Archive for the ‘Tea Party’ Category

Tea Party 2.0? Reopen Government Protests Linked To Right-Wing Donors – The Real News Network

This is a rush transcript and may contain errors. It will be updated.

Protestor: This is a free country. Land of the free.

Jaisal Noor: Medical workers stood in the middle of the road, blocking a car carrying an anti-lockdown protester in Denver, Colorado on Sunday, April 19th. The protestor was part of the many small scale, but highly publicized Reopen America protest, leaned out of the window to confront the man in medical scrubs, holding a poster reading Land Free and shouting, You go to work. Why cant I go to work? President Donald Trump has encouraged these demonstrations, many of which have targeted democratic governors and have been linked to billionaire donors. Thats despite the mounting evidence they can jeopardize public health. Kentuckys infection rates skyrocketed a week after the protest there.

The protest had been tied to Michigans DeVos family, billionaires who are leading Republican donors and activists. The DeVos family includes Erik Prince, Founder of Blackwater, and Betsy DeVos, the heiress who serves as Donald Trumps Education Secretary. The DeVos familys also a leading member of the Koch Donor Network who bankroll conservative causes and it turns out who are major backers of the supposedly Grassroots Tea Party Movement, which called for less government and lower taxes. Real News climate reporter Steve Horn says, Right wing billionaires have funded an ecosystem that greatly amplifies their message through organizations like the State Policy Network.

Steve Horn: The State Policy Network essentially is the think tank world of the American Legislative Exchange Council, or ALEC, and its what gets these ideas out there. So in Michigan when this protest was happening, a different prong of this apparatus called the Mackinac Center for Public Policy, they were doing reporting on this from their own portal, and then they beamed out the protests. They linked to something on Breitbart. So Breitbart then beamed that out to 5.8 million people. And essentially, this was the perfect depiction of how the right wing echo chamber works, the legacy of it and the newer prongs of its a Breitbart is funded and bankrolled, or at least was by the Mercer family. And Mercer is and was a major backer of Trump. Steve Bannon, who was a top White House aide.

Jaisal Noor: More than 22 million Americans have filed for unemployment benefits in the past month as closures of businesses and schools and severe travel restrictions have hammered the economy. The United States is by far the worlds largest number of confirmed cases with more than 740,000 infections and over 40,000 deaths. Though, the real numbers are said to be much higher. Professor Gerald Horne says this movement represents a dangerous development.

Gerald Horne: But these so called constitutional conservatives rallying at the state house in Lansing, Michigan, this was coupled with similar moves that are taking place in Idaho, which you may recall is the state that is the de facto headquarters of White supremacists, a number of the leaders of the August, 2017 pro Nazi and pro fascist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia actually had roots in Idaho. And Im afraid to say that this is also coupled with the spectacular rise in gun sales that is taking place as we speak.

Jaisal Noor: Congress Coronavirus bailout had little funding for workers or testing, while giving corporations a $6 trillion no strings attached bailout, says American Prospect editor David Dayen.

David Dayen: Reopening the economy, you really can only do that if we have the proper public health measures in place, the proper testing and things like that. And there was almost no money in this pandemic response bill to actually respond to the pandemic to actually bulk up testing and surge it so that you actually could reopen the country.

Jaisal Noor: For the Real News, this is Jaisal Noor.

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Tea Party 2.0? Reopen Government Protests Linked To Right-Wing Donors - The Real News Network

Jackson Hole Tea Party gathers on Town Square to condemn closures, orders – Jackson Hole News&Guide

Handgun strapped to his hip, Bob Culver denied that the 15 or so people railing against closures and stay-at-home orders Monday on Town Square were protesting.

I didnt organize a protest, or a demonstration, said Culver, a member of the Jackson Hole Tea Party. I just wanted people to come out and feel free to talk.

President Trump made headlines last week when he tweeted in support of protesters calling for an end to COVID-19 closures in the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic. On Sunday, images taken by Denver photographer Alyson McClaran went viral, showing two people in scrubs and face masks blocking a procession of protesting drivers.

More quietly, Culver sent out his usual Jackson Hole Tea Party email blast Friday, calling for people to gather for a lunch Monday on the square. He also said county officials had dismissed several peoples entreaties to abandon the countys stay-at-home orders. Those gathered Monday decried the orders as unconstitutional and fixed their signatures to a letter written by Maury Jones, threatening legal action if the orders werent rescinded.

