PA ex-GOP gov. Tom Ridge slams 45, endorses Biden

[Tanuki]

https://www.inquirer.com/opinion/commentary/tom-ridge-trump-biden-election-2020-vote-20200927.html?outputType=amp&__twitter_impression=true

... "Donald Trump has proven over these last four years he is incapable of such leadership. It is not within him. He lacks the empathy, integrity, intellect and maturity to lead. He sows division along political, racial and religious lines. And he routinely dismisses the opinions of experts who know far more about the subject at hand than he does – intelligence, military, and public health. Our country has paid dearly in lives lost, social unrest, economic hardship and our standing in the world.
...
With just about one month until Election Day, President Trump continues to claim the only way he can possibly be defeated is a rigged election. Can you imagine the hubris? Can you imagine any other president in our lifetime — or ever — saying something so dangerous and un-American? We are in the midst of a health crisis, when we should be doing all we can to help citizens vote safely, yet he continues to cast doubt on the sanctity of the vote. He’s done so multiple times here in Pennsylvania. It’s deplorable, yet utterly consistent with past reprehensible behavior.

Vice President Biden and I both know that supporting his candidacy now certainly won’t dissuade me from speaking out later when I disagree with him. But we surely will do so with civility and respect, not with childish name-calling and twitter tirades. Joe Biden has the experience and empathy necessary to help us navigate not only the pandemic, but also other issues that have fractured our nation, including social injustice, income inequality and immigration reform.

Whether the Republican Party can restore itself or not, I don’t know. Whether it wants to or not, I don’t know that either. But what matters to me is that the core group of conservative principles I held as a young man when I cast my first vote decades ago are with me today. They are the same principles exhorted by my party’s forebears -- Abraham Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt and Ronald Reagan. Those principles have been indispensible to me in deciding to extend my hand of support to Joe Biden, who I believe absolutely must be America’s next president."

[Peacetrain]

1. Holy Cow!!!

this is HUGE!!

[oswaldactedalone]

2. Bout damn time

Idiot Tom Ridge did something right.

[PCIntern]

3. That's kind of a b f deal here.

We do tend to discard our ex-guvs, however.

[malaise]

20. Wasn't he also the first DHS Secretary?

This is a big fucking deal...PERIOD!

[TexasBushwhacker]

23. Yes. Also a Vietnam veteran n/t

[malaise]

24. You mean one of the losers and suckers?

Thanks

[TexasBushwhacker]

27. Yes!

[Botany]

4. So the former Republican Governors of Ohio and Pennsylvania and the GOP former Lt. Governor ...

... of Indiana and the widow of John McCain have all come out for Biden?

Gov. Ridge even used the "d-word" deplorable. Remember when Hillary used that word and
all the faux outrage?

"It’s deplorable, yet utterly consistent with past reprehensible behavior."

******
Republicans for Biden*. Even in Oklahoma!

Two former GOP congressmen, Charles Djou of Hawaii and Mickey Edwards of Oklahoma, announced their support for Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden in a Roll Call opinion article.

Djou and Edwards are part of "Republicans and Independents for Biden," a group of nearly 100 former GOP lawmakers who are supporting the former vice president.

The pair blasted President Donald Trump as "an ill-formed man who lacks basic self-control and shows no semblance of inner character."

* https://www.nytimes.com/article/republicans-voting-for-biden-not-trump.html

[MuseRider]

5. Isn't he the guy

that made our color coded terror chart?

Maybe he should bring that back up. It might be interesting to see what happened when people who pay little attention see what it will look like.

[bucolic_frolic]

6. Yes, he's flying the red crisis flag today! Thank you, Ex-Governor Ridge!

[LuvNewcastle]

9. We must have been in threat level red

for the past four years. After all, we have a terrorist leader in the White House. Osama bin Laden only wished he could kill as many as Trump. And Trump's followers are more numerous and about as well-armed as Al Qaeda.

[honest.abe]

7. This could be significant in PA.

I do believe Ridge is still popular there.

[IronLionZion]

8. Hoping this will convince some moderate GOP PA voters

[kiri]

18. Penna is volatile and can easily tip to Trump

The Republicans completely control the Penna legislature. They have gerrymandered the state to remain in power no matter what. Philadelphia and Pittsburgh are the only hope for Biden.

