Patterson, the Marionette; McCarthy, the Puppet Master and the CAGOP

A conservative Latino’s view on politics…

Since 2006, the California Republican Party (CAGOP) has become a running joke with every lopsided defeat. One would think the 2018 midterm beatdown would welcome change. However, current CAGOP leadership is willing to continue digging, taking us down a deeper hole and a new puppet master is emerging. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy with his marionette, California Trailblazers’ CEO, Jessica Patterson, candidate for CAGOP chair.

A CAGOP Refresher

Current CAGOP chair, Jim Brulte is leaving office after a disastrous run. The one positive we hear about him, “He got us out of debt.”

Psst, c’mere kid. I’ve got a secret for you. Before Brulte, the CAGOP chair was a conservative and the story goes; establishment leaders in smoke-filled backrooms filled with treachery, mounted a war against him. By withholding support and dollars, they would cripple him and the conservative grassroots movement that had sprung up. The result? They took decisive control of the party and allowed socialist-Democrats to win and control the legislature and governorship. Shades of John McCain and Mitt Romney!

How did they do it? Whispers are that the establishment convinced donors to stay away, thus pushing us into debt. Once done, lore has it, some saw the ghost of Judas smiling as donors reopened the spigot, magically providing enough silver pieces to get the CAGOP out of debt. Yet failures continued and Brulte’s reign ends with the most one-sided beatdowns in CAGOP history.

Brulte leaving gives conservatives hope. Like Moses, leading his people out of the wilderness, we assume a conservative will lead us out of ours. However, the establishment’s digging in despite crushing defeats and we may remain in the wilderness. You thought Moses had it tough? Try being a CAGOP conservative!

The #NEVERTRUMP Establishment Candidate Falters

Former Assemblyman David Hadley, a current CAGOP Vice Chair and prolific fundraiser began his campaign as McCarthy’s pick. However, fair or not, his #NeverTrump rhetoric and stating he would not vote for Donald Trump in 2016, doomed the campaign before it began. His quick exit left two conservatives. Shades of Ronald Reagan!

The Marionette: Jessica Patterson

Foolish conservative. To believe good would finally triumph over evil. From the ashes of Hadley, the puppet masters found their marionette. “Jessica Patterson for Chairman of the California Republican Party.”

Groomed since her days as an intern, the ruling CAGOP regime thrust Patterson into the spotlight, but not before sanitizing her social media accounts. Hiding her politics and who she is – hoping to slip her through with minimal if any scrutiny. Truth? She’s directly benefited financially from donors who’ve wrecked the Republican Party in California. Again, just look at the election results the past decade. Brutal for the CAGOP, lethal to conservatives.

The fact she was part of center-left donor, Charles Munger Jr.’s team, working proxy drills for years exposes her politics. For the few delegates that don’t know or those like me – simple working-class Republicans, Munger Jr. is the son of Warren Buffet’s business partner. Junior’s the CAGOP’s top donor and from what those in the know tell me, it’s most recent puppet master.

Since 2005, the Munger family fortune has gone a long way toward obliterating the CAGOP conservative movement and is a primary reason we’ve lost election after election. He was the proponent and funder of Prop 14, the top two jungle primary that’s specifically hurt the Republican Party. Rumors persist he’s still lurking in the background helping Patterson’s campaign. He and others also contribute to fund Patterson’s California Trailblazers organization. A candidate training school, despite many of its students being elected officials.

The Puppet Master: Kevin McCarthy

Puppet Master: someone who’s “pulling the strings” and controlling what goes on through an individual they view as a lackey.

What’s impressive about House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy is his ability to do whatever is necessary to crush conservatives. He’s a savage, unrelenting warrior, defeating us with the intent to destroy us. Sadly, his battle-lust doesn’t extend toward Democrats – see 2018 California congressional midterms.  

It didn’t hurt that in 2015, Munger Jr. gave “McCarthy’s Victory Fund” $150,000 as well as his campaign in 2012 and 2014. Ambitious, McCarthy’s now making his play to control our state politics with Munger Jr.’s blessing.

True or not, McCarthy’s first run for speaker of the United States House of Representatives ended with the exposé of his alleged affair with North Carolina Representative Renee Ellmers. He’s not given up. Many believe his only goal is to flip the house. Targeting some of the seven congressional seats lost in the midterms is part of the plan. Patterson’s his marionette to funnel as many resources as possible to help make it happen.

Where does that leave the rest of California? Our fight to make the party relevant? To bring Californians the opportunity to live the American Dream? What’s the solution? Will delegates finally do what’s right? Will we finally come together after shocking defeats?

Building the Bridge to Unite Grassroots and Donors

In the Los Angeles Times, Brulte stated, “If anybody believes that a party can exist with only the grassroots or that a party can exist with only donors, they are someone that doesn’t understand the nature of parties.” Did Brulte have an epiphany? If he did, I like it, because his statement is 100 percent true. However past history shows a belief that donor dollars were all that’s needed to win.