County officials should immediately rescind the order or revise the order to a lawful request rather than a mandatory edict, Jones wrote. Failure to do so may result in criminal charges being filed against you.

Maury Jones reads aloud his petition to local elected officials during a gathering for lunch and discussion about re-opening Teton Countys economy Monday afternoon on the Town Square. The gathering concluded with those in attendance signing Jones petition threatening legal action against local elected officials unless they rescind or revise the countys health orders, which petitioners argue are in violations of both the United States and Wyoming constitutions.

People wave at passersby Monday afternoon as they gathered for lunch and discussion about re-opening Teton Countys economy on the Town Square. The gathering concluded with those in attendance signing a petition threatening legal action against local elected officials unless they rescind or revise the countys health orders, which petitioners argue are in violation of both the U.S. and Wyoming constitutions. See related story on page 3.

Carolina Wahlman, 8, brought a sign calling for schools to open back up as people gathered for lunch and discussion about re-opening Teton Countys economy Monday afternoon on the Town Square. The gathering concluded with those in attendance signing a petition threatening legal action against local elected officials unless they rescind or revise the countys health orders, which petitioners argue are in violations of both the United States and Wyoming constitutions.

Maury Jones reads aloud his petition to local elected officials during a gathering for lunch and discussion about re-opening Teton Countys economy Monday afternoon on the Town Square. The gathering concluded with those in attendance signing Jones petition threatening legal action against local elected officials unless they rescind or revise the countys health orders, which petitioners argue are in violations of both the United States and Wyoming constitutions.

Gloria Courser and Rebecca Bextel chat Monday afternoon as people gathered for lunch and discussion about re-opening Teton Countys economy on the Town Square. The gathering concluded with those in attendance signing a petition threatening legal action against local elected officials unless they rescind or revise the countys health orders, which petitioners argue are in violations of both the United States and Wyoming constitutions.

Police patrol the Town Square Monday afternoon as people gathered for lunch and discussion about re-opening Teton Countys economy. The gathering concluded with those in attendance signing a petition threatening legal action against local elected officials unless they rescind or revise the countys health orders, which petitioners argue are in violations of both the United States and Wyoming constitutions.

People share hand sanitizer Monday afternoon during a demonstration on the Town Square. The gathering concluded with those in attendance signing a petition threatening legal action against local elected officials unless they rescind or revise the countys health orders, which petitioners argue are in violations of both the United States and Wyoming constitutions.

Valerie Music joins people gathered for lunch and discussion about re-opening Teton Countys economy Monday afternoon on the Town Square. The gathering concluded with those in attendance signing a petition threatening legal action against local elected officials unless they rescind or revise the countys health orders, which petitioners argue are in violation of both the U.S. and Wyoming constitutions.

Bob Culver packs away an extra ball cap following a gathering about re-opening Teton Countys economy Monday afternoon on the Town Square. The protest of widespread closures concluded with those in attendance signing a petition threatening legal action against local elected officials unless they rescind or revise the countys health orders, which petitioners argue are in violations of both the United States and Wyoming constitutions.

Maury Jones reads aloud his petition to local elected officials during a gathering for lunch and discussion about re-opening Teton Countys economy Monday afternoon on the Town Square. The gathering concluded with those in attendance signing Jones petition threatening legal action against local elected officials unless they rescind or revise the countys health orders, which petitioners argue are in violations of both the United States and Wyoming constitutions.

People wave at passersby Monday afternoon as they gathered for lunch and discussion about re-opening Teton Countys economy on the Town Square. The gathering concluded with those in attendance signing a petition threatening legal action against local elected officials unless they rescind or revise the countys health orders, which petitioners argue are in violation of both the U.S. and Wyoming constitutions. See related story on page 3.

Carolina Wahlman, 8, brought a sign calling for schools to open back up as people gathered for lunch and discussion about re-opening Teton Countys economy Monday afternoon on the Town Square. The gathering concluded with those in attendance signing a petition threatening legal action against local elected officials unless they rescind or revise the countys health orders, which petitioners argue are in violations of both the United States and Wyoming constitutions.

Maury Jones reads aloud his petition to local elected officials during a gathering for lunch and discussion about re-opening Teton Countys economy Monday afternoon on the Town Square. The gathering concluded with those in attendance signing Jones petition threatening legal action against local elected officials unless they rescind or revise the countys health orders, which petitioners argue are in violations of both the United States and Wyoming constitutions.

