Growing up with Democrats for parents, I rebelled and joined The Young Republicans Club in high school and joked that my first love was free market capitalism. I went into politics and studied it voraciously, became a Republican. But I was never truly a Republican. I could just never admit it to myself, touting elitism in my contrarian views as a college student in liberal DC.
It’s only with time and maturity and this past election that has slowly shifted me more openly. I was a Republican In Name Only, or RINO, as those in politics commonly refer to. I’m a Rockefeller RINO, which means I value things like fiscal conservatism paired with more progressive social positions, such as supporting government investment in infrastructure, those public-private partnerships as discussed in Karp’s book, education, and social programs, while also being pro-business. I tend to favor pragmatism and compromise over ideological purity and partisanship. It’s sad that moderatism is almost bespoke now in the age of MAGA and DSA.
I’ll never be in politics again, but I remain deeply kindred to the cause.
Today’s news about Trump bombing the civilization of Iran awash and potentially foreshadowing a plethora of war crimes, that I personally believe are mere ramblings of an old man, nonetheless makes me ill about the future pulse of America’s politicking. It feels like a sick joke. I was blissfully ignorant when living abroad and wish to do so again.