COAST represents the Trumpists in local conservative circles and they were making that more than clear leading the Twitter rants they made yesterday. In their sights was Hamilton County Republican Party Chairman Alex Triantafilou. Here's an example of their attacks:
The first thought on this is: pass the popcorn.We are waiting for just one @twitter commenter to say @ChairmanAlex’s track record has been anything but an unmitigated disaster. The facts speak for themselves. We have lost virtually every contested race since he became chairman, and many that were not seriously contested.— COAST (@GOCOAST) January 18, 2020
My second thought on this is to consider who is fighting. One group is the local Trumpist windbag opportunists that love getting attention which I am unfortunately enabling. This is the group that has worked to damage the City of Cincinnati and make money doing it. They have been extremist Republicans and on the fringe of the party looking in.
The other side is the leadership of the HCRP, namely Alex Triantafilou, who are among those Republicans who have embraced ALL of the hate, bigotry, sexism, criminality, and insanity that is Trump. Yes, Alex and the local party is endorsing everything that is Donald Trump, right down to "grab 'em by the pussy." They own the abomination they voted for and Triantafilou voted for him twice, as an Trump Elector. The own it because they have not had the courage to break with Trump and dismiss what he says. They are willing to live with ALL that he is and is doing to undermine the law, to destroy the dignity of the country, and dismantle the gains made in the world for American values of Democracy, Freedom, and Fairness.
So, who cares if they eat each other? Well, the observation I make of this is that the Extremists are looking to complete their take over of the Republican Party. The COASTers have adopted (or just adapted) the Trumpist world view and are attempting their own internal insurrection. I see it as COAST dreaming of another "Night of the Long Knives." They are calling to Trump's handpick leadership:
The two referenced Twitter accounts at the end of the Tweet are for Trump's campaign manager Brad Parscale for Trump's hand picked Ohio GOP chair Jane Murphy. So the hope for COAST is that the local party should be taken over by the Trump campaign.Our phones are ringing and DMs filling up with people who agree that @ChairmanAlex can’t continue to lead @HamCoGOP. Their concern: Disaster this fall. “He has a proven track record” one of them tells us. Yes, he does. @parscale @JaneyMurph— COAST (@GOCOAST) January 18, 2020
Let's repeat that. COAST wants the Trump Campaign to take over the Hamilton County Republican Party.
This is the local Republican Party that has compromised their beliefs out of the desire for tax cuts, oppressive Federal Court appointments, and the fear of Trump. This is that Party is not extreme enough for the Trumpists (COAST.) They are looking for a purge, hopefully sans violence. COAST wants to run the HCRP on behalf of Trump and carry out the extremist agenda being pushed. That agenda is Fascist. COAST is playing the role of wannabe Brownshirts.
I know this is going to be dismissed as hyperbole, but I am going to sound the alarm to Republicans out there. By appeasing the Trumpists, they are not going to go away and they are going to push you out of power in your own party. No matter who wins in November, this is going to happen. If Trump loses, well, that may finally kill the GOP. If Trump wins, that kills the Republic, and the GOP will have been a partner in that death.
The HCRP needs to reject COAST and stand up to the wannabe fascists they have claimed to be against. If they don't, watch the HCRP become an Alt-Right led group. Those welcoming COAST are welcoming fascism and that should concern those of who are not Republicans. Those of us who support Democracy, should support the existence of political parties that are not fascist.