Why Does RPV Hate Religious Liberty (and Jason Kenney)?

“DUDE!”

“Dude?”

“Check this out!”

“Hey, that’s the guy from TV*! Who helped beat up Commies!”

“Yeah, he’s running for Senate!”

“Why?”

“Here’s why!” *Explains*

“Sign me up!”

And that’s how teenager Jason Kenney decided to help Ollie North for Senate in 1994.

*”guy from TV” because we were glued to the Iran Contra hearings at a young age

Nearly 25 years later and after working with and bleeding for countless campaigns and causes I’ve been blocked by the Republican Party of Virginia Twitter account.

“What did you do, Jason?” you may be asking and I’m offended. I’m a perfect gentleman at all times. You must be thinking of that other Kenney.

This starts with an asinine tweet by the Republican Party of Virginia:

Whoever is behind RPV’s Twitter account and their bosses (because the buck stops at the top, folks) have decided that the rights granted by God and protected by the First Amendment in the Bill of Rights should not apply to a religious private school.

I guess my attending a Catholic school as a child with the mandated uniform of navy blue pants, light blue shirt, and black loafers while the poor girls were in long wool skirts year ’round offends the pearl clutchers on Grace Street. Because as of this morning:

Whoops.

“But it’s only Twitter,” you may be saying.

Let’s talk about this for a second.

1) RPV has decided Religious Liberty doesn’t apply to Muslims and that makes attacking political candidates who happen to teach at associated schools or foundations persona non grata.

2) By attacking a school in Herndon, Virginia, RPV is attacking the families of the 1200+ children who attend that school. Those are voters in the 11th and 10th Congressional districts where Jeff Dove and Barbara Comstock are fighting for every vote they can get.

3) RPV has decided that pointing this out is grounds for a Twitter ban, thus deciding that I, as a Republican volunteer, voter, supporter, and more, shouldn’t see the rest of their messages, pushing me further away from my Party.

This. Is. Not. O. K.

The role of the Republican Party of Virginia is to uphold the Party Creed and to get Republicans elected in Virginia.

The Virginia Republican Creed is as follows:

WE BELIEVE

That the free enterprise system is the most productive supplier of human needs and economic justice,

That all individuals are entitled to equal rights, justice, and opportunities and should assume their responsibilities as citizens in a free society,

That fiscal responsibility and budgetary restraints must be exercised at all levels of government,

That the Federal Government must preserve individual liberty by observing Constitutional limitations,

That peace is best preserved through a strong national defense,

That faith in God, as recognized by our Founding Fathers is essential to the moral fiber of the Nation.

Equal rights. Individual liberty. Faith in God.

Unless it’s a dress code in your Muslim private school.

That doesn’t help get Republicans elected in Virginia. Nor does blocking Republicans who point out how you’re screwing up your job 280 characters at a time.

Now I can already see the counter attacks that’ll come from certain figures still operating out of Grace Street. “You’re a Never Trumper.” “You’re just sore because a family member got booted from MY JOB!” “When’s the last time your guy won!” “Suck it up!” “RINO! Go vote for Tim Kaine!”

And that’s all nonsense. Not because I’ve got a resume that speaks to my work on behalf of a range of Republican candidates and causes across the Commonwealth, but because at the end of the day I am a Republican because I believe in our Creed. I believe in the existence of God-given rights and that power rests best in the hands of the people. And I don’t appreciate people coming into my Party and trashing the place.

Because there’s an additional job requirement to whoever is running things at the Republican Party of Virginia:

DON’T SCREW IT UP.

RPV will be there long after whoever is now running the show is gone. The Party should represent values far beyond the faces and names in its halls today. And whoever is there should be mindful of that weighty legacy because what they do today will resonate.

These Twitter rants and attacks and blockings and general douchebaggery? This isn’t to elect Republicans. This isn’t to fight for the Creed. This is saying, “If I can’t have it, NO ONE WILL!”

Someone is calling the shots at RPV today. And someone has to be holding them accountable. Whether it’s our current elected officials, State Central, or we the people, someone has to stop RPV from doing more harm for our cause because we can’t wait until a new Chairman comes on board.

Because this? This is not how you win this November. Or next. Or any other in my lifetime.