Gloria Courser and Rebecca Bextel chat Monday afternoon as people gathered for lunch and discussion about re-opening Teton Countys economy on the Town Square. The gathering concluded with those in attendance signing a petition threatening legal action against local elected officials unless they rescind or revise the countys health orders, which petitioners argue are in violations of both the United States and Wyoming constitutions.

Police patrol the Town Square Monday afternoon as people gathered for lunch and discussion about re-opening Teton Countys economy. The gathering concluded with those in attendance signing a petition threatening legal action against local elected officials unless they rescind or revise the countys health orders, which petitioners argue are in violations of both the United States and Wyoming constitutions.

People share hand sanitizer Monday afternoon during a demonstration on the Town Square. The gathering concluded with those in attendance signing a petition threatening legal action against local elected officials unless they rescind or revise the countys health orders, which petitioners argue are in violations of both the United States and Wyoming constitutions.

Valerie Music joins people gathered for lunch and discussion about re-opening Teton Countys economy Monday afternoon on the Town Square. The gathering concluded with those in attendance signing a petition threatening legal action against local elected officials unless they rescind or revise the countys health orders, which petitioners argue are in violation of both the U.S. and Wyoming constitutions.

Bob Culver packs away an extra ball cap following a gathering about re-opening Teton Countys economy Monday afternoon on the Town Square. The protest of widespread closures concluded with those in attendance signing a petition threatening legal action against local elected officials unless they rescind or revise the countys health orders, which petitioners argue are in violations of both the United States and Wyoming constitutions.

The timing of the gathering, noon, was the same as that of the Choice to Work protest, which took place on the steps of the Capitol building in Cheyenne. There, Gov. Mark Gordon stepped out of the Capitol flanked by mask-clad guards to address protesters.

Public officials made no such gesture locally. Instead, the Jackson groups gathering a much quieter affair than Cheyennes proceeded more or less uninhibited aside from one person driving by in a truck who stuck his head out the window and yelled Stupid, stupid, stupid at the gathering, which wasted no time replying.

Come on over, they yelled back.

Members of the crowd stood close together, some with children in tow. Face coverings were scant, and people from different households gathered closely, which made maintaining 6 feet of social distance difficult.

Jackson Mayor Pete Muldoon said the gathering appears to be a violation of a public health order designed to protect our community.

Its disappointing, he wrote in a text. Freedom requires responsibility; you cant have one without the other, and I would ask those who value their freedoms to exercise the responsibilities that come with them.

But some didnt believe what they were doing flew in the face of Teton Countys health orders and recommendations.

This is no different than what you see on Snow King, when people are skiing and hanging out in the parking lot, or what you see on the bike path, Gloria Courser said. But this is going to be looked at differently because were actually saying something.

A police car drove by Town Square, stopping to idle for about 15 minutes, but ultimately turned and drove away. Jackson Police Lt. Roger Schultz said he couldnt speak to that patrol cars actions. He did, however, say the Jackson Police Department is choosing not to take any action against gatherings like that.

It comes down to that balancing act, Schultz said, weighing a constitutional right with a public health order.

Right now, were drawing the line with allowing people to assemble and petition and protest our government, he added. Thats not a fight were going to fight at this time.

The countys Director of Health Jodie Pond said the orders are not the thing to protest.

Protesting and gathering thats peoples first amendment right, but I would hope they did it in a way that didnt endanger themselves or others, Pond said. If youd like to protest, Id protest the fact that we havent received the testing material weve requested.

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Jackson Hole Tea Party gathers on Town Square to condemn closures, orders - Jackson Hole News&Guide

Opinion | A new populist revolution is here. Don’t buy in. – The Daily Northwestern

On April 15, protesters in Michigan railed against Gov. Gretchen Whitmers stay-at-home executive order. Spurred by right-wing media goliaths like Tucker Carlson and Rush Limbaugh, demonstrators took to the streets of Lansing, holding signs and waving flags. Some of the signs compared Gov. Whitmer to Adolf Hitler. Some protesters waved Confederate flags. Republican National Committee chair Ronna McDaniel tweeted that Democrat Gretchen Whitmer is turning Michigan into a police state.

Sound familiar?

