RPT 2012: Are we united or divided?

Last weekend, I joined many other proud Texas Republicans in traveling up to Fort Worth, Texas to take part in the largest political convention in the country.

While there were many highlights to this convention, such as meeting great candidates for office and the adoption of “The Texas Solution,” a practical concept for immigration reform that many TexasGOPVote bloggers have been advocates of for years, something was missing.

After my first convention in 2010, I remember being so excited and fired up about the November mid-term election and the future of the Republican Party. Despite the fact that a modified immigration stance I testified for failed to make it into the party platform and a good friend of mine was not reelected to office within the party, the sense of pride everyone around me had in being Republican seemed to make everything better. Being Republican made me feel cool. (I realize that as a geeky honors student, this isn’t saying much, but trust me on this one.) I even ran off with a few extra Hands Off Texas signs to display in my dorm room.

But this year, things were different.

Maybe it was the odd placement of our state’s primary elections or maybe it was the lack of our assumed presidential candidate’s presence at the convention. Either way, the ambience of the convention was a major disappointment this year.

In some of the caucus meetings I peeked in on, people stared each other down. Too many people acted entitled to positions as national delegates. Candidates glared their opponents’ staffs down. People heckled elected officials. Delegates hollered inappropriately through the arena when voting was taking place, while others didn’t even bother to show up at all. In some caucuses, entire counties were unaccounted for because delegates and alternates either didn’t show up to the convention or simply thought the meetings were “too boring” to sit through.

What happened to the hardworking, passionate Texas Republicans from two years ago? What happened to the Texas Republicans who fought hard to make a difference in the 2010 mid-term elections?

If we truly want to ensure Republican candidates are elected to office and President Obama is evicted from the White House, we have to band together to fight for what’s right. If we continue to be apathetic and fickle about our party, we will once again fall victim to smooth talkers who want to spread the wealth and place regulations on our lives. Remember: united we stand; divided we fall. Now is not the time to let apathy and interparty conflict get the better of us.