Former Rep. Cleta (Deatherage) Mitchell of Norman, longtime Washington attorney, writing on Facebook:
Re the GOP presidential race: I’m going to now say what I’ve been mulling for last couple of months. Bear in mind that my candidate was Marco Rubio. Sadly, he did not prevail but I’m thrilled he’s running for reelection to the Senate.
My understanding of the facts of 2016 is this — correct me where I’m wrong:
1. Trump announced and ran in the primaries and caucuses for the GOP nomination, as did 16 others.
2. Over the course of the nominating process, Trump won 37 states, Cruz won 10, and Kasich and Rubio each won 1. This totals 49 states – not sure what happened to the other state plus territories and DC, but it wasn’t close. Trump trounced the field
3. Trump won with substantially more voters participating in 2016 than in 2012.
4. The “smart people” – many of whom are my good and dear friends — were unsuccessful in convincing the GOP primary electorate not to support Trump. They tried. They failed.
5. Trump won. Handily. Not even close.
So, it strikes me that the only way to have stopped Trump was to either thwart the will of the primary electorate at the END of the process (which several tried unsuccessfully to do) OR for some insider or some group of insiders to have kept Trump from running at all.
So I ask my conservative leader / writers / academic and other professional political opinion makers — is that what you want? Some group of “wise men” who decide who can and can’t seek the nomination? How do you think that will work for conservatives long term?
I’m mystified at my conservative friends who want me to think it is okay for them to destroy the nominee of the GOP as chosen by the primary electorate. It wasn’t rigged (like the Democrats’ process was) and Trump won fair and square, under the system we have. If we BELIEVE in the rule of law and playing by the rules– which I do — then I am bound to accept and support the outcome of the process. To get to the playoffs, you have to win the games during the regular season. Put me down as supporting the winner of the contests.
And one more thought from a friend who lives in Pinehurst: “I wasn’t keen on John McCain or Mitt Romney. Neither were conservatives. But all the powers that be said I had to suck it up and be a loyal Republican. So I voted for them both. Now, when the guy I wanted – Trump – wins, the same people go ballistic and bail. I don’t get that.”
The people picked Trump. I’m tired of being preached at by my holier-than-thou smart friends about how this is the end of western civilization. Hillary is the end of America as we know it. She will finish the job Obama has so successfully charted to accomplish that. Saul Alinsky will have ultimately prevailed. Is that what you want?
I choose to be part of the resistance to allowing that to happen.
The people of the United States picked Barack Obama. Twice. Do you support him, too?
Interesting. Cleta’s a good woman. I still have a hard time remembering she is a conservative Republican now. I remember the days when she was the fiery liberal at the state legislature and supported Kennedy over Carter in the ’80 primaries. I haven’t seen her in years. Thanks for the post!