The Tea Party burst onto the national scene in February 2009 after the Obama administration announced the Homeowners Affordability and Stability Plan, which refinanced mortgages while the country was in the throes of the Great Recession. The first national Tea Party protest was on Feb. 27, 2009, but the seeds of the movement were sown before that day.

Modern right-wing populism was born in a time similar to this one, during a recession with a big-government response. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson proposed what would become the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 on September 20 of that year, and while the bailouts were necessary to save the global economy, they were unpopular. Grassroots organizations on both the left and right mobilized against the Acts Troubled Asset Relief Program. Protesters on the left argued against what they perceived to be a policy package that would only help Wall Street, not ordinary Americans, in step with the lefts positions on Wall Street for decades. Opposition to TARP on the right came from a new movement.

When the Bush administration unveiled its bailout plan, fiscal libertarians who would become the Tea Party felt that TARP was the government picking winners and losers in the economy. Staunch advocates against federal intervention, they immediately opposed the plan, despite evidence that without it, Americans would soon be unable to get money from ATMs.

Libertarian conservatives were not unreasonable in their growing discontent with President George W. Bush. The compassionate conservatism he campaigned on manifested in big-government policy. It makes sense that some Republicans felt like their leader had abandoned them with Medicare Part D. Civil libertarians in the party werent happy with the Patriot Act either, as they felt it represented big government violating citizens privacy. The Bush administration also found resistance to its stance on immigration; a nascent paleoconservative wing of the party defeated Bushs immigration reform plan because of the path to citizenship it sought to provide to illegal immigrants.

Conservatives werent stupid to think the Tea Party was going to right the ship. Tea Party candidates won handily in the 2010 midterms, but their time in Washington was indicative of a greater issue in the movement.

Tea Party protesters held signs and waved flags. A lot of the signs compared Obama to Hitler. Occasionally, protestors had Confederate flags. Tea Party Republicans complained that Obama was turning this country into a police state, taking their guns and taxing the bejesus out of them.

Conservative intelligentsia largely saw the Tea Party as a vehicle for a return to Reagan-era conservatism. Tea Party candidates evoked the Gippers memory in their speeches and policies. In fact, Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), who rode the Tea Party wave into office in 2010, was hailed as the next Reagan before his 2016 presidential campaign.

But it was all a lie.

If Tea Party voters actually cared about limited government and the separation of powers, they couldnt possibly be Trump supporters.

The thing is, it was never about principles.

Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), a libertarian hardliner, said to the Washington Examiner of his voters:

All this time, I thought they were voting for libertarian Republicans. But after some soul searching I realized when they voted for Rand and Ron and me in these primaries, they werent voting for libertarian ideasthey were voting for the craziest son of a b- in the race.

Massie is spot-on here. The vast majority of Tea Party voters and politicians still in office have pledged fealty to Donald Total Authority Trump, certainly not deigning to investigate his flagrant corruption, their one-time raison dtre. The anti-Whitmer protest, and similar demonstrations across the country, are nothing more than a redux of the Tea Partys beginnings this time without any pretense of support for the free market and limited government.

Lets not get caught up in the same narrative. It was all about tearing down the establishment. Real Americans versus the latte-sipping elites. Thats what it is now, too. Trump, in his unwillingness to listen to medical and epidemiological experts, is a man of the people. Hes draining the swamp when he reassigns career public servants Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman and his brother from the National Security Council to lower posts after Vindman testifies against him in his impeachment hearings.

Bulwark founder and editor-at-large, Charlie Sykes, wrote Thursday that on the populist right, there is no tension between outrage over the Nanny State and slavish devotion to the Orange God King. Although as a matter of political philosophy or logic you would think those two things would be incompatible, as a matter of psychology theyre not.

Hes absolutely right on that point. Its a psychology of war, one that the Tea Party instilled in the partys identity, and that persists today. John McCain was a squishy RINO in 2008 to the conservative wing of the party, so he picked Sarah Palin, who ended up being maybe the highest-profile Tea Party leader. Mitt Romney wasnt conservative enough, and he picked Paul Ryan, who, while as conservative as Tea Party politicians, was seen as too much of a Washington policy wonk.

The right wing of the Republican Party wanted someone to take up the cause. Not of conservatism, but of populism. Donald Trump is the strongman who can give power back to the people the president who will tweet all-caps calls to LIBERATE three states, which might have been incitement.

