Some of the biggest political news from this past week was that Steve Schmidt formally registered as a Democrat. One of the most visible names in the Never Trump movement finally decided that he needed to join forces with the best possible bulwark against Republican fascism. Some Democrats have expressed skepticism about welcoming ex-Republicans into their ranks as they seek a refuge from the American version of the Ba'ath Party. Democrats need to welcome every Never Trumper into the party with open arms and make it a safe space for people fleeing from the horrors of Trump.

Gaining Republican Support Is Crucial to Expanding the Majority

If November proved anything, it is that America is not yet fully ready for the progressive revolution. The country is still very closely divided. If several hundred thousand votes in a handful of states had gone the other way, we would be looking at four more years of Trump and the end of American democracy. In the long term, demographic shifts will help tilt the playing field towards the Democrats. In the interim, we can expect elections to be cliffhangers for at least the next decade. This is especially true when Trump's brand of fascism is proving durable and is reaching some voters in the Democrats' strongholds.

Thus, it is vital for the Democrats to make their party into a big tent that allows for a wide spectrum of ideals and views. It becomes even more vital when Republicans are learning how to grab into the Democratic Party and peel off chunks of voters here and there. For Democrats, this means throwing out a welcome mat for the Never Trumpers such as Schmidt.

The 2020 election was a crossroads for many of the Never Trumpers. With Trump on his way to whatever locale will accept him (hello Moscow?), many are questioning what will become of the movement. These people questioning whether they were just against Trump or stood against all of his so-called ideals. There is at least an opening to peel these voters away from the next Republican to run for the White House. If the Never Trumpers bolt at the same time that Trump's hard core base stays away, it could deal a death blow to the Republican Party.

Never Trumpers Should Have Their Place in the Democratic Party

This would mean that the Democrats would need to ignore the voices that say that conservatives have no place in the party. During the campaign, many were skeptical of the efforts of the Lincoln Project and were skeptical of coordinating with them. The work of the Lincoln Project was instrumental in helping Biden run up with margins in the suburbs. The leaders of this group are showing strong signs that they will still remain active in the coming months, especially as Trump is a continuing threat to democracy.

Democrats need to realize that the best addition to the country is subtraction from the Republican Party. Now is not the time for purity tests. The more the Democrats welcome the Never Trumpers into the fold, the more of them will permanently renounce the GOP as their home. However, a refusal to welcome Schmidt and his allies will send a strong message that the Democratic Party is not interested in expanding its numbers.

Schmidt is actually the bridge to the McCain wing of the Republican Party. Joe Biden has already done a masterful job of gaining support from Cindy McCain. Democrats can continue to add to their support at the margins by establishing themselves as the one political party that support democracy in America. The best way to make that point clear is by welcoming a broad set of viewpoints into the party. Nobody is saying that Schmidt needs to be elected to chair the DNC tomorrow, but Never Trumpers should at least be given a seat at the table.

Schmidt should be looked at as a test case to see how much the Democrats welcome diversity in the party. If he is accepted, it will open the floodgates for even more defections from key Republicans. The Democrats may even start to welcome the Bush wing into the party if the QAnon conspiracy continues to grip the Republicans and party leadership does nothing to renounce it. Republican defections as opposed to demographics may be the shortest path to a durable Democratic majority. They should be welcomed.