The Hidden Battle

The Hidden Battle 

We all understand what we mean when we say there is a battle between the Elites and the Newcomers in the Republican Party.  The media talked ad nauseum about it during the Primary as if it was something bad.

It is not bad and the reason is simple.  

It’s just the natural way of things.

We did use it to our advantage.

We Won.

Nature abhors a vacuum.  In the last election there was a basic vacuum of candidates actually representing the people who voted for them.  A vacuum of what our representatives promised and what they did.  Nature with the aid of everyday rural Americans filled that vacuum with Donald Trump.  He to his credit is adept with seeing the void and taking advantage of it by filling it in his own way.

Let me explain.  There is a new power struggle evolving since the Citizen’s United vs FEC in 2010 Supreme Court ruling.  That case allowed profits and non-profits equal footing and ability to put unlimited resources into politics.  Republicans were able then to be on the same playing field with Unions and other non-profits. 

This formed a power vacuum on our side.  Quickly it was realized and efforts were started to fill it.  That is an ongoing process.  For instance the Koch brothers set up their network of different groups to funnel their money to that raised grass root supporters.

 

A vacuum within a vacuum was created when the Koch Brothers decided to not back Donald Trump and take their money out of the Presidential race and instead put it into the Senate races to secure the Senate for Republicans thinking Hillary would beat Trump and that would be the best use of their money.  

That created another vacuum this time in the Presidential Race on the Republican side.  

This article http://www.politico.com/story/2016/11/trump-koch-brothers-231863 explains it pretty well.  

Many in the Koch network addicted to the Presidential race jumped ship and provided Trump with the manpower that helped in his campaign and later his transition team.  I would put Scott Haggerstrom Trump’s Mi. Co-Chair into that category.  He was one of those who left the Koch funded Americans for Prosperity to join the Trump team.  

He now is also entering another power struggle in the Michigan Republican Party and is running for Mi. State Party Chair.  I for one hope he gets funding from both Koch and the Mercers.

However, it wasn’t just the workers leaving the Koch Brothers but soon a major donor to the Koch network started branching out on their own into the Presidential Campaign waters.  They had the money and weren’t afraid to spend it.  They were the Mercers, father Robert and daughter Rebekah were filling that money vacuum in the Presidential Campaign. Picture of Rebekah below.

While the Koch brothers came later to the Trump table, the Mercers were well ahead of them and will find and have found far more influence with Trump than the Koch Brothers which the article above doesn’t seem to point out.

The unique thing about Donald Trump is like he said as quoted in the article, he doesn’t “want their money or anything else from them.”   In Trump speak that means he doesn’t need them so if they want to behave he might have a spot for them.

Don’t get me wrong, I think the Citizens United ruling gave the Republican/Conservative cause the financial and organizational boost that was needed.  All of these groups do wonderful things with their money.  All the groups (almost) that we use for research and information on the right are able to exist through funding from these different power groups because of the Citizens United ruling of the Supreme Court.  The Left hates that and is another prime example of why we needed to win this Presidential Race – to appoint judges to the Supreme Court.

The beauty of Donald Trump is that he remains beholding to none, allowing him to be thankful to all who are willing to help him “Make America Great Again".  As to the power struggle I talk about below he would probably say “Who Cares”.

This is the hidden power struggle going on for the leadership of the National as well as the State Republican Parties.  This article http://www.politico.com/story/2016/12/trump-rnc-republican-control-232041 talks about the struggle at the top.  

If you notice on one side are conservatives Steve Bannon and Rebekah Mercer vs. the more establishment types funded by the Koch Brothers.  I had researched Robert and Rebekah Mercer before when I started seeing her name associated with groups I liked.  Here is a link to some background on her.  https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/the-rise-of-gop-mega-donor-rebekah-mercer/2016/09/13/85ae3c32-79bf-11e6-beac-57a4a412e93a_story.html?utm_term=.c09908089bde . 

Also Wikipedia on her Dad.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Mercer_(businessman)  .

 From Politico.  http://www.politico.com/story/2016/09/donald-trump-rebekah-mercer-227799 . 

Now you have more than you probably want about this powerful lady.  She is 42, backed Cruz then when he dropped out changed over to Trump.  Sits on the board of the Heritage foundation among other influential Conservative non-profits.  Was influential in getting Steve Bannon and Kellyanne Conway their jobs.  What I like about her is that she was raised not always wealthy.  Another thing is that she is all about grass root organizing.  She in other words likes the Bottom Up approach to politics as I do.  Example is her effort through Reclaim New York.  Trying to turn NY Red is indeed a taunting task and would need a lot of “one on one” work.  Much like what I tried to do when I lived in downtown Muskegon albeit on a far lesser scale to start up Republican/Conservative groups in hotbeds of Democrat territory. 

http://www.politico.com/states/new-york/albany/story/2015/05/conservative-nonprofit-plans-to-expand-statewide-presence-022325 .  

Try googling Reclaim New York.  This is a start and is putting out the facts and having meetings to gather a base about the cost of living in NY as their main topic as caused by political corruption and over spending.  That is a good way to start. 

I know in Mi. the conservative cause was helped by the same type of research provided by the Mackinaw Center.  It gives people of a like mind a place to start and the figures to help change minds.  The money also helps to pay staff and rent offices for a more lasting effort.

I don’t bemoan but rather revel in the fact that such powerful and different people are trying to influence politics.  I rejoice that this power struggle is on our side.  I like the idea that several rich people are vying for my vote.  Because when you get right down to it from the bottom on up the ladder, all political organizations and money spending is for one simple thing – the vote - our vote.  

They want to influence our vote and what lever we pull in the voting booth.  The more people competing the better.  The freer and larger the battle the better.  How else could a free market lover with a “pragmatic streak” think?

Regards, Bob Carr
Live Dangerously, Tell the Truth
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