Chris Ladd is a Texan in exile. After growing up in Beaumont and working for more than a decade in Houston, he moved to suburban Chicago, where was a Republican precinct committeeman for a decade. He resigned his position and left the party in 2016 after the nomination of Donald Trump.
He has a day job that he loves in the software industry. In his free time he has written for David Frum’s blog, the Washington Times Communities, the Houston Chronicle, and the Huffington Post.
Back in Texas he interned at the Legislature, worked on numerous state and local Republican campaigns, and volunteered for a statewide PAC. Chris graduated from Beaumont’s Central High, earned a degree from Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas (the Harvard of Williamson County) and received his JD from the University of Houston.
He can be reached at gopliferchicago at gmail.
GOPLifer 
Chris, I skimmed your article on Rush Limbaugh that Forbes recently published. Swing and a miss! You really should listen to what someone says before you foolishly review that person’s comments. I have heard Rush talking about Irma both a week before and days before Irma hit, and at no time did he ever say or suggest anything that you accuse him of saying.
Chris is quoting CNN, which is quoting directly from the transcript on Limbaugh’s site, available here:
https://www.rushlimbaugh.com/daily/2017/09/05/my-analysis-of-the-hurricane-irma-panic/
It includes the quotes about bottled water:
So there is a desire to advance this climate change agenda, and hurricanes are one of the fastest and best ways to do it.
All you need is to create the fear and panic accompanied by talk that climate change is causing hurricanes to become more frequent and bigger and more dangerous, and you create the panic, and it’s mission accomplished, agenda advanced.
There is symbiotic relationship between retailers and local media, and it’s related to money. It revolves around money.
Here comes a hurricane, local media goes on the air, “Big hurricane coming, oh, my God! Make sure you got batteries. Make sure you got water.
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Where’s the problem? I’m quite sure you can read.
[…] amazing bonus: we were going to heaven and everyone else was going to hell.’ That’s how Chris Ladd describes his upbringing in a fundamentalist Christian home in East Texas. But that sense that he […]
Chris I am a life long democract, but after reading your resignation from the party, I can only say thank you for honesty and backbone. I’m so impressed with your stance and comments I might consider at a later date joiming the party should you ever run. Wonderful and thanks for being a stand up guy.
Many here feel your pain.
I am a lifelong Democrat but a fierce believer of a two-party system. I retired after building arguably, the largest PAC in the nation. We contributed to Democrats, Republicans and Independents who’s views and ideals were sympathetic with issues affecting working men and women in America. We have maximum PAC contributions to Republicans such as Chris Smith, Frank Lobiondo and others in both primary and general elections. So I have always tried vigorously to find the best in our hard-working legislators.
But I am worried these days. As each day passes you are loosing people like me with the emergence of the GOP candidate for President. It would be a mistake for people like you to tell people like me “good riddance”. Because you have nominated this guy I have lost all respect for the GOP. For me even as a Democrat , sad days!!!
Thank you, in advance, for listening/reading. Rick Diegel (Corpus Christi)
Truth – That was enlightening. Not.
Nor these:
http://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/article/Local-officer-says-Trooper-Encinia-didn-t-have-8423635.php
Waller County has some deep explaining to do. This whole Bland thing smelled from the start. It is obvious that there was something rotten in the situation, and I don’t mean changing lanes without using a signal.
I salute you, sir. You’re the kind of Republican (ok, ex-Republican) who, were more like you in charge of the GOP, would make this Democrat feel that the party of Lincoln was both in good and sensible hands and a capable and reliable partner with, and counterbalance to, the Democratic party in running the affairs of our nation.
[…] According to his “About” page… […]
As a patriot and a progressive, my first hope for my country is that all views across the political spectrum be represented by people with integrity who care about their fellow citizens and are curious about history and facts. Thank you for showing that such people remain to speak for conservatism, at least at the level of local politics.
My question is how have you or plan to challenge our elected representatives who still fail to display that integrity? As another Chicagoland resident, I think specifically of Peter Roskam and Rodney Davis, both of whom signed on for the harmful & pointless government shutdown in 2013 and remain complicit in the Tea Party/ Fox News takeover of conservatism – though it seems questionable to me that either of them actually believes in it.
