BRYCE ON POLITICS
- Members are moving to new activist groups.
Click for AUDIO VERSION.
To use this segment in a Radio broadcast or Podcast, send TIM a request.
To me, the Republican clubs are showing signs of impotency. They have evolved into more of a social committee as opposed to an activist group. I have been visiting the new groups recently and can readily see a sharp contrast between the old and new.
The new clubs appear to be more in tune with the issues and legislation. They are also more organized and enthusiastically make their presence known at School Board and County Commissioner meetings. Whereas the old GOP clubs are playing defense, the new groups are on the offense, something very important to those unhappy with the outcome of the 2020 presidential election.
Whereas the staid old GOP groups are content following rote procedures, the new groups are more proactive and think outside of the box. Not surprising, the enthusiasm at the new clubs is infectious.
Recently, I wrote about "Turning Nonprofits Upside-Down" where I suggest instead of top-down monarchies, bottom-up grassroots institutions are actually more effective. This is precisely what we are seeing in the new conservative clubs.
To illustrate, consider the principles of the Republican Liberty Caucus (RLC), where all members must embrace a pledge (click for FLORIDA's page). Further, they will not endorse any political candidate that doesn't support the following "Liberty Compact":
"I pledge to the citizens of this State, and to the American people, that as their elected representative I will work to restore liberty, not restrict it; shrink government, not expand it; reduce taxes, not raise them; abolish programs, not create them; promote the freedom and independence of citizens, not the interference of government in their lives; and observe the limited, enumerated powers of our Constitution, not ignore them."
Those politicians who fail to take the pledge will not be embraced by the RLC, plain and simple. In fact, they will now have an organized group working to stop the politician.
The RLC also keeps tabs on the voting records of government officials and even has a "Hall of Shame," complete with certificate for politicians who have really screwed-up, a clever way for their members to express dissatisfaction with specific politicians. All of this is pro-active as opposed to reactive as typically found in traditional GOP groups.
Because of such changes, some Republican clubs are cancelling party sanctions, and switching over to the new groups. As one example, the North Suncoast Republican Club (NSRC) in Citrus County, Florida recently had its charter pulled inexplicably by the Citrus County GOP. They were not provided anything in writing as to why this occurred. The club tried to appeal the action, but, so far, nothing from the Republican Party of Florida. Because of this, the group seized on the opportunity to drop the Republican moniker and go independent, as the "North Suncoast Conservative Club." Remarkably, after switching over, they had a windfall of new members. Keep in mind, this had been the oldest GOP club in the county. Their message to the Republican establishment is simple, "Don't tread on me."
Such political shenanigans will haunt the Republican party as they are no longer the only game in town. In terms of activity, political parties would be wise to spend less time dictating policy and more time listening to their constituents. Failure to do so will only weaken the party. To illustrate, when was the last time a GOP club organized a simple poll to define constituent interests? I, for one, have never seen it. Such input is essential for political campaigns, as well as to help voters decide which candidates to support.
As I keep saying, it is time to "turn nonprofits upside-down."
Keep the Faith!
P.S. - For a listing of my books, click HERE.
Note: All trademarks both marked and unmarked belong to their respective companies.
For Tim's columns, see: timbryce.com
Like the article? TELL A FRIEND.
Copyright © 2021 by Tim Bryce. All rights reserved.
Listen to Tim on Spotify, WZIG-FM (104.1) in Palm Harbor,FL; SVA RADIO - "Senior Voice America", the leading newspaper for active mature adults; or tune-in to Tim's channel on YouTube. Click for TIM'S LIBRARY OF AUDIO CLIPS.
In case you have forgotten, we are still embroiled in a national election, and the Democrats have yet to officially select their candidate to run against President Trump. Three more primaries are in the offing with Alaska and Hawaii on April 4th, and Wisconsin on April 7th. Due to the coronavirus, in-person voting has been cancelled in Alaska, and mail-in voting has been extended until April 10th. As of this writing, Hawaii and Wisconsin will proceed as planned. Following this, several more primaries are planned throughout April, May and June, with the Democrat convention scheduled for July 13-16, in Milwaukee.
Let me be clear about how I feel regarding the political lunacy in America today:
Since she began running for Congress, most Republicans have considered Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) as nothing more than a joke. Her gaffs when talking to the press have become legendary (see 
We have all seen people on both sides of the political aisle use catch phrases routinely in response to political topics, but it seems the Democrats have honed this skill to razor sharpness. For example, in her recent 
Some time ago, I happened to make a comparison between the period leading up to the American Civil War (1820-1860) and the discourse of today. I wish to take this a bit further so people can better understand the parallel.
Even though the session is still young, I am already tired of the shenanigans going on between the President and the new 116th Congress. The news media takes pleasure in reminding us of the number of days the government has been partially shut down, but a more important statistic is that we are now 15 days into our political gridlock (as of today). While the Congress is stalled, the President moves on with new appointees, such as William Barr for Attorney General, sending Secretary of State Mike Pompeo around the world to secure peace, and negotiating trade deals behind the scenes with other countries.
Democrats claim the "Blue Tide" is rising as we approach the 2018 midterm elections. As evidence, they point to 
We call ourselves the "United" States of America, but it hardly seems that way anymore. Between our contrasting views of politics, socioeconomics, religion and morality, it seems there is little to agree on. The media claims the Republican party is divided and that Donald Trump, as presumptive candidate, should take steps to unify the party, a party that tried to undermine his every step in the campaign. However, the Democratic party is just as divided, maybe more so. The ultra Left, as characterized by Sen. Sanders' campaign cannot stomach Mrs. Clinton, nor does she have any use for him.
Let's suppose for a moment that Donald Trump lost the Republican nomination to someone else, be it one of the former nominees or an opportunist such as Mitt Romney. By doing so, it will represent the end of the Republican Party as we know it and the birth of a new political party. It would also mean at least four more years of Democratic rule including more social engineering, and continued decay in American Exceptionalism. To people weary of government incompetence and gridlock, this will be unfathomable.