Republicans are on the brink of losing statewide offices yet again – if something doesn’t change. Personally, I think this means nominating Denver Riggleman, John Adams, and Glenn Davis; but nominating the “right candidates” is only less than half of the battle. The truth is that Republicans are outnumbered in the commonwealth and if we want to win, then we need to stop doing the same thing over and over again expecting a different result (the definition of insanity).
I’ve been feeling particularly pessimistic of late. My conversations with Congressmen Dave Brat and Rob Wittman, and Gubernatorial candidate Denver Riggleman are the only moments when I feel any hope at all. In particular, Congressman Wittman is reassuring me that the House is looking for legitimate solutions. I’ve spoken with dozens of conservative Independents who think that Denver Riggleman is the only one that has a shot of bringing Virginia together. Let’s not kid ourselves though – The majority of the TEA Party and conservative activists groups are 100% behind Ed Gillespie.
Despite Republican frustrations with President Donald Trump, I’ve never seen a Congressman work as hard as Rob Wittman to figure out how to turn a campaign agenda into a legislative agenda. Yet, as Democrats flock to the Congressional offices and townhalls of Congessmen Brat, Garrett, and Wittman, where are their supporters? The cameras simply aren’t catching them.
The Democrats would have us believe that there are millions of cancer patients who will die if the ACA is repealed and replaced. What infuriates me is that I’ll probably never be able to work again or experience prosperity if the ACA isn’t repealed. I got cancer and went through the most painful surgery imaginable (according to my surgeons). I’m spending my time out of work bettering myself by earning my Masters Degree in public policy. I’m studying the very bureaucracy that we’re all looking to fix.
Every time I talk to folks like Jim Gilmore, Glenn Davis, and Denver Riggleman, I know that there are fellow Virginians looking to find solutions. Delegate Davis and I don’t always agree, but it’s always the kind of conversation that leaves me feeling hopeful. Denver Riggleman and I agree on almost everything, but he isn’t focused on the philosophical or ideological. He wants to make sure businesses and families can start and grow businesses in the Commonwealth. He wants to make sure that the voters, not the special interests, rule the General Assembly roost.
In the meantime, the Republican Party is ripping itself apart, as if Virginia was Yugoslavia under Slobodan Milošević, Alija Izetbegović, Ratko Mladić, Radovan Karadžić, and Franjo Tuđman. We’ve fractured and broken ourselves into factions under our own domestic resistance to liberalism and progressive democratic politics.
Chairman John Whitbeck is doing everything in his power to make the centralized party stronger; but what are we doing, besides tearing it apart? While President Trump, Congressman Wittman, and Congressman Brat push for deregulation and tax reform, republicans are reenacting the 2016 primary like it’s a civil war battle.
I haven’t been writing a lot lately, because I’m pretty sure that Virginia Republicans are going to continue slitting one another’s throats until there is no one left to vote or vote for.
If that’s where we are; fine – but let’s stop pretending we’re trying to win elections. Those of us upset at Trump’s election can’t lambaste Republicans who support our President while feigning righteous indignation and pragmatism. Those who love Trump can’t claim to help while trying to push everyone who wasn’t on board in January of 2016 out of the party (Ron, you hear me?).
Do I think Denver Riggleman and John Adams and Glenn Davis can help conservative Republicans in Virginia? Of course I do. Do I think conservative Republicans will help Denver Riggleman, John Adams, and Glenn Davis win their primaries and general elections? Of course not. This isn’t criticism. This is honesty. This is love. I love the Republican Party and I hate everything that harms it; and we’re the ones doing the most harm right now. Not Cantor. Not Boehner. Not Kasich. Not McCain.
Responsibility lies with Speaker Ryan, Majority Leader McConnell, and President Trump – the rest lies with us. We can either come together or we can tear ourselves apart. It’s entirely up to us. I’ve written less and less because I don’t believe we’re going to make the right choice. I hope I’m wrong. Virginia, show me that I’m wrong.
And if it’s Gillespie or Vogel (Who is one of with sweetest, kindest, friendliest Republicans in the Commonwealth) or Reeves or Smith or Stewart or Wagner… great, then we need to get behind them and push them to represent the majority of Republicans and Independents in the Commonwealth. I’ll be there – if we’re doing it together; but we have to do it together. We have to do it together.
