Building A Progressive Republican Movement: An Interview with Travis Johnson
By Dennis Sanders | Related entries in 2008 Election, RepublicansA few weeks ago, I got an invite to join a group on Facebook called Progressive Republicans. The group was described as “…Republicans interested in social justice, civil rights and a clean environment as well as a small government and strong national defense.” I was curious about it and the person behind the group. A few days ago, I decided to see if I could interview the person behind that Facebook group as well as a blog. The following is a conversation with Travis Johnson the founder of Progressive Republicans.
First off could you tell me a little about yourself: where you live, your age?
I’m a 33 year old father of a three year old. We (My daughter, my wife and me) live in Reston, Virginia. I pay the bills by working in high-tech for a firm here in Northern Virginia.
How long have you been a Republican? Have you been involved in any campaigns?
I’ve been a Republican since lat 1993-early 1994. I was President of the College Republicans at my University and worked on Secretary Kemp’s staff during the 1996 Presidential campaign.
Tell me a little about the “Progressive Republican.” What is it? A blog, the beginnings of a grassroots organization? Why did you start it?
It started as a blog, but it is growing and I believe will continue growing into much more.
If I were forced to trace its origins, I’d have to say that it was a confluence of two things: First it was watching a man I’d admired for over a decade, Senator McCain, give in to the extreme right wing of the Party in his quest for the Presidency. Everything from embracing Jerry Falwell, who he once called an “agent of intolerance” to hiring the thugs who made racially charged phone calls about his adopted daughter to the extremely short-sighted selection of Sarah Palin as his running mate, was a clear message to the Right Wing of the Republican Party that he wanted to be their President. Meanwhile, 18% of Republicans, 95% of African-Americans, and 72% of Hispanics wanted Senator Obama to be their President! Something was wrong with a Party that allowed one element, albeit a very loud and well-organized one, to guide it by its nose over a cliff.
Then, after the election, I watched as men and women who’d dedicated their energy, time and personal lives to strengthening the GOP were attacked by conservatives because they dared to speak out about their dissatisfaction with the Party.
I decided I’d had enough. I was going to create a place on the internet where people believed in the Republican party at its core, but who were dissatisfied with the status quo, who had a broader view of what it meant to be a Republican could freely and openly exchange ideas.
Why do you use the word “progressive?” That seems like a word more associated with the Left.
Progressive traditionally refers to Republicans. Heck, Teddy Roosevelt ran for another term in the White House as a Progressive. The American Left only took to the term when President Nixon made “liberal” too loaded a term for them to use.
A “Progressive” according to the dictionary is someone interested in making the world a better place. A Progressive, in my opinion, is someone interested in making a brighter future for our children. I refuse to believe the Democrats have exclusive rights to the future.
Some say that the old “moderate Republican” no longer exists. What do you say about that charge? Why do you think moderates in the party have seemed so silent?
Of course they do. They’re just voting Democratic now!
The ones who stayed in the Party have stayed silent because an atmosphere has been created to make them feel unwelcome. The Rush Limbaugh-flavor conservatives even have a name for them: RINOs (Republican in Name Only). What kind of geniuses come up with derogatory, exclusionary names for people whose vote is support is essential to winning in 21st Century America?
The GOP has suffered a major defeat. What do you think was the causes of the defeat and how can the GOP rebuild itself? Do you think that social conservatism has scared off voters?
Not so much social conservatism, but social conservatism at the expense of everything and everyone else. Social conservatives deserve a seat at the table just like everyone else does. But they need to realize that their seat is not at the head of the table. Not within the Republican Party and not within America as a whole. If we can move social conservatism back to being a voice, but not the voice of the Republican Party, we’ll be on the road to rebuilding and retooling for the 21st Century.
One of the things that I have noticed is that we are seeing more and more voices of African American Republicans speaking up about the state of the party (including both you and I). What is interesting is that many of them are asking for the party to be less socially conservative. What do you think about this?
I think we know what will play in our communities and won’t. We know that African Americans aren’t going to go for all that social conservatism, not when their young men and women are being shot at in the streets of Baghdad, Kabul or New Orleans. We know that African Americans will move to a Party with plans to help their sons and daughters get good jobs, help keep them out of gangs or help them own their own businesses. We just have to present that kind of a party.
Michael Steele (the former GOP Lt. Governor of Maryland) is in the running for chairman of the Republican National Committee. What do you think of Mr. Steele’s chances, and could he be an asset to the future of the GOP?
Governor Steele is a good man who should be n the United States Senate right now. I can see a lot of Republicans supporting him this year, in light of Barack Obama’s victory. Picking him this year, however, sends the completely wrong message. It would be repeating the mistake the GOP made by sending Alan Keyes to run against then-State Senator Obama back in 2004. We don’t need an African American in charge of the GOP to show we’re just as cool as the Democrats. We just need to have a message that resonates with large swathes of the country that have begun abandoning the Party.
