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Kevin Raye represented Washington County for four terms in the Maine Senate, where he served as Republican Leader and as Maine’s 114th Senate president. David Emery served two terms in the Maine House and four terms representing Maine’s 1st Congressional District in the U.S. House, where he was Chief Deputy Republican Whip.
With the presidential election mere days away, we all must decide what kind of America we want for ourselves and future generations. We come at this question from the perspective of two Mainers who spent years supporting the Republican Party, who have both served in elective office as Republicans, and who voted for and campaigned for Ronald Reagan (twice), George H.W. Bush (twice), Bob Dole, George W. Bush (twice), John McCain and Mitt Romney.
We were proud to support these Republican presidents and standard-bearers who understood and safeguarded America’s place as a beacon of freedom and democracy in the world. They each honored and respected the sacrifice of America’s brave fighting men and women, both publicly and privately. They were true to the Constitution and revered the sanctity of democratic elections and the peaceful transfer of power. They each exhibited the character and integrity America deserves in a president. They were optimistic about the future and appealed to our higher instincts.
Sadly, we believe Donald Trump fails to uphold any of these ideals. To the contrary, he rejects the notion of preserving freedom and democracy by inviting Russia to “do whatever the hell they want” to our NATO allies. He privately derides fallen American soldiers as “losers” and “suckers.” He has called for the termination of the Constitution and encouraged a mob to march to the U.S. Capitol in an effort to subvert the will of the American people. He recently suggested turning the military on U.S. citizens he deems the “enemy from within.” He is a convicted felon with a string of bankruptcies and fraudulent business practices and has been found by a civil jury to have committed sexual abuse. He has a dark and pessimistic view of America’s future and appeals to our worst instincts.
Many who worked most closely with Donald Trump during his four years in the White House — all Republicans — agree he is unfit to serve. His longest-serving chief of staff, Marine Corps General John Kelly, warns that Trump is a fascist who admires Hitler and other authoritarian tyrants. Add to that the stark warnings from two of his own secretaries of defense, his national security advisor, his c hairman of the Joint Chiefs, and many others including his own vice president — all of whom say he must not return to power.
So, like many voters in Maine and across America who have traditionally voted Republican, we are supporting Kamala Harris for president. We do so not only as a rejection of Donald Trump’s unfitness for the office but also in recognition that Vice President Harris has the experience and temperament to lead our nation successfully. Yes, we will have the normal policy disagreements with her that have characterized American democracy and progress for nearly 250 years. But she understands America’s place in the world, honors our military members, respects the Constitution and democracy, understands the lives of working people, and has the integrity, character and decency Americans deserve in a president.
It can be difficult to be objective when confronted with new facts that challenge our preferences and preconceptions. But we are mindful of a famous quote variably attributed to John Maynard Keynes, Paul Samuelson, or Winston Churchill who, upon being criticized for changing his position on an issue, retorted, “When the facts change, I change my mind. What do you do?”
For many of us who have long supported Republicans, that is where America is today. The facts have changed. Donald Trump does not represent the values that once united Republicans. He purposely drives the divisions that threaten America’s institutions of democracy, freedom, and law and order, not to mention world stability. If returned to the most powerful office in the land, he has made it clear that the people around him who erected the guardrails that prevented his worst excesses for four years will no longer be there.
We must never let that happen. We must elect Kamala Harris as our next president.
Election notice: The BDN will stop accepting letters and columns related to the Nov. 5 election on Wednesday, Oct. 30. Not all submissions can be published.
