WSRP - Playing to the Loud Minority vs. Seeking Relevance?

 A year after getting beat up in elections at the state level, losing the congressional district 3 seat, and again failing to flip the 8^th congressional district (losing by a wider margin in 2022 than 2020) the Washington State Republican Party (WSRP) has big plans for their 2023Action Conference.  A reasonable person might assume the WSRP spent the time between November-March doing some soul searching and strategic planning.

 

Let us pause for a moment to imagine we are discussing the 2022 results - no statewide office, lost the 3^rd CD, did worse in the 8^th CD.  We are planning for our “LARGEST Republican event of the year in Washington State” (the 2023 Republican Action Conference) with a glass half full mindset.  Inslee has been dragging out his emergency powers, Washington is the only state in the union to say that capital gains are not income… imposing a new tax when our great state already runs at a surplus, other “excise taxes” (income taxes) may be coming in several other areas, poor policy around police pursuit, homelessness, and many other areas.   Building policy and running on these issues may resonate well with the voters…

 

Well, this past week the WSRP excitedly announced their keynote speaker.  You know the speaker the party can rally around to win statewide races and make a competition of some congressional races that should be toss up seats.  

 

NNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!  Instead, the WSRP decided to double down on the 2020 and 2022 plan by inviting Liz Harrington to be the keynote speaker. 

 

“Liz Harrington is the spokesperson for President Donald J. Trump.  Previously, Liz served as the National Spokesperson for the Republican National Committee during the 2020 election cycle…”  Translated this means Liz was with the RNC when they lost the White House and the Senate.  The Senate was almost more insulting because the Georgia runoff was winnable but squandered based on the antics displayed during that period.  In 2024, Liz is prepared to throw away the White House again???

 

In a continued double down in the other speakers section the WSRP has lined up Joe Kent.  Yes, the Joe Kent who successfully primaried out Jamie Herrera Beutler and proceeded to lose the Congressional District 3 seats Herrera Beutler has taken back in 2010 and solidified as Republican seat.  Herrera Beutler in the elections from 2010 onward received 53%, 60.4%, 61.5%, 61.8%, 52.7% and 56.4% of the vote, while Joe managed to receive 49.3% in 2022. 

 

Longshot gubernatorial candidate Semi Bird, who as mentioned before has an impressive resume and state presence, is also slated to speak.  The audience will likely be primed for more of the partisan rhetoric around the school board recall battles.

 

Major props to Kellyanna Brooking for kicking off her personal brand at such a young age.  I hope she takes the time away from the spotlight to ground herself in the wisdom of the founding fathers and other thinkers from the past instead of consuming the slop from the national “news” outlets she appears on. 

 

WSRP it may be early, but if you need a glass of milk or gauze to bite down on after getting your teeth donkey kicked out please let me know.