What happened in the rules fight in Cleveland yesterday at the RNC did not have to happen the way it did. Â Let me first say that I 100% agree that the actions of the Convention were ridiculous and everyone should be pissed at what happened. Â So I completely understand everyone’s frustration but I must say I think people like Mike Lee and Ken Cuccinelli and other leading conservatives have nobody to blame but themselves. They failed to understand that fundamentally Trump and his supporters were free agents in the establishment vs grassroots battle and with so many of them embracing #NeverTrump they drove DJT and his supporters straight into the arms of the RNC and Reince. Â If the Lees, Cuccinellis, RedStates, Erick Ericksons, and the myriad of conservative thought leaders had embraced Trump and, more importantly, his 14 million voters, we could have created a powerful anti-establishment and anti-RNC army. Â But instead they spent months plotting to depose him, to undermine him and to work for his defeat at the convention… something that was NEVER going to happen. Â Forget about Trump himself. Â His supporters are the ones we all should have been focused on, bringing them into the conservative fold in a way the GOP establishment never did with the Tea Party of 2010. Â Â But we blew it.
Donald Trump is what he is, a businessman who makes deals. Â Reince and the RNC gave him the best deal so he took it, and conservatives inability to understand that created the mess yesterday. Â The spectacle of conservatives last stand now being fighting over RNC rules is a sad fall from grace, to be honest. Â Our anger and energy is now nothing more than complaining about rules? Â Who cares about rules, go out and do what Trump did – rewrite them. Â Lee and Cuccinelli are talking about closed primaries and that’s all great, but I want conservative leaders that have loftier goals than RNC rules fights.
There was a chance to join with Trump and his supporters to crush the RNC and we blew it, and in my opinion it’s because so many of my friends joined a #NeverTrump movement who had better luck chasing windmills than deposing Trump as the nominee.  It was foolishness, conservatives deserve better than what Lee, Sasse and others have given us in terms of leadership.  I’m not thrilled with Trump as the nominee, I’m an old Ron Paul guy so I understand the frustrations of these conventions.  Trust me.  But white-washing their own tactical and political blundering by just screaming about “RULES” fails to move me.  I get that many now are assuming Trump will lose and trying to game the system for 2020, but this is an election Trump can easily win at this stage. We had a chance to grow our grassroots exponentially but instead, focusing on Trump himself, we delivered his supporters to the arms of the establishment.  In some cases, like here in Virginia, we used the establishment’s own tactics, like slating, against the Trumpers and it backfired big time. Â
So I’m sorry, I’m not going to cry and bemoan what happened yesterday. I’m not going to scream about Reince and RNC, turn in my red elephant card and lose my mind because it was all so predictable. It was all so predictable as I watched conservatives, post Indiana-primary, plot fruitlessly for something that was never going to happen. Every Kristol threat, every Sasse tweet was one more step of the RNC and the establishment winning Trumps supporters.  We can beg them and tell them what happened yesterday hurts them, too – and that would be the truth.  It does.  But why would they ever listen to conservatives after so many have mocked them and mocked their candidate?  It’s asinine, quite frankly.  The chance was there to finally take over, but mocking and alienating a group of people that we have much more in common with that the establishment does was a giant mistake. Â
I’ll leave you with the famous quote from the First Conservative, Barry Goldwater,
                  “Let’s grow up, Conservatives.â€
60 comments
This was a very impassioned argument, but fundamentally flawed by lack of accuracy. Ken C. NEVER advocated a NeverTrump position, and his reforms had NOTHING to do with Trump.
I’m sorry that the rules of how we select our Republican nominee don’t interest you, but they interest those of us who want to nominate a real Conservative like Ronald Reagan again sometime.
The consolidation of power into the hands of a small, elite group in DC like what happened on Monday is how we nominate people like Mitt Romney and Bob Dole, and yes, Donald Trump.
Furthermore, the total disregard for following their own parliamentary rules at the convention just proves that they are no different than the elitists on the left who don’t think the rules apply to them.
