Last October I wrote a blog entry on the travails of being a Republican. Events of today suggest an update is in order.
The oddly rhythmic knock at my door came around midday; a man seeking signatures on nominating petitions.
He went one-for-two with me, failing to get me to sign up for a Republican candidate to oust Frank Burns from the state House. The man shared that I was not the only person so inclined on my street and he didn’t bother to suggest that we were wrong.
What followed was a good discussion of what ails the Republican Party, on a local, state and national basis.
In an obtuse way, Burns is an example of that. Among Burns’ many accomplishments in office has been the outing of the Myopia 2025 closed-door elites’ secret plan to ship unvetted Afghan refugees into the area.
It failed when the light of publicity was shone upon the plan, sunshine being a great disinfectant.
Understand that in so doing, Burns, a Democrat, aided greatly the public he represents, but also angered elites of both political stripes. Think of him as a smaller scale Donald Trump, who now must defeat interests both in his party and the supposed opposition party in order to retain office.
Make no mistake, the knives are out for Burns, who had the temerity to buck the behind-the-scenes puppetmasters.
I’m a registered Republican, but I have voted for Burns in the past and will do so again, particularly as long as Republicans offer up as candidates people from the cabal of non-profits, not-for-profits, foundations and various other nominal charitable organizations that have taken control of area politics.
There’s a reason why Johnstown and Cambria County seem to be mired in unescapable third-class economic status. Shaking the begging bowl for federal largesse and distributing it among the politically favored isn’t going to change that, just as stringing more lights above Main Street won’t solve any problems.
The petition man recognized me from my days as a local sports columnist, and we spoke of some common acquaintances from Windber. We talked sports briefly, but then went back to politics and the sad state of the Republican party. Again, he seemed to agree.
It was after he had left that more evidence of this came to light.
First, four gutless Republicans in the U.S. House failed to vote for impeachment of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, who has presided over turning our southern border into a particularly porous sieve.
Next came reports that Republican National Committee chairwoman Ronna McDaniel is going to quit soon. Good riddance.
Under McDaniel, Republicans have failed to deliver a concise, clear message and so have squandered opportunities to win elections against a wounded Democratic Party. It is instructive that Trump’s 2016 presidential win came with the Republican establishment only being dragged kicking and screaming late to backing the winner.
As I told my afternoon visitor, Republicans have to take off the gloves and understand that those on the left mostly hate us and would have us confined in concentration camps if they could. George W. Bush and his compassionate conservative pap set back the party despite his presidential wins.
Give the Democrats credit, they almost always can be counted upon to line up and march in lockstep fashion spouting the party line, no matter how bizarre, fringe or anti-American it might be.
Meanwhile, Republicans try to find middle ground and shrink from the fight.
Emboldened Democrats smell weakness and run roughshod, at all levels.
Impeaching Mayorkas would have been a start. Showing McDaniel the door also would be a positive step.
But it’s going to take much more than that and I’m not sure Republican leadership – beyond Trump – has the stomach to do what needs to be done.
If we can’t find quality Republican candidates, an intelligent person votes for a Democrat like Burns, who at least isn’t drinking his party’s far-left Kool-Aid.
Sam Ross Jr's site 