I must confess that as smart as I am, there are a few things in this world I do not understand, such as the unsolved problem in fundamental physics as to whether gravity and the quantum can be made to coexist within the same theory. Egyptian hieroglyphics are a bit challenging for me as are the rules for the Tajikistan sport of buzkashi, which is similar to polo but involves the hitting a goat carcass instead of a ball.
And then there is the Georgia Republican Party. I am not sure all the physicists, Egyptologists and buzkashi players in the world can figure out this bunch. I know I can’t.
After watching them boo Gov. Brian Kemp as he addressed the GOP state convention at Jekyll Island, I came away with the feeling that they are having their usual problem of identifying the enemy. Hint: It is the other side. The Democrats have to be laughing their heads off at what they are seeing from the Republicans.
It seems some Republicans are having difficulty accepting the fact that the presidential race is over and is not coming back. Obviously from the jeers, they hold the governor responsible. Well, guess what? He showed up for Kangaroo-Court-by-the-Sea and faced the Trump grumps head on. If you remember, Gov. Nathan Deal decided he would ignore the boo birds after vetoing a “religious liberty” bill in 2016.
I assume they don’t care that Kemp has signed a voting rights bill they all wanted, successfully guided the state through the COVID-19 pandemic while ensuring that Georgia maintained a substantial reserve ($2.8 billion), instituted income tax cuts, raised teacher pay and opposes “critical race theory” being taught in our public schools. Sound pretty Republican to me.
As if the nitwits could not get nitwittier, Vernon Jones, who has announced that he is running against Gov. Kemp in next year’s Republican primary got an enthusiastic reception from the crowd. Vernon Jones? You’ve got to be kidding. This guy has more baggage than an airport carousel. Check his record. He is the quintessential RINO.
I know a lot of Republican strategists and good ones they are. I have not talked to them about what is going on with the GOP these days but I have a good idea. They have to be scared to death that the Donald Trump zealots are going to lead the party right off the cliff like a bunch of lemmings and hand the governor’s office to Stacey Abrams. Remember, Abrams lost to Kemp in 2018 by less than 55,000 votes out of more than 4 million cast. And that was when Republicans were a lot more unified than they are today.
If my mail is any indication, a lot of long-time conservative voters liked many of the things Donald Trump did but were turned off by his hyperbole, his insults and his arrogance. Yet, those very factors appealed to a lot of frustrated people tired of seeing irrelevant millionaire ballplayers disrespecting our country, goons turning over cars and looting small businesses while demanding the defunding of police and media coverage overtly slanted to the left. The problem is that while they may feel better that someone stood up for what they believe, this will not grow the party.
I find it interesting that despite Donald Trump’s endorsement, both of Georgia’s GOP incumbents lost their United States senate seats to Democrats, thereby giving Democrats control of both houses of Congress. Were those election results fraudulent? Just asking.
I was impressed by the observations of Alan Futch, the 21-year-old chairman of the Ben Hill County Republican Party, who said in an opinion piece in the Atlanta Newspapers that the GOP can’t win going forward by continuing to look backwards.
Futch says the party is “eating itself from the inside out” over the election controversy and worries that, “If we don’t stand together, we will fall apart.” The youngest party chair in the state suggests it is time for Republicans to get over the presidential election and move on. I suspect he speaks for a number of his generation. They are the future of the party and had best be listened to.
Instead of continuing to turn on each other as it seems to be their inclination, the Georgia Republican Party needs to get its act together and quickly. If you boo-birds don’t like Brian Kemp, I hope you will enjoy the administration of Gov. Stacey Abrams. You will have gotten what you deserve.
You can reach Dick Yarbrough at dick@dickyarbrough.com; at P.O. Box 725373, Atlanta, Georgia 31139 or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/dickyarb
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