Ignorance can be fixed with patient explanation and information. Prejudice can be sifted through if both parties can find some middle ground. Self-delusion, on the other hand, has no cure. For example, there is a sentiment permeating through the Republican ranks that Donald Trump represents the conservative grassroots. Many establishment folks (read, experienced in Republican Politics) view Donald Trump as the inevitable result of turning over too much of the party to a minority of uncompromising and utterly ineffective activists. Meanwhile, conservative activists are watching the Republican Convention in horror as they witness a new unity coalition between what they view as Donald Trump’s populists and the Republican Party elites. What is absolutely clear, however, is that Donald Trump does not represent the conservative grassroots.
What we’ve witnessed in 2016 is a profound ideological rift within the grassroots activist crowd pitting progressive populists against social and fiscal conservatives. So when Trump Lieutenant and Virginia Campaign Chair, Corey Stewart, remarks to the The Virginian-Pilot that, “The power has shifted from establishment figures and establishment Republican politicians to the grassroots, which Trump really represents and leads“, we can rest assured that we are not dealing with ignorance or prejudice, but self-delusion. As a member of the grassroots and with hundreds of friends and allies in the grassroots, I can positively attest that Donald Trump neither represents nor leads our efforts.
This week at the Republican National Convention, Virginia staple and conservative icon Morton Blackwell introduced a series of reforms aimed at wresting power away from the establishment and opening the door to greater cooperation between the RNC and the grassroots who do so much of the groundwork required to elect Republicans. It didn’t take an hour in Cleveland before Donald Trump’s supporters were shaking hands and making back room deals with Reince Priebus and the RNC to kill Morton Blackwell’s conservative reforms.
In the same interview with The Virginian-Pilot, Corey Stewart explained. “Although there will be no floor fight with regard to the nominee, this convention does mark a watershed moment, I believe, where the grassroots has taken back control of the party away from the elites“. While I have no doubt that Mr. Stewart actually believes this is true, it is yet another clear example of severe self-delusion. The grassroots haven’t taken power away from the elites. They went before those very elites with a moderately strong hand and requested their cooperation. All Corey Stewart and Donald Trump’s people had to give up were their conservative principles and any opposition to the authority of Reince Priebus and the RNC. Only the self-deluded can engage in this kind of behavior and then claim to have taken anything from anyone.
While I could not support any attempt to steal the nomination from Mr. Trump at the National Convention, I cannot understand how our friends in the populist crowd could sell us out so unanimously. There was no remorse, no guilt, and no shame in their actions. They celebrated their victory against Morton Blackwell’s reforms across social media. Tomorrow they will be calling for “party unity”. How can that happen now?
We must defeat Hillary Clinton’s bid to become the next President of the United States of America and that means doing everything we can to elect Donald Trump. I will do everything in my power to ensure that my county goes heavily for Trump in November, helping Trump supporters (many of whom are new to politics and the Republican Party) organize for and support their candidate. I would hope that Republicans from other factions within the party would do the same for a candidate I supported, even if they were less than excited to do so.
I do believe that every member of the Republican Party should be working hard to elect Donald Trump. I do not believe that members of the Republican Party who actively work against Donald Trump should remain in their committees, simply because they can no longer advocate for future candidates without an obvious degree of hypocrisy. This hypocrisy is likely to cause drama and infighting which we simply do not need in our local committees.
Beyond that, however, the self-delusion of many of Donald Trump’s most prominent supporters will continue to gnaw at the wounds and divisions left from such a contentious primary battle. Any attempt made by Donald Trump or his supporters to speak for me or the conservatives grassroots must be quickly and definitively shot down in order to preserve the true image of the conservative movement in America. We are for free trade, oppose corporate subsidies, do not support aggressive tax increases against the rich, oppose higher tariffs, and we most certainly do not support subjugating the 1st amendment rights of journalists. These are but a small number of examples where conservatives disagree with Donald Trump and his populists.
We have no choice, moving forward, but to publically address and deal with any claims Donald Trump or his surrogates make related to conservativism or the grassroots. While we all need to come together to elect our entire Republican Ticket, we must preserve the meaning and “shield” of the conservative movement at all costs.
18 comments
Meh. Stewart has been wrong about the grassroots how many times now?
I really hope that Virgil or Lucy Goode will run with Corey as part of of a ticket.
Corey speaks for more conservative grassroots than you do. Trump is the most Conservative electable nominee and has demonstrably the greatest grassroots base BECAUSE HE WON! The grassroots like him they really really do!
