The Third Political Party

Why I Can No Longer Support Today’s Republican Party

Until recently, I was a lifelong Republican. I chose the party when I first began voting because it stood for freedom, small government, and respect for the individual. It was a party I was proud to belong to. But a lot has changed in the past 50 years.

Today, what used to be a two-party system feels more like three. We have Democrats, Republicans, and a third faction I’ll call the MAGA Republicans. This group originally surfaced as the Tea Party, but when most Americans resisted its extreme agenda, its leaders abandoned the name and moved into the Republican Party, keeping the brand but discarding its long-held values.

There are still many Republicans who carry the values of the “Grand Old Party.” Yet for reasons I don’t fully understand, they have allowed this infiltration to go unchecked. Many continue to vote Republican out of habit, and in doing so, have created fertile ground for MAGA Republicans to replace the party’s morals, values, and focus. Ironically, the people who loudly call others “RINOs” — Republicans in name only — have become exactly that.

What Republicans Once Represented

Traditional Republicans believed in the individual and in the future of our country. They valued honesty, conservative principles, and personal responsibility. They wanted government to stay out of people’s private choices. Most of the Republicans I’ve known through my church and community have been people of strong morals and integrity.

That vision has been cast aside. Political debate today often looks like a middle-school insult contest. We used to argue over policies and principles. Now the loudest voices compete to see who can demean opponents the most.

Truth Replaced by Conspiracy

Honesty has also eroded. Of course, dishonesty exists in every party, but MAGA Republicans have normalized it. Conspiracy theories are spun with no regard for truth — the only goal is to inflame anger and gain power. Winning has become more important than reality.

Consider the words of the 1984 Republican Party Platform:

The Democratic Party [... ] thinks our country has passed its peak. It offers Americans redistribution instead of expansion, contraction instead of growth, and despair instead of hope. In foreign policy, it asserts the rhetoric of freedom, but in practice, it follows a policy of withdrawal and isolation.
— Republican Party Platform, 1984

Ironically, this description applies far more to MAGA Republicans today than it ever did to Democrats. They praise authoritarian leaders like Putin, Orbán, Xi, and Kim Jong-un. Some even speak of leaving NATO. These authoritarian figures are not models of democratic leadership — and there is not one of those countries I would choose to live in.

America Is Not in Decline

MAGA Republicans paint a picture of a weak and failing America. This is a scare tactic — and it isn’t true. The United States continues to stand as the largest economy in the world, with a nominal GDP of over $29 trillion, accounting for more than one-quarter of global economic output.(Wikipedia)

Crime, too, has been falling. Violent crime declined an estimated 4.5% in 2024, marking continued reductions in major categories—murders fell nearly 15%, aggravated assaults decreased 3%, robberies decreased 8.9%, and rapes dropped 5.2%.(Federal Bureau of Investigation, The Guardian) In many U.S. cities, homicide rates remain well below pre-pandemic levels.(My WordPress)

These facts undermine the claim that America is unraveling — in reality, we’re moving forward on multiple fronts.

The Poison of Bigotry

Perhaps most troubling is the blatant bigotry. When leaders call a race of people “poison,” slander a religion, or spread lies that immigrants are eating pets, they reveal not leadership but hatred. These lies wound real people and turn Americans against each other. All people — of every race, religion, and background — are made in the image of God. To call them “poison” is to reject that truth.

Empty Promises for Ordinary Americans

MAGA Republicans often warn about “socialism,” a loaded word used more for fear than clarity. I agree that socialism isn’t the answer, but I also believe God calls us to care for both the poor and the middle class. Instead, this faction pushes tariffs that could raise consumer prices by around 20%, seeks to roll back affordable healthcare, and reserves the largest tax breaks for the wealthy and big corporations. Ordinary Americans are left behind so the rich can get richer.

Immigration as a Political Weapon

Immigration is a real challenge, and I agree increased action was needed sooner. But when a bipartisan bill — developed by both parties — was nearing passage, it was blocked by a presidential candidate who preferred to keep the issue alive as a campaign weapon. Solving the problem mattered less than fueling fear and division.

My Vote This Year

This year, I will vote for the Democratic candidate. If a Republican candidate truly represented the values of the party I once loved, I might support them. But in this election, there are only two viable options: a Democrat or a MAGA Republican. I will never vote for the latter.

As Mesa, Arizona’s Republican mayor John Giles said:

“Voting for a Democrat does not make you a Democrat, it makes you a patriot. It’s okay to vote for change.”