Category Archives: Republican

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A Texas Democrat switched his affiliation to the Republican Party over the party's left-leaning embrace of defunding the police policies and "chaos" on the southern border.

State Rep. Ryan Guillen announced in a Monday press conference that he would seek reelection to his south Texas seat as a Republican, saying the Democratic Party's far-left values are no longer in line with his own.

Specifically, Guillen cited his now-former partys backing of defunding the police and the compounding crisis at the southern border under President Biden.

RIO GRANDE VALLEY BORDER PATROL ENCOUNTER NEARLY 2,000 MIGRANTS IN 24 HOURS, HUNDREDS GET PAST AGENTS

Mounted U.S. Border Patrol agents watch Haitian immigrants on the bank of the Rio Grande in Del Rio, Texas on Sept. 20, 2021 as seen from Ciudad Acuna, Mexico. (John Moore/Getty Images)

"Friends, something is happening in South Texas, and many of us are waking up to the fact that the values of those in Washington, D.C., are not our values, not the values of most Texans," Guillen said.

"The ideology of defunding the police, of destroying the oil and gas industry and the chaos at our border is disastrous for those of us who live here in South Texas," he continued.

The former Democrat had won his seat by nearly 17 points in the 2020 election and has served in the Texas House for almost two decades. Guillen's switch is a win for Republicans as the party pushes to gain traction along the historically blue border.

Republican Gov. Greg Abbott and Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan joined Guillen at his announcement in Floresville.

Speaker of the House Dade Phelan, R-Orange, presides as they House prepares to debate voting bill SB1, Thursday, Aug. 26, 2021, in Austin, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

"John Lujans upset victory earlier this month in a district with a majority Hispanic population already proved that Texans are fed up with the failures of Democratic leadership and Ryan Guillens party switch makes that fact all the more clear," Republican State Leadership Committee (RSLC) president Dee Duncan said in a Monday statement.

"Todays Democrat leaders are so focused on appeasing their fringe-left base by putting teachers unions ahead of parents, pushing socialist tax and spending schemes, and fighting for open border policies, that even elected officials in their own party cannot support their radical agenda anymore," Duncan continued.

Duncan said the Republicans "welcome" Guillen to the party "with open arms and look forward to working with him" as he works with his new GOP colleagues "to deliver solutions for the people of his district."

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announces the reopening of more Texas businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic at a press conference at the Texas State Capitol in Austin on Monday, May 18, 2020. (Lynda M. Gonzalez-Pool/Getty Images)

The Texas Democratic Party chairman Gilberto Hinojosa went after Guillen for the switch, attacking the newly minted Republican for "prioritizing holding onto his job rather than standing up for Texans."

"Were disappointed to see him selling his soul and selling out South Texans, but were excited to clear the field for a real Democrat to run one we can count on to show up for our families and put Texans first," Hinojosa said. "Texas Democrats will keep standing up for our values and fighting to fix the biggest problems facing Texas families whether its fixing our disaster-prone power grid, getting more people healthcare, or making sure working Texans have a real chance to get ahead."

"Thats clearly not a priority for Rep. Guillen," he added. "Dont let the door hit you on the way out."

The ongoing border crisis has been a thorn in the Biden administrations side a thorn that Biden and Vice President Harris, who was tapped earlier this year to oversee the border crisis, have largely ignored since taking office.

Harris quipped earlier this year that she had not been to Europe when reminded by NBC's Lester Holt that she had not been to the southern border yet.

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Harris traveled to France last week, where she was panned for putting on a French accent while touring a laboratory in Paris. She had previously traveled to El Paso, Texas a city along the border but not near the Rio Grande Valley, the epicenter of the crisis to assess the border situation.

The effects of the border crisis may also boost the already growing Hispanic vote moving toward the Republican Party.

Houston Keene is a reporter for Fox News Digital. You can find him on Twitter at @HoustonKeene.

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Texas Dem Ryan Guillen switches to Republican Party over defunding the police, 'chaos' on the border - Fox News

CNN

By Ryan Nobles and Devan Cole, CNN

Former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows blasted House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthys leadership style on Thursday, suggesting that if Republicans win control of the House next year, the party should install former President Donald Trump as its next speaker.

