How’s the old idiom go? When in Rome, do as the Romans?

The Democrat Party has been “symbolism over substance” for decades. While I’m not suggesting the Republican National Committee’s launch of a voter registration initiative at gas stations across the country amid a continuing sharp rise in gas prices comes anywhere close to a trick from the Democrat playbook, it is perfectly symbolic given the reality of untold millions of angry Americans.

What better place to launch a voter registration drive?

As reported by The Hill, a source said “the RNC will be holding several voter registration events across the country in the coming weeks.” They added that “[t]he first event took place in Arizona Saturday, where volunteers and staff registered Americans to vote from 1 p.m. – 3 p.m. local time.”

Ben Petersen, the communications director for Arizona’s RNC, told The Hill that gas stations are the best place to have conversations with Americans angry about the price at the pump.

Chris Stigall
@ChrisStigall
I’d love to tell you this is a @GOP ad…I’d love to tell you that.

https://youtu.be/LamRwl5Z2qk //

It juxtaposes all the troubling things we’re presently seeing in radical leftism – the wokeness, the defund the police movement, the riots, the moral decay and the effort to attack America, complemented by the warning words of Ronald Reagan. The only thing more powerful than that threat, so succinctly put forth, is the rest of the video, with Reagan declaring the freedom and the greatness of America. //

“I’m warning of an eradication of the American memory that could result in an erosion of the American spirit,” Reagan says. “If we forget what we did, we wouldn’t know who we are. We’ve got to do a better job of getting across, that America is freedom. Freedom is special and rare. Freedom of speech. Freedom of religion. Freedom of enterprise. As long as we remember our first principles, and believe in ourselves, the future will always be ours. Ours was the first revolution in the history of mankind that truly reversed the course of government, and with these three little words: We The People. We the people are free. Once you begin a great movement, there’s no telling where it will end.”

Yes, it’s an ad for wine, from conservative winemakers, We The People, and great job, guys. Good name too. The GOP guys who are behind ads should see whoever did this and solicit those folks to do their ads. It puts everything into such sharp focus and grabs the heart. It’s so riveting. And it so clearly notes that we have to do a better job at teaching the young coming up what America is and that we were behind on that teaching even when Reagan said those words. The words of Reagan are from his Farewell Address, as he left the presidency in 1989, and remind us of how great he was, how well he could put forth the Republican message.

“What is your response to Gov. DeSantis, who is using your words about ‘don’t be in the way’ and he’s saying ‘I am in the way, to block too much interference from the federal government.’ Your response, Mr. President?” O’Donnell inquired.

“Governor who?” Biden responded as people, presumably other reporters, could be heard laughing. “That’s my response.” //

DESANTIS: Well, I guess I’m not surprised that Biden doesn’t remember me, I guess the question is what else has he forgotten? Biden’s forgotten about the crisis at our southern border. I can tell you that biden has forgotten about the inflation that’s biting the budgets of families all throughout our country. Biden has forgotten about the demonstrators who are fighting for freedom down in Cuba and Biden’s even forgotten about the Constitution itself as we saw with what he did with this moratorium. And I can just tell you I’m the governor who protects parents in their ability to make the right choices for their kids’ education. I’m the governor who protects the jobs and education and businesses in Florida by not letting the federal government lock us down. I’m the governor who answers to the people of Florida not to bureaucrats in Washington. //

greginfla
44 minutes ago
The best thing the media could do for the leftist cause is to ignore DeSantis. They are giving DeSantis nationwide exposure, and as someone said, making him a peer with POTUS. This is similar to how Trump got tons of free marketing from the media. //

DeeInFL
....
I don’t know where you’re getting your data from but Florida is not out pacing Covid deaths from the delta variant. According to the CDC Covid tracker the 7 day average per 100,000 is the highest in Arkansas followed by Louisiana. Even looking at total Covid deaths prior to the delta variant Florida ranked 26th out of all deaths in Covid deaths per capita.

Last weekend, I wrote about Biden’s machinations and opined that if the GOP once again chooses to play the fool on this issue, the party doesn’t deserve to exist any longer. Well, it’s official – the GOP does not deserve to exist any longer. //

Any political party that can’t even operate effectively as the opposition is a useless party. At this point, it’s fairly clear that the older generation of the GOP, specifically in the Senate, is not salvageable. We’ll see where that leads.

If only these people had as much energy for the George Floyd riots as they do for the assault on the U.S. Capitol.

Indeed, despite what the left would have you believe, Cheney did not lose her position because she criticized Trump. She was not ousted because she supported the second impeachment sham. It was her constant need to bring up the riots and Trump’s comments about the 2020 election that eventually did her in.