In any case, I truly wish you all the best in building a conservative party that does not employ dog-whistle racism and other forms of misdirection and foolishness. Our country needs you.
Thank You. I am someone who until 2008 considered myself an independent voter who leaned toward the left side of the middle. After voting for both Republicans and Democrats my entire adult life, I just couldn’t do it anymore. The current GOP has made a lifetime Democrat of me. That goes double for my wife, the adoptive mother of an African American child and life long Republican. She can no longer stomach the racism and bigotry in the Grand Old Party. Add to that the complete disregard for science, economics and education in general and I have had it. I applaud your honesty.
As a 25 year resident of Elmhurst and a registered republican. Thank you for saying what I’ve felt for a long time. The republican the party has gone insane. There is no longer a place for moderates in the GOP.
Mr.Ladd
No need to respond. I want to lend my voice of appreciation for your personal stand to do what you could to keep our country out of the hands of Donald Trump. This is not a partisan issue but an American one and I thank you for your words and courage to make them public.
I applaud your integrity. There must be a lot of Republicans who are hanging their heads now, shamed by your courage. I am a Democrat-leaning Independent, and will be voting for Hillary, but I have voted for my share of Republicans in national, state and local elections. The hijacking of the Republican party by right-wing fanatics and the religious right has driven many Independents like myself straight into the arms of the Democrats. Where else can we go?
Mr Ladd: finally some sanity in the hijacked party of GOP. In its present state of hate, isolationism, greed and bad hair plus orange body color, YOU stand out as a voice of reason and calm.
I applaud your conviction! Not a puppet like so many in the part of lemmings.
Stand tall and proud for using your common sense, intellect, and sanity in opting out of this hate-inspired rhetoric spewing from the current-state GOP candidate and his band of gun-tootin’, ugly American-fools.
There will be another day, election, and shining beacon in a hill for the GOP. Until then we invite you to join a vote of inclusion, of real political plans, and a leader who can bring Love trumps Hate!
Best, you brave soul!
Dear Mr. Ladd;
I read your letter as reproduced at the Daily KOS. You are so obviously i pain because of the gradual erosion of you faith in your party. I believe you feel like you are wandering the in wilderness and I want to express my deepest sympathy for you. Your courage in speaking out is absolutely commendable.
Congrats Terry! You have been SUCKERED by the Donald.
Tsk, tsk, Terry. We don’t use ugly words to make express opinions here. We use actual thinking backed up by fact and posts. Go away.
Standing ovation for standing by your conviction, no matter that it means having to make a serious, scary change. ~*~LIZ
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Well, right now, the left needs every vote it can gather up. A third party vote may make one feel good, but Ryan is correct: put the country first. Hillary has her faults but she will not destroy the country like Trump can. This is one of those times when you have to hold your nose and vote for Hillary because….it’s necessary to defeat Trump. How would you feel if Trump won by a few votes and you had voted for the Libertarian or Green Party candidate? Proud? Or, scared. If you aren’t already scared of Trump, give that some deep thought. You may be dis-enthralled or even disgusted by Clinton, but she is light years better than Trump.
Real Republicans aren’t backing Trump. Real Evangelicals are not backing Trump. Minorities are not backing Trump.
That only leaves the white supremacy groups, cowardly Republicans, the non thinking Republicans, and the total morons that don’t care about our Liberty and Freedom.
The Republican Party vote count, in this election, will be a count of the racist, neo-nazi’s in the party.
Mr. Ladd has made a patriotic decision. I applaud him.
Mr. Ladd is a typical wawa baby. He sees no room for anything other than the same ol shit different day. America is going down the gutter and nobody sees any need to try something new. All you Trump Haters are just babbies who are pissed because Trump didn’t suck his way up the ladder he worked in America and made billions
. What is it ? If you have proved you can make it without spending your entire life sucking up to Washington without really knowing anything about anything you can’t possibly lead! Hold my nose! The Clintons are proven criminals and not in any way interested in the betterment of our country. They only care for the POWER. They know they wont have to kive in the shit they create. Screw that BACKSTABBING X PSTRIOT>
Really….. I think that the job producing business community is supporting him too. I am conservative and felt abandoned by the Repubilcan Party for the past 8 years. Although the say the things that I believe they have not delivered results on anything. I hope and Pray that Trump will deliver. I think he can.
