In 1964, I registered as a Republican and voted for Barry Goldwater. Then, neither major party was ideological: Both argued that government existed to protect and to help our people. The Democrats argued that it should be done on a national scale by the federal government; the GOP argued that such social programs should start with and be administered by the states or local governments.
I chose the GOP and was in sync with Everett Dirksen, Howard Baker, George Romney and Charles Percy.
Each party had its crazies. The GOP had the John Birch Society in the West, and the Democrats had people like George Wallace and Orval Faubus in the South. Yet neither party was ideological. Each party was a "big tent" that could house liberals, moderates and conservatives. We all got along and supported pragmatic politicians.
In the 1990s, the GOP changed. It became ideological, adopting the selfishness of Ayn Rand and the religious fundamentalism of Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson. It became two parties, which it still is. The current message of the majority of the GOP is clear: Those who have must keep; those who do not have, too bad. That applies to both federal help as well as state help. To the minority of the GOP, accept or get lost! Greed is good!
Traditional Republicans would agree that government exists to help people do what they cannot do themselves, whether because of health, wealth, weather or loss of job. The only issue should be whether such help should be from the federal government or from the state or local government. The current GOP believes that there should be no help from anywhere because help must be paid from taxes.
That is why I cannot be a Republican.
-- Raymond Greenberg, Thousand Oaks