When bad men combine, the good must associate; else they will fall one by one, an unpitied sacrifice in a contemptible struggle. – Edmund Burke

I have been using this Burke quote as a call to action against the campaign of Donald Trump since September 11, 2015. As some of you may remember, this was the day that the longest serving Governor for the State of Texas, arguably one of the loudest voices in the nation for the concept of federalism, and a long time champion of the conservative movement, suspended his campaign for the GOP nomination for President of the United States. That was an incredibly tough day for me as a conservative, and as someone who had been a supporter of Governor Perry in 2012 and had a small role on his ill fated 2016 campaign. I hadn’t been paid in over a month and I was already concerned that the conventional wisdom offered in regard to Donald Trump was either woefully naive on the part of Rubio, or too clever by half on the part of Cruz.

We stand now at a crossroads, not only as nation, as has seemed to be the case in every election since 2008, but in the GOP. At no time in my life have I believed in the viability of a third party more so than I do today.

There is a reason for never considering a third party as a legitimate option until this point. Until now, the faction that would traditionally be leading a third part effort are the same people that are supporting Donald Trump today. The Birchers of yesteryear mixed with the Know Nothings, a dab of Paultard, and a grating sense of humor developed over a series of incredibly lonely nights spent playing Halo and “tea bagging” the “noob” … that’s apparently the vein of the GOP that is on the ascendency this cycle.

I want no part of it.

Granted, not every supporter of Trump is a white nationalist seeking payback for a white genocide they believe has been in effect ever since the 1960’s. Indeed, many of Trump’s fans are simply disenfranchised members of the GOP, but the time for their willful ignorance of who Trump has supporting him and how exactly Trump has actively courted that support is over.

David Duke, former member of the KKK, failed presidential candidate, white nationalist, and a legitimate example of racism in a world where that charge is often tossed about with little thought of its weight or meaning, is a proud supporter of Donald Trump, and Trump apparently has no issue with this. Nor does the hugging giant, Chris Christie, I suppose.

Until last night I thought the good would fail to associate, and, as Burke notes above, that Cruz and Rubio would “fall one by one, an unpitied sacrifice in a contemptible struggle.”

Fortunately that isn’t what happened. The good associated and the bad man was exposed. That said, Rubio and Cruz only began the work that must be done, and they are not the only ones with a duty at this point.

Now is the time, as Erick Erickson noted early today, for all good men to stand up together and associate. Let it be known where you stand. Tell everyone publicly, early, and often that you will not support Donald Trump as the GOP nominee.