Reaction mixed after Taylor drops GOP

LACONIA — The New Hampshire Democratic Party spokesman had a one-word reaction Tuesday to Hunter Taylor’s decision to quit the Republican Party.

“Welcome!” said Holly Shulman.

Taylor, a Belknap County Commissioner and member of the Republican State Committee, said Monday he was dropping out of the GOP because of the actions of President Donald Trump. He said he intended to register as an undeclared voter.

Joe Sweeney, a spokesman for the state Republican Party, said its chairman, Steve Stepanek, would not comment.

Taylor wrote in a letter to Stepanek and Belknap County Republican Committee Chairman Alan Glassman that, under Trump, the Republican Party has abandoned conservative values.

The party, he said, has evolved “into a cult of personality that embraces bigotry in this country and tyranny abroad.”

Taylor said facts and truths have been replaced by “unhinged tweets.”

Glassman said he was on vacation, had not received the letter and would only add, "the Belknap County Republicans are very supportive of President Trump and we are working hard to support his re-election."

Contacted Tuesday, Rep. Mike Sylvia, R-Belmont, chairman of the Belknap County Legislative Delegation, questioned Taylor’s political beliefs.

“He’s from New Jersey and his wife is a liberal,” Sylvia said. “He's hardly a conservative.

“I don't like to do the name-calling thing. It's not my style. They are his opinions and he is free to have them.”

Sylvia also said his focus is on New Hampshire and Belknap County.

“Things that go in Washington, D.C., go on there,” he said. “All sorts of swamp-like activities go on there. I don’t pay much attention. I don’t tweet. I don’t do much Facebook. I’m really not paying too much attention to the shenanigans going on south of here.”

The reaction on social media was mixed.

“Very proud of this guy, this is what you call leadership and speaking truth to power,” Tim James commented on The Laconia Daily Sun’s Facebook page. “As a Republican leaning independent, I think you're 100 percent correct in your assessment of Trump. Well done sir.”

“Bravo, Commissioner Taylor,” Paula St Louis wrote. “The party should have stood up against this nonsense years ago.

“This is not the Republican Party I knew growing up in New Hampshire. I would love to see the state lead the national party back to fiscal conservatism and rational thought, and away from the extremism that has come to dominate it.”

On the other hand, George Gilman commented, “Instead of trying to make improvements, he quits because his snowflake feelings are hurt, and he lumps all Republicans as a group whom he disagrees with. What a cry baby. The Democrats will be happy to have you as another tearing down N.H.”

Pamela Copp Finer commented, “Sounds to me like he's not very committed to the Republican party. If he were a true Republican, he'd remain as such while trying to make the changes he'd like to see. Just because Trump is a Republican and he doesn't like Trump doesn't mean that he should abandon the entire party. Sounds like he's never been much of a Republican and is using his dislike of Trump as an excuse to change his party. I think he's doing it for attention from the Democrats, hoping to get cheers and applause.”

In his letter, Taylor said, “Policy positions change daily, and prior statements are repudiated or denied.”

In an interview, Taylor said he drafted the letter following a statement from Trump that seemed to indicate the president doesn’t feel press freedoms guaranteed under the First Amendment apply broadly.

Taylor also said the letter came before he was aware of the latest controversy to emerge from the White House based on a tweet from the president.

In a tweet Sunday, Trump said four Democratic lawmakers should “go back and help fix the totally broken and crime infested places from which they came.”

Many Democratic public officials, and some Republicans, have criticized the tweet.