A dear and faithful friend of mine, Al Fulchino, wrote an essay and has given me permission to publish it on his behalf. Al is a true Constitutional Patriot and wants the best for our state and country. We had a meeting the other evening with one of our local candidates, during which Al raised and discussed much of this content. His essay is offered without any edits by me. He makes some valid and thoughtful points we need to consider… I see it as a call to action. If you wait for the perfect shot, you will die with a full magazine.
“Leaving the Party But Not the Principles”
I will be leaving the Republican Party as a registered voter, not because I do not share the large part of the Republican Party philosophy but because the formal Republican Party is now doing exactly what they did in the aftermath of the Reagan era. The corporate and bureaucratic wings of the party, who like control, power, and adulation, always depart from the simple ground-level America-first philosophy that united and always will unite old-fashioned Democrat voters and independents alike who love America to readily join up with Republicans as they did with Reagan voters in the 80s to build an overwhelming and winning coalition.
Just like in today’s world, America First folks in the late 70s wanted to pick up the pieces of decades of rubble caused by weak, ineffectual Republican and misguided Democratic Party leadership who were one club because, in their core being, they understand what is needed.
The party operatives and elites, upon gaining power, inevitably return to their roots, the same roots that fought Reagan and Trump prior to their victory. Remember, many Republican establishment types hated Reagan before he won. (Sound familiar here in modern-day America and NH?) Some republicans who want back in power lick their fingers and point up into the wind, see the new direction, change course, and tell you to ignore what your eyes saw.
They don’t understand the America-first attitude that elected Trump by causing old-fashioned Democrats, Independents, and Republicans in enough numbers to recognize what our common interests were and to join and vote for them.
Sadly, today I am seeing the early signs of the very same political activity that I witnessed in the immediate aftermath of Reagan’s historic reclamation of America. The seeds of those signs were actually planted when Reagan was wrongfully advised to accept his previous opponent George Bush Sr. as Vice President to keep the tent so-called wide. But that misnomer of keeping the tent open is really the caving in to pressure that is applied by the so called ‘moderate’ and deep-statist wings of the GOP. And that plays into the hands of the uni-party and progressives.
Problematic for those wings and for all of us is that their instincts are not in alignment with what got Reagan and Trump elected in the first place. What got Trump and Reagan elected was so powerful that it led to one or more majorities in the House and Senate. Of course, the non-America-first GOPers like Paul Ryan, Mitch McConnell, and John Thune understood their role. Wait out the populists. 2 years, 4 years. It comes and goes quickly. Smile and nod where you have to, but delay and obfuscate as much as possible. Why? Because they never were for that America-first family of old fashioned Democratic, Independent, and Republican voter deep down. The ancestry names – Murkowskis, Bushes, Sununus, McConnells, Feinsteins, Clintons, and Kerrys are all antithetical to the America-first quality that brings together more people and raises up all races, colors, and religions for so many positions that matter: constitutional respect, personal freedoms, economic freedoms, to name three.
Sure, they will utter the names of Reagan and to a degree Trump when it fits the script, they will visit the Reagan Library, but they will call you out if you do not adhere to gop hierarchy. Hierarchy is antithetical to concept of American freedom.
The Bush Sr. wing never fully understood, identified with, or loved Reagan’s appeal and while the Gingrich era presided over its last breath with some good victories that were America-First in nature it soon enough devolved into the false image party of feel good compassionate conservatism which really lead nowhere and was wishy washy just as the Republican Party of old had been run and embodied by such Senate leaders Bob Michaels and Bob Dole who talked the talk but never delivered anything deep and meaningful for the party and to keep it locked in. After all you don’t want uncomfortable meetings that constantly keep the party renewed and current at the cocktail party.
Go along, get along, preach to the constituents in a way to gain reelection, and point out the Democratic flaws to rally the voter troops. But don’t look too deep. Don’t really try to cut to the simple core of issues.
That’s not what Reagan did.
That’s not what Trump does.
That’s not what Charlie Kirk did.
