Former Republican PA Governor and the first Secretary of Homeland Security Tom Ridge Supports Democrat Joe Biden In an opinion piece to "The Philadelphia Inquirer" published on Sept. 27th, Former Republican Gov. Tom Ridge explained why he will vote for Biden. Here is a summary of that piece. "I will cast my vote for Joe Biden on Nov. 3. It will be my first vote for a Democratic candidate for president of the United States. But it is not the first time I have said "no" to Donald Trump. I urge my fellow Pennsylvanians to join me. I actually consider it a point of personal pride that l'm recognized for being among the first Republicans to reject Donald Trump. In December 2015, I told NBC's Chuck Todd that I could never support Trump. I said then that he was an embarrassment to the Republican Party and our country. I said he belittles, demeans, and ridicules people who disagree with him, and that I've never thought that loud, obnoxious, and simpleminded solutions to complex problems are the kind of qualities we want in a president. I believe that earned me my first of several Trump tweets of indignation. So here we are in 2020. ..we have complex problems that demand thoughtful, intelligent leadership. We are getting none of it. I cannot help but compare our current situation dealing with a global health pandemic to my time leading the Department of Homeland Security following the 9/11 terror attacks. There are many similarities to our national response. Those similarities, however, do not include presidential leadership. Remember when President George W. Bush stood on the rubble in lower Manhattan and told his fellow citizens and the world that those responsible for the brutal carnage of 9/11 would be held accountable? Bush's remarks unified the country. and his appearance on the mound at Yankee Stadium days later put an exclamation point on the message that America was resilient and would overcome. Imagine the impact if President Trump had traveled to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention back in February, and talked plainly about the challenge of the coronavirus. That, if we worked together, public confront it with all the could bring to bear. Then journalists the next day, calmly walking through the to combat this new challenge damage President Trump has together. Can you imagine the difference in attitude and more trust in Americans than the president does. and private sector, we would fortitude and resources we 66While I do not agree with many of Biden's policies, I do imagine him meeting with know him to be a decent man wearing a face mask, and who can begin to undo the steps that all of us could do outcomes? Perhaps I have being able to handle the truth caused." Tom Ridge 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. 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 indispensable to me in deciding to extend my hand of support to Joe Biden, who I believe absolutely must be America's next president. Pennsylvania voters, along with Michigan, Wisconsin, and Florida, are likely to ultimately determine the next president. So much is at stake. For me, voting is not just a privilege, but a responsibility. And this year, I believe the responsible vote is for Joe Biden. It's a vote for decency. A vote for the rule of law. And a vote for honest and earnest leadership. It's time to put country over party. It's time to dismiss Donald Trump." Paid for by SWPA Maving Forward. Not affiliated with any candidate or candidate's committee. Former Republican PA Governor and the first Secretary of Homeland Security Tom Ridge Supports Democrat Joe Biden In an opinion piece to "The Philadelphia Inquirer" published on Sept. 27th, Former Republican Gov. Tom Ridge explained why he will vote for Biden. Here is a summary of that piece. "I will cast my vote for Joe Biden on Nov. 3. It will be my first vote for a Democratic candidate for president of the United States. But it is not the first time I have said "no" to Donald Trump. I urge my fellow Pennsylvanians to join me. I actually consider it a point of personal pride that l'm recognized for being among the first Republicans to reject Donald Trump. In December 2015, I told NBC's Chuck Todd that I could never support Trump. I said then that he was an embarrassment to the Republican Party and our country. I said he belittles, demeans, and ridicules people who disagree with him, and that I've never thought that loud, obnoxious, and simpleminded solutions to complex problems are the kind of qualities we want in a president. I believe that earned me my first of several Trump tweets of indignation. So here we are in 2020. ..we have complex problems that demand thoughtful, intelligent leadership. We are getting none of it. I cannot help but compare our current situation dealing with a global health pandemic to my time leading the Department of Homeland Security following the 9/11 terror attacks. There are many similarities to our national response. Those similarities, however, do not include presidential leadership. Remember when President George W. Bush stood on the rubble in lower Manhattan and told his fellow citizens and the world that those responsible for the brutal carnage of 9/11 would be held accountable? Bush's remarks unified the country. and his appearance on the mound at Yankee Stadium days later put an exclamation point on the message that America was resilient and would overcome. Imagine the impact if President Trump had traveled to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention back in February, and talked plainly about the challenge of the coronavirus. That, if we worked together, public confront it with all the could bring to bear. Then journalists the next day, calmly walking through the to combat this new challenge damage President Trump has together. Can you imagine the difference in attitude and more trust in Americans than the president does. and private sector, we would fortitude and resources we 66While I do not agree with many of Biden's policies, I do imagine him meeting with know him to be a decent man wearing a face mask, and who can begin to undo the steps that all of us could do outcomes? Perhaps I have being able to handle the truth caused." Tom Ridge 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. 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 indispensable to me in deciding to extend my hand of support to Joe Biden, who I believe absolutely must be America's next president. Pennsylvania voters, along with Michigan, Wisconsin, and Florida, are likely to ultimately determine the next president. So much is at stake. For me, voting is not just a privilege, but a responsibility. And this year, I believe the responsible vote is for Joe Biden. It's a vote for decency. A vote for the rule of law. And a vote for honest and earnest leadership. It's time to put country over party. It's time to dismiss Donald Trump." Paid for by SWPA Maving Forward. Not affiliated with any candidate or candidate's committee.