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There is a saying: Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me.

In 2016, first Republicans and then national voters were fooled badly by Donald Trump. He claimed superiority in moral clarity, honesty, dedication to conservative principles, policy knowledge and management skill. Next to him, he said, accomplished lawmakers were failures, serious conservative thinkers were uncommitted, and dignified opponents were low energy, weak and tired. (One can only imagine what he would have said of a candidate Ronald Reagan.)

Nobody knows the (political) system better than me, which is why I alone can fix it, he told voters, many of whom were rightly weary of arrogant and overreaching government. He promised Americans, We will have so much winning if I get elected that you may get bored with the winning.

So 60 million Americans some enthusiastically, others less so voted him into the White House. Then he began to show who Donald Trump really is.

He had promised to drain the swamp of Washington corruption, but he put his children and cronies in powerful government offices, while the Trump Organizations rakes in millions from taxpayers and special interests.

He had bragged of his honesty, but now he lies about even the most mundane of facts, such as the size of his inauguration crowd or his electoral victory.

He had declared himself to be a committed conservative, but he intends to add to the national debt, ignores the fiscal crises facing Social Security and Medicare, offers government subsidies and favors to businesses he likes and threatens businesses he dislikes, dismisses reports that Russia Americas top geopolitical foe for 70 years is trying to undermine the nations political institutions, discounts hard-won international agreements that have contributed to Americas strength and prosperity, and vows new expansions of presidential and federal power.

He had claimed great knowledge of public policy, but he was recently astonished to learn that health care policy is so complicated and he offers no serious guidance to lawmakers on improving health care or reforming taxes or government process.

He had touted his management skills, but his appointees include unqualifieds, incompetents and embarrassments, and his own announcements and decisions alternate between irrational impulsiveness and weak indecisiveness.

He had promised foreign and defense policies so strong that nobody, nobody is going to mess with us, but he kowtows to the autocratic ruler of Russia, while world leaders friends and foes alike dismiss him as a dimwitted blowhard. And so do a growing number of political leaders at home, Republicans and Democrats alike.

Now, this president who once bragged of his moral clarity tells us that there were some very fine people among the neo-Nazis, Klansmen and other white supremacists who rallied in Charlottesville, Va. To be sure, he also chastised the KKK and neo-Nazi movements in remarks he read from a teleprompter. Still, there were some very fine people wearing swastikas and carrying torches. This from a guy who previously bragged that his celebrity lets him get away with groping women, and who repeatedly derided American war heroes and their families.

This is not winning. This is abhorrent. And were only seven months into his presidency. Imagine what lies ahead.

Deep down, most Republicans must know this is a disaster. Despite his claims of superiority during the campaign, its now clear he lacks even basic levels of morality, wisdom or understanding of governance let alone the levels necessary for a president.

Donald Trump fooled Republicans and other voters in 2016. The question now is whether they will let him continue to do so.

Some may, rationalizing that Democrats do and say bad things too. But they do it too is no justification for such failure. If Republicans cant maintain their partys basic dignity, then they have no authority to govern.

Other defenders might say, Theres nothing Trump can do to satisfy Democrats and the press. Perhaps its true that Republicans have to work twice as hard to get half as far, but thats hardly a reason to empower someone who works one-tenth as hard and expects 10 times the adulation.

Still other Republicans may profess, Hes better than having the Democrats in charge. But every new humiliation and every Republican capitulation to Trumps ignorance and arrogance increase the likelihood of future, enduring Democratic victory.

Besides, there are worse things than political losses. The worst is the loss of ones principles. If Republicans are willing to surrender those to Donald Trump, then what else will they do? As a wise man once asked, What benefits a person to gain the whole world and lose his soul?

The question now is whether responsible Republicans will stand up and declare that Trumps performance is unacceptable. Will they be loyal to their principles, or to him?

To borrow some words from the GOPs past, Republicans have reached a time for choosing. They need to choose well. No less than the nations future is at stake.

Thomas A. Firey is a Washington County native.

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Thomas A. Firey: Republicans' time for choosing - Herald-Mail Media