Donald Trump is no anomaly in today's Republican Party

Dave Sokola | The News Journal

Sen. Dave Sokola represents areas of Newark, Pike Creek and Hockessin.

When I was first elected in November 1990, split government was a norm in American politics. The senate was held by Democrats, while Republicans held the state house and the governor’s mansion.

The story was similar in Washington, where Democrats controlled Congress and Republican George H. W. Bush sat in the Oval Office.

Split-ticket voting was also the norm at that time, and it was reflected in our government. George Bush, Sr. presided over the re-authorization of the Clean Air Act, spurned the rising voice of the far right in his Party (including a prescient reference to supply-side fiscal policy as “voodoo economics”), and signed a budget bill that balanced spending cuts with tax hikes.

Bush’s predecessor, President Reagan, signed legislation in California affirming a woman’s right to choose, expanded the federal government, raised taxes to preserve safety-net programs, and advocated for gun control both before and after his presidency.

Split-ticket voting was common at that time because compromise was common. It isn’t surprising that the reverse is also true.

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News Journal columnist Matt Albright recently urged readers not to “vote against” Donald Trump with a straight Democratic ticket, and instead to seek out the best candidates. His thesis is well-intended, but it’s wrong on two important levels.

First, blindly splitting your ticket isn’t any better than any other kind of “blind” voting. Many people will weigh their options and vote a straight ticket, not because of some deficiency as voters, but because membership in a political party is usually a strong predictor of a candidate’s political values.

It’s also worth noting that not all candidates are created equal: Democrats have done an excellent job with recruitment this year, including record numbers of women, people of color, and first-time candidates who represent a long-overdue generational shift in our politics. Many are running against entrenched incumbents or extremists – or people I’ve watched become both over the years.

Second, it’s true that Donald Trump inspires outrage (not just among Democrats), but the Republican Party’s issues persist with or without him. Trump is only a symptom of a larger problem: in Washington and in Dover, the GOP has lurched to the right. Putting aside Donald Trump for a moment, how would Ronald Reagan or George Bush feel in the Delaware Republican Party?

What would Reagan, who raised taxes to save programs like Medicaid and Social Security, think of Republican brinksmanship that brought us over a budget deadline and threatened a government shutdown in 2017?

What would Reagan, who supported the Brady Bill and the 1994 assault weapons ban, think of Republicans who universally opposed an assault weapons ban this year (not to mention policies as simple as background checks)?

What would Reagan, who granted amnesty to 3 million immigrants, think of the dog-whistle politics behind Republican signs in our area reading “Make Delaware a sanctuary state: Vote Democrat”? (I can only hope that it’s simply an unfortunate coincidence that two Latina women, Guillermina Gonzalez and Laura Sturgeon, are running for office here.)

Under any other name, Reagan and Bush wouldn’t last long in today’s GOP. Don’t take it from me: look no further than former candidates like Mike Castle or Gene Truono, or the Party’s New Castle County Chairman who recently resigned his position after an extremist ticket won the September primary. The party that once gave us moderates like Mike Castle and scientists like Russ Peterson now seems preoccupied with placating its most extreme supporters.

Even as an unapologetic Democrat, I owe all of my constituents a good faith dialogue and a sincere effort to work with my colleagues despite our differences. Republicans like Liane Sorenson and Bill Oberle made that work easy and rewarding, but I am troubled to find that each year it becomes harder to find willing partners.

The desire to show up to ribbon cuttings and photo opportunities is still bipartisan, but when push comes to shove in Legislative Hall, compromise and nuance have given way to tribalism, off-year obstructionism, and election year stunts. We shouldn’t be surprised that voters notice.

I represent a purple district in an area that used to be part of the Republican Party’s base in Delaware. Many of my constituents are former or current Republicans who will be voting for Democrats this year because, to paraphrase Reagan, the GOP left them behind – not in Washington, but in their own back yard.

Republicans should take heed.

Sen. Dave Sokola represents areas of Newark, Pike Creek, and Hockessin.