Blaming Ken and conservatives at the convention who fought for these reforms for getting crushed like this is the same as blaming a hit-and-run victim for crossing the street.
Yeah, and Berg never not-supported the nominee. If it walks like a Beau, talks like a Beau, and is seen in constant companionship of a Beau — guess what?
Ken’s Rules and reforms were colored by his behavior and the crowd he ran with —
Past performance IS an indication of future outcomes.
Can you elucidate about the deals and negotiations that Ken rejected? What was offered? What was turned down?
Come to Frederick if you want to see what your rules get you.
We’ll never get another Reagan — Trump is closest to Reagan than any of the other nominees.
‘You guys got your cameras ready? Here I go!’ http://www.breitbart.com/2016-presidential-race/2016/07/18/rip-ken-cuccinellis-political-career-2002-2016/
Great article – only thing you missed was the reason for all the opposition. Trump and his supporters have done nothing but attack everyone they’ve come across, driving conservatives into no man’s land. Trump squandered the opportunity to build a powerful grassroots movement. Now, conservatives will sit out until the Trump movement has moved on. It’s over.
The conservative movement, the grsssroots force. It’s all over. New alliances will form between moderates and conservatives to save the GOP Brand from progressive populism.
Frankly, I think the conservative movement will be stronger now that it understands the importance of having friendly, meaningful relationships with our more moderate friends. We now know there is something more dangerous than the Republican Leadership.
We’ll still have to fight against debt, spending, corporate welfare, higher taxes, and increased regulations, but our attitide will be much more mature in the future – making us more effective (and freeing us from relying on fringe groups to grow our influence).
I think you are mistaken about conservatives. You continue to portray the argument as between “conservatives” and Trump supporters, as if conservatives don’t support Trump. There are millions of conservatives who support Trump. I think you also imply that “grassroots” don’t support Trump, which is untrue. A huge portion of his support comes from the grassroots of the Republican party.
It seems pretty clear that your limited definition of “conservatives” is a very small part of the electorate, since most of the polls show over 90% of the electorate supporting either Trump or Hillary, so exactly who are these “conservatives” that will not support Trump?
This is where it would help if you were involved in the Republican Party — Trump supporters were pariahs made by the establishment AND the Constitutionally-Ignorant Cruz supporters. The non-CI’s were surprisingly fair and balanced.
Trump and the supporters didn’t hit first, but we hit last.
Now, the proof of agenda and clarity of character has been made clear.
Sometime Republicans are no longer welcome in the wheelhouse.
[…] Chris Beer Originally published in The Bull Elephant on July 19, 2016 Reposted by permission of the […]
This article is just plain brilliant!
Excellent try Chris but judging by many of the comments below I still don’t believe they get it. Let’s start a new party, good luck with that one, the delving in fantasy post delegate unbinding just continues.
There is no we… Trump was not slated anywhere. Actual conservatives were CHOSEN by the delegates (which was how it is done). Trump delegates were not, by and large, because the establishment had their own preferred national delegates (in the minority but still their own) and conservatives did not trust Trump or his followers to advance any sort of a conservative agenda or rules.
Guess what they were right as Trump, Preibus and Ryan cheated to keep from having an actual counted vote on the rules Ryan and Preibus rammed in.
If you stand for that type of blatant GOPe cheating then I do not stand with you.
Amy, you’re never voting for Trump, so we don’t care about your tortured channeling. Bottom Line: Nevers never win.
You are correct about my vote. As for the rest, you can pass right over my posts and it won’t hurt my feelings at all. If you cannot stand hearing differing opinions, perhaps the Democratic party would be more to your liking.
God knows you have the support for progressive down pat at this point.
I care, and am deeply concerned about your misguided opinions, I will not give up on you.
I’m sorry I wasted so many years calling myself a “conservative.”
This election has made me, and many others, realize how morally and intellectually BANKRUPT the thing that is called “conservatism” is.
