This is not for those of you on the left. I don’t care what you think. I was born a black man, I’m still a black man and I make my own choices politically. I became a Republican at a young age by exercising critical thinking and determining what best aligned with my cultural, economic and political beliefs.
I believe more in the promise of America that has been demonstrated since the Declaration of Independence, our cultural DNA, the United States Constitution and the Bill of Rights, our legal DNA, were written plus the battle to evolve beyond slavery and segregation into a more perfect union. I don’t live in the fantasy world that racism and prejudice do not exist. I know as do many if not most Americans that our historical track record runs towards a better society.
Now it’s time for Republicans to pay attention. Too many of us are engaged in a sucker’s bet debate about our party. Our history from our founding is clear.
During the election of 1860 we declared in the eighth point of our first presidential platform “That the normal condition of all the territory of the United States is that of freedom; that as our Republican fathers, when they had abolished slavery in all our national territory, ordained that no ‘person should be deprived of life, liberty or property, without due process of law,’ it becomes our duty, by legislation, whenever such legislation is necessary, to maintain this provision of the Constitution against all attempts to violate it; and we deny the authority of Congress, of a territorial legislature, or of any individuals, to give legal existence to slavery in any territory of the United States.”
Attempting to divide between Trumpers, Trump-publicans and Republicans, libertarians, any -publican is for the left to gain or retain power. The obvious, their strategy is working. We do have a problem with the so-called consultant class. There are too many hangers-on to the Trump train using it for their relevance.
We’re Republicans, we don’t fear debate. We’re going to lose statewide and nationally if we let the left divide us into camps and don’t unite when it’s time to vote. We’re in charge of our actions and need to play our game better. Do not self-segregate politically under the Republican banner.
There are evangelical and atheist, straight and gay, young and old, every hue of color and ethnicity and every variation of Republicans.
Former President Trump has a challenge. He needs to keep up the fight against a failed establishment while growing and unifying the base. This is a difficult path to navigate. We can help by not allowing ourselves to be put into political camps by the progressive left and the amoral elitists simply want more power for themselves.
How does Trump do this? Not by himself. We all need to do it together. For example, if you don’t like Trumps personality, focus on his policies. If you have a difference with someone else also focus on what you have in common and follow the Reagan rule that my 80 percent friend is not my 20 percent enemy.
Relitigating every past ill related to the elections or otherwise will not help us move forward and fix the perversion of our political system without court decisions and legislative action. Our off-year elections at every level of government are now past even if all the results are not in.
Pay attention to what the off-year elections are and let it guide us to the midterms. An off-year election is a general election in the United States which is held when neither a presidential election nor a midterm election takes place. Off-year elections rarely include any election to a federal office, a few state legislative elections, and very few gubernatorial elections. Most of these elections are held at the county and municipal level. There are a wide variety of citizen initiatives in various states, and many local public offices. Off-year elections feature fewer races than either presidential or midterm elections. A downside is they generate far lower voter turnout. This is a problem, and we are the solution.
For example, some elections have turnouts of 25 percent to 30 percent of registered voters and a percentage of the cast votes determine the winner. While the progressive left divide us into camps, they seize more power locally which then translates into national bureaucratic and legislative control.
We have issues that matter to most Americans on education, freedom and freedom of choice over mandated behavior. Americans are reasonable but we do not willingly comply, nor should we when it violates the constitutional rights we have at the federal and state level. If the left gets more power, they will continue to exercise it. Don’t let yourself be divided into multiple Republican parties because we have differences. I am a Republican.
If you give them an inch they will take a statewide and Beltway mile.
Webb is host of “The David Webb Show” on SiriusXM Patriot 125, a Fox Nation host, Fox News contributor and a frequent television commentator. His column appears twice a month in The Hill.