The Alaska Republican Party has a big problem. It cannot effectively police its members when they misbehave, so some RINO politicians take advantage of the weakness within the GOP to advance their own interests to the detriment of the party.
In Georgia, things are different. The Georgia GOP was faced with unacceptable behavior from one of its members, former Lt. Governor Geoff Duncan. Mr. Duncan exhibited behaviors destructive to the Republican brand, including undermining GOP candidates, endorsing Democrat opponents, and using his party membership for personal gain. Specific examples of his misbehavior are Mr. Duncan’s work against the election of Hershel Walker when Walker ran for Senate in Georgia and his endorsement of both Joe Biden and Kamala Harris for president over Donald Trump.
Faced with his disloyalty, the Georgia State GOP took decisive action. They made Mr. Duncan persona non grata as a Georgia Republican. Duncan has been banned from property owned or leased by the Georgia Republican Party. He has been banned from all events held under the authority of the Georgia Republican Party, such as nominating conventions and fundraisers. Duncan is prohibited from running for any future office in Georgia as a Republican, and his election victories as Lt. Governor and state House member have been expunged from party records. The party also asked the local news media to refer to Duncan as an “expelled Republican” when referring to his political affiliation in articles and news stories.
It is time for the Alaska GOP to wake up and figure out a way to take punitive action against those disloyal to the party, and I mean immediately.
This seems like pretty harsh treatment of the guy, but the Georgia GOP sent a loud and clear message. Every other Republican in the state understands that disloyalty to the party for personal gain will not be tolerated and would amount to political suicide for anyone wishing a future career as a Republican in that state. I suspect from now on, Georgia Republicans will toe the party line to avoid risking career damage.
Compare the response of Georgia Republicans to what the Alaska GOP has done in similar circumstances. Feckless RINOs in our state legislature have formed governing coalitions with the Democrats, who are the minority in both houses. For some reason, the Alaska Republican party has been unable to do anything about this and by their inaction, tolerates betrayal from House members Louise Stutes (Kodiak) and Chuck Kopp (Anchorage) and Senators Bert Stedman (Sitka), Gary Stevens (Kodiak), Jesse Bjorkman (Nikiski), Cathy Giessel (Anchorage), and Kelly Merrick (Eagle River).
Each of these Republicans has betrayed their party to form alliances with the Democrats. Each of these individuals deserves the Geoff Duncan treatment, but the Alaska GOP appears impotent, unable to provide punishment of any kind.
At the state level, it appears that nothing is being done, and although efforts are being made at the local level, it will probably have no impact. I recently sat through a presentation where District 6 GOP members presented a new idea they hoped would ensure party loyalty among future candidates in their district and be a model for the rest of the state. They have devised a checklist with expectations for Republican candidates in the district, including promises like committing not to caucus with the Democrats.
ALASKA WATCHMAN DIRECT TO YOUR INBOX
Candidates would be asked to sign the document confirming their commitment to the Republican party. It sounds nice, but I fear it will be ineffective for the same reason past efforts have because this process has no enforcement mechanism. If the current group of seven disloyal Republicans in the state legislature were willing to deceive voters to get elected, what makes the party think that new candidates wouldn’t do the same, but this time in writing?
The Alaska GOP needs some sort of enforcement mechanism with real consequences. In my working career, I managed large numbers of people working in the oil industry on the North Slope. I found that when I rewarded good behavior, I got more of it. Any behavior that was punished resulted in a reduction of bad behavior. This is not rocket science. If the Alaska GOP found a way to act in a similar fashion to what the Georgia GOP has done, I bet you would have a more honest and trustworthy group of Republican politicians in Juneau and a Republican-controlled State Legislature.
It is time for the Alaska GOP to wake up and figure out a way to take punitive action against those disloyal to the party, and I mean immediately.
The views expressed here are those of the authors. Read more posts at Seward’s Folly substack.
2 Comments
Leadership has been lacking in Alaska GOP for years. Clubs are out of control, Alaska Leadership Chair and board are pout of control and afraid they will miss put on donations and per diem and all that goes with it. They are in it to self serve. That’s it!
Is the definition of “RINO” any Republican who doesn’t want to kiss Trump’s ring?