That thing is dominated by a handful of global establishment elitists who are looking out for their OWN interests and no others.
I don’t think conservatism has anything to do with the NeverTrump movement. I sure would like to know what common characteristic drives this group, but is sure isn’t conservatism. Most conservatives actually want to win elections in order to move the country in a positive direction. The NeverTrump group has always had this fatalistic “we are going to lose anyway” attitude which is not much of rallying cry for their cause, whatever that cause may be.
Like most understand, it isn’t about Trump, it is about a movement to say enough is enough w/the Uniparty and the Washington DC gravy train. Trump is the one that was smart enough to realize that and seize the moment. Meanwhile, the rest of the political hacks were playing the same ‘ol standard political game completely unaware that most Americans were on to them. Things like Jeb! saying he didn’t need the base to win. We woke up and totally blew their plans thanks to Trump for giving us another choice.
Trump blind-sided them and it will be years before the GOP will be able to accept that, or get over it, and they will spend the rest of their lives trying to get even, meanwhile the rest of us will be working on getting America back on track, and safe.
Don’t fret about it, there won’t be a GOP.
I am celebrating the GOP is done and starting anew w/out the baggage.
You are celebrating by voting for a man who believes in the same things as Hillary.
Not even close
I’m starting to think you don’t think as highly of The Donald as we do. So you probably shouldn’t vote for him. I’ll allow it.
Will Trump and his supporters ever get realistic about what it will take to defeat Hillary Clinton in November? This ‘We don’t NEED you!’ ‘We don’t WANT YOU!’ egotistical, arrogant attitude will be Trump’s downfall! A little humble outreach might help. Time for Trumpsters to take a crash course on ‘Winning Friends and Influencing People’!
Yep, but I won’t waste it on the nevers. For them, I’m scornheaping.
No, it is not our job to bring you around, if you can’t figure it out on your own, then you are of no use, besides that isn’t how it works. Winners take all and Trump WON. You can get on board, or you can continue to whine and moan. No one is going to beg you, which is what you seem to want. You, and only you, can change your attitude, no point in beating as dead horse as they say. Wake up and grow up.
I’m in, and i’m sure I can’t be the only one here. When / where is the first meeting? Constitution party? New yet to be named party? Do we infiltrate the LP? Do we start now? After Trump goes down in flames in November? I’m tired of the GOP snubbing their noses at real limited gov’t constitutional conservatives. I have held my nose and voted for every sorry GOP candidate since I have been able to vote. The rules BS at the convention shows that they are no better than the Dems. For me its always been about principles. It will take a lot of work, but i’ll devote everything to blow up this corrupt two party system. The parties no longer represent the people and are basically just two sports teams with players that do not represent anything of substance. I’m tired of being unrepresented. I live in the city of richmond and have never even had a GOP candidate to vote for in the house of delegates. So why work for a party who doesn’t even put up a candidate in my district? For a new party to be viable, we need to displace not only republicans, but entranced democrats in the underserved districts. For years the GOP has written off districts like mine and let the Dems run unopposed. These districts are ripe for new ideas and fresh faces. Perhaps I am naive thinking that someone other than a dem can win there. The GOP clearly doesn’t think that they can, but what about a constitutionalist? When explained correctly our ideas win, because our ideas are right. The Bill of rights / constitution should be a unifying document. And that is where we should start. As with anything, a new party has to start at the bottom (local) level. Who are our candidates, who are our leaders, and where do we start? If I have to do it myself then so be it. We need to start now. Our founders started from a much worse position than we are in. We still have mechanisms available. Tell me where the new party meeting is, and I’ll be there to help +1.
Since you don’t site any examples of your own experience doing this outreach, Chris, I have to assume at this point that you did none.
But I did, early on.
I did so because I thought I understood what motivated Trump supporters. While I was never a member of a local tea party, I nevertheless attended several tea party rallies — two on the Capitol Hill lawn. I likewise took the bus to Richmond with the AFP to lobby the legislature. I spent a lot of time talking with other folks events like those. I thought these were people were basically thinking conservatives with a bit of common-sense populism thrown in.
