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Why I’m Resigning My Position As A Republican Committeeman



Chris Ladd
Former Republican Precinct Committeeman, Illinois


Last week, I resigned my position in the York Township Republican Committeemen’s Organization. Below is the letter I sent to the chairman explaining my decision.

***

Chairman Cuzzone:

We come together in political parties to magnify our influence. An organized representative institution can give weight to our will in ways we could not accomplish on our own. Working with others gives us power, but at the cost of constant, calculated compromise. No two people will agree on everything. There is no moral purity in politics.

If compromise is the key to healthy politics, how does one respond when compromise descends into complicity? To preserve a sense of our personal moral accountability we must each define boundaries. For those boundaries to have meaning we must have the courage to protect them, even when the cost is high.

Almost 30 years ago as a teenager in Texas, I attended my first county Republican convention. As a college student I met a young Rick Perry, fresh from his conversion to the GOP, as he was launching his first campaign for statewide office. Through Associated Republicans of Texas, I contributed and volunteered for business-friendly Republican state and local candidates.

From his fairy-tale wall to his schoolyard bullying and his flirtation with violent racists, Donald Trump offers America a singular narrative: a tale of cowards.
Here in DuPage County, I’ve been a precinct committeeman since 2006. Door to door I’ve canvased my precinct in support of our candidates. Trudging through snow, using a drill to break the frozen ground, I posted signs for candidates on whom I pinned my hopes for better government. Among Illinois Republicans I found an organization that seemed to embody my hopes for the party nationally. Pragmatic, sensible and focused on solid government, it seemed like a GOP Jurassic Park, where the sensible, reliable Republicans of old still roamed the landscape.

At the national level, the delusions necessary to sustain our Cold War coalition were becoming dangerous long before Donald Trump arrived. From tax policy to climate change, we have found ourselves less at odds with philosophical rivals than with the fundamentals of math, science and objective reality.

The Iraq War, the financial meltdown, the utter failure of supply-side theory, climate denial, and our strange pursuit of theocratic legislation have all been troubling. Yet it seemed that America’s party of commerce, trade, and pragmatism might still have time to sober up. Remaining engaged in the party implied a contribution to that renaissance, an investment in hope. Donald Trump has put an end to that hope.

From his fairy-tale wall to his schoolyard bullying and his flirtation with violent racists, Donald Trump offers America a singular narrative: a tale of cowards. Fearful people, convinced of our inadequacy, trembling before a world alight with imaginary threats, crave a demagogue. Neither party has ever elevated to this level a more toxic figure, one that calls forth the darkest elements of our national character.

With three decades invested in the Republican Party, there is a powerful temptation to shrug and soldier on. Despite the bold rhetoric, we all know Trump will lose. Why throw away a great personal investment over one bad nominee? Trump is not merely a poor candidate, but an indictment of our character. Preserving a party is not a morally defensible goal if that party has lost its legitimacy.

Preserving a party is not a morally defensible goal if that party has lost its legitimacy.
Watching Ronald Reagan as a boy, I recall how bold it was for him to declare ‘morning again’ in America. In a country menaced by Communism and burdened by a struggling economy, the audacity of Reagan’s optimism inspired a generation.

Fast-forward to our present leadership and the nature of our dilemma is clear. I watched Paul Ryan speak at Donald Trump’s convention the way a young child watches his father march off to prison. Thousands of Republican figures that loathe Donald Trump, understand the danger he represents, and privately hope he loses, are publicly declaring their support for him. In Illinois our local and state GOP organizations, faced with a choice, have decided on complicity.

Our leaders’ compromise preserves their personal capital at our collective cost. Their refusal to dissent robs all Republicans of moral cover. Evasion and cowardice has prevailed over conscience. We are now, and shall indefinitely remain, the Party of Donald Trump.

I will not contribute my name, my work or my character to an utterly indefensible cause. No sensible adult demands moral purity from a political party, but conscience is meaningless without constraints. A party willing to lend its collective capital to Donald Trump has entered a compromise beyond any credible threshold of legitimacy. There is no redemption in being one of the “good Nazis.”

I hereby resign my position as a York Township Republican committeeman. My 30-year tenure as a Republican is over.

Sincerely,

Chris Ladd

Postscript: Needless to say, the response to the letter has been stunning and overwhelming. I want to express my gratitude to the people who have shared so many kind thoughts. It was my intention to reply to each of the emails I’ve received, but I was snowed under by late last night and they keep piling up.

