(State) Sen. John McCollister among Republicans threatening to create new party

[Omaha Steve]

Source: Omaha World Herald

By Don Walton

LINCOLN — State Sen. John McCollister of Omaha is one of more than 100 Republicans, including former governors and members of Congress, who say they will consider forming a new party if the GOP does not break free from former President Donald Trump.

Stand Up Republic announced its goal Thursday.

McCollister is serving his second term in the officially nonpartisan Legislature and is the son of former Republican Rep. John Y. McCollister, who served in the House from 1971 to 1977.

McCollister has been sharply critical of Trump and endorsed Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden in the 2020 election.



Nebraska State Sen. John McCollister

CHRIS MACHIAN/THE WORLD-HERALD

Read more: https://omaha.com/news/state-and-regional/govt-and-politics/sen-john-mccollister-among-republicans-threatening-to-create-new-party/article_18f8e245-0049-5d78-942f-ef1bf7fcdf65.html#tracking-source=home-top-story-1

[regnaD kciN]

1. Who...?

...which should probably say all that need to be said about this story. Until nationally-prominent Republicans in positions of federal (or, at the very least, major red-state) leadership start taking this step, it's a non-story.

[shotten99]

2. My thoughts exactly....

The names I've been reading have long since left the GOP or don't represent any significant power base within the party.

It's a good step in the right direction, but a pretty minor one at best....

[SallyHemmings]

3. It will only work if the money supports them

[Javaman]

4. yeah, I'm not holding my breath.

they threatened this a couple of days ago and was supposed to "announce" something yesterday but it amounted to them "threatening" again.

if they ain't got the monies, they ain't having the parties.

[Aristus]

5. Until you back it up with something substantive,

a threat is just bad breath...

[GB_RN]

6. They "Threatened" This Back In January, Too

So this is like Peter and the Wolf at this point. Threats are nothing. Actions are everything. But they’ve got no one of prominence and no infrastructure. So, this is nothing…at least for the near term.

[DallasNE]

7. I Know John, Though Not Professionally

We worked out together for a couple of years a few years ago. We didn't talk a lot but from our conversations I could get a measure of the man and this move is in line with what I would expect John to do. His father was a political animal that had his career end when he lost the Republican nomination for US Senate but John is a completely different person. The family owned a heavy lubricant company that John sold several years ago. He is an honorable man with no higher political ambitions.

[ck4829]

8. K&R