When she faced the same consequences in February, she still enjoyed enough support to keep her in as conference chair. But now, even her allies have grown sick of her incessant relitigating of the election and the riots that followed. While the rest of the party wishes to move forward and work with Trump, regardless of their disagreements with his comment, people like Romney, Cheney and the rest of the Never Trump crowd present themselves as obstacles to progress on the right.

Eighty percent of Republicans agreed with the vote to remove Cheney. Of that group, their various reasons included her being “off-message, unsupportive of Mr. Trump, and that she’s wrong about the 2020 presidential election.” Interestingly, even the twenty percent that didn’t agree said they were less likely to vote in Republican primaries, according to CBS, making them even less likely to be an important factor.

The poll also showed, by big numbers, that Republicans want the party to follow Trump’s example on issues like the economy (89%), immigration (88%), leadership (80%) and how to treat the media (77%). Sixty-six percent said being loyal to Trump was important, 33% said it wasn’t important. Sixty-seven percent said they didn’t believe that Joe Biden was the legitimate winner of the election. While concerns about what happened in the 2020 election were important, it was most important to be focused on the right policies — that important legislation and agreeing on economic policy was more important.

hoot.smawley
4 hours ago edited
Name one Freedom Caucus leader who has actually built a coalition of GOP votes capable of winning that position. Just one. I’ll wait.

I actually support the goals of the Freedom Caucus and share concerns about Stefanik (and loathed Cheney), but here’s a harsh truth…not one of the members of that caucus has built any kind of base of support that could elevate them to leadership. Not one. They preen for the cameras, they complain to the friendly press, and they do little to nothing to actually lead when it comes to doing the work in Congress, so nobody votes to make them leaders. They’re grandstanders who alienate people, and so the only people with sufficient support to get promoted to leadership are the squishes.

We spend a lot of time trashing Dems, RINOs, and weak-kneed conservatives (deservedly so)…but we also need to ask why the people saying things we want to hear to friendly journalists (cough Gaetz) can’t seem to impress their colleagues enough to get a leadership position. Because that’s actually on the person pursuing the leadership job when they fail to perform. We can’t clear the entire path for them…they actually have to do more than produce a bunch of pithy soundbites in order to get promoted. And until they d0 that, Stefanik is an improvement over Cheney, so she’ll do for now. //

hoot.smawley writeofcenter
2 hours ago edited
There was an observation from Elizabeth Warren (when she first got into office) that at some point politicians have to make a choice between being insiders or outsiders. If you’re an insider, you get to lead and make changes and have authority, but the one rule is that you can never criticize other insiders. If you’re an outsider, you can say and do anything you want, but nobody with the ability to change anything will care what you think and you probably won’t accomplish much. And if you’re not sure which you are, you’re an outsider.

I happen to think there’s a middle ground between those positions…you can have sway and criticize insiders, but only if you’ve actually accomplished something impressive first and demonstrated your value. Usually that means you kept your mouth shut, focused on building smart legislation, did a solid job in your committees, and built up a raft of allies. Then you can start taking the big guys down a few pegs…you put in the work, you earn the respect from enough people that you matter. That way, you shift what qualifies as “inside” and you build your army before going to war.

Problem is that too many of these guys in the Freedom Caucus (especially Gaetz) just came to D.C. to play the R vs. D game and get their faces on camera so they can maybe land a gig on Fox like Chaffetz or Gowdy (two guys who ran their mouths a lot while accomplishing very little that mattered) did. You’re not going to build a winning movement by building around the mouthy malcontents who mainly produce hot air,

I suspect that middle way is going to look an awful lot like Ron DeSantis…who takes a lot of shots at the press and prominent Dems, but doesn’t take shots at his own party even when he disagrees. He stays in his lane and doesn’t alienate potential allies while dismembering adversaries.

While Cheney needed to go for a host of reasons, I’m just not sure we are improving our lot by rushing to anoint Stefanik as GOP Conference chairwoman. //

I’m a big believer in redemption and I would happily kill the fatted calf to welcome a prodigal child home, but nothing about this leaves me feeling all that good about what we’re about to do in the House.

Ben Winslow
@BenWinslow
Replying to @BenWinslow
.@SenatorRomney is getting boo’d loudly at the @UtahGOP convention. @fox13 #utpol #utgop //

Romney then tried to press his Republican bona fides. “You can boo all you like,” Romney said. “I’ve been a Republican all of my life. My dad was the governor of Michigan, and I was the Republican nominee for president in 2012.”

But as Michael Knowles observed, this very claim wasn’t even true. Romney has previously claimed that at least part of his life, he was an Independent.

Michael Knowles
@michaeljknowles
“Look, I was an independent during the time of Reagan-Bush. I’m not trying to return to Reagan-Bush." —Mitt Romney, 1994

Catturd ™
@catturd2
I can’t stop laughing at Mitt Romney getting booed and heckled - LOUDLY! 😂

Robby Starbuck
@robbystarbuck
Mitt Romney will remember this forever. I think he finally realized his corporatist Republican Party was dead + a record of backstabbing isn’t popular. Red meat lines with no action won’t get you applause. We’re a people’s party now.