There’s one person who’s always believed and can bring the grassroots and donors to the table – Steve Frank. The only candidate, who’s respected with networks in the donor and grassroots’ camps. Let’s not sugar coat this. It’s going to take 2-3 election cycles just to become competitive and Frank with his decades of experience is the only one who can begin to bridge the divide. Not Patterson or Travis Allen.

Steve Frank: Honor, Integrity and Love of Country

As a young man Frank’s start in politics began in the 1960s but America called, and he served. Frank’s a Vietnam War veteran. Sure, he’s not a spring chicken but neither was our greatest modern-day president, Ronald Reagan, nor our current president, Donald Trump. Love of country spurred these men into action as it does Frank. Reagan eventually bridged the divide bringing all Republican factions together. Frank can do the same.

Frank’s been on the political front lines battling for conservatism on college campuses, campaigning at local, state and national levels. He’s the only candidate who’s served on all permanent committees for the Republican Party.

His love isn’t just for politics, it’s for his fellow soldiers. He created the POW-MIA bracelets (with Bob Dornan) to support our Vietnam veterans. A family man, he’s also served as Chair of the Girl Scout Councils of California.

Frank is one reason there’s still a conservative bloc within the current CAGOP. Though scarred and battered from intraparty battles, he’s grudgingly earned the respect and admiration of the establishment, donor and consultant class.

Frank’s the only candidate with a written plan, willing to share, discuss and even tweak it. Just ask. Shockingly, some in the camp of his two opponents scoff at the plan as laughable and unrealistic because it’s based on going back to fundamentals and training.

Let me tell you something as an entrepreneur who helped build the fantasy sports industry. We ran into the same thing; doubters with no clue. Now it’s an annual multibillion-dollar industry and growing. The military and successful businesses – large and small – understand the importance of fundamentals and training. Step one is a written plan.

Here’s another little secret… Democrats believe in training and fundamentals and use it with great success to destroy Republicans. While Frank’s opponents ridicule and laugh, their candidates have no plan to present. To hear mockery toward what successful organizations do for success shows why the CAGOP continues to lose. It’s mind-boggling at how adept donors can be with personal businesses yet so inept politically.

The Other Candidate

Travis Allen? The primary is over, and everyone deserves a clean slate. No different than when this campaign ends. We’ll all have to figure out how to come together. However, my concern is that Allen’s destroyed any hope of working with remaining leadership and donors after accusing them of rigging the party endorsement at the CAGOP convention. These are legitimate concerns he likely can’t overcome.

Despite his current mailer touting the number of individuals who donated to him, it’s a case of using statistics to create a false view over reality. When you look at the numbers filed with the state, a different picture comes to light. Sadly, one of debt. Some, years old and still not paid off. The reality is, we need big donor dollars to compete and his own past political debt shows he can’t bring those donors to the table.

You may not want to hear that fellow conservatives but it’s true. Take Colorado. That was as red as California is blue and leftists took over with billionaire and multi-millionaire donors working with and supporting grassroots activists. Shockingly, it began as a written plan that evolved over time.

Jessica Patterson may claim to be a conservative, but is she? Conservatives and at one time, some CAGOP leaders shared a belief of the following three tenets:

• fiscal responsibility,
• constitutionally limited government,
• and free markets.

I honestly question if Patterson supports any of these principles. She’s a supporter of the “New Way,” led by Republicans like Chad Mayes. In fact, it’s a who’s who of center-left Republicans. These Republicans have voted to raise taxes and increase the role of government, forcing businesses and constituents to flee a California that’s become too expensive and crime-ridden to live in. Ironically, “New Way” Republican supporters in the legislature that voted with leftists were graduates of Patterson’s candidate training school.

There’s no candidate that’s earned our support and trust more than Steve Frank. That’s why I, William Del Pilar, a working grunt, conservative Latino, small-town elected official and registered Republican choose to support Steve Frank. It’s likely you don’t care, and I get that, but I’ll tell you this. As the son of a mother from a third-world country, it’s frightening how the CAGOP has allowed socialist-Democrats to take over and destroy California. It should frighten you too, but I believe Frank can be the agent of change.

He won’t betray our values while respecting others, as he works to build the necessary bridges to bring grassroot conservatives and the CAGOP donor class to the table. His experience, his network and his plan of action can make the CAGOP a force to reckon with.

If you’re a delegate, I strongly urge you… no, beg of you to do what’s right and vote Steve Frank for Chairman of the California Republican Party.

William Del Pilar is politically active, currently sitting on the Valley Center Community Planning Group (VCCPG). As an entrepreneur, Del Pilar drove his fantasy sports company to set the standard for analysis and news distribution, helping to commercialize the industry from 1997-2008.