Sen. Danforth wants GOP to ditch MAGA

quote:

---

America’s center has collapsed. But it can be restored if Republicans return to their roots.

Both political parties have gravitated toward their extremes, but given our backgrounds, our primary concern is the GOP, which is firmly under MAGA’s influence. MAGA Republicanism is an incoherent form of populism—sometimes leaning right, sometimes left. It isn’t the responsible, conservative party America needs.

We believe that a responsible, conservative party in this country can be defined by five key principles that Republicans have historically championed, whatever their other differences. MAGA has turned these tenets upside down. But they are our party’s foundation, and we have adopted them for Our Republican Legacy—a nonprofit advocacy organization we established last year as a home for Republicans in exile.

These are the five bedrock principles:

The rule of law, grounded in the U.S. Constitution.... (We probably all agree on that)

• Unity. We are the party of Lincoln, who sought to hold America together as one indivisible nation. We stand against us-vs.-them tactics of left and right. Identity politics that inflame passions of grievance and resentment are no longer the sole property of Democrats. Now MAGA has hoodwinked straight, white, male Christians into believing that they are victims of “the elites.”... (Or maybe its just a case of standing up for yourself and not being the Democrats bitch)

• Fiscal responsibility. We oppose large and persistent federal deficits. The national debt increased nearly 40% in the first Trump administration, and under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, it will grow over the next decade by more than $3 trillion. (OK, I agree with him here.).

• Limited government. We insist that the private sector, not an overreaching federal government, is the source of America’s strength. Governmental control, once the province of progressive Democrats, is the hallmark of MAGA Republicans. They impose high tariffs and propose government ownership stakes in corporations. And no administration should direct what universities can teach, where law firms can practice, or whom comedians can mock.

• Strong national defense. (Duh)

Republicans have always differed with one another on certain issues. Disagreement is healthy. But MAGA has thrown out the core principles Republicans agreed on. MAGA’s GOP and Reagan’s are incompatible.

Our Republican Legacy supports leaders who will embrace the five bedrock principles of Republicanism. We are organizing in all 50 states. We are the conservative alternative to MAGA populism..l....

---