Kent
Hi Terry, I agree with you completely! America was build upon all hard working immigrants to make your dreams come true. Today, many people in our country just want to have government hand outs , that will only bring US down for the long run.Trump haters are just jealous about his success. Our culture used be looking up to anyone success. He made his own Billions and created jobs for others. Clintons are always on tax payers’ money and giving speeches to make millions. Business people make things happen, create jobs. Strong economy leads a strong country. Records proven that Democratic party’s agendas (excessive spending, larger governments, illegal immigrants..) is not working in reality. Chris Ladd, you must well know that the state of IL and the city of Chicago are in huge debts — the state’s debt will be 10b by the end of the year. Which party leads Chicago and the state historically? You are brain washed by all the liberals in Chicago metro areas. Very glad you quit. Democratic party is always create shit holes for all of us to pay for it and they cash in by corruptions and donation money. Wake up delusional democratic voters!!
Yo, Chris, just checking out your blog due to a shoutout on DailyKOS (yeah, the Great Orange Satan, altho’ I reserve that moniker for … someone else… these days).
You remind me of my dad. He was a lifelong Republican, but of the moderate pragmatist school. Quite often he voted the same way on issues that my Democrat mother voted, because they both looked at things as not only “Can we do this?” but “Should we do this?” and more often “What will be the result of us doing this?”
I suspect that if more in the GOP were like you, we’d actually have a Congress that could get things done, a Supreme Court that wouldn’t legislate from the bench, and an Executive Office that would be effective no matter which party was in power.
Oh, and I’m forwarding your name to Hillary. You know, in case the other Veep candidates don’t work out. 🙂
When are you going to start the Rational Party and how can I help?
I really like your blog. I’m politically an independent, but have been pretty much voting democrat because the republican party is no longer the GOP. I would love to see a viable republican party in the form that you, Chris espouse. I’m not very politically informed, but will enjoy contributing what I can to your blog and its splendid comments team.
AMEN, brother! I’m an Independent, but Dem by default because the GOP has been ruled by treasonous, anti American/anti Constitutional, fraudulent , pseudo Christian, Fascist abominations for the past few decades….just sayin’.
I’m surprised that no one has commented here for two years. I’ve been reading many of your articles, most over two years old, and each one accurately describes where the GOP is today and presumably, where it is headed until there is some fundamental shift. I’m amazed at your ability to see into the future. I’ve been watching the GOP sh*tshow for many years now and suspected that the racist fringe element had taking over the party but you’ve laid it clearly and factually and put words to something I could only guess at. It is distressing to me that the extreme elements have so undermined our government processes and I only hope you are right about the 2016 election because if not…. well… its not a pretty sight.
I vote Democrat now because I will never, ever vote for outright bigotry and utter insanity. For me, voting otherwise is absolutely not an option. I will not feed that demon. If the GOP ever does become sane again and provide real, intellectual solutions on the problems facing our country, I would be happy to consider voting that way. I hope voters give them the wake up call they so need to throw the crazies out on the party ASAP.
All lives matter, asshole. If you don’t like it, get the hell out of our country and go back to wherever you came from.
Faded Roots. We don’t talk that way to one another on this blog. It’s not welcome and neither are you.
I totally agree with you Faded Roots! I am 1st generation immigrant. All lives matter!! Anyone who complains being discriminated and acting other people owe them everything forgot why they came to this country at the first place and why they choose to stay here. Anyone always use racism for everything is just want to deny the facts, to cover the crime they conducted, laziness and failure on their own. And they are the true racist — because they always focus on the colors. Our country don’t need this kind of people.
“Forgot why they came to this country at (sic) the first place”.
Because they were stolen from their homes and families split up and tortured and used as slaves for over 100 years. Then were treated extremely unjustly since then. Just to clarify. And, the term “black Lives Matter” doesn’t exclude anyone. Its intent is to include some who are not outwardly treated as their lives do.
Just read your What it Means to be Southern piece. Beautifully written.
No way, I agree. I think that is the best post ever that Chris composed. There was a lot of heart in that piece as well as solid historical fact. My absolute favorite.
I’m always looking for good right-leaning blogs to balance the left-leaning blogs I read. So far I’m enjoying your posts, I don’t always agree, but I didn’t expect to. Like many others I want to keep an open mind and hear arguments from both sides.