What can the GOP do to reach out towards minorities?
Talk to us! Recruit and support more candidates who look like us. Spend time in our communities (without cameras and an imminent election). What’s the worst that could happen? You end up with a few more votes?
Getting back to Progressive Republican, where do see this group going? What are your hopes? How do will you get there?
I’d like to see it become for the Progressive wing of the Republican Party what organizations like the Eagle Forum and CPAC are for the conservative wing. I see the Progressive Republicans raising funds and campaigning for candidates who support our ideals in the primaries. I hope to see our candidates winning elections in urban areas, so we can break the cycle of single-party rule that is so prevalent in so many communities across our nation. We’re going to make the Republican Party a nation-wide Party again.
The first step is to get the members of the Party who have hidden their Progressive views to publicly announce who they are, begin to self-identify as a Progressive Republican. Then we have to bring the Progressives who left the Party to join the Democrats back home. We can’t do this without them. Then we have to get into the local, state and national party apparatus and make our voices heard as loudly as we can.
We’re going to save the Party and, by extension, the country. I think that’s worth a little noise.
If someone wants to get involved with Progressive Republican, what should they do?
They can check out our blog (www.progressiverepublican.info), subsribe to the RSS feed there, They can also visit our Facebook group, as well as our new social network, http://progressiverepublican.ning.com .
November 25th, 2008 at 3:51 pm
Progressive Republican is an oxymoron. Like compassionate conservative or moral majority. However, this type of thinking is exactly what the Republican party needs. The “evangelical” voter showed up for McCain in record numbers (some targets put it at 1.5 million more voters then came out for bush in 2004), but they couldn’t deliver. A narrow, emotionally focused, fear charged platform may be the way to win elections from time to time, but it is not the way to govern a country as diverse as this one. The Republican party has to jettison the influence of the religious right and the incredibly wealthy if it wants to appeal to a more diverse electorate. I wish this gentleman the best of luck in his pursuit - it is a worthy one - although not one I am inclined to take up.
November 26th, 2008 at 9:08 am
Forget “conservatism,” please. It has been Godless and thus irrelevant. As Stonewall Jackson’s Chief of Staff R.L. Dabney said of such a humanistic belief more than 100 years ago:
”[Secular conservatism] is a party which never conserves anything. Its history has been that it demurs to each aggression of the progressive party, and aims to save its credit by a respectable amount of growling, but always acquiesces at last in the innovation. What was the resisted novelty of yesterday is today .one of the accepted principles of conservatism; it is now conservative only in affecting to resist the next innovation, which will tomorrow be forced upon its timidity and will be succeeded by some third revolution; to be denounced and then adopted in its turn. American conservatism is merely the shadow that follows Radicalism as it moves forward towards perdition. It remains behind it, but never retards it, and always advances near its leader. This pretended salt bath utterly lost its savor: wherewith shall it be salted? Its impotency is not hard, indeed, to explain. It .is worthless because it is the conservatism of expediency only, and not of sturdy principle. It intends to risk nothing serious for the sake of the truth.”
Our country is collapsing because we have turned our back on God (Psalm 9:17) and refused to kiss His Son (Psalm 2).
John Lofton, Editor, TheAmericanView.com
Recovering Republican
JLof@aol.com
November 27th, 2008 at 7:41 am
People entranced by the God Spell are the problem, not the solution.
November 28th, 2008 at 12:52 pm
It is important for the populace to remember that economic freedoms and political freedoms cannot be divorced. The are entrinsically entertwined so deeply as to be one in the same.
When the Republicans and Democrats are both spending as much as possible it is difficult to consider either one truly conservative. The overspending creates a future economic enslavement that is beginning to show itself.
November 28th, 2008 at 2:23 pm
Your cause already exists. It’s called the Democratic party.
November 28th, 2008 at 2:26 pm
First of all, I want to qualify myself by stating that I’m an independent)
It seems you just may be a Conservative Democrat!
Why would you choose to stay in a party with people who you so obviously (and justly) dispise and disagree with?
Also, why whould you a black man (or really anyone who hate racists), chose to support a party which gets the support of the majority of racists? I have never understood that..
Anyway, I respect what your doing, I hope it picks up support.
November 28th, 2008 at 2:30 pm
This could be the start of something useful. Something great.
The GOP used to believe in small government and fiscal responsibility. The Bush years were the exact opposite of this.
November 28th, 2008 at 4:45 pm
I had friends once who were northeastern Republicans; socially liberal and fiscally conservative, live and let live, tolerant people.
I still have a brother-in-law who is a mean spirited, evil man who looks for novel ways to express his racism and intolerance.
Nothing, nothing, nothing has pleased me as much in a long time as this long overdue drubbing of the right at the polls. I hope I am witnessing the end of the party, since long ago, the former (good) Republicans were killed off by the latter (bad) ones.
