Here’s why Jon Ivy is a Republican

Jon Ivy is a progressive, but he’s also a Republican. The following helps to explain why:

California is on track for one-party rule

If you’re a progressive in this country, you already have one powerful party to belong to: the Democratic Party. Nowhere is the power of the Democratic Party more clear than here in California. The Democrats have a super-majority in the state Legislature, able to pass any state laws they want. In the last election, the Democrats won every statewide office and Democrats even took congressional seats in the Republican strong-hold of Orange County.

As the Democratic Party continues to win, the Republican Party of California will be made-up of fewer and fewer voters. Those few voters will have extremely right-wing ideologies. They will more and more idolize people like Donald Trump, more and more believe in racist and extremist policies, and will more and more set themselves apart from the rest of us. Meanwhile, the Democratic Party, in its victories, will become larger and larger. Its message will become more and more diffuse and subject to control by the party’s leadership. The Republicans of yesterday will be the Democrats tomorrow, and they’ll bring with them a push to-the-right.

We are on our way to one-party rule in California. Progressives will have a seat in the Democratic Party, but the centrist and conservative voices will be there too. And while there is hope that progressives can win out (just look at the efforts by the Justice Democrats), having only one party is not an ideal system of government. The voters depend on party affiliation to help guide their choices. The ballots don’t say “Democrat – supports abortion rights” vs “Democrat – votes to increase war spending.” They just say “Democrat” vs “Democrat.”

Most of us think having only two parties is bad. But having just one party may be worse.

Republicans can win

And so, I want to rebuild the California Republican Party in ways that will enable them to win elections and present a real challenge to the Democrats. Namely, Republicans Can Win by adopting a progressive platform and running campaigns on progressive ideas.

We need to completely transform the Republican Party in our country. There shouldn’t be a major political party in our country that accepts and promotes racism, fascism, and Nazism. There shouldn’t be a major political party in our country that provides support for rich oligarchs, endless war, and cruel domestic policies.

And in transforming the Republican Party with a progressive political revolution, we can also defeat the corporate-backed Democrats. A progressive Republican will always have an advantage over their Democratic rival. The heart and soul of the Republican Party and the progressive ideals that it was formed with can beat corporate interests in every election.

Republicans can win against Democrats that don’t care about working-class people. Republicans can win on a progressive platform. Republicans can win if their candidates are good, moral people opposed to fascism, homophobia, xenophobia, racism, and white nationalism. And so, the Republican Party needs a new progressive platform that can rally support, build political will, and change our nation:

Our economy is rigged and we need to fix it. We need to protect ourselves and our families from climate change. Republicans don’t just resist fascism, racism, and Nazism; we defeat those evils wherever they’re found. Competition among businesses is essential to a free market. Universal healthcare is a moral imperative. Public education is essential to a working democracy. We must expand opportunities for voting, get money out of politics, and guarantee a right to vote to all Americans. It is our duty to teach good civic engagement to our children.

www.jonivy.com/platform