There could be a large variety of grassroots with a permutable layering of depth and breadth; 2nd Amendment, Social, Fiscal, Evangelical, etc. all the way to smothered, covered, and capped.
When I talk about grassroots, I’m referring to the people who make up the party from volunteers to precinct captains to Unit Chairs to Prester John at the RPV in Richmond. We are all the GOP Grassroots.
Everybody claims to be the grassroots or claim that the grssroots are being denied when things don’t go their way — it’s the political rhetoric du jour.
The notion of the grassroots is a notion that reflects a non-establishment, bottom up political support and activism. Today, in Cleveland, that non-establishment joined with the RNC establishment grownups to put Donald Trump, the People’s Choice, as our nominee and standard bearer. The “conservative” establishment wannabes were thwarted and demonstrated their lack of political savvy and maturity.
The GOP has decided that the way to relevance and elect-ability lie with the new guy, rather than those that have only mastered the art of losing, like KC and Beau.
I agree. Enough with labels. Donald Trump’s presentation last night was amazing and I feel more hopeful that his leadership and his message is what we need now more than ever, no matter what anyone wants to call it. So the “grassroots” people think another McCain/Romney/Jeb! would win this for us? Nope, wouldn’t happen…more of republican grassROTS.
Absolutely wrong… if Corey were conservative, he wouldn’t have been all in for Trump who is not.
A Chairman of the Board of Supervisors who supports yearly tax increases cannot be labelled conservative.
This is my favorite part, “It didn’t take an hour in Cleveland before Donald Trump’s supporters were shaking hands and making back room deals with Reince Priebus and the RNC to kill Morton Blackwell’s conservative reforms.”
Guess it wasn’t too politically wise for Morton’s conservative reforms to be hitched to KC’s star. OR, was it more likely that Team Ken wanted to use his mad political skillz to transform Romney’s Rules into Cruz Rules for 2020?? Team Ken took Morton’s hard work and years of political committee work and gave it the brown touch of the NeverTrumpeters.
That’s the most absurd thing I’ve heard today.
What is absurd? That Ken was pushing rules that favored Cruz in 2020 much like the Romney rules from 2012 or that Morton’s reputation and effectiveness was successfully tied to Ken’s brilliant conventional wisdom?
You are paying attention to what is going own at the convention right? Multiple independent sources and all that.
Read some of the other posts and the commentary, note the bias, logic, and rhetoric. The party is waking up with a hangover from a primary bender and is vomiting out that which no longer agrees with our system.
Wow… that is complete BS. The rules pushed by Ken would have favored the delegates and taken power away from the Chair. Interesting Freudian slip on your part to admit that actions that favor the grassroots also favor Cruz.
Steven:
First let me say I am so glad you are feeling well enough to write so soon following your surgery. I am praying for your continued healing.
I want to remind you of some political fun facts.
Congressman Dave Brat’s BEST county in the 7th District in his historical defeat of Majority Leader Eric Cantor in the June 2014 primary was Hanover County. I led the grassroots efforts in Hanover very early in his primary campaign going back to early 2013 and organized the county for Dave Brat with a handful of faithful grassroots volunteers. A book was written about that campaign. Perhaps you’ve heard of it? Read it? Just kidding- you wrote a book review on VA Right when it was published: How to Bag A Rino.
Trump won Hanover County in the presidential primary. Hanover historically has a strong Republican Voter Turnout. And I promise you the elected Republican officials from Hanover County claim to be the MOST CONSERVATIVE Republicans in Virginia’s General Assembly.
That muddies the water of your theory about who actually voted for Trump and the true identity of the grassroots voters. Doesn’t it?
Kim, thank you so much. I am continuing to power through the healing process with the support, generosity, and kindness of so many wonderful people.
Thanks to Tom White, Glenn Lucy, and yourself, I was given the opportunity during Dave Brat’s primary to meet dozens of Dave Brat’s closest supporters and volunteers – and indeed, conservative is the word I would us to describe these wonderful patriots!
However, as a county chair for Ted Cruz, I had the opportunity to work with other grassroots activists across the state. Unsurprisingly, I didn’t require introductions. They were all the folks who supported Dave Brat in Hanover, New Kent, and Henrico.
I know Donald Trump appealed to some of you. You, Ron Hedlend, and Tom White have always had my deepest respect and you were all powerful, driving forces behind the battle to unseat Eric Cantor. However, I would point out that Donald Trump and Dave Brat have very little in common when it comes to political philosophy.