Theyre not skating to where the puck is. And so I would give them a grade of a D,' Meadows said of the House Republican leadership during an appearance on Florida GOP Rep. Matt Gaetzs podcast. I believe that on this tactic and strategy listen, you need to make Democrats take tough votes. You need to make sure that when youve got them on the ropes that you dont throw in the white towel.

Meadows, a Republican from North Carolina who was serving in the House before Trump picked him to be his top aide in 2020, said in a separate appearance on a podcast hosted by Trump ally Steve Bannon that he would love to see the gavel go from (House Speaker) Nancy Pelosi to Donald Trump.

You talk about melting down, people would go crazy, he said.

The speaker of the House does not need to be a member of the House, just elected by the body.

The comments from Meadows underscore the growing tension in the Republican Party, with the Trump loyalist publicly criticizing McCarthy, a California Republican who is also one of Trumps top allies in Congress, less than a year before the midterm elections.

McCarthy is facing heat from both his party and Democrats over recent episodes in Washington, including criticism by some Republicans who want their leader to punish more than a dozen House Republicans who voted for a bipartisan infrastructure bill that will repair roads and bridges and widen access to broadband.

Democrats have blasted McCarthy over his decision not to condemn Rep. Paul Gosar after the Arizona Republican posted a photoshopped anime video on Twitter depicting him killing Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and swinging a sword at Biden.

Former Ohio Republican Gov. John Kasich, who also served for a time in the House and ran against Trump in the 2016 Republican presidential primary, told CNNs Wolf Blitzer on The Situation Room later Thursday that Meadows comments were just so crazy.

It looks like hes still running so much of the Republican party, Kasich said of Trump. As to whether that remains in terms of the pinnacle of his power yet to be seen. I hope we wake up.

Meadows faces pressure from Congress to comply with a subpoena issued by the House select committee investigating the January 6 Capitol Hill riot. The panel is currently weighing whether to pursue a criminal contempt referral against him, something it has already done for former Trump adviser Bannon. Bannon was indicted by the Department of Justice last week and is pleading not guilty to the charges against him.

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Meadows slams McCarthy and suggests Trump should be elected speaker if Republicans win House - KTVZ

Rep. Gary PalmerGary James PalmerMo Brooks launches Senate bid in Alabama Former Trump officials eye bids for political office The Hill's Morning Report - Presented by TikTok - Senate trial will have drama, but no surprise ending MORE (R-Ala.) this week touted a provision in the bipartisan infrastructure law that President BidenJoe BidenIdaho state House passes worker vaccine compensation bill Biden sends 2016 climate treaty to Senate for ratification Rubio vows to slow-walk Biden's China, Spain ambassador nominees MORE signed on Monday, despite the fact that he voted against the legislation.

Palmer issued a statement Monday highlighting a provision under which Alabama will receive$369 million over five years for a road project in the state called the Northern Beltline.

This is the opportunity we have been working for as a region and a state," Palmer said. "Now is the time for us to take advantage of it and complete the work by finishing the Northern Beltline and building a better future for the Birmingham metro area and central Alabama.

Palmer's statement drew criticism on Twitter from Democratic lawmakers such as Sen. Brian SchatzBrian Emanuel SchatzTelehealth was a godsend during the pandemic; Congress should keep the innovation going Framing our future beyond the climate crisis Manchin frustrates Democrats with latest outburst MORE (Hawaii) and Rep. Eric SwalwellEric Michael SwalwellThe Memo: Democrats may rue pursuit of Bannon Mo Brooks says he would 'be proud' if staff helped organize Jan. 6 rally GOP ekes out win in return of Congressional Baseball Game MORE (Calif.), who noted that he voted against the infrastructure package.

"You mean the funding you voted against? That funding?" Swalwell tweeted.

You mean the funding you voted against? That funding? #DemocratsDeliver https://t.co/AphlEVfN3P

Palmer spokeswoman Elizabeth Hance said in a statementthat the congressman would have voted for stand-alone legislation he authored that included funding for the Northern Beltline. Hance also said that Palmer noted his support for funding the Alabama project in his statement about his vote against the infrastructure package.

Had they brought the bill he authored to the floor as a stand-alone piece of legislation, or even a package that was truly paid-for infrastructure, he would have supported the overall bill. They did not, Hance said. It should not be surprising that he supports a provision that he authored and that was noted in [Palmers] initial [statement] about the infrastructure bill.

