Heeding Bannon's Call, Election Deniers Organize to Seize Control of GOP

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.pr...of-the-gop-and-reshape-americas-elections/amp

The purges are coming! The purges are coming!

That might be a smidge over-dramatic (but not a smidge & a half). If anyone has wondered what Steve Bannon is up to, these days, he has a very popular podcast. And on it, he announced why it was that Trump lost the election. But the main culprit was not Democratic fraud (though he, I'm sure, subscribes to that theory). The MAIN reason, he cited, was that Trump was sold out by other Republicans. The kind of Republicans like Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, and B.O.E. members, who certified election results; state Republican legislators, who didn't throw out their state vote-tallies and, instead send a slate of their own electors; Republicans in Congress, who voted to certify the election, on January 6th, and the like. And Bannon has been able to inspire a large group of hardcore Trump backers, to see there will be no repeating of those events.

<SNIP>

One of the loudest voices urging Donald Trump’s supporters to push for overturning the presidential election results was Steve Bannon. “We’re on the point of attack,” Bannon, a former Trump adviser and far-right nationalist, pledged on his popular podcast on Jan. 5. “All hell will break loose tomorrow.” The next morning, as thousands massed on the National Mall for a rally that turned into an attack on the Capitol, Bannon fired up his listeners: “It’s them against us. Who can impose their will on the other side?”

When the insurrection failed, Bannon continued his campaign for his former boss by other means. On his “War Room” podcast, which has tens of millions of downloads, Bannon said President Trump lost because the Republican Party sold him out. “This is your call to action,” Bannon said in February, a few weeks after Trump had pardoned him of federal fraud charges.

The solution, Bannon announced, was to seize control of the GOP from the bottom up. Listeners should flood into the lowest rung of the party structure: the precincts. “It’s going to be a fight, but this is a fight that must be won, we don’t have an option,” Bannon said on his show in May. “We’re going to take this back village by village … precinct by precinct.”

Precinct officers are the worker bees of political parties, typically responsible for routine tasks like making phone calls or knocking on doors. But collectively, they can influence how elections are run. In some states, they have a say in choosing poll workers, and in others they help pick members of boards that oversee elections.

After Bannon’s endorsement, the “precinct strategy” rocketed across far-right media. Viral posts promoting the plan racked up millions of views on pro-Trump websites, talk radio, fringe social networks and message boards, and programs aligned with the QAnon conspiracy theory.

Suddenly, people who had never before showed interest in party politics started calling the local GOP headquarters or crowding into county conventions, eager to enlist as precinct officers. They showed up in states Trump won and in states he lost, in deep-red rural areas, in swing-voting suburbs and in populous cities.

In Wisconsin, for instance, new GOP recruits are becoming poll workers. County clerks who run elections in the state are required to hire parties’ nominees. The parties once passed on suggesting names, but now hardline Republican county chairs are moving to use those powers.

“We’re signing up election inspectors like crazy right now,” said Outagamie County party chair Matt Albert, using the state’s formal term for poll workers. Albert, who held a “Stop the Steal” rally during Wisconsin’s November recount, said Bannon’s podcast had played a role in the burst of enthusiasm.

ProPublica contacted GOP leaders in 65 key counties, and 41 reported an unusual increase in signups since Bannon’s campaign began. At least 8,500 new Republican precinct officers (or equivalent lowest-level officials) joined those county parties. We also looked at equivalent Democratic posts and found no similar surge.

<End SNIP>

How does everyone see this manifesting, particularly in the midterms and in 2024? What about in Republican Primaries, in deciding what type of Republicans, throughout the spectrum of offices, we see in office, by 2024?

 

I like how the article uses "nationalist" like its somehow a bad thing, making sure to preface it with the modifier "far-right. As if anyone needed to be reminded that you have to go to the far-right (far past every grade of leftist and even beyond RINOs) to find people who believe the welfare of America and Americans (at least most of the time, COVID being an obvious caveat) should be a priority.

