Pasayten's Methow Valley Bulletin Board

A carefully worded piece. It should have included a disclaimer that of course the Rep Party is represented in both the State Senate & House as well as the House of Representatives in D.C.

Fun CH wrote: Mon Nov 22, 2021 9:52 am What Replubican values are you referring to exactly?

Here is a good list...

• Freedom: The original and basic value. The party and its leaders have stood for freedom for people all over the world, and usually to welcoming them to America. The GOP traditionally has believed that individuals should be free from government interference in our lives.

• Limited government: The GOP traditionally has stood for limitations on what the government can and should do. Government should not try to do everything or replace individual initiative to do for ourselves. It should leave most decisions on personal matters, like how we live, reproduce, love and worship, to individuals without government interference.

• Government close to the people: Republicans traditionally have believed that if government has to do things, it should do them at the level closest to the people being governed, so those people will have maximum input and the ability to try different approaches, either at the local or state level.

• Strong national defense: The GOP has stood for strong defense and preparedness. It also has stood for cautious use of that power. Strong defense does not mean wasting money on weapons systems which provide jobs in some powerful congressman or senator’s district, but intelligent investment that provides a military which can deter others from dangerous actions.

• Quality public education: Most people forget that public education was a Republican idea in the 1800s, to provide a common understanding for citizens of all backgrounds, so they would have common values and preparation to be good citizens. Regardless of class or wealth, this is a system to bind us together and not split us apart.

• Limited taxes and balanced budgets: Goldwater says, “The size of the government’s rightful claim — that is, the total amount it may take in taxes — will be determined by how we define the ‘legitimate functions of government.’” Traditionally, Republicans have believed that taxes must be sufficient to pay for the things we together decide to do. This means balanced budgets, reduced national debt and prudent fiscal policies.

• Conserving the environment: President Theodore Roosevelt was among the original environmentalists, and Republicans supported conserving the environment as good business and good policy.

• Encouraging capitalism: Republicans traditionally have believed in policies and programs that encourage capitalism as the best method to create wealth, a higher standard of living, competition and individual and group success. However, they also have believed in sensible limits that keep capitalism fair and controlled. The original anti-trust acts were enforced by Republicans like Roosevelt to create more, not less, capitalistic activity. Minimizing governmental regulations controls have encouraged responsible business activity and a strong economy. Support of capitalism also has traditionally included support for free trade.

• Realistic foreign policy based on American leadership: Republicans traditionally have believed in facing the facts as they are and leading in the world because our belief in freedom and justice deserved respect based on how we acted. This has included proper alliances, forging common ground and moral, principled leadership.

pasayten wrote: Mon Nov 22, 2021 8:32 am Dang... This is an interesting and strange factoid... Not good for us that believe in the previous republican values before trumpism took over and comtaminated the party...

What Replubican values are you referring to exactly?

Dang... This is an interesting and strange factoid... Not good for us that believe in the previous republican values before trumpism took over and comtaminated the party...

Entire West Coast Officially Has No Republican Statewide Elected Officials
Newsweek - Alexandra Hutzler - 5h ago

The last Republican holding a statewide elected office on the entire West Coast of the United States has left her post.

Washington Secretary of State Kim Wyman will be officially replaced Monday as Democrat Steve Hobbs is sworn into office.

Wyman left for a job in the Biden administration as the election security lead for the Department of Homeland Security's Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. A lifetime Republican official, Wyman has been an outspoken critic of former President Donald Trump amid his baseless claims that the 2020 election was rigged.

Hobbs, who previously served as a state senator, was tapped by Democratic Governor Jay Inslee to fill the role that's been held by a Republican for more than 50 years. Over the past 15 elections, five Republicans have served as secretary of state.

The Washington State Republican Party criticized Inslee for appointing a Democrat to replace Wyman, calling it a "crass political move."

"This selection is a complete disservice to the voters who elected an elections professional and now are getting someone with little to no technical experience," said chairman Caleb Heimlich. "It is a shame that Inslee prioritized partisan politics over voter confidence in our electoral system."

Wyman said she didn't feel guilty over her departure causing the office to switch hands, and said she thinks Hobbs will be a fair, nonpartisan leader.

"I think the party moniker is less important if you're going to step into this role," Wyman told Crosscut. "What's important is inspiring confidence across the political spectrum and not just in your party."

Hobbs's ascension to Secretary of State marks complete Democratic dominance on the coast.

California, Oregon and Washington are all now led by Democrats in statewide elected positions—including governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, secretary of state and treasurer.

All three states are also served by Democratic senators. Unsurprisingly, each state supported now-President Joe Biden over Donald Trump in last year's election by 25 percentage points or more.

The blue wave on the West Coast has been building since the 1990s, as Democrats running for president have won the area decisively every cycle since Bill Clinton's candidacy. Before that, a Republican won nearly every presidential election there for three decades.

In 2018, California Republicans hit rock bottom when they were momentarily relegated to third-party status in the state. They've since regained prominence over registered independents, but today Democrats outnumber Republicans in the state nearly two-to-one. In the most recent statewide election, a GOP-led effort to recall Governor Gavin Newsom, failed by 3 million votes.

"While it was always kind of a Democrat state, there were liberal Republicans," Democratic strategist Michael Starr Hopkins said of California. "Well, the Republican Party doesn't have space for liberal Republicans anymore. And so I think that's just the dynamics of where we are as a country."

Hopkins, a founding partner of Northern Starr Strategies who worked on Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton's presidential campaigns, attributed the Democrats' dominance on the West Coast as additional proof of increasing polarization.

"We're seeing a real shift, and it's a trend of the country: people live in silos now," he told Newsweek. "Places that were purple have now become really blue, and places that are red have become much more red."

But Heimlich said he's optimistic that Washington Republicans can defeat Hobbs in the 2022 special election, which he will need to win in order to finish out the remainder of Wyman's term.

"Politics is transitory," Heimlich told Newsweek. "Things shift, things change. But I think the Democrats' strength and domination on the West Coast does have a shelf life."