New Challenges for California Re-Trump-Licans

For Trump supporters, in even Democratic California, it’s Christmas every day.

Jobs are back. The economy is booming. Last I read, the price of oil is going down—again—and that means lower gas prices.

We have a President who is not afraid to say “Islamic” when talking about global terrorism.

He is also a staunch opponent of illegal immigration—and he acts like it.

Republicans across the country have plenty of reasons to rejoice, too. They have complete control over 25 state governments, and have at least partial control in 21 more.

Except California, of course.

Election 2016 was a dud for Golden State Republicans.

But the biggest blow? Active and effective Assemblyman David Hadley’s re-election loss. His vision for long-term GOP restoration in California hit a very big blue wall.

Republicans in California are like the black sheep of the national conference. Two Republican Presidents came from California, and even though Democrats have held majorities in the state legislature, Republicans won governorships and other statewide offices in the past.

Now? We wander in the political wilderness with a tarnished blue hue, and even Democratic voters should worry. The progressive strain of Democrat infecting Sacramento does not care about citizens, but panders to illegal aliens while pushing corporate cronyism and rabid environmentalism, all of which hurt middle and working class voters of all backgrounds.

But what has the Republican party leadership of Los Angeles County and other counties chosen to do about? Nothing. Regressive Republican leaders in the South Bay and throughout the state are not interesting in fighting. They settle for settling, and embrace a slow decline like a hopeless hospice patient. The current RPLAC leadership has not even listed endorsements for local offices!

While the California Republican Party accepts failure, and conservative activists are tired of flailing. Instead of working together, leaders silence or marginalize conservatives such as myself and the Beach Cities Republicans.

Despite official statements from the Republican Party of Los Angeles County Central Committee (RPLAC) claims that my club and I violated by-laws, the truth is that previous Presidents had “violated” those same by-laws, without consequence.  I blew the whistle on abusive, subversive attempts to remove me from the Beach Cities Republicans and to hinder our members. Their unjust and unwise decision to revoke the charter of the largest volunteer Republican club in Los Angeles County was motivated by fear and elitist arrogance, a false belief that for the opposition to win, they need to stop fighting and start caving to the money and power-hungry Democratic machines.

Since the revocation of our charter, membership and influence have grown. Members of our club have even been featured on the local news stumping for Trump, too. Sadly, the purging of political activists is not a new trend in politics. The Democratic National Committee hustled to rob Bernie Sanders of the nomination, only to watch progressive reforms and activists quit while staging boos and protests at the Philadelphia convention.

Bernie supporters have since then fought back and taken over the California Democratic Party apparatus. Perhaps conservatives need to work on doing the same thing.

Outside of the wealthy enclaves of San Francisco and within Los Angeles County, the rest of us in California—oppressed by high taxes, regulatory burdens, rising, crime, outstanding corruption, and illegal immigration—have had enough.

Donald Trump did not just disrupt the statist status quo of government insiders wasting our tax dollars and pushing policies to benefit themselves at the expense of the rest of us. Trump upended the liberal media phalanx and exposed a narrative of left-leaning talking points, corporation collusion, and outright lies. He is also a culmination of individual populist influence, power pushing this country in the right direction, both political and morally.

Trump definitely resonated with the vast majority of Americans. For the first time in 30 years, Republicans won unreachable Rust Belt states like Pennsylvania and Wisconsin—a real victory, since the Dairy State had not gone Republican since Reagan’s 1984 re-election bid.

We can have the same MAGA magic here in California, but it starts with the grassroots standing up the feckless political establishment and holding our own members accountable. Because I was committed to those goals, RPLAC revoked our charter, but they did not depress our spirit to fight.

You will see more of the Beach Cities Republican at work and making a difference in the South Bay and elsewhere in Los Angeles County. Bet on it!