Now, for a change, we have an educated and intelligent man in office, supported by a near super-majority in the Senate. The chance to make this a permanent liberal majority is again in our hands. Now WE can gerrymander the entire country. Now WE can stack the courts. Now WE are the difficult to eject incumbents. Undoing the destruction of the Bush years is at hand. Restoring the constitution is at hand. Economic sanity is at hand.
Rejoice, former republicans…. you’re getting what you want; salvation from the bible-thumping overlords and Rich White Masters of your party. Circumstances will force small government, business innovation, American world leadership, and responsible social and environmental policy. Forget your party. Join the one that will make a difference in your lives and which will concentrate on making the NOW important, and not some mythical here-after.
November 28th, 2008 at 5:33 pm
I can’t believe that Republicans still won’t talk about the elephant in their room. You can’t pander to rascists and extremists, and expect moderates or minorities to not feel threatened. Before I was old enough to vote I learned who the Republicans were through Willie Horton and David Duke. I’m not a Black man that votes default Democrat, I’m a pragmatist who votes AGAINST those who threaten my life, liberties, family, and existence. Republicans made me vote Democrat and seem determined to keep doing so.
November 28th, 2008 at 7:07 pm
The principals of the 20th century Republican Party have been completely betrayed by its leaders. It’s morphed into the party of mistrust, greed, hate, anger, fear, ignorance and tyranny; all the things that need to disappear from American society. The party is dying. Let it go and be replaced by something better. By the way, fiscal responsibility isn’t a republican or democratic idea, it’s common sense. Size of government isn’t a real issue, it’s the quality of government that matters.
November 28th, 2008 at 8:08 pm
Please please please, the return of the Progressive party. Call yourself what you are, moderates, centrists, believer in the balance between fiscally and societally responsible policies. The needs of the community to take care of those who can’t take care of themselves, balanced with the demand that those who can take care of themselves, do.
If you insist on retaining the Republican label (though you have been alienated from the Old Tyme Republicans, who call you RINO), you likewise alienate the moderate Democrats who fundamentally believe in what you believe.
Good luck!
November 28th, 2008 at 9:03 pm
[...] Donklephant » Blog Archive » Building A Progressive Republican Movement: An Interview with Travis … (tags: republicans) [...]
November 28th, 2008 at 9:10 pm
Dude, your are a Democrat but you just don’t realize it yet. The Republican Party is firmly controlled by the hard right lunatic fringe and there is nothing you can do about it. Give up.
November 29th, 2008 at 7:44 am
I don’t understand the desire to identify with a party or with labels more strongly than the desire to stand for good ideas and policies.
If a “party” or a politician has moved away from the ideas or policies you believe in then quickly and easily move your support and vote for those support what you do believe in. If they don’t stay with those ideas and policies - move your support away again.
If more Americans gave their support based on ideas and policies not parties and labels, and withheld it when the politicians deviated from those ideas and policies I bet the leaders would follow us.
December 1st, 2008 at 6:43 am
I’ve refered to myself as a ‘progressive conservative’ for several years. Progressive simply means that you are seeking change or that you recognize that change is a good thing.
The choice is not between change or no change (traditional view of conservative verses liberal) because change is inevitable. The choice is between unchecked, untested and overly optimistic change i.e. reckless or a careful and restrained change that honors the best of American social, political and national traditions.
You can be a ‘progressive’ AND be a conservative. You just have to be willing to move forward instead of spending all your time glorifying Reagan and Goldwater.
December 23rd, 2008 at 2:44 pm
I challenge TerenceC on the “progressive Republican … oxymoron” thing. I have been a Republican since I was 18 in 1982 and I have voted for the Republican presidential candidate in each election.
I am also pro-choice, pro gay marriage, and pro-affirmative action.
Lesser evils has often been how I descibe my presidential choices, particularly with George W Bush. There was no way I could have cast a ballot for Al Gore or John Kerry: both were terrible candidates for president.
Barrack Obama made a very compelling case for himself and while I have always like John McCain alot this election was anything but a choice of lesser evils.
A progressive Republican is someone who believes in smaller government and less government regulation/involvement in people lives.
A progressive Republican is someone who is tolerant of other peoples lifestyles, doesn’t believe outlawing abortion is a solution, knows that more people die from prescription drugs than illegal drugs (and by a very wide margin), and thinks that the political dialogue ought to involve more meaningful debates than what dominates political discussion today.
Teddy Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln are prime examples of progressive Republicans.
For instance: As a Republican, strictly interpreting the Constitution, I find it impossible to be against gay marriage. The language is about “people” as in “We the people” not “We the men” or “We the white men”. As such these laws are for all Americans without regard to their gender or ethnicity. We can no more stand in the way of gay couples marrying as we could stand in the way of black people marrying. People have the right to marry; all people.
As marriage is interpreted within the religious sphere this: civil marriage is not the same as religious marriage. Allowing one does not force upon the other anything.
Further, I am an atheist progressive Republican. Now tell me thats an oxymoron.