An apostate takes the big step
by digby
Steve Schmidt, who was senior adviser to John McCain’s 2008 presidential campaign and later an MSNBCcontributor, said on Wednesday that he is leaving the Republican party, citing the Trump administration’s border separation policy as a factor in his decision.
He wrote on Twitter that “29 years and nine months ago I registered to vote and became a member of The Republican Party which was founded in 1854 to oppose slavery and stand for the dignity of human life. Today I renounce my membership in the Republican Party. It is fully the party of Trump.”
He wrote that the GOP has “become a danger to our democracy and our values.
Schmidt, who has been a critic of the Trump administration, said that he’s urging the election of Democratic majorities in the midterms.
“Season of renewal in our land is the absolute and utter repudiation of Trump and his vile enablers in the 2018 election by electing Democratic majorities. I do not say this as an advocate of a progressive agenda,” he wrote. “I say it as someone who retains belief in DEMOCRACY and decency.”
He said that the border separation policy is “connected to the worst abuses of humanity in our history
Here's his whole rant:
Schmidt is the first of these never Trumpers I've heard say explicitly that he is going to vote for the Democrats instead of some vanity candidate. That's important. If they don't make that pragmatic choice they are just washing their hands of the situation instead of trying to change it.
So good for him. Maybe he'll do a full conversion and help the Democrats win. Ex-Republicans are particularly good at doing battle with Republicans. They know where to stick in the metaphorical shiv.
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