When Trump started rising, what I found was that many of these folks I’ve mentioned were not who I thought they were. Some loathed Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio for being from Cuba — in other words, being Hispanic. Others believed Trump’s allegations that Cruz was a Canadian. Still others believed Cruz was a member of a global conspiracy run out of his wife’s company — Goldman Sachs. And no amount of facts mattered that Trump was soft on illegals as late as 2012, or that his long personal and political life had mostly resembled that of a liberal Democrat, not a Republican. Then the campaign heated up and Trump smeared Cruz with the lie about his having 5 affairs and the implication that Cruz’s father had helped kill JFK. His followers were good with that, having come to hate Cruz.
On top of that, I was dumbfounded that many of Trump’s followers used the word “conservative” as an epithet. I realized they were responding to the present lying Republican Congress and its members, who’d often run as “conservative,” and then once in office enabled Obama’s agenda. These people — Trumpers — didn’t want anything to do with “conservatives,” and I understood that, because I’d felt the same way about Congress.
The problem is, all of that does not suggest a body of people whom real Conservatives could have engaged or reached without RADICALLY CHANGING WHAT A CONSERVATIVE IS. That’s the problem with your thesis, Chris.
They, like Trump, feel they don’t need us. And they don’t.
Me — I think it’s time to form a Conservative Party. There’s no longer anything grand about the old one.
Amen to that.
Wow, that’s amazing. Can bigots and ignorant carry the ‘grand’ old party over the finish line?
I’ve been saying for a few years that we need a new party, Trump has confirmed that.
If bigoted means wanting the Republican Party to be Republican and Ignorant means refusing to accept Never spin in the face of truth then ‘¡Si Se Puede!’
No bigoted is you and your ilk deciding that Cruz wasn’t American enough for you so you would rather support a progressive who was spouting things that contradicted his entire life’s philosophy than what was likely the most conservative candidate we are likely to see in this lifetime… Cause his wife once worked for Goldman Sachs!?! and Canadian!?! and funny looking!?! and not natural born!?! (this last despite all scholarly and court opinions).
While you also ignore that the president of Goldman is one of Trump’s chief advisers. That is just the tip of the hypocrisy.
My ilk are some of the best and the brightest the party has to offer, with the support of the general public that recognize Mr. Trump’s leadership and statesmanship, we are legion!
Cruz is a weirdo who seemed to be better than most of the usual GOP bozos yet still couldn’t become electorally relevant.
Maybe in 2020 if the Constitution gets amended… Hey, that’s what you Nevers could do with all your copious free time — make it so that Cruz won’t get knocked out by the first Judge that happens to read the Constitution.
You’ve got four years to clean him up, hide the China, and pray that the American people swing Dominion.
Good Luck
Amy stop making vitriolic statements about Trump supporters. 14 million selected Trump over Cruz and Rubio. Had very little to do with their ethnicity but their record in Congress and the dirty tactics Cruz used on his opponents.
Get back to me when you are prepared to stop misrepresenting Cruz’s tactics during this campaign.
Capital notion — have at it. I’ll help in any way possible — Start with the Constitutionalists, they’re good people and well on their way,
I am sorry we have offered such lousy examples of conservatism and driven folks away by Kenye and Beau.
The biggest problem the Republican Party has is marketing and getting their message out. We have the better ideas, we have the solutions….but continue to let the progressives define us, so we’re constantly on our heels. We need to Be assertive, be succinct, get out smart messages like “free birth control”, “black lives matter”, etc…the democrats play this game so much better than the republicans. Get your message in a short sound bite and PUSH, PUSH HARD. Explain capitalism. Explain personal responsibility. Teach the constitution, as our schools are no longer doing that. Explain the debit with charts…don’t assume anything. Have a REAL solution for our inner cities. The republican party is a mess and I’m glad someone with a good heart came up with “make American great again”. It’s our last best chance to save this country, in spite of the republican party, certainly not because of it. All of us out here don’t care about “grass roots”, establishment, or whatever other label you want to create and blame. BOTH parties have hurt the engine of this great country – US, the American people.
