Successfully fighting Trump demands unity. And unity means the progressive movement joining with center-left liberals. It means center-left liberals joining with moderates. And, yes, it means all of the above joining with conservatives and center-right opponents of Trumpism. Naturally, we don't all agree on policy, but we agree on perhaps the most critical issue of our time: reining in this brutal pandemic -- this viral populism and bigoted white nationalism that's infected too many voters.
It means reaching out to conservatives who are deeply skeptical of Trump for the same reasons the rest of us are -- his autocratic tendencies, his stunted view of democracy and his erratic, unpresidential behavior, to name just a few of the myriad problems with the notion of "President Trump." The left would do well to form alliances with sensible anti-Trump conservatives like Rick Wilson, Steve Schmidt, Charlie Sykes, Tom Nichols, John Schindler, Nicolle Wallace, David Frum and many others who've decided to put nation ahead of party. They may say things, by the way, that will piss off the left in terms of policy prescriptions or their assessment of President Obama, but their present goals are the same as ours: Trumpism can not be allowed to flourish.
Approving of the bolded text is another reason 2006-ish me would hate 2017 me. But this is where we are.
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