Submitted by Jonathan Perloe, Cos Cob
It’s time for Republican leaders currently serving in public office to endorse Kamala Harris for president. Or, at least publicly announce that they will not vote for Donald Trump. The reason is simple: Trump represents an existential threat to American democracy.
In this election, Republican voices carry a level of authority unmatched by others, certainly by the chorus of Democrats that have been sounding the alarm for years.
It’s a big ask. Unlike the hundreds of Republican leaders who have already endorsed Harris, Republicans still in office have more to lose than former public officials. Just look at Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger, who sacrificed their careers. It’s not just putting country over party. For some, it would be putting country over career.
Much has been written about why Trump represents an extreme threat to American democracy, none of it to do with his political positions. But Dick Cheney’s endorsement of Kamala Harris is all any Republican should need to be convinced that Donald Trump is the threat that Democrats accuse him of being.
Cheney wrote, “In our nation’s 248-year history, there has never been an individual who is a greater threat to our republic than Donald Trump. He tried to steal the last election using lies and violence to keep himself in power after the voters had rejected him. He can never be trusted with power again.”
Considering that in the minds of Democrats, Dick Cheney is one of the most reviled Republicans around, it is remarkable, and truly admirable, that he not only denounced Trump, but actually endorsed Harris.
As Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said, “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” Except in this case, it’s our democracy that may end if Republican office holders stay silent.
Jonathan Perloe