Republicans for Biden

Another GOP official is voting for the Democrat. His reasons may sway some conservative voters.

Georgia Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan in Atlanta in 2020. Photo: Alyssa Pointer for the AJC, via AP File

As Donald Trump’s rhetoric grows more dangerous and his many trials have gotten underway, a small but courageous number of GOP officials have begun to state publicly that they will vote for Joe Biden over their own party’s presumptive nominee.

The latest convert is Geoff Duncan, the former Lieutenant Governor of Georgia, which is a crucial swing state. In an OpEd in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Monday, Duncan warned that the Republican Party “will never rebuild until we move on from the Trump era.”

For Duncan, Trump has “disqualified himself through his conduct and his character,” leaving Duncan “no choice but to pull the lever for Biden.”

Duncan is the latest Republican to cross party lines. The New York Times listed a few others: former Representative Liz Cheney of Wyoming, Senators Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Mitt Romney of Utah, and former Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey. 

But Duncan’s decision is notable for at least three reasons. 

First, he is not just not voting for Donald Trump, he is actively voting for Joe Biden.

Second, he was highly critical of other GOP officials who cynically continue to support Trump, and he named names. 

And third, he laid out a unique off ramp for Republicans opposed to Trumpism but still generally supportive of Republican policies—something that might have strong appeal for so-called “Haley” Republicans.

Ridin’ with Biden

It’s a rare thing for a former Republican official to publicly declare for a Democrat. Duncan joins a fairly small group so far, which includes former Trump spokeswoman Sarah Matthews and former White House lawyer Ty Cobb.

The usual approach for many “Never Trumpers” has been to denounce the ex-president, but then still say something about how they could still never vote for Biden and would probably be voting third party or writing in a name, such as Nikki Haley. 

But Duncan understands that this election is not just about not supporting Trump. It’s also actively about supporting our democracy. “This November, I am voting for a decent person I disagree with on policy over a criminal defendant without a moral compass,” Duncan wrote.

For Duncan, voting for Biden is a “binary choice” in an election and a practical necessity to save our country from Trump. He cited polls showing that Trump is leading nationally (he actually isn’t, even according to the polling averages) and in the battleground states (again, not necessarily). But if these misleading polls can convince Republicans who are frightened of a second Trump term to cast their votes for Biden, then so be it.

Shaming the spineless

Following up on his piece in the AJC, Duncan told CNN’s Laura Coates, “Donald Trump’s not a Republican. He doesn’t represent our brand. He doesn’t represent our future. He’s a horrible human being at this point, we’re watching that play out hour by hour in the courtroom.” Duncan continued, “It’s time to move on. If we’re going to heal as a party and truly get back to doing the things that we should do—and that’s be conservative but not angry or crazy or liars—we should turn the page immediately from Donald Trump.”

Toward his fellow Republicans who are rallying behind Trump even though they know better, Duncan was highly critical. And he was willing to name names.

“It’s disappointing to watch an increasing number of Republicans fall in line behind former president Donald Trump,” he wrote. “This includes some of his fiercest detractors, such as U.S. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu and former U.S. Attorney General Bill Barr.”

This is an unusually courageous stand, especially given how threats of violence have erupted lately whenever Republican officials have publicly opposed the MAGA right.

The off ramp

Importantly, Duncan and others like him provide a crucial permission structure and off ramp for Republicans to stand against Trump and in favor of Biden and our democracy. As I’ve noted before, there are around 20 percent of Republican primary voters who are “gettable” for Biden based on their protest votes against Trump. This “not Trump” vote continues to show up in critical battleground state primaries like Pennsylvania’s, even though Nikki Haley is no longer in the running.

Duncan’s OpEd seems to be speaking to these disaffected GOP voters. He notes that he still disagrees with Biden on policy issues, as do most Republicans. And then he spends some time empathizing with the conflict many of them feel:

Other reluctant Trump supporters will cite their policy differences with Biden. Or Trump’s accomplishments as president, ranging from the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 to three appointments to the U.S. Supreme Court. Or they will point to the sense of chaos sweeping the nation right now, most notably the widespread anti-Israel protests at college campuses.

But Duncan doesn’t believe these policy issues are enough to overcome Trump’s chaos and incompetence.

I get it. No one likes paying higher taxes, and these protests are unsettling. But the last year of the Trump presidency was hardly a time of tranquility. His handling of the pandemic was erratic, including at one point musing about consuming disinfectants. His reliance on incendiary phrases such as “when the looting starts, the shooting starts” fueled racial unrest. His infamous march to St. John’s Episcopal Church across the street from the White House, flanked by top aides (including Barr) and brandishing a Bible, further set the nation ablaze.

Trump has shown us who he is. We should believe him. To think he is going to change at the age of 77 is beyond improbable.

Duncan also went a bit nuanced by calling on Republicans to show up, vote for Biden, but split the down ticket races to keep Biden in check with a congressional GOP majority: “At the same time, we should work to elect GOP congressional majorities to block his second-term legislative agenda and provide a check and balance.”

While it’s tempting to fault Duncan for urging the election of a GOP Congress that is increasingly fully under Trump’s control, the man is still an ex-GOP official, and the Republican Party are his people. We can survive another GOP-controlled House or Senate, which is bound to happen eventually. What we can’t survive is another four years—or perhaps far longer once he refuses ever to leave office—of Trump.

Politics creates some strange allies in hard times. But as I’ve said with respect to Liz Cheney, with whom I disagree on nearly every policy matter, if she stands for democracy and the rule of law, that is common ground on which I will gladly stand with her and call her friend, just as former Speaker Nancy Pelosi did. It is one thing to rail against your opponents on the other side of the aisle for their lack of principle and obsequiousness to Trump in naked pursuit of ambition. It is another thing entirely to turn your back on your own party and walk away.

But that is what principled and courageous leaders like Duncan, and Cheney have done. These conservatives stand on the right side of history, however lonely and politically homeless they might feel now. Historians will take note of that when the books are written.