Editorial Note: This Op-Ed is in response to a letter published by the retiring Second District Rep. Scott Rigell, in which Rigell declared he would not support Donald Trump as the nominee of the Republican Party. The author of this Op-Ed is currently a candidate for Second District Republican Committee Chairman.
By Gary Byler
Representative Rigell,
I am deeply concerned and disappointed by the tone and content of your March 1st Open Letter to Virginia Republicans regarding Donald J. Trump’s possible nomination. This letter is not intended to defend Mr. Trump or his candidacy, although I would be happy to discuss both. This letter is to remind you and others of the obligations you have freely assumed by accepting nomination and election to public office as a Republican.
It is never appropriate to ask a women or man to vote against their conscience. However, when one accepts a leadership role in a political party one takes on certain responsibilities. Chief among these responsibilities is to support the nominees of our Party. If you are unable to do so then you must at least agree to not publicly oppose a nominee of the Party.
You of all people should know the value of a unified party. After receiving a minority of votes in the June 2008 primary, you were nominated and elected to the United States Congress. As Chairman of the Second District Republican Party at the time, I fielded MANY calls from disgruntled supporters of Ben Loyola, Bert Mizusawa, and others. When a former party chairman did not go along with your nomination, he was forced to resign from the Party for a number of years. This was not done to embarrass our friend but rather to emphasize an incredibly important but often overlooked tenant of democracy in the 21st century. In fact, I firmly believe that Ken Cuccinelli would be Governor today if all of our elected Republicans had supported the nominee in 2013.
As Representative, you have made a point of soliciting and being informed by the “Wisdom of the District.” On March 1st, 2016 a record number of 2nd District voters chose to participate in our nomination process. In fact, the turnout was twice as high as previous primary elections due in large measure to new voters. It seems uncharacteristically cynical for you refuse to be informed by the wisdom of thousands of new voters in the District.
Perhaps most disconcerting was your assertion that “Trump is not a Republican.” Frankly, sir, that is not your call.
For decades I have seen new voters shunned by our Party establishment. In recent elections, folks with tattoos and body piercings supporting Ron Paul and others were told they were not “real” Republicans. Before that, some in the local Party decried the “takeover” of the GOP by evangelical voters, again claiming the new folks were not “real” Republicans. In point of fact, the Republican Party is made up of those who choose to associate in any given year. Anything else would deny the free association that underlies our precious democracy.
Finally, Congressman, let me assure you that many people before you have had to endure candidates and positions they strongly oppose. For decades, I bit my tongue over the offensive attitude towards gays in our Party of individual freedom. In fact, I recall Grover Norquist and I being disparaged and invited to not return to CPAC years ago when we encouraged young gay conservatives to attend.
Of course Grover and I stood firm on our principals and continued to welcome these liberty loving Americans to our ranks. Our Party is not made of a static set of leaders with outdated methods, but rather a living organism that interacts with its environment every hour of every day. As leaders we seek to nourish and guide our Party during the inevitable growing pains.
I look forward to working with you in the coming years to strengthen our Party. With any luck, both of us may end up learning as much as we teach.
Gary C. Byler
Chairman 2nd District Republican Committee, 2008-2014
26 comments
Byler got his shades from either the kids’ sunglasses rack or the Sally Jessy Raphael yard sale.
I think he has them ordered with his law firms name on them. They’re awesome !
$20 says they’re not “Made In The USA”. 😀
Not really the point, none the less they are our Gar.
This is the crux of the issue and in actual fact has little to do with Trump per se but with the nature of the brand of the Republican Party and it’s wavering commitments to it’s own creed. Most here were not around when we went through this in the late 1970’s and live today only with the embellished myths of the ascent of Ronald Reagan with little realization of the frantic opposition and turmoil it created among the party elders and leadership. For those that were there I believe they will attest that it was every bit as vitriolic as anything we are seeing today and Reagan was viewed by the Ford/Rockefeller party establishment as outside the pale of true Republicanism in every sense of the term.
History has been largely re-edited in the pre and post Bush years (with a significant assistance by conservatives to our lasting shame) to adhere to the re-insurgence of the establish core that went into the wilderness during the Reagan years but were not purged given Reagan’s belief that the party was a big tent with room for everyone. Many at the time felt that this was a mistake but Reagan’s charisma and basic kind heartedness carried the day. So here we are again some thirty plus years later right back to the same spot looking at the same decision tree.
This time around I would strongly recommend that unlike the past we provide the #NeverTrump and the “I will vote for Hillary Clinton if my Republican nominee choice is Donald Trump” party contingent their desire and provide a swift and one way ticket out of the party and/or elected office. Republicanism will survive their loss with no long term impact.
