Romney hopes to pull Kasich across finish line KASICH from A1

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump addresses supporters at a rally, March 14, 2016, at Winner Aviation in Vienna, Ohio.

(John Kuntz/cleveland.com)

Phil Van Treuren

I never would have guessed that keeping a promise would be the most controversial thing I ever did in my political career.



Throughout the primary, I insisted that Donald Trump was the only Republican candidate I would never support in the general election. Trump consistently reinforced the left's worst stereotypes about the GOP, and I assumed the rest of my party saw what I did: that he wouldn't just lose the White House and sink our under-ticket candidates, but also harm the image of conservatives for a generation.



What I was blind to -- stupidly so -- was a small but rabid minority in my party who didn't care about choosing the candidate most likely to win. Instead, they wanted the candidate who made them feel the best about hating the other side.



That's the biggest difference between Republicans like me and those who've embraced the Cult of Trump. I'll never vote for Hillary Clinton, but I don't hate her. I've worked for years to help conservatives, but there isn't a single Democrat I despise. And that, for some, is an unforgivable sin.



When Trump clinched the nomination, I didn't back efforts to replace him at the convention; he had followed the rules and won.

I did, however, remain true to my word: I wouldn't vote for Clinton, but I also wouldn't vote for Trump.



Many Republicans who knew me understood why I didn't relent, but some were flabbergasted that I was actually keeping my promise. Messages arrived labeling me a traitor and demanding I leave the party. Strangers approached me to say I wasn't a Republican if I didn't "get on the Trump Train." One confused person even insisted that, as an elected official, it was my "job" to vote for Republicans . . . and that I should resign my position on Amherst City Council.



The most common accusation? If I wasn't voting for Trump, then I was voting for Clinton. This is, to me, one of the biggest deceits in politics; the idea that a good person must choose the lesser of two evils. Let's be clear: Clinton, awful as she is, was handed the presidency when Donald Trump became our nominee. This isn't the fault of those of us who warned everyone.



Ronald Reagan is one of my heroes. Trump, by most measures, is his opposite: hateful instead of hopeful; crass instead of clever; an angry apostle of his own ambition rather than a cheerful warrior for the conservative cause. He's unpredictable and quick to anger . . . and as a father and a veteran, those are qualities that frighten me in a potential commander-in-chief.



Mine is the party of Lincoln, the champion of American exceptionalism and individual responsibility. We promote smaller government, lower taxes, and local control. It's a party I'm proud of, and I'll be damned if I abandon it to be destroyed by a con man. I only wish I could help every Republican understand that Trump is a mortal threat to our party, not its savior.



Even if Donald Trump can win the presidency, Republican values lose: Jeremy Drown (Opinion)

Do I think everyone who's supporting our nominee is an unhinged member of the Cult of Trump? Of course not. I respect many Republicans who are voting for Trump for what they believe to be legitimate reasons. We disagree today, but we'll fight together in the future.



The calls for me to leave the GOP will increase as Election Day approaches, but I'm not going anywhere. Although our party has been hijacked by a charlatan, I believe in what the Republican Party stands for. And I'll be here to help rebuild it, long after Trump has moved on to selling more steaks or ties or reverse mortgages.



Instead of sitting this year out, I'm helping our under-ticket candidates, including Sen. Rob Portman. I'll cast my vote for every Republican on the ballot this year . . . except Trump.



Would it have been easier to flip-flop and become a Trump sycophant after he clinched the nomination? Sure. But I'm proud to say I kept my word. And I'll be proud to someday tell my children that I loved my party . . . but I loved my country more.



Phil Van Treuren is a Republican member of Amherst City Council in Lorain County.