For whatever reason, more Millennials are moving to Virginia Beach, Hampton Roads, and Richmond than any other area in the country. I have two things to say about this: First, people tend to get more conservative over time, and second, we ignore Millennials at our own peril. We need to figure out whether or not all our factions can coexist within one party in Virginia. If our factions can’t coexist, then we need to make peace with the fact that Democrats will control all our fates in Virginia, for decades. If our factions can coexist, then maybe…just maybe we can develop something special here.
We have got to stop ridiculing the Republican Party and all those “establishment” and “moderate” “hacks” hijacking our party. Let’s be honest. As the Democrats have moved further and further left, all the moderates in America have become Republicans. They aren’t joining the party to hurt conservatives…they just have nowhere else to go.
Many of the Millennials in Virginia are moderate. You will not make them more conservative by ridiculing them.
As nationalist and populist attitudes become more pervasive in the Commonwealth, Virginia’s conservatives will find themselves thankful for the younger, more moderate, more tolerant, more rational crowd crowding into our committees and grassroots.
Conservatives must become more strategic. We must learn when and how to pick our battles. We must stop supporting every candidate advertised as “the most conservative.” Either they are conservative or they are not. If we get 4 moderates running in an election, let us not ridicule those who are slightly less conservative as the enemy when the “least liberal” still isn’t actually a conservative.
We need strong, intelligent, positive, logical, rational, optimistic candidates to run for office. We need candidates who can take our arguments to the Democrat Party. We need to stop tearing ourselves apart and start focusing on the Democrat Party and their strategic infrastructure.
As conservatives, we need to take care of the infrastructure that supports us. Sure, our infrastructure isn’t necessarily conservative or constitutional or libertarian, but it’s the only infrastructure that holds us together and gives us a voice within our government.
When we get a legit conservative candidate, let’s go to war for them. However, in the absence of the real deal, let’s be optimistic, helpful instruments within the Republican Party of Virginia. Let’s get behind smart candidates that can move the needle ever so slightly to the center or to the right. Let’s not become obsessed with the moderates in our party, so much so that we neglect to defeat the liberals and progressives and socialists looking to rule over us.
We’ve seen what the Burn It To The Ground strategy looks like; and it looks like defeat. It activates the Democrats. Let’s be true to ourselves and loyal to our party at the same time. There will be myriad opportunities for us to challenge the moderate wing of the Republican Party with Conservative candidates. When that happens, Let’s Roll. However, when that isn’t the case, let’s show the Republican Party that we aren’t sore losers, that we don’t stay home when we don’t get candidates that support 100% of our agenda. Let’s show the Republican Party of Virginia that we’re as committed and active as anyone.
John Whitbeck should be sitting in his office in Richmond praying for Conservative candidates that will activate his base. Yet, when we get candidate pools of moderates, RPV should know that the conservatives won’t take their balls and go home. We need to support the party when it nominates moderates, so that the moderates will support the party when we nominate conservatives. We’re all in this together. We win and lose together.
For ten years we’ve fought the RINO’s and the RINO’s have won. This is instructive. Maybe the RINO’s aren’t RINO’s. Maybe the left has moved further left, and in doing so have pushed all the moderates into the Republican Party. We’ll need their support when we get great conservative candidates like Delegate Freitas, Congressman Brat, or Congressman Garrett. We earn that support by being team players.
If conservatives can’t be team players, then we will marginalize our agenda within the party – making us an annoyance and a problem to be dealt with. We must not be those people. The Conservatives are in the best position to unite the party. RPV and our Republican Committees have never been more accepting and inclusive. They understand that without us, they won’t win anything. But we don’t win anything without them either. We move backwards or forwards together. We lose everything apart.
Think about that.
32 comments
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Thanks for the post.
I appreciated the concerns
When you posted them at
MILLENIAL ASCENT.
I would hope that millenials, libertarians,
Conservatives, pragmatists, concerned people
Of all stripes, find common ground…sooner than later.
The RICO complicit portions of those call themselves Republican hazard the good in all that is RPV Creed consistent. The RP rules need to be amended requiring every member to take the RP version of the oath of office and every member would know what that means. Then the recurrent calls for ‘Unity, Unity!’ would not be in vain. Actual committee membership would likely double because those things that leave a bad taste and bad smell could not prosper within the RP.
SBT, another well-reasoned and well-written commentary, but it exposes the soft underbelly of Republicans, namely the nutty fringe rhetoric espoused by so many here on TBE and elsewhere. Building bridges requires understanding both sides of the river, but so many here would rather shoot first, lob explosives and take the other side by force. Isn’t going to work, is like teaching pigs to sing, which is pitiful, fruitless and eventually simply annoys the pig.
We’ve developed many false assumptions regarding what is possible, and so experience irrational frustration and anger. That said, we do need moderates to join us in opposition to debt. We need more Congressmen like Rob Wittman who oppose CRs and Omnibus bills that serve to alleviate Congress of the responsibility to do their jobs.
We need Congressman Wittman to stop voting for bills without knowing how much they will cost and who is going to pay for the bill.
Problem is that the so called moderates expect us to suck up to them when they wun, but when we win, they grab their toys and run.
This definitely needs to work both ways.
I agree. I will give it an attempt. However, I want more from John McCain to stop criticizing conservatives every chance he sees a camera. I would also like to see Barbara Comstock at least sit down with Trump and talk about common ground like transportation infrastructure revitalization.
In other words, you want Comstock to sit down with Trump, and talk about either printing money or raising taxes for infrastructure.
