By Kirby Hartley

In the aftermath of the 2016 election, pundits offered countless theories on why Michigan and Wisconsin had flipped from Democrat to Republican, effectively clinching victory for Donald Trump.

But most ignored a critical distinction the two states had in common: In the four years since the previous presidential election, both had adopted right-to-work legislation.

By Dwight Patel

While the much-ballyhooed Mueller Report appears to have vindicated President Trump of the non-stop accusations that he colluded with Russia, it has also shed light once again on how the mainstream media favor fiction and conspiracy theories over facts.

On the other hand, this isn’t the first time that media coverage has been vilified by those in the political arena. From former Vice President Spiro Agnew’s colorful reference to some in the press as “nattering nabobs of negativism” to Hillary Clinton’s charge during the Clinton scandals that they were being unfairly attacked by a “right wing conspiracy,” the media have taken their share of the blame for the way they have reported and mis-reported some of America’s most serious political stories.

By Jim Shalleck, Board President

I recently had the pleasure of speaking to the Chevy Chase Women’s Republican Club at their monthly luncheon. It was a great time with over 40 attendees. Led by CCWRC president Laurie Halverson and former CCWRC president Nancy Griffin, we had a meaningful discussion about the state of politics in our county, along with suggested ways for the GOP to participate more fully in the electoral process. The CCWRC always takes a leadership role in the GOP’s efforts to elect Republicans, which includes fundraising and other volunteer efforts on behalf of GOP candidates.

A Great 2019 MCGOP Convention and Lunar New Year

We had a wonderful 2019 MCGOP Convention in late February and fun Lunar New Year celebration.  Here are several pictures from both events.

On Tuesday February 19, 2019, the Senate Judiciary Committee heard Testimony on Senate Bill 311 - Physician Assisted Suicide.

A testimony for the bill was given by a pharmacist who outlined how “easy” it was to implement this decision, even if the person who is committing suicide is incapacitated.

By Dwight Patel

Let’s say you want to be the next Karl Rove, Lee Atwater, Grover Norquist or Morton Blackwell. Since this is the off-season, I’d like to share with you some highlights about my path and the paths of some of my friends who worked in politics or policy and how they got there.  The important thing to remember is that most people don’t stay in the political arena forever.  The average time spent is five to eight years campaigning, and a few stick with it for ten years.   Yours truly left in 1998 for good and made the transition to policy.

The Montgomery County GOP organizes members and volunteers by state legislative district and polling place precinct.

There are 47 legislative districts in the state of Maryland. As of the last census in 2010, each one contained approximately 120,000 individuals.  Some of these districts cross county lines, but Montgomery County is comprised of exactly 8 districts, which only include areas inside the county. (This is not true of congressional districts but that is a story for another day!)

By Bret Hrbek, Former Councilman for the City of Front Royal, Virginia

As many political science majors imagined, I figured I’d be a member of Congress by the time I was in my 40s. Although that did not happen, I did start my career in politics and then found out about life outside of Washington, DC.

By Alexander Bush

This is not a typical Chairman’s article, which is usually the literary equivalent of a warm glass of milk. Instead, I want to share with you my thoughts on a story that upset me deeply, and to discuss what we might be able to learn from it. Oh, and it’s a long one, so grab a snack. Of course, I am talking about the Covington Catholic high-school kids at the Lincoln Memorial on January 18th.

By Jimmy Kemp

Maryland is “open for business.” How is that possible in our age of political division? Let’s start with some general statements. Republicans stand for free enterprise that enables upward mobility. Democrats stand for class warfare to implement more democratic socialist policies. Conservatives believe that the creative and dynamic nature of humanity is what drives a strong economy. Liberals believe in penalizing the success of that very creativity and dynamism. You would think we are not talking about the same economy and that we couldn’t possibly come together on any economic policy.