Action earns applause.

Ted Cruz
@tedcruz
Starting today, I no longer accept money from any corporate PAC.

I urge my GOP colleagues to do the same.

For too long, Republicans have allowed the left & their big-business allies to attack our values & ship jobs overseas with no response.

No more. //

Yes! Corporate America has put Americans last. They ship our jobs to China, mock middle America’s way of life, try to control our speech and run our lives. It’s time we stood up to them. I won’t take corporate PAC donations & I’ll fight to break up their monopoly power https://t.co/BXZ5DWzrzl

— Josh Hawley (@HawleyMO) April 29, 2021

First thing, there's this picture of Nikki Haley and Bruce/Caitlyn Jenner going around Twitter, and people are going "Ugh." She's terrible. She's the worst.

rightwingsavages
@rightwingsavag2
If you could summarize the downfall of the @gop in one photo what would it look like? And why is it this photo? //

And I want you to assume whenever I say Nikki Haley that there's an exclamation point (Nikki!) because she is Jeb! in a skirt. And Bruce/Caitlyn Jenner is also Jeb! in a skirt. Apparently, he's running in the California recall because we need more novelty acts.

The NPR article lists Liz Cheney as an example of the control Trump wishes he could wield. They know that he wants Cheney, as well as Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski and Rep. Anthony Gonzalez, successfully primaried, and would use funds from his PAC to accomplish that goal. The RNC, NRSC, and NRCC instead have a goal of filling seats with people who attach an R to their name – whether or not they act like a Republican.

And right there you have the most important reason that Trump supporters will donate to Save America PAC over one of the party entitles. They’re sick of watching those entities promote squishy Republicans instead of cultivating a field of people who will stick to conservative principles once elected, and sick of watching those entities not hold Republicans accountable once they’re elected.

It’ll be an interesting meeting at Mar-a-Lago this weekend.

The first thing I noticed upon arrival and all the way through until I handed the valet his gratuity, hopped in my truck and headed home, was that everyone there was happy. They were glad to be there, to be part of what candidate Trump had first discovered into and what President Trump had tapped into and grown to vibrant vitality. They were excited and joyful. You could tell by the ambient noise level throughout the 3 day event. The excitement was palpable. //

want to focus on this unity thing. There was a lot of talk, especially by the pundits about unity. “Can the Republican Party unify?” was the question intoned by oh-so-serious pundits and political prognosticators of every political persuasion. Just what does that mean?

Thinking of that reminded me of the movie The Princess Bride. Throughout the movie, the “bad guy,” named Vizzini is continually saying words to the effect of, that’s inconceivable! Finally, the hero, Inigo Montoya responds You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means. See video clip below. //

Unify the Republican Party? I’m all for it. But I don’t think that means what the establishment thinks it means.

Stay tuned

Added Bonus: Inigo Montoya was also known as a personal networking expert. Here is a sample his simple process for meeting other professionals in his line of work.

Polite Greeting: Hello.
Name: My name is Inigo Montoya.
Relevant Personal Link: You killed my father.
Manage Expectations: Prepare to die.

Simple. Effective.

See the video below

Establishment Republicans like Mitch McConnell, John Cornyn, and John Thune are focused like laser beams not on stopping the Biden agenda or anything else beneficial to average Americans, but rather on purging the Republican Party of Trump supporters whom they despise. Where is their outrage about the job-destroying executive orders? The assault on constitutionally-guaranteed liberties? The insanity of permitting biological men to compete in women’s sports? The overwhelming belief of their own constituents who are certain the 2020 election was stolen? The opening of the border to a flood of potentially diseased illegal aliens? The soaring gasoline prices at the pump directly attributable to Biden’s actions? The House Republican leadership’s orchestration of the caucus vote that kept Liz Cheney in her position despite her vote to impeach? The purported RINO congressional leaders are AWOL and only concerned about consigning President Trump and his supporters to the dustbin of history. //

The gold standard of Republican candidates is receiving a Trump endorsement, as was clearly shown during the 2020 election, during which 120 of 122 or his endorsed candidates won election. //

President Trump’s clarion call at CPAC to restore the Republican Party to its core principles and boot Establishment Republicans and RINOs is the correct way-ahead. Do not be fooled by third parties or PACs not endorsed by President Trump, as those are diversions that serve the Uniparty, not regular Americans.

