Doug Elmets's 2016 Democratic National Convention Speech

Doug Elmets delivered a speech at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia on 28 July 2016.

Transcript
ELMETS: It's an honor to be here, and candidly, it's also a shock. Not because of the momentous nature of this event or the size of the crowd. It's a shock because, unlike many of you, I'm a Republican.

Forty years ago, I cast my first vote for President, voting Republican that day like I would do time and again. I haven't just voted Republican: I worked in President Reagan's White House. I recently led an effort to place a statue of Ronald Reagan in California's capitol.

I'm here tonight to say: I knew Ronald Reagan. I worked for Ronald Reagan. Donald Trump: you are no Ronald Reagan. President Reagan famously said: "Tear down this wall!" Trump says: "Build the wall!" Because that will make America great again? Reagan saw nuance, and Trump sees the world as Us versus Them, where somebody with brown skin or a foreign sounding name is likely to blame for our troubles.

Reagan knew that a leader needs to diplomacy to steer a safe, prosperous course forward. Trump is a petulant, dangerously unbalanced reality star who will coddle tyrants and alienate allies. I shudder to think where he might lead our great nation. Fortunately, I don't believe he'll get that chance. While Hillary holds many policy positions that differ from my own, her qualifications are indisputable. Hillary knows that our strength as a nation lies in uniting, not dividing.

This year's Republican platform is the most alarming I've ever seen. It's laced with anti-immigrant, anti-gay, anti-women positions that do not represent the views of most Americans. That is why, this year, I will vote for a Democrat for the first time. To my fellow Republicans: if you believe, like I do– you believe loyalty to our country is more important than loyalty to party; if you want a president with good judgment, a steady hand, and a temperament to represent our nation to the world and our children, I ask that you join me in voting for Hillary Clinton as President of the United States.

Thank you.