 

I think you might be reacting a little too over-sensitively, to that word, based on my thinking of what it would be like if I were to react similarly, every time I saw the term, "far-left..."

Secondly, though I do not believe they ever go back to that explain that term, I think, "nationalist," is meant to imply somewhat more than just prioritizing the best interests of one's own country (which, of course, nearly all politicians, everywhere, do).

 

I agree nationalism isn’t the correct word. The alt-right simply craves control and power — they don’t care if it destroys the nation in the process as long as the “liberals” (anyone without blind obedience to trump) don’t win.

One thing they cannot beat is demographics so they have to manipulate the process.

 

It may not come as a surprise to hear that, from Pro Publica's interviews, they discovered a fair number of the new precinct recruits had been at the January 6th Trump Rally, in D.C. So the question is, is their putting their energy into the Party, & elections, an improvement? A GOP chairman in Florida, who'd wanted Congress to overturn the election result, was glad that he had gotten 50 of these new, "like-minded," recruits. The last time there'd been anything like this, he'd said, was with the appearance of the Tea Party Republicans, after Obama's election-- adding that the movement, he's currently seeing, is, "way beyond that." So I ask my pragmatic question about the "benefit," of these folks getting into the political process, to Dems, Independents, & (moderate, i.e., not overly Trumpian) Republicans, alike-- recall how Tea Partiers, after winning more Republican seats, also brought extra challenges to the Party regulars, as the newbies were not so disposed to going along with the majority, as had been the common practice (then again, that instinct has since returned, in spades, to the GOP). Here is another
<SNIP>

The tea party backlash to former President Barack Obama’s election foreshadowed Republican gains in the 2010 midterm. Presidential losses often energize party activists, and it would not be the first time that a candidate’s faction tried to consolidate control over the party apparatus with the aim of winning the next election.

What’s different this time is an uncompromising focus on elections themselves. The new movement is built entirely around Trump’s insistence that the electoral system failed in 2020 and that Republicans can’t let it happen again. The result is a nationwide groundswell of party activists whose central goal is not merely to win elections but to reshape their machinery.

“They feel President Trump was rightfully elected president and it was taken from him,” said Michael Barnett, the GOP chairman in Palm Beach County, Florida, who has enthusiastically added 90 executive committee members this year. “They feel their involvement in upcoming elections will prevent something like that from happening again.”

It has only been a few months — too soon to say whether the wave of newcomers will ultimately succeed in reshaping the GOP or how they will affect Republican prospects in upcoming elections. But what’s already clear is that these up-and-coming party officers have notched early wins.

In Michigan, one of the main organizers recruiting new precinct officers pushed for the ouster of the state party’s executive director, who contradicted Trump’s claim that the election was stolen and who later resigned. In Las Vegas, a handful of Proud Boys, part of the extremist group whose members have been charged in attacking the Capitol, supported a bid to topple moderates controlling the county party — a dispute that’s now in court.

In Phoenix, new precinct officers petitioned to unseat county officials who refused to cooperate with the state Senate Republicans’ “forensic audit” of 2020 ballots. Similar audits are now being pursued by new precinct officers in Michigan and the Carolinas. Outside Atlanta, new local party leaders helped elect a state lawmaker who championed Georgia’s sweeping new voting restrictions.

And precinct organizers are hoping to advance candidates such as Matthew DePerno, a Michigan attorney general hopeful who Republican state senators said in a report had spread “misleading and irresponsible” misinformation about the election, and Mark Finchem, a member of the Oath Keepers militia who marched to the Capitol on Jan. 6 and is now running to be Arizona’s top elections official. DePerno did not respond to requests for comment, and Finchem asked for questions to be sent by email and then did not respond. Finchem has said he did not enter the Capitol or have anything to do with the violence. He has also said the Oath Keepers are not anti-government.

 

Many would say, that is the whole idea. While some, no doubt, truly believe that there'd been massive fraud; I don't know how confident I am that, even barring their discovery of any fraud, next time, they might not still claim it, if that will excuse delivering their guy, the help he'll likely need.

