I certainly used to have Republican friends. In fact, I even voted for Republicans in the past. Why, in the 90s, I even voted for William Weld for Governor of Massachusetts because he was (believe it or not) more liberal than the Democrat who was running.
Hard to believe that there used to be liberal Republicans as well as conservative Democrats.
cartoon by David Horsey
But thanks to gerrymandering, Fox News, and Citizen’s United, those days are gone. The GOP has gone farther right than anyone would have ever expected and the Democrats have moved right with them.
Issues that would have been considered moderate when I was younger are now thought of as radical liberal ideas. Just look at Europe, Canada, and Australia for examples. Their “conservatives” would be liberals here in America. It’s not that the rest of the world has moved to the left so much as we have gone so far off to the right as to be unrecognizable to the rest of the civilized world.
Many of my more reasonable conservative friends no longer call themselves Republicans, because even they see that it has gotten out of control. How can they support a party that embraces hatred, bigotry, homophobia? How can they support a party that decries diplomacy, that promotes huge deficits, that wants to install a Christian theocracy? How can they support such a childish, incompetent President?
And that’s why I just cannot honestly call Republicans “friends” any more. It’s why I won’t vote for any Republican, even if it’s just for dog catcher. Unless you convince me that you are trying your best to change the party and rid it of Trump and the alt-right, I have to assume that you approve of what the party is doing.
And if you approve of the party that only cares about rich, white, straight, Christian men; that does not speak out against nazis marching in our streets; that thinks guns are more important than lives; that wants to take away the rights of non-Christians — then I’m not sure how we can be friends.
ventrellaquest.com 
On the other hand, some conservatives don’t call themselves Republicans anymore because they think the party isn’t backing Trump strongly enough! To them, Trump is the reformer, the GOP just as much part of the swamp as the Democrats (only more right-wing, and hence occasionally useful).
Oh, and I voted for Weld, too. Then.
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Michael,
I am a centrist and I try to find the best in both parties. As you know, the parties have been driven by the people on the wings for the past few decades. I recommend the 2008 book by Cal Thomas and Bob Beckel, “Common Ground: How to Stop the Partisan War that is Destroying America,” as a good read.
I refuse to be one who discounts everyone on one side or the other, because the truth is that most Democrats are not part of Antifa and most Republicans are not part of the Alt-Right.
There must be a place for those of us in the middle of both parties to dialogue and find solutions to the problems that plague this nation.
Best Wishes, Valerie Cullers
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The middle needs to push back and not let the crazies take control, and that’s the problem with the GOP. And if you’re not speaking up and doing something about it, then you’re part of the problem.
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