Former Pennsylvania Governor and a Republican, Tom Ridge, says he will vote for Joe Biden next election. A “point of personal pride” is how he feels to be among the first Republicans to reject President Donald Trump.
In an Op-Ed published in the Philadelphia Inquirer, Tom Ridge said that Trump “lacks the empathy, integrity, intellect and maturity to lead. He sows division along political, racial and religious lines.”
Tom Ridge believes that the President does not listen to the opinions of specialists. “He routinely dismisses the opinions of experts who know far more about the subject at hand than he does.”
“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.”
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Trump´s personality traits and the way he deals with opponents are among the arguments Ridge holds for his voting decision.
Tom Ridge compares
“ 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.”
The current situation, according to Tom Ridge is extremely complex and demands intelligent decisions. The former Pennsylvania governor compared this complexity to the one produced by the 9/11 attacks. “There are many similarities to our national response. However, they do not include presidential leadership.”