I have to say that I find it telling that not many Republicans seem to have commented here…maybe I will encounter them on other posts.
Chris — absolutely awesome blog. How does someone follow you on Facebook?
Hi Chris. As an ex-Texan now living in California and a liberal/progressive Democrat who happens to be gay, I’ve been enjoying your posts after discovering your column on the 2014 elections. The last Republican I voted for was Ronald Reagan, in 1980. I was still a young conservative/libertarian then. Many of my friends in Texas remain solid GOPers. They consider themselves “moderates” and “reasonable people.” I’d like to think they are, but then they vote for Tea Party types. I don’t consider them hateful people. But they go along with the wave. My question: What’s it going to take the GOP to reverse course and go moderate again — at least to the extent that elected GOP officials will again be willing to compromise, which is essential to governing, given that there’s nothing on the horizon to suggest that a moderate tone can prevail in a GOP primary? And given that, as you recently pointed out, the remaining voices of moderation don’t have the spine to stand up to the wingnuts? And given that there’s an entire echo chamber (Fox Noise) preaching that there’s no middle ground?
you should be the gop nominee
Your understanding of Chicago politics and anti-union bias is laughable. Go back to Texas.
I’ve been following your blog for a few months now. Your readers are better informed by your excellent writing and unabashed honesty in all things politic. Thank you for the opportunity to grow and share.
Here’s what I’d like to know. What do you get from your readers? As a moderate conservative (as I surmise), how are your views informed by your reader comments?
Just discovering your posts via a link put on a WaPo article comment section. Your views and analysis are clear and refreshing. I’m hoping to make my way through all of your posts in the coming days.
Thanks for dropping in.
Hey Chris, Question for you. Ive read your blog ( and others ) and Ive noticed that there seems to be a lot of argument going both ways concerning states that typically go blue in presidential elections, yet almost always vote in in Republican Majorities in the state houses and local levels. Then comes the usual arguements as to why that happens. Could it be though that is Dr Jeckyl/Mr Hyde approach in the voters is that in most states like this… Ohio, PA, Mich, Wisc, etc they all have their statewide/local elections during the mid term federal election in which there is a very low turnout that typically breaks heavily for Republicans…Whom then ( like now ) start talking about how they will be competitive ( and flip ) Wisconsin, Iowa, Pennsylvania and thus win the White House. Election Day comes 2 years later, turnout is X2 since its a Presidential election and the lions share of that extra turnout breaks for Democrats. The Republicans just cannot fathom how that happened since Obama/Clinton/Satan/ etc are the worst presidents ever…. who would vote for them? Then for the next two years the Democrats talk about how the country has moved to left of center. 2 years later we start the process all over again…again, and again and again. Your thoughts?
On average, Republicans are older and retired. Democrats and other are students with two+ “full time” jobs or employed with juvenile dependents (and perhaps an ailing grandparent).
The eventual difference is time allocated to vote. older voters tend to dominate ‘off year’ elections.
Not so fast. You make assumptions without supporting evidence.
I consider myself to be a moderate liberal, but there are simply no possible way for me to engage let alone vote for the kinds of republicans that have been on offer. If more were like you then at the very least dialog would become possible again and perhaps even meaningful and constructive debate. You are obviously very intelligent and knowlegeable, and passionate, ever consider running for office in a swing state?
At the very minimum, keep up the good work on this blog! Thanks for the great reads.
I don’t understand why you feel that leaving the GOP is “not exactly an option.”
Your party has a record of not doing anything constructive for hundreds of millions of average Americans, whereas the over-arching purpose of the Democratic Party has been to make life better for those millions–and that is the basic goal of the laws they have passed. All I see from Republicans is negativity, distortion, outright lies and obstructionism.
I read somewhere that “the definition of the Republican Party is insanity.”
yeah, that definition thing flies ‘both’ ways.
as someone not registered with any party, I still must agree with others commenting here. Olympia Snowe and Edward Brooke may have been the last reasonable Republicans in Congress.
I am an old Goldwater Reagan Republican and it saddens me to see what has happened to the Republican Party. I did not leave the Republican Party, the Republican Party left me. In today’s Republican Party I doubt that Goldwater, the father of the modern conservative movement, could win the Republican Primary for the senate in Arizona. In am in my late sixties and my conversion did not begin until my late forties. I started to split my vote in the 1990’s. In 2008 I voted straight Democrat for the first time in my life. I doubt that I will ever vote for a Republican ever again.
