#GAGOP County Convention Round-up: Part 1

As I mentioned in a previous post, “a few” counties were holding their county conventions this past Saturday.  Among those were Cobb and Bulloch Counties who saw respective conventions change out the leadership.

Former 11th District GOP Chairman Jason Shepherd won his challenge against incumbent Cobb GOP Chairwoman Rose Wing who beat Shepherd in 2015 for the position.  According the Political Insider at the AJC, he and the ticket he led worked to unify the #LIBERTY folks and the Donald Trump faithful to promising to “Make Cobb Red Again”…or something.  Seems like odd bedfellows, but good luck with that Cobb GOP.  I have a feeling this will be a preview of coming attractions…

Down in Jessica S.’s neck of the woods, the Bulloch County Republican Party elected new leadership with a heated chairman’s race where Chairman Eric Cumbee was defeated by Brooklet Police Chief Doug Meyer. Former Statesboro City Manager Frank Parker was elected as Vice Chairman.  From a press release issued after the convention:

“When asked to be of service to the local party, I agreed to help in whatever capacity they saw fit. Then, when I was voted into the Chairman’s position, I was both honored and determined to perform my duties in such a manner as to be worthy of the trust of the party members, and a credit to our cause,” Parker said.

Statesboro resident Donna Hellberg retained her position as Party Treasurer, and newcomer Christian Hart, a 20 year old Georgia Southern student, a former organizer for Bulloch County for Donald Trump, Campus Ambassador to GS from Students for Trump and former Chairman of Young Americans for Liberty was elected as the party’s Secretary.

“The former administration did a good job. We harbor no hard feelings against them, but the party needed to move on and grow into the new Republican reality,” Hart said.

“The new Republican reality”?  Perhaps they can elaborate on what that new reality is, but I have a feeling that “new Republican reality” is very different from what it was 10 years ago…and I don’t think it’s for the better.  Of course, I’m just an #EstablishmentRINOHack.

Those that end up leading our Party for the next two years (at the county, district, and state levels) will guide us through the next gubernatorial election…which is an open seat….during a mid-term election.  Historically, mid-terms haven’t been friendly towards the Party in power.  The 2018 mid-terms have bearing on President Donald Trump’s and the Republican Congress’ popularity.  Right now, the President’s approval rating is at 44.3% (disapproval: 49.7%) according to RealClearPolitics, and we’re still in the “honeymoon” period of the first 100 days.  History doesn’t guarantee future performance (see 2016 General Election), but it’s a darn good gauge and something to keep in mind as the other counties convene conventions this coming Saturday.

The #AntiEstablishment wing of the Republican Party now has a President who has promised to #DrainTheSwamp (although, that rhetoric has seemingly disappeared from Trump’s repertoire but is carried on by the faithful) in Washington.  Now, the #AntiEstablishment is working to become #TheEstablishment and seemingly demands that Republicans fall in line as being conquered rather than working together to elect Republicans.  It’s looks like it might be a rough couple of years, but the buck will stop with the Republican leadership…regardless if it’s #TheOldEstablishment or #TheNewEstablishment.