Over the last several months I have been doing a very unscientific survey among Republican friends and acquaintances. Some of these people are names you would recognize, some are active in party politics, and some are regular Republican voters. None are diehard MAGA types, but all have gone along with the party as it shifted in that direction. I have promised them all anonymity if they would answer one simple question.

Why are you proud to be a Republican?

Are you proud of masked men taking people without a warrant? Are you proud of the way Trump has erased minorities from the history books? Proud of taking aid away from people in need? Are you proud of how the tariffs are hurting Nebraska farmers and other working-class people? Are you proud of the Republican deficits?

Why are you proud to be a Republican?

Not a single person gave a quick, enthusiastic answer. Most were hesitant as they gave it some thought.

If they tried to get away with outdated responses about fiscal responsibility and family values, I countered them with the facts. The party gave up on those things years ago.

Some attacked Democrats instead of defending Republicans. And a few couldn’t answer the question at all.

Sometimes I get nostalgic thinking about what the Republican Party once was. These were men and women who won elections based on their qualifications. These were leaders back when integrity still mattered, back when you didn’t have to try to cheat to win elections.

What is going on in Texas is cheating, pure and simple. The Republicans under the Trump administration are worried about losing control of the House, so Texas is working to gerrymander its districts to give Trump a better chance of picking up seats in Congress.

That’s forcing governors in blue states to threaten to gerrymander districts in their states to counteract Texas’s actions.

Whether it’s being done by Republicans or Democrats, gerrymandering is just wrong. There was a time when most politicians and the courts could agree on that.

Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. This administration is trying to have absolute power.

E Pluribus Unum is the motto on some of our money and national symbols that means “Out of many, one.” We are a diverse country where everyone should have a voice. Even those we disagree with deserve to be heard and have their views represented in Congress.

I’ve never voted a straight party ticket, but I used to be a registered Republican. I’ve always been fiscally conservative and socially accepting.

I continue to lean right of center. Today, that makes me a RINO or some kind of liberal.

The people I asked if they were proud Republicans are good and decent folks. I consider most of them to be friends. But for the life of me, I can’t understand how they can accept all that’s going on.

Everyone saw what happened at Mike Flood’s Town Hall last week. Beto O’Rourke came to town and packed the Scott Conference Center with a standing room only crowd. There is a genuine concern among most voters about what is happening in our country. People are angry.

I can’t believe that a governor is threatening to arrest political opponents. I can’t believe that Republicans are going out of their way to protect child molesters. I can’t believe the government doesn’t have money to help the poor, but it has the money to build a gigantic ballroom, have a military parade, and spend millions so the President can play golf. How is this happening in America?

We can’t just sing about the land of the free during the National Anthem at baseball games. We need to practice it.

Ronald Reagan worked with Tip O’Neill to get his agenda passed. Bill Clinton worked with Newt Gingrich to get the federal budget under control. Compromise is not a dirty word.

America has always been great, but it can always be better. We need to be better.

Elections should be won with quality candidates, not political gerrymandering. Political opponents need to be allowed to speak up without fear of arrest. News outlets shouldn’t worry about publishing or broadcasting stories that might upset the President. Americans need to trust the statistics coming from the government, not have them manipulated to please the king.

Yes, Democrats have their flaws, but they’re not the ones in power. I pray the Republican Party turns its life around and becomes a party we can be proud of once again.

Tom Becka is a long time Nebraska broadcaster who for over 30 years has been covering Omaha and Midwest issues on both radio and TV. He has been a guest on numerous national cable and news shows, filled in for nationally syndicated talk radio programs and Talkers Magazine has recognized him as one of the Top 100 talk show hosts in the country 10 times. Never afraid to ruffle some feathers, his ‘Becka’s Beat’ commentaries can be found online on Youtube and other digital platforms.

Opinions expressed by columnists in The Daily Record are not necessarily those of its management or staff, and do not constitute an endorsement or recommendation. Any errors or omissions should be called to our attention so that they may be corrected. Contact us at news@omahadailyrecord.com.