South Dakota’s Gov. Kristi Noem has said that although it’s clear Democrat leadership does not work, the Republican Party has not done enough for the American people either and needs to reflect on how to keep the promises it’s made to constituents, particularly on healthcare and immigration. //

“We said we would reform health care, repeal ObamaCare. We have not done that. We said we would deal with immigration. We have not done that. There’s a lot of different promises that we’ve made to the American people that we just have not had the fortitude to pursue and actually get into place and impact their lives,” Noem continued. //

“So, the Republican Party has a self-evaluation they need to go through,” Noem said. “And we really need to focus on making sure we’re doing what we say. I’ve always watched every single president, and I’ve watched their actions of what they’ve actually put into place with policies. We as Republicans need to make sure we follow-through with everything we say we stand for as well.” //

Noem made an appeal to Republicans to reflect on the core values of the party, that are enshrined in the Constitution, which she said respects each individual’s God-given rights and freedoms. //

“President Trump did things of great magnitude for this country. What he did on tax reform, on trade deals, his support of Israel, his protection of our national defense, his enforcement of our laws,” Noem said.

“This man got up every single day and fought for the common everyday Americans so that they could have a chance to be successful and pursue the American dream. His legacy is going to be remembered as one of the greatest presidents that we’ve had because of the policies he pursued and the fact that he actually did what he campaigned on and he followed through on it,” she added.

Romney is one of the first politicians I’ve ever seen who was an outsider and specifically went to D.C. just so he could join the cocktail circuit and receive faint praise from CNN flacks.

To be frank, even if you don’t like Trump’s style, there was always a middle ground. Figures like Ron DeSantis populate it with relative ease and have bright futures because of it. Romney has no interest in that though. He’d always rather attack his own side while fluffing his opponents because it makes him feel morally superior. It also happens to be an extremely easy thing to do as a Republican in Washington. Doing what Trump did, standing up to the left in so many areas, takes actual fortitude. Meanwhile, Romney can only be counted to release a statement of disapproval of anything when he’s attacking another Republican.

As we forge into the next four years of what looks to be a Joe Biden administration, Republicans are going to have to make a choice. Do they pursue the politics of the past in vain, or do they recognize that the party has moved past the pointless virtue signaling of 2008 and 2012? Republican voters want a fighter who is going to prioritize them over getting backslaps from people like David Axelrod.

The coalition of voters who elected Donald Trump did not vote for him in 2016 because he was endorsed by the GOP establishment – he wasn’t.

The fact that the GOP establishment will not support his re-election will have about the same amount of influence in 2020 as it had in 2016 — none.

Whatever shall we do without them //

This is all shocking and stunning to me. That the Vichy wing of the Republican party would vote for a Democrat is quite possibly the most shocking thing I’ve heard since some tried to convince me that Pope Francis was supposed to be Catholic.

I can’t speak for anyone else, but I think it is clear that the populist impulse birthed in the Tea Party movement of 2010 that ultimately elected Trump in 2016 is a direct result of the actions of men like Powell, and both Bushes, and McCain, and Romney. These were people who never really cared about working men and women and who owed their primary allegiance to the moneyed and the powerful. I never expected any of these people, who, at least on the national political stage, epitomize the happy losers who’ve allowed the left to utterly corrupt this country; people who, to paraphrase someone famous, love the “salutations in the marketplace,” and care much, much more about the invitations to the right parties and the praise of the New York Times editorial page for being reasonable than they do for the direction of the nation, to vote for President Trump. They look at Trump’s personality and they look at his supporters, many of whom shop at ::gasp ::shudder WalMart, and can’t imagine making common cause.

There is a lot about Trump’s persona that I don’t like. I wouldn’t want my son to grow up to be like him, apart from being wealthy and marrying a supermodel who seems to be a class act as a person…though I’d want him to limit the whole marriage thing to once. But President Trump has done more to restore credibility to the GOP and to move conservatism forward in less than four years that George Bush, a man I generally admire, did in eight. Bush could’ve defunded Planned Parenthood. Bush could’ve controlled illegal immigration. Bush could’ve reined in the EPA. Bush could’ve acted to remove the regulatory burden from the US economy. Trump will never deliberately throw an election the way that John McCain and Mitt Romney did for fear of being called bad names. He may not always win but he doesn’t go away quietly and winning is important to him. //

I don’t care what Cindy McCain or George Bush or Colin Powell or Mitt Romney do because I don’t give a good damn for their advice or opinions because I know they don’t give a damn for me and my family and they really don’t care what America looks like so long as they get the accolades of the ‘right’ people. They don’t see me as a free-born citizen who votes for people to represent my values. They see me as some kind of a serf voting for someone better than me to lead and instruct me. That isn’t how it works. It isn’t how it has ever worked with Americans.

What we’re seeing under Trump, especially if he is reelected, is the last gasp of the old order. The end of the time when the powerful partied and vacationed together and their political battles were little more that choreographed WWE matches for the rubes in the backcountry. The fact that these people are refusing to vote for Trump says in the way that no Trump campaign video ever can that Trump has delivered on his promises and the powers of the status quo are terrified of what a second Trump administration will do to their cozy little deal.