Republicans must move away from Trump

The Republican Party must be taken from Donald Trump. Now’s the time, not a year from now. With the huge support Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) received from Republican House members to forgive and forget, a clear indication of the control Donald Trump has over them and the 74 million or so who voted for Trump, the Republicans are in no mind set to change anything. This is why it is crucial the attempt be made. The 2022 elections are just around the corner.

I’m not a Republican but I do not want the Republican Party to disappear, as it will if the right wing of the Republican Party strengthens its grip even further. Republicans should organize under a moderate leader such as Sen. Mitt Romney, Gov. John Kasich, Sen. Susan Collins, Rep. Liz Cheney or someone similar in thought. Aspiring conservative values while not lying and relying on conspiracy theories to formulate an agenda should draw considerable support among the majority of Republicans. Thousands of registered Republicans have left the party and have registered as Democrats or independents. These folks I believe would flock to a strong moderate Republican leader.

Recently, a number of polls have indicated that 75 percent of Republicans believe the election was stolen from Trump even after the events of Jan. 6. Why is this such a surprise? I’m willing to bet that at least 75 percent of Hillary Clinton voters feel the 2016 election was stolen from her based on James Comey’s investigation eight days prior to the election and Russian interference into the election. In fact Clinton was ahead in the polls by several points prior to the Comey announcement of a pending investigation, whereas Trump was never ahead in the 2020 election.

Bottom line is that the Republicans need to act now in order to draw from voters who have left the Republican Party, independents and the many uncounted Republicans who will not vote Republican again unless there is a drastic philosophical change away from Trumpism.

Bob Monti Ellington