republican Party.” The Ohio GOP, you’ll recall, also does not have a platform on its website.
Compare these comments with those of former Rep. Will Hurd who says the Republican Party needs “clear values that represent american values,” and that, “there can be a diversity of thought within the party,” but it “shouldn’t be based on a blind loyalty test to any one individual.”
That’s exactly right. We should be electing people we believe will best implement or execute on our collective priorities as a party. Our loyalty should be to ideas, not to individuals.