Remember the Bible belt: Pennsylvania is Pgh and Phila with Alabama in between. Still true in 2020.

Biden wants to be a favorite son from roots in Scranton. This plays poorly in the Pgh coal regions, where there is high unemployment; some call Biden a traitor to coal.

Biden will win Allegheny county, but possibly by not enough to overcome the bible-belt voters.

[IronLionZion]

25. I grew up in PA

it's a close election and a big swing state so every vote counts. High turnout from our side wins it.

[Sugarcoated]

28. Actually the courts redrew the districts

it's gerrymandered no more. Biden's ahead by anywhere from 9-10 points in three polls just out. Donnie the diddler is incredibly unpopular in the very densely populated Philly suburbs, particulary Montgomery County where I live. Joe will do much better than Clinton in the Scranton area and in Philly with AA's. Again, Hillary didn't and she only lost by a whisker. He'll do much better in Pittsburgh and, really, the whole state, even rural than Clinton. Joe's got blue collar cred to spare here, he knows how to talk to working class folks, speaks our language.

Hillary never got over 50%. Joe's at 54%. Scranton Joe's looking to win his home state pretty handily.

[kiri]

29. In Pennsylvania coal country, miners forgive Trump for failed revival...

Please see
https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSKBN26L1SB
"many rural and blue-collar areas remain devoted to Trump. In Schuylkill County, for example, Republican voter registrations have surged on his watch. Republicans there held a slim 5,600-voter advantage over registered Democrats in 2016, an edge that now exceeds 17,000 voters, according to Pennsylvania voter data."

You are Correct! I forgot that the courts finally redrew districts, esp. near Phila. I worry that rosey glasses color estimations in Penna. The northern tier is unalterably pro-Trump. The Harrisburg area, too. Pgh will obviously go to Biden, but surrounding areas have a deep distrust of him, and evangelicals have promoted "lying to the pollsters" for "a Nov surprise."

I just sent $300 to Kos' list of reps to make the PA House BLUE. Sorry Kos makes it impossible to post a link--very stupid.

But read the Reuters article--it is very informative.

[Sugarcoated]

31. Trump is losing Pennsylvania, though...

and Biden is cutting into those rural areas where crooked Donnie squeaked out the numbers to win PA by a whisker. Biden just needs to cut into the numbers a little while getting the AA numbers up in the urban areas. The burbs are tanking for crooked Donnie.

In light of what you're highlighting, why do you think Biden is winning by 6-10 points in every PA poll?

[OregonBlue]

10. I don't understand why everyone is not standing up and shouting

"How dare he tell us the court will decide." The American people will decide you cretin and we're coming for you. The hubris is stunning and NO ONE is making an issue of it.

[JohnnyRingo]

11. Wow! Ridge doesn't mince words.

The fact that he went beyond a simple endorsement to pen an op-ed is incredible in itself.
It seems nothing cures a republican of party delusion like being out of office, but Tom Ridge is respected in the state of Pennsylvania.

[TruckFump]

12. WOW...This is great!

Thanks for the info.

[oldsoftie]

13. Holy damn, thats a HUGE one.

If McCain had picked Ridge instead of Palin, he very well may have won in '08

[Buckeyeblue]

14. I wonder if this is a prelude to the Bush family endorsing Biden?

If W endorses Biden, I wonder what type of bump that could give Biden in Texas? Or Jeb in Fl.

[lindysalsagal]

19. The shrubs claim to love 'merukuh.' I say, prove it and endorse Biden.

or shut the f up.

[MustLoveBeagles]

15. K&R

This is big

[DemsIn2020]

16. WOW.. This is shocking

I did meet him a golf outing once for the PA state police.. As much as I disliked him in politics, he came off as pretty personable guy. So I do think he has morals.

[lindysalsagal]

17. Really great news.

[Quixote1818]

21. Wow! PA is a MUST win state and this is a huge endorsement! nt

[Quixote1818]

26. Self delete

[BlueWavePsych]

22. Great! We'll take it!

Pennsyltucky no more. GOTV

[displacedtexan]

30. Tom Ridge is one of Satan's most devious demons in Pandemonium.

If he's abandoned Trump, Hell is freezing over.

[Cerridwen]

32. Trying to save his fucking brand he god damned helped build.

Fuck 'im.