On November 9th, Virginia Republicans will have the difficult task of coming together to support Republican legislators in Richmond. 49 other States are voting in this election, so don’t look at the folks around you in the Commonwealth who voted for Trump, or voted for Johnson, or for McMullin, or who simply couldn’t find it within themselves to vote for president at all as to blame for whatever the nation ultimately decides.
Let’s be honest about the value of an individual vote at the federal level. Let’s be honest about the impact of personal opinions at the national level. If Trump wins, the GOP’s get out the vote efforts nationwide will take a great deal of the credit. If Trump loses, we at least know that the party did they best they could to support a candidate who, simultaneously, threatened the party’s very existence. But nothing that happened or didn’t happen in Virginia will have been the determining factor in the November outcome.
The inevitable desire for folks to begin pointing fingers, to lay blame and to pursue vigilant retribution will be overwhelming for some. If Trump loses, establishment blogs will excoriate conservative blogs that didn’t do enough to encourage people to walk away from the nominee. If Trump wins, establishment blogs will excoriate conservative blogs that didn’t do enough to encourage people to walk away from the nominee. If Trump loses, Trump supporters will begin issuing lists of politicians, politicos and bloggers that must be crucified, resurrected and then crucified again. If Trump wins, Trump supporters will begin issuing lists of politicians, politicos and bloggers that must be crucified, resurrected and then crucified again.
We know November and December will be rife with even more vitriol and hate than we saw during the primary and its aftermath.
However, while this reaction may be inevitable for many Virginians, it is my hope that a majority of Virginians will, on November 9th, recommit to the difficult task of winning battles at home. On November 9th, we still have a Republican legislature in Virginia. This General Assembly has the ability to write, pass and send quality legislation to our Governor. We need to encourage Republicans in the GA to write, pass and send bi-partisan legislation to the Governor to reform how our education dollars are spent and to eliminate wasteful state-sponsored programs and subsidies. We need to focus on making Virginia the best state in the union for commerce. We need to let our legislators know that we did not appreciate their infringements on local government over the past two years, and to look at ways to give local governments more authority.
We also have an even bigger election in November of 2017. We will select a new Governor, a new Attorney General, a new Lieutenant Governor and possibly a new Senator. These races are too important to be allowed the same vicious debaucheries endured during our Republican primaries for President. We have some very good candidates running in 2017 and we should demand positive campaigns from each and every one of them; and from their supporters. The fact of the matter is that Jill Vogel, Bryce Reaves, John Adams, Rob Bell, Rob Wittman and Ed Gillespie are all drastically more conservative than the Democrats currently holding the offices these Republicans are vying for.
Let us reject, not only the divisiveness of the past two years, but any candidate, politico or social media rabble-rouser that threatens to drag our 2017 campaigns down to the level of the past two years.
2017 is an opportunity to come together to strengthen RPV, to rebuild fractured relationships with one another and to take back the executive branch of our Commonwealth. We have a great opportunity before us. Let us not squander it.
61 comments
McAwful at it again, yeah, no conflict of interest here, but let’s focus on sap and syrup.
http://www.wsj.com/articles/clinton-ally-aids-campaign-of-fbi-officials-wife-1477266114
I think the best silver lining to all of this is that if Clinton wins she will probably be the one who presides over the economic fall. There is a huge stock market correction, debt bubble burst, etc, out there, and it would have been a terrible thing for a Republican President to inherit. Now after 8 years, and probably another 4, even 8 again of Democratic “leadership”, they made the mess, they can take the blame for it when it falls apart. Between the ACA law, endless quantitative easing, etc, there won’t be any shortage of reasons, and behind every one of those reasons stands a proud Democrat who backed it the whole time.
Read the Virginia flag, and don’t kill yourself getting to the top of the list.
Before you get to November 9, your party needs to answer this:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2016/10/21/this-khizr-khan-ad-for-hillary-clinton-is-incredibly-powerful/
There’s really no answer there. Hillary used this family perfectly to set a trap and it worked. Trump charged right in. Because, he’s a “fighter” don’t you know?
Better a fighter than a surrenderer
“If Trump loses, we at least know that the party did they best they could to support a candidate who, simultaneously, threatened the party’s very existence.”
(What party? The Bushes who say they will vote for Clinton? The party Elites who walked away from the candidate? The party hacks who got Corey Stewart fired?)
***************
“We need to focus on making Virginia the best state in the union for commerce. We need to let our legislators know that we did not appreciate their infringements on local government over the past two years, and to look at ways to give local governments more authority.”
(Get real, the same legislator hacks, the same party hacks that have been running the show for decades aren’t going to produce squat for Liberty. All in all, a naive Pollyanna-ish article going nowhere.)
