Republican Club of the Northern Palm Beaches

Los Tres Amigos Share their Insights

A repeat of one year ago, the Republican Club of NPB brought together three speakers to share their wisdom on the current political environment.

Unfortunately, County Commissioner Hal Valeche was unable to reprise his previous appearance, but Frenchman’s HOA board member and Palm Beach Gardens Council candidate Michael Paolercio was able to fill the slot.

Just as Donald Trump has called for “draining the swamp” in Washington, the Gardens term limits referendum that passed last year has had the effect of churning up the local waters. With three long term incumbents reaching the end of their allowed tenure, the three open seats have drawn a rich assortment of 9 candidates. In a little over a month, a new council will be seated where the longest serving member has been there for one year.

Michael contrasted himself with his opponent, and cited his entrepreneurial experience in building a highly successful company, and his local work in overseeing the building projects of Chabad of Palm Beach Gardens, as examples of the kind of skills that the city needs. A grasp of the big picture, he said, is as important as the details.

Next up was County GOP Chairman Michael Barnett who was recently elected as Vice Chair of the Republican Party of Florida, a position that will keep him traveling around the state.

Michael spoke of how amazing it is to be the County Party of the President, with the Winter White House right here in our neighborhood. The Lincoln Day Dinner is sold out already, in spite of the fact that no speakers have been announced. Just holding it at Mar-a-Lago evidently is enough. The county really delivered for the President, giving him over 52% in the primary and 25,000 votes more than Mitt Romney got in the 2012 general. We had an amazing 91% of absentee ballots returned.

Looking forward, the “Drive for Five” focus of 2018 – to retain the governorship and cabinet and win Bill Nelson’s seat for the GOP, is going to take a lot of work and we need to be getting ready. The county gave Rick Scott only 38% of the vote in 2014, and though a Republican will probably win the state, we need to work as hard as if we are 10 points down.

Finally, former Party Chairman Sid Dinerstein gave us his views of “What is Going On”. We have been in a war with Progressives since Woodrow Wilson took the White House in 1912, instituted an income tax and launched the federal reserve. Unfortunately, we have not always realized (that we are at war), and surprisingly, the election of Donald Trump means we are winning.

With their long-range plan of turning us into Mexico – a socialist, one-party country, we came very close to losing it all. If Hillary Clinton had been elected, it would have guaranteed 10 million new immigrant and progressive voters. So it was really “28-3 in the third quarter” and the Democrats thought they had won – after 103 years of conflict. This unexpected loss is why they can’t return to being “normal people”.

Abe Lincoln was the first President to actually “take back ground” from the Progressive agenda. Donald Trump is the second. Even Ronald Reagan failed to do this as he accepted (and gave amnesty to) 3 million illegals, “as long as we don’t take any more”. Trump, by moving to actually reduce the number of illegals and rejecting amnesty, doing energy reform, health care reform, school choice, etc. will actually set the Progressive agenda back.

Politically, Republicans have principles and an ideology that binds us together while Democrats are a coalition of sometimes competing interests. Trump has introduced large cracks in that coalition – with unions and black voters, and is about to tackle the Democrats ace in the hole – voter fraud.

In summary, Trump has been a “GOAT” – the “Greatest of All Time” President Elect and sure to have more accomplishments in a short time than many Presidents get in a term.