See, I believe that many of you went over to Trump because you felt that he had the best chance of upsetting the established order and defeating the Washington elite and their candidates. Election results proved you right. Yet, the first thing Donald Trump did when he got to Cleveland, was to protect the power of those very elites!
Dave Brat supports Free Trade, while Donald Trump supports higher tariffs. Dave Brat opposes higher taxes, while Trump has called for tax increases on the wealthy. Dave Brat opposes expanding executive power. Donald Trump seeks to expand them.
I believe (and I could be mistaken) that Dave Brat opposes corporate welfare through subsidies to Big Oil, Big Agriculture, etc. Donald Trump supports these corporate handouts.
The list of very progressive positions taken by Donald Trump and his campaign is extremely troubling to me. I understand Corey Stewart supporting those positions, as he is quite progressive himself, but I’ve never fully understood your support.
I followed very attentively your campaign against Cruz – and could accept your rejection of his candidacy for the reasons you felt were legit, but that still doesn’t tell my why you would support Mr. Trump. Unless, my initial belief is correct. That you did not support him because he was conservative, or a constitutionalist, or libertarian… or for any principled reason, but rather for the opportunity to “burn it to the ground”, as Ron is often fond of saying.
I don’t believe that Donald Trump speaks for you either, when it comes to economic policy or constitutional protections. (Infringing on the 1st amendment rights of journalists is not conservative).
Those conservatives and grassroots activists (And I knew few who work as hard as you do) who supported Trump, did not support him because he was a principled conservative. There were other agendas and motivations at work.
Is this not at least hitting close to the mark?
Can you be more specific about what Morton’s reform proposals were, Jeanine? Although I had good fortune to see Morton at least once in the Rules committee meeting, I did not get to see the entire meeting or the business session at the convention yesterday. Also can any of you commenters enlighten me to whether it was true or not yesterday that as many as 38 of the 39 delegates of the Virginia delegation to the convention this year actually chose to hold up in their hotel rather than attend this year’s business meeting or were somehow similarly absent (or were misdirected away) from attending the business meeting at 2012 convention in Tampa Bay by their bus driver?
I suppose it depends upon what you mean by “conservative grassroots,” because the only identifiable trait these supposed conservatives have demonstrated from what I have seen in this election cycle is “sore losers.”
Oh, these are the people who have been fighting for you against bad actors in either party, long before it became verboten to speak against He who brings the greatness.
Just because those some of those dirty conservatives don’t support one candidate in one election cycle now means that those people are bad. Or something.
Or both.
I think there are distinctions of Conservatives within the party and even within Conservatives. I am personally amazed at the Conservatives that are willing to overlook the Constitution (Constitutional adherence gets you +1 — Strictness gets you +2 Conservative Points) to consider Ted Cruz eligible in the first place. Then there are those Conservatives who thought Ted Cruz could win the nomination and those who thought Ted Cruz could get elected. Hey, stranger things have happened (wait, not really) but it could happen (no wait, I can’t even imagine a scenario where that could happen) — But Ted Cruz checked most all the conservative boxes, and even some establishment ones (Corker Amendment, TPP, NAFTA Family Values) and the best the establishment could do was Jeb, Marco, and the One State Wonder.
But, had any of those, or someone else received the nomination, I would be drinking the Kool-Ade, smiling and nodding, popping Tums like they were Smarties, and cheering as I did for Romney and McCain (and for Cuccinelli, Gillespie, Jackson, and Obenshain)
It’s what we do as a Republican; you suck it up, holds yer nose, and pushes da button.
But now there is a new approach, one brought no doubt by the Snowbird TP faction — A GOP Day Pass. Be a Republican for a Day, choose the nominee, then move along, go about your business nothing to do or see here.
How can anyone calling themselves a Republican be a #NeverAnything??? It is an essential part of politics that you support the winner — anything else negates and abrogates the basic premise of a politcal party. It is the political prisoners dilemma.
This Loser mentality has no place in our party, and is a key reason why we are trending suck.
It is absolutely tragic that I as a conservative find establishment people as better allies, and better Republican than the hooligans we have representing us in Cleveland. These bozos have set the conservative movement farther back than just destroying Morton’s work and credibility.
I’m actually starting to think that Beau’s sell out vote for Barbara’s Primary was the right thing to do, not because it was in the best interest of the 10th Congressional District, but because I’m not sure the GOP in Virginia is capable of having an actual representative convention — look at what we got this time around in our local 10th and State Conventions. As I’ve said before, this is why we Virginia Conservative Republicans can’t have nice things.
I prefer to refer to him as their Orange Overlord.