Its not as if there arent valid reasons for all kinds of Americans to be distrustful of government and our countrys institutions. If the 21st century can be described in one word, that word would be disillusionment. But Trumps goal, and greatest strength, is self-preservation. Hell do whatever he and his team think necessary for him to stay in power.

What happens next?

Trump will likely exploit growing populist indignation, pitting Americans against one another even more than he did in 2016. Hell double down on immigration, citing the coronavirus pandemic as a reason to tighten border security. Hell claim countless powers he doesnt have, all while calling Biden a big-government socialist. His supporters wont call him out on his hypocrisy, because to them, the president isnt the government. Hes a fighter, and the government is the deep state that he has to beat.

My hope is that real conservatives dont fall prey to this faux-libertarian movement the way the right did a decade ago. Considering the responses to Trumps claim that when somebodys the president of the United States, the authority is total and Trumps history of not typically following through on his loudest pronouncements, I doubt anything shockingly more apocalyptic than what were currently experiencing comes to pass. Im sure there will be protests, more hand-wringing from elected Republicans when Trump says something particularly egregious about liberating states and Democrats taking guns, but not much more.

Polling data overwhelmingly shows that Americans support social isolation measures and stay-at-home orders. The divide between those who do and dont is almost entirely partisan. Americans are growing increasingly frustrated with the federal response to the pandemic, and theyre not the ones out in the streets protesting. The new silent majority is the moderate suburban voter, and their vote is right there for Joe Biden to pick up.

If he does, and is elected president of the United States, this new Tea Party wont pick up much political momentum, but itll exist as long as we as a country feel the effects of coronavirus. And theres no telling how long the GOPs populist turn will last, but its clear that its never been about conservative principles.

Zach Kessel is a Medill freshman. He can be contacted at zachkessel2023@u.northwestern.edu. If you would like to respond publicly to this op-ed, send a Letter to the Editor to opinion@dailynorthwestern.com. The views expressed in this piece do not necessarily reflect the views of all staff members of The Daily Northwestern.

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Opinion | A new populist revolution is here. Don't buy in. - The Daily Northwestern

FreedomWorks and PPP: FreedomWorks is supporting the anti-shutdown protests while applying for a bailout – Vox.com

FreedomWorks, a conservative-leaning organization best known for its support of the Tea Party movement and its longtime opposition to government bailouts, has applied for a Small Business Administration loan through the Paycheck Protection Program, Congresss emergency response to the economic downturn.

The loan is to support the groups foundation arm.

As first reported in the New York Times, nonprofit groups are permitted to apply for SBA loans intended to prop up struggling businesses in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. Those nonprofit groups include the FreedomWorks Foundation. The Times quoted FreedomWorks President Adam Brandon as saying, I would love someone to give us free cash.

A provision in the legislation, which socially conservative organizations recommended to Republican lawmakers, made clear that certain nonprofit groups could apply as well. The provision opened the door for taxpayer funding to subsidize well-connected organizations that are part of the political fray in an election year. And at least a few groups on both sides of the political spectrum decided to apply, so far with mixed results.

The Congressional Progressive Caucus Centers application for a $160,000 loan is awaiting resolution, as is FreedomWorks Foundations request for $300,000, according to officials at the groups.

FreedomWorks has long opposed federal bailouts, describing the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 as unconstitutional. In response to the passage of the Phase 3.5 bill earlier this week, FreedomWorks Jason Pye said, The line has long been crossed. No more spending. Period. At this point, we should be focused on reopening the economy and getting Americans back to work.

And as I reported earlier this week, FreedomWorks is connected to many of the anti-stay-at-home-order protests taking place across the country. For example, in Wisconsin, the main anti-shutdown group, Open Wisconsin Now, was organized by the Committee to Unleash Prosperity and by FreedomWorks.

While FreedomWorks is best known for the actions taken by the groups political side, the FreedomWorks Foundation aimed, according to its website, at educat[ing] and empower[ing] Americans with the principles of individual liberty, small government, and free markets is eligible for an SBA loan.

According to its 2018 990, the FreedomWorks Foundation had roughly $1.1 million in total assets at the end of 2018. Brandon, the FreedomWorks president, told me the group chose to apply for the loan because its responsible to explore all options.

We had to cancel our annual fundraiser because of the shutdowns, and that is [a] big blow to our fundraising, Brandon said over text message. My quote [in the New York Times] was out of context and I was being sarcastic since we will not get that opportunity for our fundraiser until next year.