25 comments
Curious: You said ‘What infuriates me is that I’ll probably never be able to work again or experience prosperity if the ACA isn’t repealed. I got cancer and went through the most painful surgery imaginable (according to my surgeons).’ Why won’t you be able to work or experience prosperity if the ACA isn’t repealed? Who paid for your cancer surgery?
I’m thinking you are confusing the leadership of some TEA Party organizations with those of us in the grassroots of the TEA Party movement. While most I know are leaning heavy towards Denver (me included), I don’t think anyone has signed on to Ed. I think Ed has tapped into that old and true tactic of sucking up to the TEA Party leading up to an election, so he can turn around and ignore our principles and concerns after he gets elected. Seems to be a winning ploy utilized by so many of our elected repubicans.
YES! This. /
Tea Party grassroots are not fooled by Ed.. And are not fooled by the self-proclaimed “Tea Party Leadership” (snicker).
That is one very, very important point that both the main stream media and political apparatchiks both Republican and Democrat just can’t seem to ever reconcile. I’ve always believed it’s because it is so fundamentally abhorrent to them to conceive of a political association of any kind not being structured around the central concept of the leadership and the led.
I always chuckle when a hear the self proclamations of the Tea Party federations across the nation committing support to some specific candidate or position fully realizing what is being truly committed here is a small number of full time political operators and fund raisers while the “movement” is actually sitting quietly at home for the time being raising their families and making a living. Hot air without even a balloon to blow it into.
The GOP in Virginia has a couple of different problems.
1st is that we don’t have great voter lists at the local and precinct levels. Fortunately great Americans like Scott Sayre, Matt Tederick, Anne Fitzgerald, AL Tucker, and many other Patriots in the 6th Congressional District GOP are trying to alleviate this problem.
2nd and more concerning are the paid trolls who refuse to coalesce around the nominee who was legitimately selected by the voters. These people, and you have them in both the Tea Party and in the Establishment wings, are not as principled as they want everyone to think, but in actuality are little better than hacks who would allow liberals to win just to spite everyone else.
So, in my case, am I a troll because I insist that Trump do what he says? Am I a troll because I expose when Trump keeps changing what he says daily, or, even hourly? Am I a troll because I expose what goes on in downtown Richmond every January?
List you say? One big reason that Virginia is blue is due to the astronomical number of non-native Americans in NOVA. The Republicans made Virginia blue with their cheap labor army. Now,they have to live with it.
I didn’t vote for Hillary. I am not a Democrat. My vote actually matters.
BD prob pays better.
If you’re mucking with the GOP, and you’re not a Republican, you are a troll paid or unpaid. I think shill gets paid by definition.
You’re still an American and can say most anything you want. Thanks for voting as you did.
Maybe it’s time for a third party. One thing Trump proved is that one can win “sorta” on the cheap.
The Republican refusal to repeal Obamacare proves that what I say is true. 50-60 times they voted to repeal during Obama’s admin. And now? They make absolute fools out of themselves by having no desire to repeal the ACA. Ryan and McConnell are not leaders. Not even close.
No, not time for a third party, that is the highway to hell option.
Republicans, much like the nattering nabobs of negativity on this blog, are excellent at carping and whining and being against things rather than for things.
So it’s easy to shout repeal and replace when you know nothing will come of it.
Now that they must lead, and not just token opposition until their rate is met, it is a foreign and scary concept.
Better to just let President Trump lead and then they can be against him — that’ll get them back on the DC guest lists.
The problem is that Trump will not stabilize, it seems he keeps flip flopping? Correct?
Stabilize on what got him elected, and then let them who be against him become guests.
He’ll keep his promises, but he’s not just President of the people who elected him, he’s President of the entire country.
It would be hilarious to see the Republican response if it had been a Democrat that had spoken the identical words Trump did last night.
Increased spending, tax cuts, etc.. Promises that change.
Worse than the paid trolls are conservatives and Republicans who may be unpaid directly, yet advocate by their words and deeds, a collapse of our two party system.
If you’re a Republican you support our nominees and follow the rules, if you’re not, you may vote for our nominee in the general. There is no middle ground.
Why not just make your case and place your vote? Because is’s so much more personally self fulfilling and no doubt rewarding in some unknown fashion to be a self important, self righteous, accusatory, politically name dropping, clueless, so called Virginia Republican Party purveyor of nonexistent influence.
