Republicans are yet again bending over backwards to appear adequately politically correct, to the extent party faithful have removed a longstanding party supporter from his legitimately elected precinct position in order to separate themselves from the target of more hysterical accusations by the radical left.
By John Friend
James Allsup, a young, conservative, independent journalist and rising YouTube star, was stripped of his elected position as a local precinct committee officer (PCO) for the Whitman County Republican Party in rural eastern Washington, it was recently reported. Allsup had been legitimately elected as a PCO in Whitman County in the summer of 2018.
PCOs are members of the overall County Central Committee of their respected party and help organize events and activities as well as represent the party at the local level. While attending college at Washington State University in nearby Pullman, Wash., Allsup was president of the College Republican Club on campus and was heavily involved with the local Republican Party throughout the heated 2016 election season. He helped organize events both in the community and on campus, recruited other Republicans, and encouraged voters to support Republican candidates in the election.
Allsup also launched a YouTube channel, began hosting and participating in various radio programs, and eventually became a leading figure among young conservatives. After his participation in the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Va. in the summer of 2017, radical left-wing media outlets and activists began targeting Allsup in an attempt to demonize and discredit the young activist and political organizer whose political views were becoming more and more widely known.
Following his successful election in the summer of 2018 as a PCO for the local GOP, a number of malicious articles appeared in the left-wing media, including a hysterical piece published by The Daily Beast entitled, “Charlottesville Hate Marcher Elected by Republican Party.” The Republican National Committee (RNC) immediately denounced Allsup after news of his election spread.
“We condemn this individual and his hateful, racist views in the strongest possible terms,” an RNC spokesperson was quoted as stating in The Daily Beast article. “There’s no place for it in the Republican Party.” The Washington State Republican Party likewise denounced Allsup and his views, telling The Daily Beast: “We condemned this hateful ideology before, we condemn it today, and will continue to condemn it in the future.”
Republican Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, whose district Allsup lived in, also attacked the young Republican activist, saying she was “disappointed” that Allsup was being allowed to represent the party following his successful election.
Rep. Rodgers also claimed Allsup promoted “white supremacy, racism, and bigotry,” and that “our communities must not include space for individuals who promote, condone, or participate in racism and violence,” an arguably libelous accusation against Allsup.
Now the Whitman County Republican Central Committee has voted unanimously to essentially expel Allsup from the local party, despite his legal status as an elected official with the party. On Jan. 5, the committee met and voted overwhelmingly to unseat Allsup from his position, meaning he has no vote on the committee and is not recognized by the party, although he continues to technically retain the position as a PCO due to his successful election.
In a YouTube video made in response to his expulsion from the local GOP, Allsup criticized the Whitman County Republican leadership as “spineless” and cowardly for being intimidated by the media and outside pressure groups.
“It’s disappointing to see spineless Republicans cower in fear of leftists all because they’re afraid of mean comments from the journalists that hate them anyway,” Allsup stated in response.
By his own account, Allsup was one of the most energetic and effective GOP activists in the area and had been for years. Yet his expulsion from the party did not surprise him, considering the pathetic state of the mainstream Republican Party and its leadership.
“Of course, as you well know, I have never advocated for any sort of racial supremacy—not here, not on podcasts, not anywhere,” Allsup stated in a recent YouTube video. “Many people [who] claim to be conservatives are so cowardly, they would rather go along with the left and the media and falsely call someone a ‘racial supremacist,’ even if it’s someone on their own side of most issues and even if there is no evidence for that claim. That’s what we saw here.”
Despite being ejected by the local party, Allsup remains optimistic about the future of the GOP and encourages other young activists to get involved in politics.
“The fact that I was able to run for office as a PCO—and win—should be seen as excellent news,” Allsup recently wrote on Facebook.
“Young people are the future of the party and the nation. It’s time to get involved—and I encourage all of you to follow my example, win your local elections, and begin solidifying our political base for years to come.”
John Friend is a freelance writer based in California.