I assume that Pro Publica had some reasons, in mind, for using the term, "nationalist."

 

As everyone on the upper levels of awareness already knows; America has already been destroyed. The fact we can still live in this country as it slowly runs out of everything which made it what it was is no different than the fact we can still live on this planet as the sun slowly runs out of the hydrogen it needs to burn. The end is ahead. But we're actually lucky because we're living in the last great age of America.

It only goes downhill from here because, like you said, Republicans cannot keep up with demographics. If it hadn't been for COVID, Republicans would have had another 45-50 years worth of opportunity to hold a majority in federal government, COVID of course sped that up considerably. As things currently stand the left, and of course by that I mean far left, super-majority will begin to set in over the next 10-15 years. However if we get a +2 Dem Senate seat gain these next midterms then the subsequent two new states + stacked SCOTUS will reduce the clock to zero - they will never again hold control at a federal level, not ever, the end.

But thanks to the manner in which progressives obtained that demographic advantage, America has been set on a generational replicating path of self destruction. The combined efforts of supplementing America's population with an endless inundation of 3rd worlders and their spawn, replacing education with indoctrination as a means to keep citizens clueless and looking to be told who to blame, pandering the lowest common denominator of humanity even when it means giving a pass to a violent savage cultural elements inherent to people who were already prone to be violent savages in the first place, running economic policies stemming from a false hope that there will always be someone to tax, I mean the list just goes on.

There is no future for America, we're living in the best times this country will ever see. Its even built right into my name; apex of purple, purple being red+blue, this is the best we will ever do as a nation. I know, I know, this is brain brain next level **** my friend and I realize few can grasp it but, damn, I find it to be as marvelous as it is obvious. Suppose I would care more if I were going to be alive to endure the decline or if I had kids that would but see as how neither of those are true I'm just going to kick back and laugh.

 

I bet you're right about that. Surely media has successfully (and erroneously) associated 'nationalist' with 'white supremacist nazi maga hat trump voting black people hater' by now and thus eliminating the need for so many run on sentences.

 

Our sun still has millions more years worth of fuel.

That seems like a good plan--
it sounds as if you could really USE a good laugh.

 

Can you dilute that down....and tell me concisely what your point is?

 

Status anxiety is tough!

 

Actually (as I imagine you've noticed), the Media lists Nationalist & White Supremacist, separately, and will use them in tandem, when both are deemed appropriate. The two are not at all synonymous, though both do seem to hold an attraction, for a group of people. The further step of racist ("black people hater"), most in the Media avoid using, for individuals.

I can offer my guess that the difference between "Nationalist," and just putting one's own country first, is that they are looking at a deeper, more basic difference in mindset, between Nationalists & Globals who, despite the way some might stereotype them, can still make the well-being of their own country, their top priority. I will guess that Nationalist is supposed to imply that one's country is the ONLY ONE that matters to the person; perhaps viewing international interactions, generally, as zero-sum-games, with a winner & a loser-- like a game of cards-- as opposed to an opportunity, generally, for mutually-beneficial interaction.

Just my guess.

 

The Trumpiest of the grass roots Republicans (those who'll never believe that the election had not been stolen from Trump; are most likely to have been at his D.C. rally, on Jan. 6th; etc.), are attempting to wrest control of the GOP from those, "betrayers," of Trump (who certified Biden as President; didn't invalidate their state's election tallies, so that they could then send delegations that would vote for Trump; and so forth), by taking a large number of positions as precinct workers, in which they can have a lot of influence over the Party & it's activities.

The energy coming in from all these people, BTW, supposedly dwarfs the Tea Party dynamic, when that started. So there is the potential to reshape not just the GOP's power structure, but it's leaders, and even who is allowed to be in the party, as an office holder.

While there is no direct connection
between these new Party workers and what goes on in Congress, I would guess that this makes the expulsion of Reps Cheney & Kinzinger, more likely.

