Poker players sometimes bluff, pretending a weak hand is stronger than it is, to win the pot. That strategy works until someone recognizes their strategy and calls them on it.
I bluffed and got called on a recent article where I suggested that in response to the inaction from the Alaska GOP, the Republican members of the State House and Senate should form a new conservative political party, and suggested they name it the MAGA party. I gave as an example the success of Reform UK, a new political party in Great Britain. A Republican friend called me on that. He said that conservative Republicans would never leave the party because of their loyalty to Donald Trump. He was right, but that wasn’t really the intent of my suggestion.
It was a bluff intended to prompt the AK GOP to act. I made it because they have done nothing to police the political traitors within their party who gave Democrats control of our state legislature in this session. The GOP inaction was making me question whether the Republicans are a serious party or just want to be controlled opposition to the Democrats who run our state.
Although my threat of creating a MAGA party was not realistic, I might have succeeded in getting my message through to the AK GOP. Alaska party chairwoman Carmela Warfield wrote a letter she posted on social media on Jan. 24 supporting Donald Trump’s cabinet nominees, including Pete Hegseth. The letter is important because while very mild in tone, it was a bit of a backhanded slam at Alaska’s senior Senator Lisa Murkowski. Although not mentioning dear Lisa by name, Warfield’s letter came on the heels of yesterday’s vote by Murkowski in opposition to advancing Hegseth’s nomination.
ALASKA WATCHMAN DIRECT TO YOUR INBOX
Alaskans have come to accept that Lisa Murkowski is a Democrat at heart and has been for her entire political career. However, Republicans in Washington defend Murkowski by saying she mostly votes with them, but that argument is a crock. Murkowski votes with Republicans when her vote doesn’t matter but votes against them when the Democrats need her support. Reference Lisa’s votes to approve Joe Biden’s cabinet nominees, her vote against Brett Kavanaugh, her vote supporting the constitutionality of the last impeachment of Donald Trump, and her opposition to Pete Hegseth. Lisa Murkowski, as a Republican, is a cruel joke on voters in Alaska.
But this post isn’t about Murkowski’s veracity; it is about the AK GOP and what they must do to become a serious party again. Warfields’ mildly worded letter against Murkowski was the first baby step in the right direction, but by itself, it won’t accomplish a lot.
If the AK GOP wants to stop being the weak political party it is today, more decisive action must come from Carmela Warfield herself. If she is the strong Trump supporter, she claims she is, it is time to prove it. She should consider what direct statements of criticism can be made against Lisa Murkowski today. While Warfield is at it, she needs to make a statement of condemnation of the seven political traitors in Juneau who betrayed their party to join with the Democrats.
However, while strongly worded letters are a start, they alone are not enough. Warfield must take punitive action against the traitorous seven in Juneau. Just to remind you, those individuals are House members Louise Stutes and Chuck Kopp and Senators Bert Stedman, Gary Stevens, Jesse Bjorkman, Cathy Giessel, and Kelly Merrick.
In a previous post, I documented how the Georgia GOP punished a party member who aided the Democrats. Their local party took swift punitive action against that individual, both as a punishment for him and also as a warning to others not to make the same mistake. I suggest Warfield consider using the same punishments for the seven party traitors in Juneau. Perhaps a Republican reader of this column will send it to Warfield for her consideration.
Donald Trump was grazed by a bullet and six months later was inaugurated as president. He found the courage to get up off of the ground, with his face covered in blood, to say we need to fight, fight, fight.
They say courage is contagious. I hope Warfield can find the courage to be brave in this time of challenge for the Alaska GOP. I started this post with a poker analogy; let’s finish with one. It is time for Carmela Warfield to go all in.
The views expressed here are those of the author. Read more posts at Seward’s Folly substack.
2 Comments
I think the current GOP is evolving/dying just like the Whigs did during the mid-1800’s, for the same reasons, and in the same way. Before the current GOP fully transforms, the next party must form, just like the Republican Party did in the 1850’s for Whigs to flee to. This occurred immediately before the War Between the States, and wouldn’t have successfully occurred until the Democrats were divided North-South during the Election of 1860, splitting the party, which was how Lincoln was elected.
There have been a few recent, meager attempts to form a new conservative party, the Tea Party being one of the most memorable. All have failed.
A rogue candidate has emerged: Trump. He has chosen to run within and reform the Republican Party. I believe his movement will die with him. The reason is the control of campaign funds (propaganda) by the parties. Lisa Murkowski has somehow been able to enjoy campaign funds granted her by the national party PAC to the detriment of the state party organization. Until that ends, we will continue to be at the mercy of RINOs.
Murkowski voted against Pete Hesgeth. That proves her courage and integrity.