GOP County Chairman's Open Letter to all Republicans Calling for Unity

SAN ANGELO, TX -- (OPINION)  The following is an open letter from Tom Green County Republican Party Chairman Jeff Betty:  

Name calling in politics is nothing new. Name calling between members of the same political party is also as common as the sunshine is in West Texas. Sadly, political parties tearing themselves apart is also old hat.

Thirty years ago, a blue Texas started its long, strong move towards being the reddest state around not because of Republican brilliance but because Texas Democrats tore themselves apart. At that time, the socialist left wing of the party expelled the ‘moderates’ all across the state because of their pro-military and anti-abortion beliefs. Some of these ‘moderates’ like Senator Phil Gramm switched parties and some just retired. More importantly, the voters voted for these moderates and former Texas Democrats who soon called themselves Republican in ever-greater numbers as it became clear the Texas Democrats had lost their collective minds by becoming left wing kooks.

Now having been gifted a state full of natural conservatives who support the Republican Party, Empower Texans, a political movement funded by a Midland oil man named Tim Dunn, and its adherents (lovingly called ETs) are trying to replicate the Texas Democrats’ act of political suicide with its unrelenting attacks on anyone who refuses to cater to its founder’s dictates.

At the Republican convention this year, two of the Party’s biggest sponsors could not have been more dissimilar. Senator Cornyn and Empower Texans vied for the attention of well over 10,000 delegates and attendees with handouts, stickers and signs.

Not surprisingly Senator Cornyn is not well regarded by the ETs. Having risen to a place of leadership within the U.S. Senate and seemingly unimpressed by ET’s attacks on his record, Senator Cornyn continues to chart a course in Congress that would be considered strongly conservative if he were from just about any state other than Texas. Nevertheless Senator Cornyn is a favorite target of ET’s ‘news’ articles.

As a conservative, I can certainly understand the pressure some might feel to produce ‘news’ articles in the same manner as MSNBC and CNN, but we will always be better off sticking to the truth. Unfortunately ET’s articles drip with venom as its targets are labeled RINOs (the moniker for “Republican in Name Only”), or moderates, and dismissed as corrupt representatives of the ever so evil ‘Establishment.’

At the same time Senator Cornyn was appealing for party unity in the upcoming general election, ET was attacking more than 30 percent of the delegates labeling them as moderates or RINO dupes of the corrupt ‘Establishment.’ Doesn’t the lingo sometimes remind you of that Communist you knew in school? We can’t afford to lose over 30 percent of our Republican support and stay in charge; it’s as simple as that.

Most voters just want honest, responsible governance. Right now Texas voters believe that is what they get from Republican candidates. Frankly, given the incompetence of the leadership of the Texas Democrats and the far-left candidates they keep running, it should be a simple matter to maintain our majority. What is certain to destroy our majority is for the Republican Party and its leadership to become as arrogant as the 1980’s Texas Democratic Party was by defining who is and who isn’t a good enough and kicking out those they don’t like.

Since many of you support and vote for our Republican candidates we must be doing pretty good. I trust the voters, as ultimately, whatever leadership says, they, you, define the Republican Party by electing our officeholders. Perhaps a little less name calling and a little less pride in thinking you have the right to judge how conservative another is and impose your belief on others would be better, ET.

Perhaps even a little humility is called for in understanding that our Republican majority will go the way of the dodo and the 80’s Texas Democrat majority, if we don’t keep in mind that you can’t lead a Texan where he doesn’t already want to go!

The debate over the future of the Tom Green County Republican Party

• GOP Chair Jeff Betty: GOP County Chairman's Open Letter to all Republicans Calling for Unity (this opinion piece)
• Conservative Activist Ken Casper: Tom Green County Republican Chair Engaged in Hypocritical Blame Game
• GOP Chair Jeff Betty: Show Me Proof