I saw a yard sign with a phrase that I believe we should, and likely will, see a lot more of before November. Here is the pitch on the sign:
Your support matters. By electing me as County Coroner, you're choosing a leader who not only understands our community but is deeply committed to its well-being. And as a true Republican, I firmly believe that government should be accountable to the people it serves, a principle that's often forgotten.
You know, ever since Trump took over the RNC, the media is still treating the GOP like nothing has changed, as if the historical version of the party is still the version that exists today. Perhaps Republicans have shown us a way to begin to change that.
On that note, here is the question I believe Democrats really need to start asking of their opponents, and keep asking at every turn, until the election:
“Are you a true Republican, or are you a Trump Republican?”
I feel this is especially important for local and State candidates to ask, for I believe informing the public on this question will really help us down ballot this year.
And the fact that Republicans are starting to advertise themselves as “true Republicans” is one more example of how weak Trump has made their party, and further demonstrates that some of them are now actively trying to escape him while reclaiming their party from him.
Democrats should use this wedge Republicans are offering, for it feels significant to this moment in history. Seriously, how could it not be?
We must wash this stain out of our politics before it gets truly set into the fabric of our democracy, and this question, asked by candidates of their opponents, can be one of the tools we use to do it. Plus, making Republican candidates declare themselves “Trump,” or “true,” is a public service our candidates really should perform. It also seems like it might be good strategy, too.