 

right wing cancel culture

 

I’m not sure I understand the sackcloth tearing in here. What’s the problem with a citizens grassroots movement to take back their party?

 

Well you have inferred sackcloth where, literarily, there is none. My thread asks the question: is this a good or bad thing?

Your opinion, it seems, is that this shows democratic principles, in action. And, as a generality, this is also my view of, "grass roots," movements. But, in this case, I do think, it is worth considering that one of the goals of the movement, seems to be to push out anyone who would allow law to stand in the way of returning Trump to the White House.

 

I agree, new people simply running for office is what should happen in a functioning nation.
This is one of the less egregious things coming from the right wing today — attempts to delegitimize our institutions, gerrymandering and voter disenfranchisement are far more severe.

 

You say that almost like a punch-line, to mock the hypocrisy of those on the Right who are always pointing to the Left, who they allege are the purveyors of censorship, with that charge. But to those on the Right who are so passionate about the importance of "cancel-culture," this phenomenon is all about limiting freedom of thought, and expression of one's opinions. So I would ask you, if you regard the potentials, here-- which, of course, are still a ways from realization, and so too soon to predict the degree to which they will manifest-- as something worthy of concern (beyond amusement)?

 

You do understand that their foundational motivation is what happened in the 2020 election (a.k.a., carrying forth the results of a free election, w/ fidelity, & according to law), with the mantra-like, intensional focus that, "this will not happen again!"
So, to whatever degree of success their movement achieves, will be its level of threat to our rule of law, in future elections (which these people will physically be involved with controlling), that is, its intentional threat to the very integrity, of our democratic system.

 

Haha I wouldn't know. I guess its a problem for people in a position to be looked down upon in the first place.

 

Billions actually but then it will die, being the point, regardless of anything we do. America too will die, also regardless of anything we do and that will happen muuuccchhhh sooner.

 

My point had been that there is little, if any, reason to believe that death is imminent.

 

In eight months of progressive-light rule we got the mother of all inflation that hasn't even fully hit yet btw, a destabilized housing market, a million+ illegals, the formation of yet another serious terror state, and oh ya COVID is still raging with yet another new variant that is looking like it will be quite resistant to vaccines. And... no hope is on the horizon because Democrats have spent decades importing and creating high-breeding low-functioning dependents whilst simultaneously discouraging and replacing those that have the capacity to challenge them (those which also just so happen to be the sort which brought America and the world to its current place).

We Americans are going against the natural progress of life itself. While every other organism on this planet evolves through a constantly cycle of generational improvement, we humans are going to complete opposite direction. In the wild, a slow zebra is eaten and the faster ones survive to breed with other fast zebras and create even faster offspring which in turn mean then only the faster lions get to kill and eat and thus survive to breed with other fast lions creating faster offspring and the cycle continues. Americans however, take the best our people have achieved and said 'no this is wrong, this is racist, this is hateful, this needs to be canceled and in its place here's legion after legion of 3rd worldlers who failed to create civilization on their own so now we'll just hand them control of ours'. You think we can survive like this? Nah, America will die because we've handed it over to people that have been destined to fail since the dawn of our species and ideologies that have been constantly failing since their original inception.

 

I don't think there's much of a purge going on here outside of people who don't represent the party Trump clearly represents the party he was the most popular Republican ever.

 

So your pronouncements are premature? We have weathered worse inflation, with causes we had less ability to control, than in the current case.

Again, have you already forgotten the Great Recession?

And this spells the end of America, how?

Note your own use of the word, "another." BTW, there is no basis, as of yet, to assume the Taliban poses any terrorist threat to the U.S., much less such a threat as would presage America's downfall.

What variant is that? Vaccines are still very effective at keeping the infected from developing illness serious enough for hospitalization, or to cause death, in the case of the Delta variant.

And, once again, we survived the 1918 pandemic, as a nation, without even much of an effort to prevent it from running it's course.

It seems to me that you just have an overly pessimistic view of things.

Your proof of this?