I was happy to vote for Trump and would again."
Right, you're a Southern Democrat who finds Trump's traditional Republican positions attractive.
But you can't be a Republican because you won't give up your Democrat Lost Cause lies to join Trump's party of Lincoln.
And there's no way the Republican party will ever buy your Lost Cause lies.
FLT-bird: "I was beyond fed up with the corrupt Republican Party Establishment.
The party needed a hostile takeover and that's what it got. "
Right, beginning around 1932 many Republicans became what others have called "me-too Republicans", but I think are more accurately termed: brown-nose Republicans, people who think their function in life is to kiss Democrats' rear ends, as sincerely & enthusiastically as possible.
Ronald Reagan was our first major rebel against the brown-nosers, but they were so powerful politically, even Reagan had to take one on as his VP -- the "kinder & gentler conservative", followed by his "compassionate conservative" son.
Now Donald Trump has shifted Republicans' "Overton window" considerably, so while VP Pence is as kind, gentle & compassionate as any Christian, I don't think he's just another Bush.
Anyway, the point is Trump is a traditional Republican, he's what a Lincoln Republican is supposed to be, at least imho.
As for what New England stands for -- New England is ruled by Northern Democrats, the same people who before 1860 were allied with Southern Democrats to rule over Washington, DC.
Nothing there has changed except that in 1860 Southern Democrats were the party of slaveholders while today they are the party of slave-descendants.