Make Them Prove Their Worth

I was a registered non-partisan voter in the early months of the Republican Primaries in 2016.  I registered Republican with the primary goal of qualifying to vote for Donald Trump in my state’s Republican primary in mid-2016.  Personally, I am annoyed by party politics, which is why I was registered non-partisan for years.  Donald Trump ran on the Republican ticket and I primarily support his agenda, rather than the Republican Party (the GOP) as an institution.  I even donated a few bucks to his campaign; the first time I have financially contributed to a presidential campaign (or any political candidate for that matter).

Since registering Republican, I have received many letters (such as the one above) and phone calls from the Republican National Committee (RNC) on a regular basis regarding my “membership status” and “contributions.”  Like many other registered voters, I am getting tired of being solicited for funding.  If I felt like the GOP was truly supportive of President Trump, maybe it would not bother me as much.  However, I truly believe that if it were up to Paul Ryan, Mitch McConnell, and even Vice President Mike Pence, President Trump would not be sitting in the Oval Office.

President Trump was elected by voters in a campaign which under spent the competition by millions of dollars ($398 Million compared to Hillary Clinton’s $768 million).  Both the Republican and Democratic parties are frightened by what President Trump stands for because he is a non-establishment outsider who threatens the power exercised by elitist politicians.  I do not trust the GOP to promote candidates who will support President Trump’s agenda.  So what do I do with all these requests from the RNC to fund the party?

Graham Ledger of One American News Network (OAN) gave me the following idea: respond to the RNC by telling them they will not get your money until there is visible and considerable support from the GOP for President Trump’s agenda.  Thusly, I have created several pre-typed responses to the RNC which I enclose in the return envelopes they provide with their solicitations.  Each of these responses took me only a few minutes to write and the postage is prepaid; it does not cost me anything.

Maybe the RNC throws my responses in the trash.  Most likely they are not received or read by anyone of significance.  Nevertheless, it costs me nothing, save a few minutes of my time and a few sheets of printer paper.  I want someone at the GOP to know I do not blindly toe the party line just because I registered Republican.  I support President Trump’s agenda.  If the RNC wants my money, they can start sending itemized receipts for contributions; demonstrating an effort to promote candidates and agendas which explicitly coincide with President Trump’s policies.

I’m writing this in the hopes other voters will also express their displeasure with a political party which does more to consolidate its own power than it does to serve the American people.  Our two major political parties get enough money from lobbyists and interested groups.  Why should they receive funding from hardworking citizens they largely ignore?  Don’t buy into the “other party will outspend us” scare tactic.  Don’t pay attention to their empty threats to downgrade your membership status from “member in good standing” to “lapsed.”

“Dear RNC, let my membership lapse.  My membership only seems to matter to you when you need money anyway. Don’t waste my time with surveys either.  President Trump’s agenda was clear to voters when they elected him.  The overwhelming support for him versus the elitists who ran against him is evidence of that.  Get to work!”

Perhaps if enough registered Republicans engage in this practice, the GOP will get the idea.  The cost to you is less than contributing to a party which does not value your ideas as much as your pocket change.  Maybe the day will come when our parties need middle class voter support more than they need cash.

~AD