Thanks for mentioning that. Reminds me of an old Thanksgiving post from a prior blog.
At 58 I find myself in the same exact place, same time frame. Although I have always been a Centrist who tacks Left or Right as needed….
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Chris,
Thank you for your take on things. (I’ve only read three of your posts, but I’ll read more.) I know I’m not saying anything you don’t already know, but your nuanced views would not be well received in Red America.
I sympathize, but I’m afraid you’re going to be a lonely voice for reason. (I’ve voted Republican for years, but don’t anymore. I live in Red America — and wouldn’t want to live anywhere else.) Good luck!
I’m a Massachusetts liberal and I really enjoy this blog. You’re really a New England Republican, which seems to be an endangered species.
Your blog is a refreshing read about the Old Style Republicanism that defined my late father. By the time he died (aged in his mid-80s, about 3 years ago), he was holding his nose and voting Democratic, because he was so outraged by the takeover of the GOP by the social conservatives and tea party nuts.
I am more liberal than you, but even so I miss the real Republicans. We need a robust 2-party system that is not ruled by corporate oligarchs and elected panderers, where compromise is not a dirty word and where sober, intelligent public servants can put forward reasonably crafted proposals to keep us ALL moving forward.
How do we get there?
I agree. I am a life-long Democrat. A former Texan now living in Oklahoma. I mourn the loss of the GOP. Only Teapublicans seem to get elected now. And the results will be tragic for all of us and our children.
As a partisan Dem and an American Liberal, thank you for being pragmatic, reasonable and human. If Boehner and McConnell shared your ideology we’d be a better country.
I just discovered your blog and I like what I see. Are you at all familiar with the work of Neil Howe and William Strauss?
Chris, I really liked your article about the 2014 election results. I’d been very depressed about them, and worried for our planet’s future with oil barons’ puppets calling all the shots.
As I was reading through, I noticed several typographical errors. I would be more than happy to proof your posts. Is there any way to re-submit that post with corrections?
Yea, I get that a lot.
Would love to get edits. If you feel inclined, send them to gopliferchicago at gmail.com.
As a moderate pragmatic democrat, I am blown away by this blog. If the GOP followed even a fraction of its advice, the Dems would be in trouble for decades to come.
Chris, I’m posting this here because your topic today (August 21, 2014) is so completely unrelated. But we do get into discussions about the best way to handle problems in other countries, particularly the middle east.
This morning, NPR had an interview with two researchers who looked at non-violent protests vs armed attempts at overthrow.
The transcript has been posted yet, but here’s the page url:
http://www.npr.org/2014/08/21/342095367/why-civil-resistance-movements-work
The researchers have an article in Foreign Affairs magazine:
http://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/141540/erica-chenoweth-and-maria-j-stephan/drop-your-weapons
It seems to me that when none of the options are good, their research provides some guidance for developing strategies that might work.
That’s it.
I stumbled across your blog via a google search on ted nugent today and have spent about 2 hours reading many of your posts. And it is new territory for me: A blog about politics that actually makes sense, uses logic and data to underline points, is not just barfing up political talking points from the left or the right.
I am a US citizen who was born in Europe and when I moved to the US as an adult, I could not believe how much nonsense (based on not knowing any better to blunt lying) is discussed by politicians, pundits, news anchors, etc.
Based on what I heard from both sides on TV, I had decided that while both parties don’t make a lot of sense or offer consistency in their argumentation, the democrats still sounded a bit more reasonable to me. So from the 2 hours of reading, this is probably the only thing I disagree with you: “the current state of the GOP makes leaving a much better option that staying”
If the GOP however, would sound like this blog, making decisions based on sound reasoning and not talk about “takers vs makers”, “any regulation is communism” and “we want our country back”, you would definitely have my vote! Your ideas are perfect examples of fact based, logical and consistent policies, that are not driven by stubborn ideology but by reason and true motivation to make this country a better place, by ensuring that policies would benefit the whole population and not just one group.
I hope you will manage to draw more people to this blog and that you can bring back reason, logic and consistency to the Republican Party.