"The bill was full of problems, including items not related to traditional infrastructure," she added. "The overall bill will increase energy costs, drive up the debt, and pave the way for more wasteful spending."

In his Nov. 6 statement about the vote on the infrastructure bill, Palmer said that "Democrats have shown they are willing to recklessly push through a bill that costs over a trillion dollars with only about 10 percent going to roads and bridges." He added that at least the bill includes legislation which I introduced with Rep. David TroneDavid John TroneHouse GOP campaign arm expands target list after brutal night for Dems We must protect the heroes on the front lines in our communities Legislators want three counties to secede Maryland for West Virginia MORE (D-MD) that includes funding for the Birmingham Northern Beltline.

Only 13 House Republicans voted for the infrastructure law, while nearly every Democratic House memberbacked the measure.

Updated at 10:59 a.m.

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Alabama Republican touts provision in infrastructure bill he voted against | TheHill - The Hill

In my short three decades in Washington, I have seen two huge Republican waves and I am anticipating a third one a year from now.

The latest generic ballot has Republicans up a touchdown and a field goal, the largest margin I have ever witnessed. If the GOP screws this one up, it will be the most epic fail in history.

There were signs that 1994 was going to be a big year for Republicans, but the establishment had become so used to Democrats running the House that nobody truly believed that then-Rep. Newt GingrichNewton (Newt) Leroy GingrichMORE (Ga.) could take the Speakers gavel. Those signs included an incompetent Clinton administration, abject corruption in the House, a favorable issue set for a center-right country, and a motivated and energized Republican conference.

It became pretty clear by the fall of 2009 that the shelf-life of the Democratic majority was expiring in November of 2010. Instead of focusing on the economy, the Obama administration spent all their political capital on health care reform. House Speaker Nancy PelosiNancy PelosiBlack Caucus eager to see BBB cross finish line in House Hoyer: Vote on .75T spending package likely Thursday or Friday Feehery: The next Republican wave is coming MORE (D-Calif.) made her moderates walk the plank on climate change legislation that never went anywhere in the Senate. And former President ObamaBarack Hussein ObamaBriahna Joy Gray: White House is setting Harris up to move past her The Memo: Democrats may rue pursuit of Bannon Biden's decision on Fed chair said to be 'imminent' MORE himself became a polarizing figure who inspired a Tea Party revolt.

The key difference between the 1994 and 2010 came with the governing agenda. Gingrich had one and Speaker John BoehnerJohn Andrew BoehnerFeehery: The next Republican wave is coming Rift widens between business groups and House GOP Juan Williams: Pelosi shows her power MORE (R-Ohio) didnt. The Contract with America had a specific set of promises that were achievable if you looked at the fine print, and those promises started with a complete overhaul of the House of Representatives. The Tea Party, on the other hand, was an incoherent jumble of the unachievable (repealing ObamaCare) and the incomprehensible (keep the governments hands off of Medicare) as the movement devolved into a mass of petty grifters who were using the passion of the moment to make a few bucks.

The next Republican wave will be a reaction to the progressive movements monumental overreach. As always happens, Republicans fail because they try to do too little, while the Democrats fail because they always try to do way too much. President Biden campaigned like he was former President Clinton in his second term but has tried to govern like he is FDR, LBJ or Obama.

The Biden bait-and-switch is only part of the Democrats problem. The American people dont want more government. Sure, they will take the handouts, because free money is hard to resist. But voters understand instinctively that there is no such thing as a free lunch. They blame the Democrats and the president for inflation and high gas prices (rightfully so), they blame the Democrats and the president for the risk of more government restrictions on freedom (rightfully so), they blame the Democrats and the president for failing schools (ex. the Glenn YoungkinGlenn YoungkinAmericans keep spending House Democrats planning 1,000 events to tout accomplishments Manchin has 'a lot of concerns' over timing of Biden spending plan MORE victory in Virginia), and they blame the whole progressive movement for cancel culture, wokeness, defunding of the police and a general disdain of America and its cultural norms.

The left has become anti-American, anti-capitalist, anti-free speech, anti-liberty, pro-globalist, pro-lockdown, pro-socialist, pro-COVID-19 hysteria, pro-climate hysteria, pro-mask and pro-gender-bending. They have become very easy to run against.