Some of the warmest regards have come from right here in suburban Chicago. When I posted this letter I was prepared to face some anger here at home from fellow Republicans. Nothing of the kind has materialized. The only official response from the local GOP so far has been support, for which I am immensely grateful. It gives me hope. We may all come out of this debacle in better condition.


http://www.huffingtonpost.com/chris-ladd...b_11184436.html

Your link proves Trump is a good businessman, expanding his businesses worldwide.

You guys are funny.

Or perhaps desperate.

http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/elec...s-to-dead-heat/

cliffs: The race is very close right now. If the elections were held today, fivethirtyeight predicts 57% chance that Trump would win. The DNC will give Hillary a bounce, how much of a bounce is up for debate.

I personally think relying on polls understates Trump's chance of winning due to a sort of Shy Tory Factor.

I guess I just assume that all candidates are funded through a variety of nefarious channels.

Do people really think that Putin had no part in leaking these emails? Since the breach in June everyone has been saying it was the Russians. Even the metadata of the leaked documents are in Russian. I just wished they hacked it around the debate that never happened. Could you imagine reading the slander that happened then? There's a reason I'll never be a democrat. There's a reason Bernie always ran as an independent. It's because the Democrats are snakes. And so is Russia for doing this. How are we going to address this? Is a Hillary email hack going to be another real talking point during the debates? Obama just can't let his girl get owned like this and his party.

a huge percentage of those voters got their news from a comedy show that didn't even attempt to pretend that were unbiased

*Sigh*



I love this narrative that got preached against Colbert, and Stewart. Both personalities took each party to task on a routine basis. CNN, MSNBC, and FoxNews got lampooned on a regular basis.

But, I doubt you truly ever watched either program on a regular basis. Stewart and Colbert spoke more truth than any politician ever did in the past 20 years.

BTW .. Turning my life upside down for my nephews .. Putting together an offer on a house in Greensboro SC that should be done by tommorow close of business .. How far away from u will I be? ..

nobody gets their news from comedians.

the things they talk about are issues we've already witnessed on any news article or channel you wish to view as credible.

....but Stewart, Colbert, Oliver, Trevor Noah, and Larry Whitemore routinely lampoon the democrats.

....but Stewart, Colbert, Oliver, Trevor Noah, and Larry Whitemore routinely lampoon the democrats.

BTW .. Turning my life upside down for my nephews .. Putting together an offer on a house in Greensboro SC that should be done by tommorow close of business .. How far away from u will I be? ..

U happy with the financial direction of the country? .. U OK with being 20 trillion in debt and the fact it's continuing to grow at an incomprehensible pace .. ...

What about our borders ... Do u think they should remain open so people can illegally enter our country while we at the same time JUST IGNORE OUR LAWS? ..

Do u think continuing down the same path is a good thing? ..

U OK with how the future looks for your kids and/or grandkids?

Did you mean Greensboro, NC? If so...about 2.5 to 3 hrs.

Or, did you mean Greenville, SC? If so, a little less than an hour and a half.




No. Our national debt has been my biggest concern for the longest time. Heck, I think I ranted about it when I visited you almost a decade ago. Problem is...........I don't hear anyone talking about how to fix that problem. I just hear a bunch of crap from "sides."




I am not as concerned about "illegals" entering the country as you and many others are. And I think that if Trump gets his way.......we'll be even farther in debt.




Nope.




Nope. And I believe that if Trump is elected, the future will look even worse. I don't believe in fighting hate w/hate. I don't believe in taking sides. I don't believe in discrimination. I don't believe in targeting groups of people and assigning all-encompassing labels to them. I don't believe in taking sides.

I come on here and all I see are sides. Blacks against whites. Liberals vs conservatives. Religious zealots vs non-believers. They hurl insults and blame the other SIDE for every single problem.

I see a lack of personal accountability and people working harder to further the divide than bridge the proverbial gap that exists between us.

I think Trump moral flaws are a real danger to a country that is already divided.

Fighting hate w/hate doesn't work. Categorizing entire groups of people is ignorant and dangerous.

Btw---------I don't like Hillary, either.

Peace, bro!

Vers - where r u ..if u don't wanna say it out here ... PM please ..

he will tell you SC. so he bashes whites

before it was east cleveland, so he feels he knows blacks and bashes them.

so right now he's probably in mexico city, mexico. that way he can tell latino's that they are cool with rape and murder.

give it 10 years, he will move to Dubai to do the same with the arabs.

when somebody goes "blacks are cool with gangs and rape and murders"

that doesn't sound like somebody who is credible.

i expect way more from a teacher. the guy goes around and doesn't even practices what he preaches.