They did much more. They reached the common ground and basic understanding of the average American’s soul.
It’s important to mention that many independent-minded, often Democratic-leaning people who consider running in 2028, like Mark Cuban, understand they would need to run as a Republican, as Democratic DSA policies leave no room for them. So with the MAGA world leading the way for republicans and the country, why do Republican players allow our party to be co-opted by SEIU types? Instead, let them change their positions and earn their way by disavowing their own past behaviors.
Today I am watching elements of the GOP once again fail to remember what created movements, what created landslides, what created majorities. It was America-First. It was America for all. It rang in the hearts and consciousness of Democrats, Independents, and Republicans who have no agenda but to have liberty, some peace, and fair opportunity. I am reminded of Trump’s statement upon being elected in 2016, ‘I am going to teach you how to win’. Modern-day Republican ‘experts’ have forgotten or ignored that. They forgot how he pummeled the fake, so-called inclusive globalist republicans to win. Americans identified with his disrespect of the traditional political forces that talk the talk but never really deliver. What they want is for you to be their followers. To trust everything from their economics to their science.
No. They forget the damage their own globalists have done. Not just things like a plandemic, or endless unsupervised open borders and the resulting high crime, and so much more. They forget the lack of simple solutions being carried out. They claim building coalitions with leftist orgs is a good thing while forgetting the damage certain Union leadership, like that of the SEIU, the National Education Unions, groups like ACORN, all under liberal progressive Democrat guidance, that worked to unapologetically destroy America. No, dear Republican leaders, don’t think you can align with groups like SEIU and trick yourself into thinking you are working with them for a mutual goal together. And don’t think you can tell us we don’t see what we see. They humor you because they want a tennis racket on both sides of the court. You are so blind and pridefully puffed up that you literally watch them endorse two candidates in the very same race from two VERY different unaligned parties, which indicates they have no real beliefs other than the insurance of self-preservation.
These groups wait you out and tell you what you want to hear while you happily dine together with white linen and your Chablis, and occasionally you take in a shooting range photo op for good measure. They have the time, they have the money, you Republicans have your 2 and 4 year election cycle. You do not understand. Instead of fooling yourself, which you are, instead, do what Trump did…. Run your America First game plan. Do your thing based on principles, reach the people, and they will support you, and remind the suddenly pious groups like SEIU that if they really cared, they already would have delivered. But they don’t deliver, nor did the politicians Trump called out for not delivering all the years they were in office. It’s all show.
They never apologize. They only see $$$ and power. You can still reach the hard-working rank-and-file union members. Just talk over the people standing in their way. In effect, what is the difference between manipulating union leaders who want to ‘steer’ their members to ‘ their way of thinking and control’ and your telling rank and file voters how they must fall in line? And Republican leadership, shame on you for not learning the lessons of history and not understanding the Reagan and Trump victories in your lifetime.
The enemy understands your lack of understanding. And they understand human frailty.
After the upcoming election cycle, I will delist as a Republican and rejoin the ranks of the Independents for now. I won’t get the breakfast or cocktail party invitations, but the party is in the initial stages of its own dismemberment and walking right back into the stage of forgetting the soul of what brought them victory. And they are in danger of walking away from the voters that brought them to victory and power. An essay like this is their warning sign. Return to your winning roots.
The signs are easy to discern… the establishment goes right for the candidates that fought Trump and Reagan and tries to cram their choices down your throat to build their coalition, all the while discouraging vigorous debate and primary battles. When the party preserves its status and belief in its own infallibility, it leaves the people and the coalition party behind.
Will I still be voting for a republican? Of course I will. But only for those as far from the ‘club’ and deep state as possible.
MAHA and MAGA”
Authors’ and Speakers’ opinions are their own and may not represent those of Grok Media, LLC, GraniteGrok.com, its sponsors, readers, authors, or advertisers.
Disagree, agree, Got Something to say? We Want to Hear It. Comment or submit Op-Eds to steve@granitegrok.com
