One of the most prolific fundraisers in the history of the Republican Party says she just wants to crawl in a hole over the next couple of weeks as the party figures out where it will go from here.
Nancy Bocskor is among the group of conservatives opposed to efforts by some colleagues objecting to the Electoral College certification for President-elect Joe Biden.
“There are moments I sway from, 'oh my gosh, this is a constitutional crisis,' to it’s all theatre,” Bocskor said on Y’all-itics. “And if there’s anything President Trump has been good at it's theatre. And right now, we have people that are joining in and becoming part of his production.”
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Bocskor’s GOP credentials are legit -- she doesn't have a liberal bone in her body.
She said she was a Republican out of the womb and started working in GOP politics as a teenager.
Her first job in Washington, D.C. was with a freshman Congressman named Newt Gingrich.
Bocskor said what she’s seeing out of some Republicans today isn’t conservatism but Trumpism.
“I’m sure I am called a RINO [Republican in name only] on a regular basis, and it kind of makes me laugh given that I’ve raised money for speaker John Boehner, Newt Gingrich and many other key conservatives in Congress over the years,” she told the Jasons.
In fact, Bocskor estimated she might have raised $100 million over the years.
That’s a lot of zeroes for Republicans.
She said two things motivate people to give money: fear and anger.
Bocskor said those challenging the Electoral College results are trying to do just that: raise money.
“Right now, what these guys are doing is list building. They want to run for president,” Bocskor said. “I’ve always been an honest fundraiser. And I find these people tapping into this fear and anger just for list building, I find it just appalling. Especially because the race is over.”
Bocskor travels the world coaching candidates on how to run a campaign and win.
The so-called “democracy coach” is also the former director of the Center for Women in Politics & Public Policy at Texas Woman’s University in Denton.
Despite her credentials and expertise, Bocskor isn't sure what will happen to the party moving forward.
“The Republican Party is the Trump party until at least Jan. 20. Then we’re going to see what happens,” she said.
But it’s not doom and gloom for all Republicans.
The former chairman of the Republican Party of Texas doesn’t think the GOP has fractured at all.
“President Reagan said that we are a big tent party and that, of course, we have factions and that those factions of course fight it out in the primaries,” James Dickey said on Y’all-itics. “But when it comes time for election, when it comes time for leadership, we get behind those who are elected to their positions.”
Since losing his role as chairman of the state party, Dickey has been working on an effort to register new conservative voters in other states, something Texas did very well leading up to the November election.
While he thinks there are legitimate concerns about election integrity, he said it is a bit hard to reconcile the fact that those opposing the election of Joe Biden in some states have no problem with the Republicans who were elected on those same ballots.
“If there are concerns up and the down ballot, odds are those concerns should be up and down the ballot, if there are concerns with ballots in general," said Dickey.