Lol at suggesting there’s some kind of equivalence between nominating Reagan and nominating Trump. #NeverTrump #NeverClinton
I don’t place much belief in your knowledge or experience of either but you are entitled to your opinion.
#NeverTrump
#NeverHillary Louis, you liberals want to beat conservatives more than you want to bear Democrats.
#NeverTrump Turbo. If Hillary is elected, it is because we were handed an immoral narcissist as our candidate, not because moral people wouldn’t vote for him.
Agreed with you on that one. Reagan was a Democrat who saw the light, Trump is a Democrat who saw an opportunity.
Scott Rigell’s my representative, and when I voted for him, it was not with the idea that he would support the party line no matter what. I expected him to take difficult, principled stands, even if they were against his own party. So I was happy to see Rigell coming out against Trump and thereby giving me permission to vote against Trump, even if the party’s nominating mechanism crowns Trump the party’s nominee. It’s somewhat ironic to hear Trump apologists citing party loyalty in favor of a hypothetical nominee who’s entire campaign is based on anti-establishment rage. Anyway, I say thanks, Mr. Rigell for representing me well in this matter. #NeverTrump
Louis, are you holding elected office or a party office holder? If you are not, then your obligations are not the same as Rigell’s and frankly, you don’t need his or anyone else’s “permission” to vote or not vote for anyone.
If you hold a position in the party, you have an obligation to support the nominee or you can be removed from the party. The amount of your support can be workhorse level or unseen. “Staying home” is as negative as you can go, but you can’t campaign against them or support an outsider.
As my post made clear, I am a registered republican who votes for republican candidates to do the right thing, not necessarily to support the party or its nominees. I hope Rigell feels obligated to support me and my fellow constituents, not the party. If the party wants to try to remove Rigell or Ben Sasse, or any other elected republican official because they let us know that they won’t support a particular nominee, then let them try. A Trump nomination would blow up the party anyway. #NeverTrump #NeverClinton
Louis you obviously do not comprehend the Party rules nor do you care about them. You may consider yourself a “R” but are not a member of the actual party. Therefore as a non-member you don’t adhere to those rules. Rigell on the other hand spouts those rules and attacks members of the republican party for the same crime he is guilty of. This is the hypocrisy we live in and that want’s to maintain control.
Right, I do not care about the party rules. I’m registered as a republican, but I probably don’t consider myself an “R.” I’d vote for any Libertarian who had a chance to win — haven’t had that opportunity yet. I am not a card-carrying member of the republican party. Just one of the flunkees you guys rely on to remain in power. So, I guess I didn’t vote for Rigell as a republican, and so it doesn’t bother me that you think he’s not following your rules. #NeverTrump #NeverClinton
You cannot be a registered Republican in Virginia. We have no party registration. It’s illegal in the Commonwealth.
Whatever, I think I got some card in the mail that indicates otherwise.
No you didn’t. A voter registration card is not party registration. As a flunky that you describe yourself as, the rules only apply to members. Not John “Q” public. Now if you want to be a “R” as a member then you will have to do as the establishment dictates or you won’t be allowed to play. Then again, if you are the establishment why break the rules as often as you like.
Well you all have figured out somehow how to keep soliciting me for republican causes. Anyway, I’m pretty sure I’ll never be a card-carrying republican. #NeverTrump #ThanksRigell
Careful who ya call y’all. No one on this thread solicited you for anything. And as a professor at Regent University you should be astute enough to know that how you shop and how you vote is well documented and that information can and will be bought and sold.
Sorry, I assumed you were associated with the RPV. Didn’t mean to tar you with that label unfairly. The RPV certainly knows how I vote, and they and their candidates certainly have solicited me over the years. But I wouldn’t assume that just because someone teaches for a living that they would know that. #NeverTrump
O I’m a member but that doesn’t mean I have anything to do with soliciting you. That you can take up with the chairman of RPV, John Whitbeck. I’m sure he will remove you from his list if you request him to do so. Someone that teaches should know that there is no party affiliation in the state of Virginia. I would also expect a professor to comprehend how information is collected and sold.
I don’t really mind being solicited by the republicans, better them than the democrats. I could have sworn that when I registered to vote I had a choice whether to express an affiliation, but I could be wrong about that. I’m happy enough not to be affiliated in any way. If there’s no party affiliation in Virginia, that explains why we’re stuck with the travesty of an open primary.
Now you’restarting to make sense. I prefer conventions myself. This is the best way to get the candidate that represents your principles and values. It also hold the elected more accountable to their constituents. With low turn out at primary’s this is quite the expense to the tax payer. If it’s a party thing then the party should pay not the tax payer that does not consider themselves affiliated with that party.
Lol