That explains why Republicans will win in November. All the GOP has to say is we are not them and they will have a very good election. We are not crazy. We are not socialist. We are not hysterical. We are pro-family, pro-freedom, pro-economic growth, pro-getting people back to work.

The Republicans dont need a crazy agenda full of promises they cant keep. They dont need to relitigate the 2020 presidential election. They shouldnt spend anytime looking backward.

The Democrats believe that their only hope is to make this election about former President TrumpDonald TrumpBiden sends 2016 climate treaty to Senate for ratification US, China ease restrictions on journalists Americans keep spending MORE. The media likes that strategy because Trump is very good for ratings. But actually the only thing that will help the Democratic Party now is if they turn away from the progressive nonsense that has driven Bidens poll ratings to historic lows. That doesnt seem very likely. And so, prepare yourself for the next Republican wave. Its coming to a town near you.

Feehery is a partner at EFB Advocacy and blogs at http://www.thefeeherytheory.com. He served as spokesman to former Speaker Dennis HastertJohn (Dennis) Dennis HastertFeehery: The next Republican wave is coming Feehery: The GOP could have done better Feehery: The theme song of the counterrevolution MORE (R-Ill.), as communications director to former Rep. Tom DeLay (R-Texas) when he was majority whip and as a speechwriter to former House Minority Leader Bob Michel (R-Ill.).

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Feehery: The next Republican wave is coming | TheHill - The Hill

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FIRST ON FOX: Senate Republicans on Wednesday are expected to sound the alarm on the rising cost of Thanksgiving from turkey to side dishes, gas prices, and more and blame Democrats for failing to work on a bipartisan basis to address the supply chain crisis and labor shortage driving inflation.

Sen. Boozman, the top Republican on the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee, and Senate Republican Conference Chairman John Barrasso are expected to lead a number of their colleagues at a press conference Wednesday in highlighting their concerns of costs going up for the average American family.

"There's no turkey on the table, no heat in the oven, and people can't afford gas to drive to see family," a GOP aide told Fox News, previewing the press conference. "With massive inflation and a supply chain crisis that won't quit, Joe Biden won't be getting any thanks from American families this Thanksgiving."

The aide added that that Senate Republicans are "standing up for families and farmers against the tidal wave of taxes, spending, and debt that Democrats have on the menu."

REPUBLICAN SENATORS UNITE IN CHALLENGE AGAINST BIDEN'S VACCINE MANDATE

According to Bureau of Labor Statistics data GOP aides shared with Fox News, Thanksgiving turkey is up 18% from last year along with traditional side dishes like potatoes, which data shows rose 17% from last year, and green beans, which rose 39% higher. The aides shared data that also showed eggs, bacon and butter all almost 30% higher than their prices last year.

Republican aides warned that Americans "will definitely feel this pinch" at grocery store checkout lines as they prepare for the upcoming holiday.

A volunteer packs onions in the warehouse of the Alameda County Community Food Bank in Oakland, Calif., on Nov. 5, 2021. (AP Photo/Terry Chea) (AP Photo/Terry Chea)

"With regard to inflation, this will be the most expensive Thanksgiving for the American people in the history of the country," Barrasso said. "Who would have believed that in just 10 months, Joe Biden could take us to a 30 year record high of inflation?"

Republicans will also highlight the increasing cost of gas saying they are at the highest they have been in seven years. An aide told Fox News that the average American can expect to pay almost 25% more to heat their home, and an increase in gas prices when traveling to family during the holiday season.

"On average, 50 million Americans take the roads for Thanksgiving," Barrasso said. "The average cost of a gallon of gasoline is now up a dollar per gallon from what it was when Joe Biden came in office."

Meanwhile, Boozman is expected to stress that the increase in prices are not the fault of the farmers, truck drivers, or grocers, but, instead, "falls squarely on the Democrats" for failing to work with Republicans to address issues "driving food inflation to levels that have not been seen since the Carter administration."

Republican concerns come after the Labor Department reported last week that U.S. consumer prices accelerated at the fastest annual pace in more than 30 years, as supply chain bottlenecks and materials shortages persisted, and gasoline prices continue to increase.

