by Josh Elkins
So I attended the GOP convention on Saturday April 30th as a guest. Let’s say I had higher hopes than what I experienced.
For starters I just want to say I was shocked and appalled but the amount of adult children who are our representatives for the Republican Party in Vermont.
I have never seen a worse display of division in my life, other than watching our federal government display their circus. I had initially thought everyone was voting on things that might affect voters. But I then, I realized this was just trying to figure out what the Republican party stands for. How could our representatives expect any voter in Vermont to support a group that can’t even agree on what they believe and stand for. I heard many times that there needs to be compromise if, ” we want to win in the next election.” Is winning more important than standing with integrity and following the parties printed platform “In God we trust ?”
I saw no faith, no hope, no trust. I saw that winning the majority is more important than having a backbone and principles. I have always thought the Republican party was a conservative, at least some what Christian-based party. Granted there were a few that displayed this, but most would bend to appease their voter base, trying not to offend anyone.
I heard for over an hour, “that so and so would be relieved of their position if they had to stand for something controversial.” So be it, most of the people I saw, either had nothing else to do with their time, which is why they are in office; or had been in office for some many years, they probably should let others take their place whom will take a stand! The smartest thing I heard one person say was, “If you’re worried about people not coming on board with the party, or losing support for the way you vote, there’s the door.” This was in regards to standing up for the sanctity of life in the platform statement that was voted on first.
I had said I would like to possibly run up here in Franklin County for representative. But, after what I saw yesterday, I would be ashamed to say I am a Republican in Vermont.
I hope Chair Dame shares this with everyone that was there on Saturday. I will stand by what I said, and believe. If the party is not in unison on even the simplest bible principles, which this country was founded on, they’ll never truly win anything. Only the illusion of succession and a falsehood of defeating the Democrats. There needs to be certainty, a clear, and concise baseline which the whole party agrees on. No compromise to win, no gray area, that’s the way things have always been and why no one believes any politician. It’s believed they will eventually succumb to scrutiny and change their position, usually know as being bipartisan. Stand, stand, stand.
Republicans in Vermont want people to believe in, let your yes mean yes, and your no mean no, stop bending. And for God sake, stop fighting each other, agree on something together, or replace the ones who can’t.