Cleveland Deplorables
This just in: Patrick Howley at Big League Politics reports:
A handful of
indefatigable Deplorables protested Bill Kristol’s appearance at a $300-a-plate
luncheon for the Cuyahoga County Republican Party in Ohio Friday.
#NeverTrump
town crier Kristol’s speech at the luncheon inflamed Trump-supporting Ohio
Republicans, who remember the difficulties of taking on the GOP Establishment
to elect Trump on John Kasich’s home turf.
Brian Wollet,
an executive committee member of the Cuyahoga County party, had his Trump sign
ready to go to meet Kristol and the luncheon guests.
Wollet
described it as “A cold and rainy morning that felt more like November than
May.”
Nevertheless,
Wollet told Big League Politics that the protest was “fun.”
Cleveland Tea
Party and Main Street Patriots co-founder Ralph King told Big League Politics
that the public appreciated the protest, which took place outside the Marriott
East.
“The weather
was literally terrible. It was cold, it was windy, it was rainy. But we had a
good reception among the cars that were driving by. So we were well received by
traffic and the public. Friday morning, raining, nasty, blowing, I was
happy with the response,” King said.
“I’m still
floored that they had William Kristol to come in to address anybody. When you
read this guy’s stuff or look at what he stands for, two things come to mind.
The snobbery of the Establishment elite is why the American public rejected
both the Democrat and Republican parties and elected Donald Trump. William
Kristol, listening to him talk, you would think the Democrat Party would bring
him in to talk. The way he continually criticizes President Trump? He should be
used as a fundraiser for the Cuyahoga County Democrats.”
King pointed
to Kristol’s current Weekly Standard article “After Trump,” which he
calls “absolutely ridiculous.”
“William
Kristol is a cheerleader for the Democrats. You know, being in DC, that the
Democrats and establishment Republicans are the same. There’s no difference,”
King said.
“The party was
doing everything they could to increase attendance. Most of the people I
associate with would never go to anything like this,” he continued.
“They don’t
get why Donald Trump was elected. They think it was because of the Republicans.
No! It didn’t have anything to do with you. Conservatism? That was rejected
too. Ted Cruz didn’t win. People wanted somebody to get things done. If they
wanted conservative ideology, they would have elected T-shirt Ted Cruz, the
T-shirt preacher.”
Kristol, his
preferred candidates vanquished in the primaries, led a harebrained scheme to
run a third-party challenger against Trump in the general election to help
Hillary Clinton’s chances. General James Mattis, now the Defense Secretary,
considered Kristol’s offer but turned him down. After a lot of searching and
speculation — involving Mitt Romney among others — Kristol backed no-name
National Review writer David French for president. French declined to run.
Kristol then supported the independent bid of Evan McMullin, who ran in Utah to
peel off Mormon votes from Trump to try to stop the Republican nominee from
reaching 270 in the Electoral College.
McMullin,
known colloquially as “McMuffin,” and Kristol failed.
Kristol’s star
has dimmed considerably since the Iraq War, a failed experiment based to a
large degree on Kristol’s own inaccurate and dishonest projections. But despite
helping to tank a Republican administration and fighting tooth and nail against
a Republican nominee, Kristol still lingers in Republican circles, talking to
people for $300 a pop.
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