The consumer price index climbed 6.2% year over year in October, according to the Labor Department. The increase marked the largest annual gain since November 1990. Prices rose 0.9% month over month.

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Energy prices jumped 4.8% last month and were up 30% over the past year. The October increase was largely the result of a 6.1% rise in the cost of gasoline.

Food prices, meanwhile, edged up 0.9% last month as the food at home category saw a 1% increase. All food prices are up 5.3% year over year.

Boozman and Barrasso are expected to be joined by a number of GOP colleagues Wednesday--including Sens. John Thune, Rick Scott, Deb Fischer, Jerry Moran, John Cornyn, Cynthia Lummis, John Hoeven, Dan Sullivan and Roger Marshall.

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Senate Republicans to sound alarm on rising cost of Thanksgiving amid inflation, supply chain crisis - Fox News

Rightwing operatives in the US are using a huge network of fake local news sites to target crucial state elections, with the sites publishing tens of thousands of conservative-skewed articles on politically charged subjects, many of them misleading or wrong, over the past 11 months.

An investigation by Popular Information, an online newsletter founded by journalist Judd Legum, found that in Virginia 28 sites, each purporting to be local news outlets and all owned by the same company, published almost 5,000 articles about critical race theory in schools.

CRT is an academic discipline that examines the ways in which racism operates in US laws and society. It is not taught in Virginia schools. But the idea of CRT has become an inflammatory call to arms, or at least to the ballot box, among the right wing.

The Virginia sites published the articles, many of which addressed spurious Republican claims about CRT threatening to dominate school curriculums, as the gubernatorial race in the state loomed.

Glenn Youngkin, a Republican, triumphed over Terry McAuliffe in the 3 November election, after he exploited concerns over teaching about race and promised to ban CRT from classrooms.

The Virginia local news sites, which include the Central Virginia Times and the Fredericksburg Leader, are run by Metric Media, an organization that operates more than 1,300 community news sites across the US and is linked to Locality Labs, both of which are overseen by Brian Timpone.

In 2020 the New York Times revealed that the two companies, along with others involved in publishing the sites, have received at least $1.7m from Republican political campaigns and conservative groups. The Times reported that conservative organizations were able to order articles from news websites owned by Metric Media and its affiliates attacking Democratic political candidates.

Metric Media and Brian Timpone did not respond to requests for comment.

Between January and November 2021, the 28 Virginia Metric Media sites published 4,657 articles about critical race theory in schools, Popular Information found.

Many of those stories were automated, referencing an online pledge to refuse to lie to young people about US history and current events described by Metric Media as a pledge by educators to teach CRT. But there is no evidence on the website for the pledge that the people who have signed it are teachers.

Signees must list their city and state, and Metric Media appears to use an automated system to generate articles based on whether anyone has signed from a town or city covered by a Metric Media news outlet.

That system enables the Central Shenandoah News, which theoretically covers the area in north-west of Virginia, to run regular articles based on the same source. Last week, it ran the following two pieces:

No new teachers in Harrisonburg sign pledge on Nov. 2 to teach Critical Race Theory

No new teachers in Harrisonburg sign pledge on Nov. 1 to teach Critical Race Theory

The Central Shenandoah News has run the same version of the Harrisonburg article since August, including almost daily since the beginning of October. It has also regurgitated the format for nearby Staunton.

Timpone is an ex-journalist with a track record of operating dubious news organizations. Timpones predecessor to Locality Labs was a company called Journatic, which saw a licensing contract with the Chicago Tribune torn up after it published plagiarized articles and made up quotes and fake names for its writers.

Popular Information found that as well as targeting Virginia with anti-CRT articles, Metric Media has also ramped up the tactic in other states with looming governor elections.

News sites owned by the company have published 11,988 anti-CRT articles in Florida over the past 11 months, 10,096 articles in Texas, and 6,262 in Ohio. Sites claiming to represent New Hampshire have published 2,162 anti-CRT articles.

Legum said he found no evidence that any of the Media Metric sites have significant traffic or readership: But I dont really think thats the purpose, he said.

I think that its more the idea of injecting something into the political conversation and giving it a more credible sheen than if you were just to put it out as an advocacy group or something like that.