Ah, so shall we stomp our feet, shake our fists, and express our wittle fweelings until we get perfect candidates and a perfect party while enjoying decades of uninterrupted Democrat rule? Focus man. Strategize. Prioritize.
None of these. And least of all, not a spew of mush minded editorializing.
With the nonsensical prattle on view here more, one begs to ask, “What is the point?” Please do pray tell?
Now, if you had entered the fray with the clarity of mind of a Nigel Farage, we might get some real traction.
These are harsh. bitting words. They bid a far better pen.
Tactics 101: Divide and Conquer. It is the most ancient and simplest of tactics and we allow Democrats to do this to us over and over and over. It’s pathetic.
If Republicans would just accept and unite behind whoever wins the primary (for better or for worse), we would be much better off in the long run. If your guy loses a primary, then he wasn’t good enough. Try again in xx years. Democrats are ALWAYS worse than Republicans without exception.
Sometimes I just want to say, “You lost. Get over it. Try harder next time. Now, shut up and get it done.”
Well that’s not going to happen anytime soon and will only get worse, much worse.
Trump supporters are not going to forget how the GOPe and the Never Trumpers treated their candidate.
So in 2020 or 2024 when the GOPe inevitably nominates one of their flunkies, that candidate is going to be attacked and savaged like no candidate in modern history. Its going to be brutal.
A boy can dream.
Democrats are going to enjoy a ton of solid majorities if that’s the case.
Yep, but I don’t see any way to avoid it. Especially if Trump loses.
A never ending game of who hit who last. You may be right.
If we don’t win now, we won’t be able to win later on.
Thanks for the light at the end of the tunnel Steven. Looks like this went right over the heads of the present commentators below who want to keep the circular firing squad going. I guess without all this anger they feel irrelevant. None of the problems listed are insurmountable statistic wise or if we do as you suggest and work hard and stop hating on each other,we have a huge shot in 17.
I wish people could focus, strategize and prioritize. Hate is so much more fun, apparently.
Start World War 3, vote for Clinton and her corrupt democrats…
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/32a437ef53496160556f11b79bb7001bdf0660e7bfd98720337f5b307dc5abe4.jpg
,,,
If progressives didn’t have double standards, they would have no standards at all.
Damned populists, if only you philosopher-kings had some final solution…
We do, it’s called constitutional republicanism, federalism. It’s called liberty.
Quaint notion without being the burning desire of every American, those populists you so despise.
Trump is the one getting lambasted by fighting against the enemies of constitutional republicanism, federalism, and liberty.
Words… all words the Republican party no longer stands for.
Even a broken clock is right twice a day. Many, many people have revealed their true colors and value to the party. Several of the party exiled have established bona fides superior to our party ‘leaders.’ We are due a housecleaning and bloodletting unless President Trump desires otherwise. However, #nevers and libertarian surrender monkeys will be pitched far beyond the tent.
Good luck with that. You seem very confident 🙂 .
Can’t stop the signal….
The biggest problem Republicans have going into 2017 is the Open Primary.
Ralph Northam & Mark Herring are is running unopposed for the Democrat Nomination for Governor & Attorney General respectively. Currently Justin Fairfax and Gene Rossi are the only Democrat candidates for Lieutenant Governor.
You can be assured there will be a ‘deal’ made in smoke filled rooms to have a unified Democrat ticket with one of their candidates for Lieutenant Governor dropping out.
And God forbid there is a U.S. Senate race next year because Terry McAuliffe’s hand picked successor to Kaine will be unopposed for their nomination.
So with no party registration in Virginia we can thank all of those on the State Central Committee who voted against a party-run process to empower those who really don’t like us to pick our nominee.
Way to go Einstein.
Thank the traitors who broke the deal and gave us an open primary instead of the convention. Aka Ron Hedlund. And a few others as well.
We need the general assembly to close the primaries.
We need the political parties to pay for and run their own primaries, not force the state to run them and the taxpayers to pay for them.
Then they should do it by convention.
Very good point!
Not necessarily, we must fix our faux conventions before we can expect people to trust them.
Well, besides banning slating, what else needs fixing?
Slating was the only thing that worked, a self-correcting problem.
Eligibility, representation, apportionment, etc. structurally and systemically flawed/damaged.
Primarily speaking, that is a good question to ask of them.
It won by a single vote, the entire party lost and each vote is responsible for the outcome.
Having the taxpayers paying for our nominating process is stupid, having one of our rigged faux conventions is stupid, making the only choice between these two pegs the stupid meter.
Our SCC members have betrayed us by allegiances to factions over their constituents and our party. A pox upon their houses.
