former Bush 43 Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson, in this op ed post at 4:53 this afternoon at the Washington Post web site.
Have to say it is a mixed bag.
It is titled “When it comes to Trump, a Republican Treasury secretary says: Choose country over party”
and this conclusion might appeal to some here:
When it comes to the presidency, I will not vote for Donald Trump. I will not cast a write-in vote. I’ll be voting for Hillary Clinton, with the hope that she can bring Americans together to do the things necessary to strengthen our economy, our environment and our place in the world. To my Republican friends: I know I’m not alone.
But he is still very much a Republican, as he makes clear in the paragraph immediately before that:
As a Republican looking ahead to November, there are many strong conservative leaders in statehouses across the United States and in Congress, whose candidacies I am actively supporting. They have a big job to do to reinvent and revitalize the Republican Party. They can do so by responding to the fears and frustrations of the American people and uniting them behind some common aspirations, while staying constant to the principles that have made our country great.
One of his criticisms of Trump is that the presumptive Republican nominee has promised not to touch Social Security and Medicare, and as you might expect, he is critical of Bernie Sanders as well.
He sets up his argument like this:
Now is the time for a bipartisan approach to policy solutions that address our most difficult domestic problems. This requires a president who exhibits an ability to compromise — and basic civility — neither of which Trump displays.
There are two key principles that the next president must address to maintain our economic competitiveness and security. Populists in both parties are demagoguing these principles, with Trump leading the way.
He is pro-trade, which of course will make him antagonist to both Trump and Sanders. And he absolutely argues for entitlement reform, which actually also puts him in opposition to Clinton, who has now come out for expanding Social Security.
Still, it is noteworthy that we are starting to see a flow of notable Republicans who are saying not merely that they cannot support Trump, but that they will vote for Clinton.
Richard Armitage. Brent Scowcroft. Now Hank Paulson.
These folks are very much part of the establishment, and as such are unlikely to sway the core of Trump’s support. But they may influence others within the establishment, and also more educated and politically aware Republicans.
Anyhow, thought it worth sharing.
Peace?