Jason Thigpen
A few weeks ago Texas Republican Judge Carlo R. Key decided to leave the Republicans Party. He pulled no punches when he left. He left with a stinging indictment of the party. He said,
Rational Republican beliefs have given way to ideological character assassination. Pragmatism and principle have been overtaken by pettiness and bigotry. Make no mistake; I have not left the Republican Party. It left me. I cannot tolerate a Republican Party that demeans Texans based on their sexual orientation, the color of their skin, or their economic status. I will not be a member of a party in which hate speech elevates candidates for higher office rather than disqualifying them. I cannot place my name on the ballot for a political party that is proud to destroy the lives of hundreds of thousands of federal workers over the vain attempt to repeal a law that would provide healthcare to millions of people throughout our country. .. I would hope that more people of principle will follow me.
Not surprising, this week another Republican from a state that is suppressing its voters and filling the air with hate has decided to switch. A couple days ago North Carolina Republican congressional candidate Jason Thigpen could take it no longer. Jason Thigpen is a veteran. He served the country in the army for 6 years. He was deployed to Iraq as a gun-truck commander for a Convoy Security Team between 2008 and 2010. He served his country.
Jason Thigpen told the NewsObserver that the Tea Party push for a government shutdown precipitated his switch. He said,
I simply cannot stand with a party where its most extreme element promote hate and division amongst people,” Thigpen said in a statement posted to his campaign website Thursday. “Nothing about my platform has, nor will it change. The government shutdown was simply the straw that broke the camels back. I guess being an American just isn’t good enough anymore and I refuse to be part of an extremist movement in the GOP that only appears to thrive on fear and hate mongering of anyone and everyone who doesn’t walk their line.
Thigpen also said that he “didn’t go to war to defend the liberties and freedoms of one party, race, or one income class of Americans.” He was taken aback when North Carolina legislators used their super-majority status to suppress voting rights of Democrats, specifically minorities and college students. He acknowledged the super majority was attained through gerrymandering. Read his full statement here.
This is likely a difficult decision for Mr. Jason Thigpen. He must be applauded for the courage it took. He will be accepted into the Democratic Party with open arms. One can only hope that moderate Republicans take back their Party. America needs a multi-party system to force all politicians of every stripe to earn the votes of every American. The trickle of Republicans switching is bound to become a stream as the extremist continue to hold their party and the country hostage.
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