It was Tuesday, Day 2, of the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, OH. I was sitting comfortably in the middle section of the arena directly in front of the podium. Chris Cox, a representative from the National Rifle Association, had just stepped up to speak to the crowd of delegates, activists and media. As Cox began his speech and stated, “You have to be able to protect yourself and your family…” I found myself being distracted by the fellow sitting next to me.
Could it be? Was the guy actually booing?
My attention turned from Mr. Cox’ speech to the grumblings of the guy next to me. I couldn’t contain myself any longer. In disbelief, I asked the 40+ year old fellow: “Are you a Republican?” No answer.
So I asked him again, “Are you a Republican?” Rather than answer, the fellow rattled off, “The Second Amendment isn’t about self defense. There are way too many guns in our nation. Guns are too readily available. Besides, guns don’t really offer protection for people at home.”
Wow! It’s normal to hear those talking points and attacks on the Second Amendment from Democrats. Or Black Lives Matter. Or CNN. Or Barack Obama. Or Hillary Clinton.
But at the Republican National Convention, the gathering that theoretically represents the heart of the GOP? I did not expect to hear people booing when a speaker was endorsing the Second Amendment and the right to bear arms. Yet there he was, this guy named Bill. Right beside me. And Bill’s entourage included eight other individuals.
I politely asked Bill if I could ask him a few questions since I was puzzled over his response to the Second Amendment. He said sure. I told him I had been a long time conservative activist so I was curious to get his thoughts on some issues.
“Do you mind me asking who you voted for the last two Presidential elections?” I asked.
Bill replied, “Obama in 2008. And f***ing Obama again last election.”
I followed up, “What state are you from and have you ever voted Republican?”
“I’m from Maine and no, I’ve never voted Republican before,” Bill acknowledged.
“So why are you here? Are you supporting Trump? If so, why?” I inquired.
Bill continued, “Well, I’m fed up with Obama, and Hillary is crap. I like what Trump is saying and so that’s why I’m here and supporting him.”
I shared with Bill that some had suggested that while the Republican Party was attracting new voters into the fold, many of them did not share the fundamental, core values of the Party and that it sounded like he was one of them. He agreed that he fit that characterization.
Our conversation was cut short because one of Bill’s buddies interrupted and Bill went over to talk with him. But this brief exchange affirmed to me exactly what I and many other conservatives had warned of and read about.
The party of Lincoln and Reagan now cares little about Republican values, and more about votes.
Many of the new voters are ones who do not affirm the historical principles of the GOP, such as the Second Amendment, Religious Liberty, Traditional Marriage, Free Markets, Right to Life, Freedom, Respect for Constitution and more. In fact, one article calculated that as many as 12 million Democrats had voted in the Republican primaries.
While any political party must be able to appeal to a myriad of voters, it should seek those voters based on the soundness and superiority of its message. For the GOP, that message has historically been one of conservatism. But in 2016, the GOP has clearly chosen to sacrifice conservatism on the altar of Trumpism, refusing to stand on principle and thus falling for whatever meets the voters fancy.
In contradiction to this assertion, some will proudly point to the Republican Platform as one of the most conservative-friendly platforms in years. Yet, platform principles mean nothing if they are not respected and followed. Claiming to be a Christian means little if one does not seek to align his life with the Christian “platform” we call the Holy Bible. Likewise, given the fact that Republican elected officials have ignored the GOP Platform for decades, it stands to reason that the Platform is merely for show and will have little if any bearing on the future behavior of the party and its nominee for POTUS, particularly considering that the nominee’s own track record is at odds with the Platform.
In a recent article by Ben Shapiro, he offered this analysis:
Trump’s new Republican Party has nothing to do with the Constitution or conservatism – he mentioned the Constitution one time this week, conservatism zero times, freedom one time, liberty zero times, the unborn zero times, God zero times, and himself some 83 times. As he said, America is broken and “I alone can fix it.”
Trump’s campaign manager, Paul Manafort, recently stated that Trump “has changed the face of the Republican party.” Never truer words were spoken. That face no longer resembles the party of Lincoln or Reagan. It’s conservative heart has been ripped from its core and in its place, a new heart has been transplanted, whose guiding value is revealed in one of Trump’s most famous quotes: “We’re gonna win and we’re gonna win big!” Principles, truth, virtue no longer matter. Conservatism is a thing of the past. Winning is all that matters.
But when winning becomes the sole objective, one has already lost.
So as we witness the unraveling of the Grand Old Party, we should brace ourselves for the shredding of the red, white and blue and the coming loss of Liberty. For in the words of Founding Father Benjamin Rush, “Without virtue there can be no liberty.”
I find myself relating to Bill. (well maybe not the voting for Obama thing). Whatever the name” Republican” name means, or meant, it frankly does not mean much to me anymore…maybe it never did. I find a parallel in my home church…I attend a local church that has the name “Presbyterian” in it, yet I don’t identify myself as a Presbyterian, and whatever that label meant to others historically, it does not mean the same today in our culture, or for me personally. One of the strange, and perhaps even healthy, aspects of our new post-modern world is that labels are not as important as they once were. For someone like me ( and maybe this is like Bill from Maine) I would rather know others and be known by others for my own beliefs rather than the name of some sub group (denomination or political party)…they always have a few things that I agree with, and many that I don’t. I am curious Mark…in the aftermath of the convention, do you still identify yourself as Republican….and if so, as the party moves further from your own convictions, do you think someday you will stop identifying yourself as a Republican?
