Let me disclose first that I am expecting to have conflicts of interest in the CAGOP stuff and I have professional interests that will prevent me from demonstratively taking a side in anything National. It is what it is, but when I started doing stuff like working with Adam Laxalt’s US Senate Campaign, inevitably, it creates entanglements.
The CAGOP Convention is coming up in March. I have been largely silent on this because I am greatly conflicted. The last three statewide elections for the CAGOP have actually been pretty good. My #1 criticism of the leadership of the party has been that they are losing.
Jessica Patterson does need to go. Her hostility towards the conservatives in the State Party is palpable. We have also documented the abhorrent behavior of the CAGOP’s staff with their selective application of the by-laws and their selective concern over the activities of separate but affiliated entities. They have in essence behaved like a political machine.
Those are two valid reasons and those two reasons are enough to advocate for Patterson’s ouster. Internal Corruption and exclusionary hostility towards the base of the party.
I also believe that Patterson could be defeated with the right opponent.
CAGOP National Committeewoman Harmeet Dhillon, who is an RNC Member by virtue of her position with the CAGOP has very publicly (and with a lot of national media exposure) announced a campaign to oppose Ronna Romney McDaniel – who is running for her 4th term.
There have been people publicly indicating that Jessica Patterson has been whipping votes against Harmeet. I have been told by various people over the years that despite Harmeet supporting Patterson for Chair in the past, that Patterson despises Harmeet.
If true, it certainly validates what people have said about Patterson, that once you cross her there is no coming back. So why bother helping her and allying with her on anything? This is again a reflection on the one-sided leadership of Patterson.
It has also been put to me that Kevin McCarthy who is attempting to get elected Speaker of the House of Representatives has been putting his finger on both the CAGOP and RNC scales. If I was Patterson and McCarthy, I’d be focused on my own circumstances rather than trying to control things outside the immediate paradigm I am in.
Ronna McDaniel has two key vulnerabilities. The 2020 and 2022 elections results. With Herschel Walker losing last night, that put the finishing touches on a dismal 2022 election cycle that followed the 2020 election cycle. As I type this, the GOP Establishment (who are rallying against Harmeet) are attempting to pass amnesty and a gigantic omnibus spending bill in order to pre-empt the thin GOP majority coming in to the house of representatives.
For me, the first thing I look at are elections results with Party officers. The second thing I look at is their behavior. I do not know Ronna well enough to make a judgement on the latter.
I have known Harmeet Dhillon a long time, starting when I helped her get elected Vice Chair of the State GOP. I know she can do the job.
Speaking of CAGOP Vice Chair: This is one race where I know the players. I am sure I will be getting info on the others soon.
Corrin Rankin, who ran against the Violin-Wielding con artist Peter Kuo several years ago, is running for CAGOP Vice Chair again. The previous time, it was alleged that the insider people pulled some last minute tricks on the floor of the convention and directed their proxy holders to support Kuo. The election was still very close.
Mark Wright, the successful Chair of the Placer GOP is also running for Vice-Chair. Anyone who takes an objective look at what has happened in Placer County in 2018-2022 with local elections will realize that the results far exceed any dismissive comments about it being a Red County. Placer County is not safe territory for Democrats at any level of government. Mark Wright’s chairmanship of the Placer GOP is his number one selling point. He is also a solid human being I have known for well over a decade.
Rankin on the other hand, has quite a resume’ herself. As Central Region Vice Chair, she has helped squish and conservative alike succeed. In her territory we have seen Republicans retake ground in various spots of the Central Valley and a shift rightward of the whole region. Leadership creates stronger parties, which in turn, create electoral success. She has several personal stories and biographical talking points that are compelling.
I helped Rankin in the past with her Vice Chair effort previously, it will be a tough one with Mark and Corrin vying for the same office.
That said, this blog would not be complete without mentioning that Jessica Patterson has been trying to find an opponent for Corrin. (She has called at least one person about running that I know for certain) Of course she’d never support Mark Wright, but anyone thinking Rankin is some sort of establishment hack should look no further than Patterson’s actions and reconsider that thought…
To be continued.
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Very interesting, and informative, blog. As a senior who grew up in Grand Rapids, MI (Jerry Ford’s safe seat), I got fired up with the Tea Party when Justin Amash ran under the banner. Sadly, when Justin got to Washington. although it is not well known, his family’s China Business got in his way of putting America first. I was also disappointed Tom McClintock (who moved North with his carpetbag) captured the Placer County safe seat by claiming to be a Tea Party Conservative and soon quit the Freedom Caucus. Now I’ve helped elect Kevin Kiley and it is my prayer he goes to Washington as an ultraMAGA Republican who opposes McCarthy (a McConnell wanna-be kind of guy) for speaker and spends his first 100 days SHUTTING DOWN (withholding the funding) of any DEM/RINO legislation they slip through in this lame duck session before January 3, 2023. FYI rotate 3 flags, the American Flag, an IMPEACH BIDEN flag, and an ultraMAGA flag. I also record Morning Joe so I can understand the HATE TRUMP insanity. Now is not the time to give up on President Trump; however, when elected again, he needs to stop putting RINO’s (Barr and Wray and others) into his Administration and go with Steve Bannon types.
Aaron, the one basic things you are missing here is the 20+ year CRP take-over attempt by the ‘Bakersfield Bunch’ (Thompson/McCarthy/Abernathy). Jessica is a groomed minion of that bunch. The current situation is all about McCarthy becoming House Speaker…Which may fail now, so the ‘attack dogs’ are moving in to ‘eat up the remains of the kill’ so to speak. I, and almost all the delegates I know, will be voting for Mark Wright for Vice Chair. Who becomes Chair is yet to be determined.