I want Representative Comstock to stop treating President Trump like he’s in a different party. There are other options such as private partnerships and toll roads besides big government ways to improve transportation.
It does need to work both ways.
The unity must come within the elected Republicans not the voter.
The fact that there is no unity for representing constituents by the Republican party shows the educated voter that the money wins (pay to play) and we must now vote the issues , and the issues that concern us conservative independents.
Not picking on you Tuck , we always here an excuse ; we must get a higher percentage of , women voters, no latino voters , minority voters, now mellennials , please try substance on issues.
My profession as a Home Builder, I expect a quote to include a scope of the work to be completed, try that approach.
So, unite behind Corey Stewart the only Republican Gubernatorial Candidate that will fight the payroll fraud where illegal aliens work , ILLEGALLY.
SBT, does this mean you’ll also refrain from demonizing the people you call ‘populists’ within the Republican party?
I’ll continue pointing out the problems with populism and nationalism in both parties. These things have very little to do with policy, and much more to do with ways of thinking.
Agreed with SBT, and note General Mattis observed the dangers of nationalism just the other day, post-Trump Paris Accord withdrawal.
“What a crummy world if we all retreat inside our own borders. How many people deprived of good lives during the Depression? How many tens of millions of people killed in WWII? Like it or not, we’re part of the world.”
Mattis said that though there was a sense among some Americans that the country was bearing “an inordinate burden”, global engagement was still very deeply rooted in the American psyche”.
“Bear with us,” he said before going to paraphrase a quote from Winston Churchill: “Once we’ve exhausted all possible alternatives, the Americans will do the right thing.”
Amen!
This country is one of the biggest laughing stocks in the world these days. We don’t have affordable healthcare, and even so, it ain’t worth a s–t unless you happen to be rich. We are the only civilized country on earth without affordable healthcare. Trump tries to jump into bed with China, and the Comies start laughing and throw him out of bed. N Korea now lights more candles than ever to show that Trump is a weak, corrupt, pitiful liar. Putin toys with America as if they are a first grade class. ISIS is now taking the battle to our streets. The likes of Bush, Trump and May are to corrupt and stupid to do their jobs. (Protect their people) Congress is a joke that can’t function. Let’s see how soccer moms like the coming world order. Get a college degree, and then work at Walmart in order to pay Wall St. back for an overpriced, virtually useless college degree.
Or, as some do, just use your college degree to write BS for blogs. Focus on everything but the problem.
So if you are so brilliant…how would you fix things? Elect Bernie or better yet Hillary.
You can have your “affordable” healthcare as long as you are willing to double or triple your taxes. Or do you even pay taxes… most who whine don’t so it’s easy for them to complain. Not their money.
Nothing can be changed under the current campaign finance, PAC money, lobbyists with checkbooks run government.
Once that is changed, we could then see how Israel handles security. We can see how other countries ensure affordable healthcare.
No matter how much money we throw at healthcare, the healthcare/drug company/health insurance industry will want more. They will bankrupt this country if allowed to continue. This problem will never be fixed while crooked lawyer lobbyists run wild in Washington, throwing cash at crooked lawyer politicians.
Agreed with JP, third-party payment is the problem. So long as the third-party is paying, no one notices the waste, overbilling and overpricing. Direct care in a single-payer system is the only answer, unfortunately. Proof: It’s how we care for Vets, it’s how we provide care to Congress, the President, and so on.
California state annual budget… $140 billion.
California proposed single payer health care… $400 billion more per year.
That’s affordable right? Right?
The crooks who rob the VA and Medicare systems, also give money to politicians and PAC’s. Now, why on earth would you expect the politicians to go after the crooks who give money to the crooks?
Your figures are wrong. I will not agree to mumbo jumbo. Any system that defers payment to someone else is untenable. Only single payer will work.
Whatever
Http//www.mercurynews.com/2017/06/01/california-senate-passes-single-payer-health-care-plan/
I disagree with your point that “moderates”, “establishment”, and “hacks” have hijacked the Republican party. They ARE the Republican party. It is they who hijack conservative principles every election cycle to acquire votes. The Republican party does not want conservatives or their ideas once elected. So millennials are moderate and coming to the Republican party… well, they aren’t conservative so that presents the “So What” factor.
After years of feeling like Charlie Brown having the football snatched away by elected Republicans, their credibility is laughable. I’m constantly told forming a conservative 3rd party is foolish and will only ensure Democrat victories. Well, when Republicans legislate like “Democrat-lite”, how’s that good for the country?
Great article yet again SBT
Steven, I support the unity idea. In fact, my support of Ed Gillespie is partly based on that idea. He seems willing to work with grassroots. He is not a Frank Wagner.
But STEVEN! It works both ways. When will the establishment back OUR candidates and why do you not bring that up in your article?
Spoiler: They won’t. Boyd Marcus and Bobbie Kilberg and the like in 2013 come to mind.
Correct,
Example;
Campbell County Republican Party
Boyer vs Falwell
A fine quality pillar of community was railroaded out of office for Mike Rousseau. Now the CCRP will have to once again expense another battle this fall NOT against Democrats ( Dems don’t succeed here) but against socially conservative families.
Yes, Charles Falwell a Board of Contractors Member ran out of office then came the illegal aliens.
http://watchdog.org/202012/subcontractors-shadow-economy
So we should just shut up and go back to going along to get along. If that’s the case maybe we should just vote Dem from now on. Same result.