After one of the news sites covers a candidate or political group, that person or organization can use quotes or cite favorable coverage from the related article. Quotes from an outlet like the Central Shenandoah News could be used for online ads, tv ads, or political mail-outs.

In Virginia, Youngkin won the governorship by a little more than 60,000 votes. The fake news sites might not win an election by themselves, but in a tight race, every little bit helps.

I think that they could have a meaningful impact. Not because necessarily theyre going to influence that many voters, but because elections are decided at the margins, Legum said.

So I dont think it necessarily will reach that many people, but I do think it can make a meaningful difference, and its one of the things in the toolkit that could make a difference.

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The fake news sites pushing Republicans critical race theory scare - The Guardian

Every Monday morning at 7:30am, when some people are just pouring their first cup of coffee of the workweek, Im already on the job, cleaning homes and businesses in Clarksburg or Bridgeport. Its hard work but Ive worked hard all my life.

Life is not easy for me and my husband, Greg. After years as an auto mechanic put pressure on his body, an old hip injury flared up and left him permanently disabled. He got very sick in 2019 and spent weeks in the hospital. Since then, he has needed to use an oxygen tank. As a result of the turmoil, we went into debt and fell behind on our mortgage. Then COVID hit.

Business for the company I work for took a tumble as offices closed and people worried about having a stranger come into their home. It was only thanks to the stimulus checks that we were able to get by in fact they helped us catch up on our house payments and stay in our home.

Now more than a year and a half later, though, times are still tough for us and for so many other West Virginians. Were doing everything we can to get by, but working people need support from the federal government to weather this storm.

So much attention has been spent focusing on Senator Joe Manchins proposals with the budget, but as a proud Republican and Donald Trump voter, I want to know why my Republican representatives, Sen. Shelley Moore Capito and Rep. David McKinley arent fighting to pass this bill to help their constituents in Colfax and across all of West Virginia.

In fact, I want to know why Republicans across the country seem to have gotten a free ride for rejecting policies that would help Republican people like me.

The truth is, we need more good jobs in West Virginia and across this country. We also need to make things more affordable for working people. Thats what the bills in Washington will do.

Right now, I am paid $12 an hour and on a good week, my paycheck is about $370. Greg gets a monthly disability check. We qualify for SNAP benefits and Medicaid. But even with these programs, and trying to economize as much as we can, our monthly income is often not enough. Sometimes I have to pick which bills Ill pay on time, and which ones will have to wait. The budgets investments in West Virginia would give me and all working people here an added boost.

Our electric and gas bills are always high I worry about how much we can run our air conditioner in the summer. Now as we get ready for winter, I worry if well be able to afford to keep the house warm. We urgently need more efficient and affordable utilities, and the budget bill would help bring these sky-high costs down.

We also need more affordable prescription drugs. Medicaid has made a tremendous difference for us but there have been some medications and procedures that Greg needed that werent covered and he had to go without.

Passing the budget bill and the infrastructure bill at the same time is what West Virginia needs. Making life more affordable and rebuilding our infrastructure and our economy with good jobs will be good for the service industry and workers like me. When people have good jobs they can afford to hire a housecleaner. And good jobs with good wages will help raise wages in other sectors as well. Our elected officials in Washington need to do their job just like I am doing mine and pass these bills.

Sen. Capito and Rep. McKinley, Im reaching out to you as a Republican constituent in your community: Why are you blocking a budget proposal that invests in working families? I think its wrong that youre withholding help. Good jobs and cheaper bills are policies that Republicans should support because its what our communities need.

I just feel like Americans are all in this together. Were supposed to be on the same side. But it seems like everyday people like me on one side and youre on the other.

Please stop playing political games and trying to cut the policies we need. Stand with us. Stand up for us. Pass these bills, so we can pay ours.

Becky Simmons lives in Colfax and is a member of the nonprofit advocacy group WorkMoney.

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I'm a Republican and I'm disappointed Republican politicians are standing in the way of jobs and cheaper bills - Times-West Virginian

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IrelandUruguay, Eastern Republic ofUzbekistanVanuatuVenezuela, Bolivarian Republic ofViet Nam, Socialist Republic ofWallis and Futuna IslandsWestern SaharaYemenZambia, Republic ofZimbabwe

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Opinion: The Republican Party is not the government - Post Register

(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) Delegates attend the Utah Republican Partys 2021 Organizing Convention at the Maverik Center in West Valley City on Saturday, May 1, 2021, as they return to an in-person format after the pandemic forced the nominating convention to go online last year.