Billy, no I do not identify as a Republican, as it is being defined today. And that’s the point of the article. The party of Lincoln and Reagan is no more, as referenced twice in the article. This election more than any in the past 30 years is illustrating this point. A party exists to bring like minded people together to advance like minded values and goals. The values of the Republican party have historically been the Second Amendment, Religious Liberty, Traditional Marriage, Free Markets, Right to Life, Freedom, Respect for Constitution and more, as I referenced in the article. Those values no longer guide the Republican party and that’s why I suggested “the party is over.”
More than a Republican I am a Conservative. More than a Conservative I am an American. And more than an American, I seek to be a follower of Christ, a Christian. I believe labels are important, if we continue to understand those labels. But in this post-modern world, where there are no absolutes any longer, we now see that labels can no longer be trusted. Every word in our language is being redefined so that there is no common understanding any longer. And when there is no understanding we have confusion. And where confusion abounds, we eventually have anarchy. The Scripture talks about anarchy in Judges when it referred to “everyone did what was right in his own eyes.” We have arrived at that point. There is no commonly understood right and wrong in our nation any longer. And so even those labels, “right” and “wrong” have been redefined. And when we do that, we have really reached the end of the line. Again, Scripture speaks of this too. Prophetically warning us that this time will come. And it is here, and evangelicals, more than any, should be like the sons of Issachar in the OT, “understanding the times, and knowing what our nation should do.” But I fear we do not.
My reply for what it is worth Mr. Blount; First of all I attend a Baptist Church, I grew up in a Pentecostal Church (Church of God). I am a Christian not a Pentecostal and not a Baptist but a Christian. Second I voted Republican but I don’t consider myself as a Republican. However, my views are more in line with he Republican Party than the Democratic Party. I am not a liberal nor a conservative, I am an American. However, my views are more in line with the conservatives. I agree with Mark that this is not the Republican Party of our fathers and grandfathers. The Republican Party just as the Democratic Party have failed the American people and this Country. This is why we are seeing candidates like Trump and Sander and even Hillary being voted for over the status quo Republicans and Democrats. We don’t vote on any single issue anymore. In order to get a bill passed it has to be full of pork, everyone has to get something to get anything done. Both the Republican and Democratic Parties are full of corrupt politicians. We have politicians pledging to support a nominee then reneging because they got their feeling hurt. We have politicians selling their influence to the highest bidders. Where is the integrity in our politicians? I venture to say we don’t have one, not even one with true integrity in our Congress, Senate, Judicial or the White House. What happened to “What can I Do for the Country” and “not what your Country can do for you”? We have become a nation of murders (killing millions upon millions of babies each year), lazy asses (let someone else take care of me), immoral (perverted sickness), and thieves. What happened to these United States? Where have these God fearing Christians Patriots gone???
Hello Mark,
Thanks for the insight. I for one stand behind any “Party” that represents the Christian platform; the Holy Bible. The “Party” that represents “One Nation Under God, with Liberty and Justice for All”. I’ve never considered myself a Baptist or any other denomination though I am a faithful part of a “Baptist” congregation. The Lord doesn’t look at name tags either, He looks at the heart. Nor does He look at man horizontal, but vertical. Their will be some Baptist in Hell and some Catholics in Heaven. There are a lot of “good” religions out there but only by the Name of The Lord Jesus will any one be saved. So “Party” or “Affiliation” doesn’t really matter anyway.
Keep up the good fight Mark!
In Him,
Joe
One other and most important thing. The Church is the Group that God holds responsible, not the unbeliever.
When the Church turns back to God, then our land will be healed.
We as the People called by His Name must now be on our faces before our Father in Heaven to turn this Nation around. No other group of people can. It’s ordained by God for us to do it… so let’s stop complaining and start praying. I was mowing the neighbors yard last year and complaining to The Father about Obama, and the Father spoke clearly to me and said, “All power of Heaven and Earth has been given to you and all you can do is complain?????? Pray for Obama!!!! And all the leaders of the Country!!!! Stop whining and start wailing!!! Then you will see things change!!! For the prayers of a righteous man availeth much!!!” Needless to say, that is sobering. And Scripture backs it up.
We know what to do Church, let’s just do it!!!
In Him,
Joe
How, then, did a progressive minority so thoroughly conquer and defeat the conservative majority? This humble scientist suggests that the answer had nothing to do with values and beliefs. The answer is a disastrous combination of simple mathematics and foolish economics.
Consider the status of the Republican primary one year ago today. Today’s winner only had the support of less than 30% of the electorate. He was opposed by a large group of miscellaneous candidates who together would never get more than 14% of the electorate. And, he was opposed by a few conservatives who successfully split the votes of the electorate’s conservative majority.
The bottom line is that our primary election process is, as the saying goes, Penny wise and Pound ($) foolish!
For very foolish economic reasons, our Primary election laws don’t finance run-off Primary elections when no single candidate has at least 50% of the vote. This makes it easy for a minority candidate to be declared the “winner” with only minority support.
I suggest that if run-off primary elections were properly conducted, the ultimate Republican presidential candidate would have represented the values of the conservative majority. And, the Republican party would not be in the position where Mark’s well written article would be necessary.