On the eve of the GOP Convention in Richmond, and with a least two potentially divisive contests on the horizon, attendees should reflect on why this Convention takes place. Or at least primarily why.
Obviously, it is to nominate candidates who are competitive in the upcoming general election and who have reasonable prospects to win in November. No candidate will be nominated who does not broadly reflect the Party’s dominant principles, not every particular, but enough. That is a given.
There is a contest for Party Chairman that is an unfortunate diversion and given the consensus behind Pat Mullins should not even be on the agenda. It is driven by the false notion that there is some ephemeral “establishment” trying to dictate to the equally ephemeral “party’s base” and this effort to “control” the Party must be thwarted.
Elected officials and elected party leaders, who overwhelmingly support Mullins, hold their offices only because the base of the GOP, its “grass roots,” chose them. Duh!!! The attempt to now erect some false dichotomy between those elected leaders and the people who chose them is patently self-serving and should quickly be put to rest.
The only meaningful contest is that for the Attorney General nomination and the three candidates have conducted a spirited competition. Whoever wins the nomination should have the full support of the Party for the fall election.
Remembering then, that nominating candidates with the potential to win in November is why they are coming to Richmond, the delegates must leave their “long knives” at the door.
They must recognize that VA is the beginning of the road to recovery for the GOP and that if Republicans cannot win in VA this year with an attractive gubernatorial candidate and a divisive Democratic primary, the Party is in desperate straights.
Exchanges like the recent verbal jousting between Colin Powell and Tom Ridge on the one hand, and Dick Cheney and Rush Limbaugh, on the other, highlight part of the problem. The idea that two men of the caliber of Powell (former Secretary of State and Chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff) and Ridge (former head of Homeland Secretary and former PA Governor) who tout the Republican banner would be banished from GOP ranks by some is poisonous nonsense.
We should be focusing on how to keep them in the fold, not how to kick them out! This is the spirit that should permeate this Convention and launch the nominees in grand style for the serious challenges of the next five months.
Wyatt Durrette is a Director at DurretteBradshaw, PLC (www.durrettebradshaw.com) and co-founder of the XDL Group. He served three terms in the House of Delegates and was the Republican candidate for Governor in 1985.
[...] gubernatorial candidate Wyatt Durrette makes an excellent case for an end to the emotionalism and desire for retribution apparent among some Frederick [...]
Those are smooth words which no reasonable Republican could disagree. The problem is not with conservatives, the problem is with RINOs, moderates, and country club Republicans. Instead of encouraging conservatives (we know who you were talking about) to leave their “long knives” at the door, perhaps you should be lecturing RINOs and moderates to support the conservative nominee if he or she wins. The problem is that the Tom Ridges and the Colin Powells of the world expect and demand conservative support of the moderate Republicans, but then they run like little girls to the hills when a conservative gets the nomination.
I for one am sick of it. I’m mad as hell and I’m not going to take it anymore.
True, the need to support GOP nominees goes both ways, but occasionally someone will stray. To the extent labels apply, if we need a center right coalition to win, both the center and the right need each other. No individual need change views on principles, but each must recognize the importance of the other. If anger results in intra-party retribution, we only help our common foe. In the end, we each must make our own judgment, and if Mr. Doe wishes to exclude from his vision of the GOP those who might on one or two occasions support a Democrat over a particular Republican nominee, so be it. For me, I would rather have that person supporting GOP nominees most of the time, than so alienated that they permanently support our opponents. Finally, no one suggests that Mr. Doe or anyone else alter their beliefs. This is about party building and how each part of a necessary coalition must move together with others with whom they may not always agree.