By The Salt Lake Tribune Editorial Board

| Nov. 17, 2021, 2:03 p.m.

Fresh from its successful drive to gerrymander congressional districts in Utah so as to make it nigh onto impossible for Republicans to lose any of them, the states GOP is considering another step in its Long March toward the creation of a state government that resembles nothing so much as the Chinese Politburo.

Thats a system where everyone can vote, but they dont have any choice of who to vote for.

Amassing more power is something politicians are tempted to do when they already have almost all of the power. The people of Utah, and the more reasonable members of the Republican Party, should make it clear that theyve had more than enough of this anti-democratic impulse.

As we learned Tuesday from Salt Lake Tribune political reporter Bryan Schott, Republican Utah GOP Chairman Carson Jorgensen is planning another run at removing the state law that requires political parties to allow candidates to win a spot on primary ballots by gathering signatures on a petition as an alternative to seeking the nomination through party caucuses and conventions.

The current two-track process was put into state elections law in 2014 with Senate Bill 54. It replaced a system where the only path to a partys line on the ballot was through a caucus and convention system. That method slanted the whole process toward far-right true believers who not only dont represent the principles and interests of most Utahns but are also out of sync with more moderate Republicans.

SB54 was once favored by many Republicans enough to get it passed by the Republican super-majority in the Legislature due to concern that the party was slanting too far to the right. It was aso seen as pushback against a move by activists that would have eliminated the convention system altogether in favor of the petition route.

But buyers remorse sank in quickly. Party leaders have tried, without success, to sue SB54 away. They even passed a rule to deny candidates who go the signature route the right to call themselves Republicans. But the rule was never enforced for fear of leaving the GOP line on the ballot blank.

Jorgensen would like the Legislature to allow parties to use the convention system only, with the proviso that a candidate has to win 66% percent of a county or state convention vote to avoid a primary and to go straight to the November election ballot. That is still far too restrictive a method and favors candidates that are plugged into the partys extremist right rather than its big tent, well, not-so-far right.

Unlike some other red states looking at you, Texas and Georgia Utah is not big on voter suppression. We have easy voter registration, near-universal vote-by-mail, early voting and ID requirements that are not unreasonable. In recent years, voter turnout has been high and complaints rare. Such worthies as Gov. Spencer Cox and Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson are rightly proud of how it all works here.

What Utah has instead is candidate suppression. Between gerrymandering and the convention system, Utah Republicans have put forth a situation where most people can vote but are often likely not to bother because they dont like any of the candidates.

(Some of that sad situation can be blamed on the fact that Democrats in Utah have little influence and less money. Of course, this not likely to get better as long as Republicans keep building their one-party state.)

Answering critics of the latest redistricting, Cox said that people who dont like the outcome of any legislative process just need to become more active politically in hopes of getting a better result next time.

If one is not paying that much attention, the governors admonition is obvious. But it is not possible to out-organize a system that is designed to keep the powerful in power and further insulate them from the will of the people.

Cox is among the Republican leaders who should expend some of their political capital to halt any effort to make elections in Utah less democratic.

Voters should let their members of the Utah Legislature know how they feel. While those members still have to pretend that they care how their constituents feel.

More:

Utahns should tell Republican lawmakers to leave the signature path to the ballot - Salt Lake Tribune

The first of the Republican Presidents was Abraham Lincoln who took office on May 4th, 1861. As Americas 16th president, he is most famous for leading the nation through its worst internal conflict, the Civil War. Unfortunately, he is also famous for being the nations first president to be assassinated. A lesser known achievement of his is bringing strength and organization to the Republican Party. As a result of his efforts, the Republican Party is often referred to as the Party of Lincoln.

Beginning with Lincoln, there have been nineteen Republicans to serve as President of the United States. Like Lincoln, some of them are famous figures of American history. Others are relatively forgotten by todays generations. Some have been mired in controversy and some have had tough decisions forced upon them during times of national crisis. Anyone who has ever said being president is an easy job never held the office. This site is dedicated to those Republican Presidents who have served our nation in its highest office.

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Republican Presidents of the U.S.