He reiterated that only the Foundation would receive PPP support and said, I think its responsible to explore all options. We have no idea how long these shutdowns will last. Were in a good position now with reserve funds, but I have no idea what the world looks like in six months if the lockdowns continue.

I asked him if he saw any contradiction between FreedomWorks previous opposition to government bailouts and their decision to apply for and take an SBA loan. He said, No, adding, Its like when your land gets taken, you get compensation. Its a takings issue. The moral hazard is when you get bailed out for negligent behavior.

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FreedomWorks and PPP: FreedomWorks is supporting the anti-shutdown protests while applying for a bailout - Vox.com

Gerson: Reforming the GOP begins by voting Democratic in November – Gazettextra

When I think I have reached the bottom of my dejection about the state of public health and of the economy, I can always turn to the state of the Republican Party and go lower still.

The Trump captivity of the GOP has reached its sad, inevitable destination: a failed presidency defended by a cowed party. As Trumps malignant narcissism and incompetence have been fully revealedand can be objectively measured in the level of needless deathhis approval among Republicans has remained strong. Across a continent filled with elected Republicans, only a few have taken a stand for sanity and effective governance.

Trump is, no doubt, in a perilous political situation. The activist right wing of his party has seized on social distancing as the health care equivalent of Socialism. The tea party fundraising machine has lurched into loud, clanking motion, trying to manufacture outrage against epidemiology. Some pro-life and pro-family groups have joined in the ill-timed promotion of social anarchy.

The president seldom defies the right-wing populists, and his immediate response was to identify with their anger. But this is a different political circumstance than any Trump has faced. In this case, pleasing the most vocal portion of his base puts another important constituencyolder votersat additional risk of painful, suffocating death. It is difficult to play both sides of this issue. And there are indications in recent polling that seniors have grown increasingly critical of Trumps pandemic response.

Yet none of this is likely to change the minds of partisan Republicans. Some ignore or dismiss Trumps cruelty and deception because conservative judges need to be appointed and the culture war needs to be fought. Some embrace his cruelty and deception because conservative judges need to be appointed and the culture war needs to be fought. And Trump naturally takes continued Republican job approval as an endorsement for his handling of the coronavirus crisis. In this way, Republican tolerance for Trumps ineptitude and ignorance has made these traits more lethal.

It is sometimes useful to stare the worst possible political outcome full in the face. If Trump is re-elected in November, he would place his stamp on Republican identity for a generation. The purges of dissidents would accelerate. Resistance within the party would dwindle from rare to vanishingly rare. A party of angry white people would head toward its demographic doom. And even then, Trump acolytes would probably reject ideological and racial outreach, preferring their resentments to the possibility of deliverance.

A re-election defeat for Trump would open up a small space for ideological reconsideration and renovation. Trump and his clan would not disappear. They would do anything they could to claw their way back to power. But if Trump loses, it will be because he alienated the suburban Republicans and independents that his party lost in the 2018 midterm elections. And this would provide a window of opportunity for Republican leaders to combine a concern for the legitimate needs of rural and working-class whites with an agenda of upward economic mobility and minority outreach. And to do this while embracing the high cause of effective governance, capable of acting boldly to defend the health and security of the country.

For the last 150 years in American politics, ideological renewal has come through party factions. In the 1990s, center-left Democrats such as Bill Clinton did not found a third-way party. They created a New Democrat identity within the Democratic Party. Center-right Republicans are in desperate need of a similar effort.

For many, being center right means combining a commitment to free market economics with tolerant social values and strong national defense. That would be a large improvement over Trumps combination of populism, nativism, racism and mercantilism.

For some of us, the ideal is more on the model of Christian social teachingsolidary with the vulnerable, respect for value-shaping institutions, care for creation, the embrace of refugees and immigrants, and support for government that seeks the common good. This was basically the ideological framework for George W. Bushs 2000 campaign (read his Philadelphia convention speech for proof). This was also once characteristic of a certain kind of Catholic Democrat.

Neither political party currently measures up to this ideal, nor cares to. But Joe Biden was shaped by it. While his policy views can be quite liberal, his political muscle memory comes from the Catholic social justice tradition. He is, as his critics charge, a throwback. But to a saner time, with superior options. The beginning of reform for Republicans may be a vote for the Democratic candidate.

Michael Gerson writes for The Washington Post.

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Gerson: Reforming the GOP begins by voting Democratic in November - Gazettextra