“Morale is not as high as it was” … “This is a sh@t show” … “Worst convention I have ever seen” … “Republican establishment just openly predicting electoral disaster” … “ A chaotic convention, disenfranchised delegates and no unity” … “This convention has been one of the most disorganizing and embarrassing events” … “This is a joke”
As extensively predicted, MIGOP’s endorsement convention that took place this past Saturday was nothing short of a disaster as warring factions battled it out for control for what direction Michigan Republicans would be headed in for the rest of the cycle.
Ultimately, Michigan Republicans opted to continue down a path paved by their baseless fixation with reversing the results of the 2020 election as evidenced by their full-throated endorsement of election conspiracy theorists for Attorney General and Secretary of State – but not without chaos, excessive infighting, and thumbs on the scale from MIGOP leadership.
Read below for reporter and party insider accounts that detail a severely disjointed party with just over three months to go until the primary.
Both the Chaos and Ultimate Endorsement Choices Spurred Many MIGOP Insiders to Openly Spell Doom and Disarray in the General Election for the Entire Republican Ticket
Eric Lloyd (9 & 10 News): I’ve spoken to several people today, elected officials and delegates, at the convention that believe the GOP lost the general election for Attorney General and Secretary of State today. Morale is not as high as it was at the beginning of the day.
Jonathan Oosting (Bridge Michigan): U-M Regent candidate Lena Epstein, who is also on ballot in this run-off election, urges campaign partner to the front of convention hall “because Ron Weiser is a crook.” She tells me she’s calling for the Michigan GOP Chair’s “immediate resignation.”
Nolan Finley (Detroit News): The phrase of the day at the GOP convention in Grand Rapids: “This is a sh@t show “
Republican commentator Dennis Lennox: Worst convention I have ever seen. We lecture third-world countries on how to run elections — let alone talk about election integrity here in Michigan — yet fail to run a competent election to nominate candidates for the great offices of state.
Chad Livengood (Crain’s Business Detroit): Republican establishment just openly predicting electoral disaster for the Grand Old Party after @MIGOP convention delegates endorsed an attorney with a checkered work history for AG whose 2020 election conspiracy theories have been repeatedly debunked and shot down by the courts
Chad Livengood (Crain’s Business Detroit): OK, the GOP Old Guard is actively predicting defeat at the ballot box in November. Pro-Trump activists are now the establishment of the Michigan Republican Party (which is still financed by the Old Guard)
Republican consultant John Truscott: @dananessel just had her best day in years. @MIGOP has snatched defeat from the jaws of victory.
Former MIGOP Chair Laura Cox: This is what the MIGOP voted for: A rich, uninterested, and distant chairman. With that vote they get a crazy co-chair and several lazy hacks in the shop! Results are pretty evident today. A chaotic convention, disenfranchised delegates and no unity.
MIGOP co-chair Meshawn Maddock: Put down your drink Laura. Winning isn’t something you would understand.
Jordyn Hermani (Gongwer): Former MI gubernatorial candidate John Lauve came up to reporters almost in tears to say this convention has been one of the most disorganizing and embarrassing events for the party he’s ever seen. Says he threw out his credentials and that the party has no idea what it’s doing.
Jordyn Hermani (Gongwer): He ended up stopping talking to us because he did eventually start crying out of frustration. “I’m an aerospace engineer. I know how to organize things,” Lauve said. “This is a joke … it’s an insult to people’s time we put into coming here to do this.”
Ben Solis (Gongwer): Can confirm, he was in tears and said party leaders/the convention was “a joke.”
Craig Mauger (Detroit News): Ron Weiser, chair of the Michigan GOP, says Republicans who say Karamo and DePerno can’t win in November are “poor losers”
Jonathan Oosting (Bridge Michigan): Michigan GOP AG candidate Ryan Berman not promising to concede if he loses today’s endorsement vote. If DePerno wins, “I think there’s a good chance he loses his law license of gets criminally charged and then goes to jail before August” nominating convention
Jordyn Hermani (Gongwer): Something I meant to tweet earlier: Both @SaraMurray and I tried asking GOP AG nom Matt DePerno – after he stressed party unity in a post convention speech – how he planned to unite after smearing various GOPs as being RINOs. His response? To ask if we wanted his autograph.
Honorable Mention: A Decisive Fact Check on the Damn Roads
Jonathan Oosting (Bridge Michigan): Michigan GOP Chair Ron Weiser: “We’re taking our damned state back and fixing the damned roads.” (Note: I’m not aware of any new GOP plan to fix the roads since 2015, when Snyder and the GOP-led Legislature approved gas tax hike)