This race from the very start has and will come down to one of effectively three important choices in my opinion for the state voter (both the actual legal ones and the ones Gov. McAuliffe’s recent veto of Sen. Mark D. Obenshain’s Senate Bill 1105 wanted remove from the rolls as questionable).
First, a continuation of the Virginia progressive era and existing Gov. McAuliffe’s current administration in the form of either Democratic primary candidate, second, the primary selection of a long term establishment state candidate in the form of Ed Gillespie that will clearly signal a return to the former approaches and policies of the state’s traditional Republican leadership, third, a leap into the future along with the majority of other state parties across the nation with a binding to the Trump administration and policies in the form of Corey Steward. Depending on where you happen to sit on these candidates there exists a plethora of pros and cons to go around. Yet It still is in fact the first true statewide election in a very long time here in Virginia that will likely set a direction for some political years to come.
So everyone should enjoy themselves. There will never be a shortage of pompous pseudo intellectuals around to tell you what you need to do and how you need to do it. Best advice there is just to ignore them as their true contributions are marginal. ENJOY the election and vote for your choice and our state’s future political and policy direction as this election cycle that vote really carries some added importance and leave the whiners to whine in their corners. Kick up some dust the political process was never intended to be a wake we to often have the tendencies to believe we are required to make it one.
The great American can do speech was delivered last night by President Donald Tump. There is nothing beyond our grasp if we will roll up our sleeves and be Americans – and cease with perpetual complaining. The model for American greatness is in place and we but need to use it.
Welcome back SBT. Please excuse me, as I am writing this from under the bus that Speaker Ryan, McConnell, and Trump, along with the Democrats, have thrown me under.
I still say that any statewide Republican win in November
is tied to Trump. If the Trump agenda flops, so do the other Republicans.
Speaker Paul Ryan supporting the Democrats tonight by REFUSING to clap for things that are most important to me, well, that tells me that the Trump agenda will not be taken seriously by the US House. Disappointing.
I suspect that behind the scenes Trump is trying to exchange what Ryan wants for what he wants. It ain’t working. The Republicans are refusing to give up their cheap labor. The Republicans are refusing to give up Obamacare. The Republicans are refusing to give up Communist China and Mexico. The Republicans are refusing to give up on amnesty for their Mexican cheap labor army. The Republicans are refusing to enforce our laws.
Most importantly, the Republicans/Trump need a source of funding for their agenda. Look for a backdoor middle-class tax increase, such as tax reform, to provide Republican funding via tax increase. Sure, they will call it something else just like Bob McDonnell did with HB 2313 in Virginia. Funny how Virginia state employee’s get a pay raise, and the US government raises taxes and takes it away.
Time for Ryan, McConnell, and Trump to put up or shut up. We been lied to by Trump and the other two way to many times.
Prove that it’s about the American people, it’s not about lobbyists cash.
Would it be fair to give our reps a little time? The cabinet is not yet in place, and already you are heaping scorn on them. There will be enough of that from the Dems. We don’t need friendly fire.
From my point of view? Trump, after only 6 weeks is ALREADY backtracking on the things (promises) that got him elected.
It is Trump who is not waiting for his cabinet to be in place before he flips on his promises.
No question that Trump is a loose cannon. We can only hope that those around him can contain the damage, and some of the pledges can be realized. Border security and a sane immigration policy, law and order, tax reform, healthcare reform.
Exactly. With the exception that tax reform will in no way increase taxes on the middle-class, or poor.
I don’t think that the poor pay taxes.
If they get a welfare check that is not taxable income.
Ok
Mr. Tucker, you say that “the majority of the TEA Party and conservative activists groups are 100% behind Ed Gillespie.”
Based on my experience with voters in my area, that is simply not true. Many (most?) in the public (and that includes Republicans) are not even aware that this is an election year. Of those who are, most have not yet committed to a candidate. They are waiting for the campaigns to begin. Until there are some signs of real campaigns (TV/radio ads, signs, bumper stickers, literature, mailings, door-to-door), the public will remain in neutral. There isn’t much time for candidates to get their message out. Those campaigns with some cash and a ground game will have an enormous advantage. Eventually, whatever happens, we need to close ranks on June 14.
Ed knows that he just needs to glom onto faction leadership and luminaries to claim faction support.
I am just enjoying how Tea Party principles so overlap with Ed’s positions, actions, and history.