Trump’s reign of errors has created a variety of opposition. Obviously, Democrats want to replace the *resident. There also are a variety of people with a commitment to an understanding of the Constitution violated by Trump and his enablers. I encourage attention to them — they are not true companions, but they show a willingness to create a temporary alliance to remove the threat, and understand it will mean voting for Biden / Harris 2020.
One such expression of opposition to Trump will be a convention with sessions beginning 30 minutes BEFORE the Republican Convention. The Convention on Founding Principles offers a line-up of Never Trumpers, conservatives pushed out or self-exiled from the Republican Party. Sponsoring organizations include: Stand Up Republic, Make Integrity Great Again, Principles First, and the Niskanen Center.
From the site and the limited coverage I’ve been able to find, it isn’t precisely clear how they are defining themselves. I see on their site’s page of Principles that “Delegates to the convention will consider and ratify a Declaration of Principles based on those listed here, expressing the ideas that shape our movement.” So, it could either be a defined faction within the Republican Party or, as I think more likely, a step towards developing an alternative to BOTH the Republican and Democratic Parties. And in Colorado, an alternative to American Constitution, Approval Voting, Green, Libertarian, and Unity Parties. And in your state, whatever Parties may have gotten official status.
For those of you who are social media enthusiasts, you can monitor, forward, and participate in a conversation online, with the hashtag #CFP2020. I’m thinking it would be great to spread the word to friends, relatives and all those you know who have Republican tendencies: it would be great to have more join a principled group in opposition to the current version of the Republican Party. If you know members of the media, you might encourage them track what the group is saying, as there could well be some newsworthy revelations from former collaborators participants in the Trump Organization, Trump Campaign, or Trump Sad!-ministration
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The first night is Monday, August 24th at 8:30 pm ET. It will be streamed on YouTube, starting at 8:15 ET. There already is a YouTube page for each of the four scheduled nights. You can watch CFP:
✓ On CFP20 website
✓ On our YouTubechannel
✓ On Facebook Live via the CFPpage
Or watch the speeches and commentary in their entirety later. Announced agenda (of course, subject to change, and I’ve removed duplicate names):
Day 1 — A Republic, If You Can Keep It
- R. Derek Black, Advocate for Anti-Racism
- Amanda Carpenter, Political commentator and author
- Mona Charen, Political commentator and columnist
- James Comey, Former FBI Director
- Vicki Courtney, Evangelical author and public speaker
- Mindy Finn, Co-Founder, Stand Up Republic
- Mark Galli, religion journalist
- Michael Hayden, Former CIA and NSA Director
- Heath Mayo, Founder, Principles First
- Evan McMullin, Co-Founder, Stand Up Republic
- Clarence Mingo, Businessman and former Ohio Republican official
- Michael Steele, Former Chairman, Republican National Committee
Day 2 — Of The People, By The People, For The People
- Trammell Crow, Founder, EarthX
- Will Galloway, Chairman, South Carolina Federation of College Republicans (2019-20)
- Katherine Gehl, Founder, Institute for Political Innovation
- David Jolly, Former Congressman
- Garry Kasparov, Human rights activist and chess champion
- Judge Robert Orr, Former Associate Justice, North Carolina Supreme Court
- Nilmini Rubin, Co-Founder, Fix the System
- Christine Todd Whitman, Former Governor of New Jersey
Day 3 — A Shining City Upon A Hill
- 43 for Biden [Bush 43 Administration alumni who
- S.E. Cupp, host of “SE Cupp Unfiltered” on CNN and nationally syndicated columnist
- Charlie Dent, Former Congressman
- Mike Madrid, Co-Founder, Lincoln Project
- Brett McGurk, Former Presidential Special Envoy
- Anthony Scaramucci, Former White House Communications Director
- Tara Setmayer, Political commentator and senior advisor
- Ty Seymour, Treasurer, College Republican National Committee,
Day 4 — Out Of The Mountain Of Despair, A Stone Of Hope
- Dan Barkhuff, President, Veterans for Responsible Leadership
- Carlos Gutierrez, Former Commerce Secretary
- Jennifer Horn, Co-Founder, Lincoln Project
- John McCollister, Nebraska State Senator
- Joe Pinion, Political Commentator and Activist
- Reid Ribble, Former Congressman
- Mark Sanford, Former Congressman
- Penny Slade Sawyer, Former Assistant U.S. Surgeon General
I’m disappointed there are not more candidates and staff who ran against Trump in 2016 and 2020. And the website does not list ALL attendees or those who signed up, or even indicate how many have. But I can be enthusiastic about anything which includes leaders of the Lincoln Project, Comey & Hayden, Trump opponents McMullin & Sanford, Steele & other former Republicans, one-time members of the Trump Sad!-ministration, and anti-Trump Evangelicals — at the very least, they will diminish 2020 Trump forces.
