Don’t be fooled: SLO County’s extremist Republican Party is 100% behind Donald Trump

The local Republican Party — which only seems to distance itself from Donald Trump when it’s politically convenient — could not be more ebullient about the former president’s announcement that he is, once again, a candidate for the nation’s highest office.

The first thing that gave it away?

That little happy-face party emoji — the one with the striped party hat and the confetti and the noisemaker — it posted in an email message to its followers to rejoice over Trump’s Tuesday night announcement.

Then there’s the stream-of-consciousness message itself written in bright red letters:

“He is Running to Save This Country for WE THE PEOPLE ... Lower gas prices, protect Families and Small Businesses ~ NO MORE GREEN NEW DEAL ~ NO CRITICAL RACE THEORY ~ No Men in Women’s Sports ~ Defend Parental Rights ... Bring back the Military ... Peace through Strength ... Overhaul Washington DC, FBI etc.”

“Restore Government by the People”

“Same day voting ~ voter ID ~ Paper Ballots”

“This will be OUR campaign”

There you have it.

Climate change threatens to end life on Earth as we know it ... we are still digging out from a worldwide pandemic ... nearly 38 million Americans live in poverty .... there have been 599 mass shootings so far this year in the U.S., and the local Republican Party is fretting about culture war issues like men in women’s sports, critical race theory and paper ballots.

We can’t emphasize enough that this does not represent the beliefs of all Republican Party members in San Luis Obispo County, many of whom do not look to Donald Trump as their savior.

Unfortunately, their voices are drowned out by the MAGA leadership of a local party that could not be more out of step with San Luis Obispo County’s centrist majority.

True, they try to appeal to the center when it suits their purposes.

During the campaign for District 2 supervisor, for instance, they bristled at any suggestion that their endorsed candidate, Dr. Bruce Jones, is a Trump supporter.

Here’s spokesman Erik Gorham, writing in response to a Tribune Editorial: “The Tribune then took the comparison (to Supervisor Debbie Arnold) to suggest Dr. Jones is a Trumper and an election denier. Both are untrue.”

As the Republican Party’s endorsed candidate, is it unfair to assume that Dr. Jones shares the party’s values? (Keep in mind, the party bypassed a more moderate Republican candidate, Geoff Auslen, in favor of Jones. Among other criticisms, Gorham described him as voting like a “weak Democrat.”)

Remember, this is the same candidate who campaigned at the Mid-State Fair under the watchful gaze of a Trump cutout, beside “ultra MAGA” fliers.

Given that recent imagery and its buoyant reaction to Trump’s announcement of his candidacy, it is wrong to assume the party’s official position is pro-Trump?

“This will be our campaign” doesn’t leave much room for doubt, does it? There’s not one iota of nuance in that.

As for election denialism, doesn’t the fact that the local GOP urged members to vote in person “in order to bypass the cheating machine algorithms” indicate it’s denying the accuracy and legitimacy of the current voting system? Perhaps prepping us for rejections of future election results?

If we are wrong about any of this, by all means, let us know. It would be a relief to learn that we misinterpreted the Republican Party’s message.

We would be pleased to report that local GOP leaders are reserving judgment, and plan to carefully evaluate any future presidential candidates who may emerge.

That they haven’t already pledged their full allegiance to Donald Trump — a full two years before the election — and are willing to at least consider the positions of more moderate members of their party, including those who vote like “weak Democrats.”

That they haven’t become full-fledged, card-carrying members of the cult of MAGA.

We’ll be waiting for you to set us straight.

This story was originally published November 16, 2022 at 9:52 AM.