Part I:
This is my journey through politics and the Josephine County political scene. I’ve been a committed conservative for many years long before moving to Oregon. I was active on social media, spending hours supporting conservative candidates and policies. Even then, I wasn’t involved in any political party.
A few years ago, while promoting a conservative candidate online as I often did, someone from the local Republican Party’s communications team noticed my writing. That eventually led me to get involved with the Josephine County Republican Party for the first time and recently resigned. Let’s take a closer look at how the Republican Party, conservative ideology, and related beliefs connect and overlap with one another.
Republican and what it means:
Member of the Republican Party
• They vote for Republican candidates
• They align with the GOP more than the Democratic Party
• They identify culturally or politically with the Republican “side”.
Association With Common Republican Values:
Traditionally, the Republican Party is associated with positions like:
• Pro-Life
• Limited government
• Fiscal restraint
• Strong national defense
• Pro-business policies
• Second Amendment support
• Skepticism of heavy regulation
• Support for traditional values
When someone says they are Republican, most people understand it as:
“I support or belong to the Republican Party, and I generally lean right politically.”
Everything beyond that varies person to person.
Generally speaking – Oregon Republicans:
• Urban = more moderate
• Rural/Southern = more populist & MAGA
• Internal divisions common
Josephine County Republicans:
• The Republican Party has gone through faction fights, loyalty tests, and internal upheaval. This isn’t new, it has been going on for many years from what I have read.
• Traditional conservative principles, fiscal responsibility, ethical governance, respect for institutions often take a back seat to internal power struggles – which is happening right now.
• Many lifelong republicans feel alienated when the local party acts more like a faction than a coalition.
I’m going to keep doing what I’ve always done: stand up for conservative values, with or without a political party, and speak out when something is wrong – even if it’s happening inside the Republican Party.
Part II – I will look at how easy it is for a political party to turn to a cult. Stay tuned.
