Thread by @DlorenDarnell

In 2009-2010 the @OregonTeaParty flooded into the @Oregon_GOP county parties, swelling the PCP ranks, occupying delegate seats, and leading several counties toward vibrancy and victory. The 2010 general election brought a 30-30 split in the Oregon House.

The Tea Party united around smaller government, lower taxes, and more individual liberty. Many of what we called the "establishment", or GOPe were not thrilled with our arrival but we kept showing up, doing the work, and transformed the #ORP into a more conservative organization

Eventually most of the State Central Committee and State level leadership were of the same mind and a decade in PCP numbers soared, R registrations and fundraising increased, and we had our first statewide R win in decades.

Eventually many moved away, were elected, took important jobs in policy and activism, or just needed to move onto another chapter of their lives. We DID leave the @Oregon_GOP better than we found it but changing demographics, and likely registration fraud made Oregon a D+10 state

Nature and politics both abhor a vacuum and the ORP has been back filled with many who eschew the same swampy positions of the pre-Tea Party ORP. Without any real institutional knowledge the new members often fall prey to decades old politcal grudges and conspiracies.

.@SolomonYue has been a constant throughout my decade-plus involvement with the @Oregon_GOP and is once again the target of those who choose not to fight the enemy but their own team. To be clear if you oppose the status quo as Yue has done you WILL get a target on your back.

Executing a primary challenge against a very popular Oregon R who sponsored a bill to give Oregon driver's licenses to illegal aliens pounded this home to me. I was literally a pariah in elected Republican circles. But doing the right thing is not always popular.

To this new crop of 'true patriots' Solomon's 'crimes' seem to mostly involve disagreeing with those who needed disagreeing with and are backed up with testimony from those who were on the losing end of the disagreements and chose to no longer be of service to the party.

I voted for @SolomonYue several times in my tenure and the first time I had no idea who he was. But as a delegate elected to represent PCPs in matters before the SCC I made every effort to find out. I asked those who had been around longer than I.

It was my responsibility to make an informed choice and the information I received was that Yue was the right guy for the job. A couple of people didn't like him but I sensed that was more about his ethnicity than his performance so I voted for him.

When I was new to the ORP SCC it was often difficult to get to the heart of issue and wind up on the right side. When new it's easy to be swayed by spin and agenda from those that came before you but it remains critical to spit out the bones and keep the meat.

I know of no one publicly supporting the witchhunt against @SolomonYue that was actually there, in the room when these alleged trespasses occured and I WOULD know because I was there. If you will be taking a vote that will injure a person and the party you must seek the truth.

I was there when Steele was shoved out of the RNC for profligate spending. I was there in Cleveland when the GOPe was scheming to deny @realDonaldTrump to Republican nomination. I was there when @SolomonYue worked to stop the unbinding of delegates.

I was there during the supposed "undermining" of ORP Chairs, the recall of a NCW, and the resignation of Chairs who the SCC denied various pet projects. Was Yue on the right side of these issues? Yes! And so were the vast majority of the elected delegates to the SCC.

Politics is a blood sport and Republicans don't subscribe to the hive mind. We disagree, often vehemently. When I worked directly for the Trump campaign to give Trump the power to choose his own Oregon delegation there was wailing and gnashing of teeth but left on the same side.

Disagreement is not subversion, it's not evil, and it's not undermining. It's how our process is done. We propose, we discuss, we argue, and then we vote but we do this out in the open and without personal attacks, slander, or untruths. Most importantly we don't divide.

Disagreement is only division to those that refuse to reach consensus within a group of the like-minded. If it's your way or the highway you probably won't do well in an all volunteer organization working to make change for the good of all.

It's difficult to watch those who have freely given decades of their time, talent, and treasure fall prey to a small, loud, and angry mob who seeks not the truth but vengeance for a few of long ago aggrieved individuals who are no longer active in the party.

If you're voting on June 3rd you owe it to your constituency to find the truth. Don't become a tool of the Agitator Class or be used to purge Trump supporters from the party. Make your own decision and fear not. Be courageous even if threatened because the truth is that important