How about “Freedom Matters. Globalism is Slavery.”
unfortunately, globalism will have to be defined. Our kids care more about people in other countries than the people in need here. it’s an upside down world. too many here don’t believe that “anything will ever really change much”. they don’t have an educated vision of history.
I have just received ACTA’s report on American history in colleges. It is abysmal. A high school kid 50 years ago knew more American history and civics than today’s collage graduate from the top schools in the country.
the premier private school in Richmond has a “department of inclusion”, promotes countless immigration lessons in the early elementary years, and no longer teaches civics. our students are filling stadiums for Bernie and no one is alarmed. If Trump gets rid of Common Core, I will say he’s successful.
It is called the Uniparty, and yes, they have brought this country to her knees.
The GOPE’s did try to get creative w/”vote your conscience”, thankfully that little creative slogan didn’t work. No doubt millions were spent sitting around the pool drinking gin to come up w/that one.
too many in the elite think they have the answer for the rest of us. Clearly, they’re wrong. I hope Cruz isn’t too involved in this charade.
If he wasn’t, it’s his fault for not reigning in ‘KenBeau’ et al.
No, this is an “If you’d joined my side I wouldn’t have had to hurt you, why’d you make me do that?” idea. The idea that the wronged actually wounded the wrongdoer. It doesn’t fly.
Am I correct that in Virginia the affect of the rules change would be that Presidential nominations would have to be by convention? Or that a voter would have to sign a “loyalty oath” when voting in a primary?
Convention would be cheaper and easier. Closed primaries would require that we change the party system completely and register as Republicans before we could vote in the primary. Not a loyalty oath per se, but a lot of work.
We are not capable of a fair convention under the current rules.
Bull. The campaign that reads the rules wins, the campaign that ignores the rules loses.
???
Who won in the local districts? Harrisonburg? Cleveland?
Were those fair?
The system is broken, we (Virginia) are incapable of having conventions that are fair to all sides without some serious work.
“Fairness” is the cry of the weak when they lose. The rules where in place, the campaigns knew the rules, Stewart dropped the ball and lost. They KNEW that delegates could be voted on from other campaigns and didn’t organize anyway to prevent that anyway even though they knew it was possible and that it had been done before. That’s incompetence. Plain and simple.
I see. Same as Cleveland right?
No. There Trump’s people knew the rules and broke them. Not unfair per se, just plain immoral thuggery that violated the standards they had helped to set in place. We have videos of Trump supporters and RNC folks threatening, harassing, and actually trying to manhandle delegates, attendees, reporters, etc.
Screaming unfair when you lose by the rules is weak. But setting the rules and breaking them anyway? And threatening and harassing people? That’s just stupid.
Good on you Edison Carter! Go to political conventions much?
The people won and our party ratified the best nominee.
Let’s have a Bartles & James and get back to the actual business of winning.
There’s nothing hard about having Party registration. It makes sense that people who have demonstrated a commitment or connection to a given party would be the ones who choose their party’s nominees. Open primaries are disastrous.
Yes, the rules that Ken wanted would have helped to prevent Democrats from voting in Republican primaries across the country. Not exactly radical.
Ken cares about Ken. It’s all about his future.
Yes, discouraging Dems from voting in Republican primaries is very good idea that is already working in many states. If only the vote could have been restricted to that sort of issue.
It was. The other stuff were separate issues.
Of course they were, and the test vote wasn’t a test vote, and I’m shocked there is gambling, in Casablanca. KenBeau’s actions and style these past many weeks spoke volumes. I read the signals loud and clear, I got the message, I no longer trust Team Ken — they embarrassed, and do not represent, me.
It’s not what you say, it’s the way that you say it!
exactly