So the party you hold a leadership role in can’t win because it’s an open primary, can’t compete because the Democrat’s are organized, are horribly disadvantaged because an opposing incumbent party’s governor is pushing someone from his “own” party for a statewide office (how unusual and outrageous that circumstance is) and it’s all because of a single vote on a obscure and generally voter cloaked internal party process committee that has never swayed a single base vote candidate selection in it’s long and useless history.
I have an alternate theory and it’s more along the lines of because of the countless incompetent, excuse laden. back room manipulating, agenda ridden, winning adverse, voter base alienated, excuse generating, candidate crony, back stabbing, in it for themselves, layer upon layer of political nincompoops that inhabit the state’s party organization.
But I suppose it’s more face saving to blame a single delegate like poor Ron Hedlund or better yet the fickle, unreliable, uninformed voter base then accept any responsibility for your own leadership failures. It’s those pesky “traitors” that are the problem though most even semi effective Republican Party organizations in other state locales simply call them voters.
I have a solution for your heartburn, if the 10th District and the role you play in it can’t get Comstock across the win line on her first reelection attempt, after in effect handing the decision and strategy decisions over to her and her election consultants almost completely, why not just submit your resignation and give someone else with a more upbeat, positive, can do attitude a shot at the job. After all you were maneuvered into the position anyway so I don’t believe the voter base will be inconsolable if we just go in a more upbeat direction or pick a random name out of the Clarke County phone directory.
Hope you (Mr. Wood) can attend the ClarkeGOP Christmas Party at the Camino Real Restaurant in Berryville on December 8th. Starts around 6:30pm and please contact the new Chairman, Matt Leeds, to RSVP.
We’re not discussing me we are discussing your surrender in place rationalizations for Virginia Republicanism because you don’t care for the party nomination process. Offer still stands, do yourself a favor as your constantly repeated “woe is us” we are doomed given a state primary is not only endlessly repetitive but after a while annoying. Lots of young talent out there why not give someone else a shot that hasn’t already ran the white flag up the election contest pole.
I suggest you contact the local Lions Club and insist they allow members of the Elks Club to chose their leadership. See how that works out for you.
Republicans should nominate Republicans (and Democrats should nominate Democrats) whether it is by Party Registration, a party convention or party canvas, though I prefer taxpayers are not stuck with the bill.
Should I assume we will not see you on the 8th?
Convention is the best way to ensure the tax payer gets off the hook.
Maybe a real convention, not the statewide faux mass meetings of warm bodies.
Nice speech as usual with ypu though has nothing to do with the point.
It’s a very good point and observation, but thanks to our dysfunctional party organization, not a damn thing we can do about it. We will get the weakest nominees that are the most purchased that best pander to population centers. This is what you get when you don’t put Virginia first.
Or cut cards, isn’t that the way nominees were selected not too long ago?
A statewide primary opens the Republican nominating process to non-Republicans. While this gives libertarians something to do, it waters down the party selection process. Let’s just let the District Chairs and Whitbeck pick the nominee outright, saves all the drama as well as the charade.
If Lawrence Wood shows up, I’ll be there! I’d better reserve Team Stone now.
Ouch! This is true and very much the case, but Nicholson had been one of the reformers, putting party first, so now the feces cannon must be turned upon him.
The party convention gave you some real winners:
— Ken Kookynelly
— “Bishop” Ewwwww Jackson
— Mark “Miscarriage is a Crime” Obenshain
A party-run process doesn’t have to be a convention.
In 2014 the 10th District had a very successful Party Canvas (Firehouse Primary) that cost the taxpayers nothing, had a high turnout than State-run Primaries and elected Barbara Comstock as our nominee.
Many states have Canvases where national, State and local candidates are chosen at local unit committee meetings. I don’t see why we can’t do that in Virginia.
Quit pointing out that Comstock is our fault. Two years ago that was true, this time she rolled over you and the conservatives using another of our fine RNC delegates as the implement. The unopposed and re-elected 10th district chair voted to abdicate the only role they have to give Babs the ability to self-nominate. It would be another RNC delegate that enables the primary-happy vote.
Had we received a modicum of support from GOPe, Obenshain and Cuccinelli would both have been elected. All we had to do was stand united and we would have won. Back to my previously point, internal bickering distracted from the real enemy and we lost. That was a stupid loss. It was completely preventable by Republicans. Democrats didn’t beat us, we lost it all by ourselves.
That’s how we roll. Ever in our own way. And it’s getting worse. We need to choose to change.
We did. It’s #MAGA time!
The democrats did help though.
Absolutely no room to talk, even our worst Shak is better than your best Clinton.
It’s going to be rough, the Democrats are more disciplined and their voters tend to stay out of the way. Our voters care more, demand more and have higher expectations. I like that. It makes it much harder though, so we have to earn it.
That was all of them and those that pull their strings or yank their chains. (You know who you are…)