Grand Old Partisan

Grand Old Partisan celebrates more than seventeen decades of Republican heroes and heroics. Today, I highlight a political ritual of days gone by. Originally, presidential and vice presidential nominees did not attend the conventions. Instead, party leaders visited them at their homes, with news of their being nominated. Nominees then delivered speeches, which began their campaigns. This was known as Notification Day. July 27th 1920 was Notification Day for Republican vice presidential nominee Calvin Coolidge. At his home in Northampton, Massachusetts arrived delegates led by the Governor of Kentucky with an official announcement.  There followed a luncheon and a concert and a parade. Next, several thousand Republicans gathered in a field at Smith College for the nominating speech and Coolidge’s acceptance speech. The nominee promised economic growth, national security and racial justice: "America will live in security, rejoicing in...

Grand Old Partisan celebrates more than seventeen decades of Republican heroes and heroics. Today, I honor William Henry Steward, born in Kentucky, July 26th 1847. Though enslaved, he attended school, eventually becoming a teacher. After several years working for a railroad, the Rutherford Hayes administration hired him as the state’s first black letter-carrier. He edited The American Baptist as well as a local newspaper. This multi-talent also was music director at a church. Steward devoted himself to improving educational opportunities for black children in Louisville. He served on boards of directors for an orphanage and a college and the Young Men’s Christian Association. Democrats received his condemnation for backing Jim Crow and opposing the GOP’s civil rights agenda. Steward aligned with Booker T. Washington’s gradual approach to achieving racial equality. He attended the 1892 Republican National Convention and campaigned for William McKinl...

Grand Old Partisan celebrates more than seventeen decades of Republican heroes and heroics. Today, I spotlight origin of the FBI. July 26th 1908, President Theodore Roosevelt's Attorney General issued an order establishing an Office of the Chief Examiner within the Justice Department. Charles Bonaparte was great-nephew of the Emperor. He hired thirty-four people to begin operations. Their offices were in the old Justice Department building at 14th and K Streets NW in the nation's capital. Previously, to conduct criminal inquiries, Justice had to borrow Secret Service agents from Treasury or hire private detectives. Bonaparte's successor in the William Howard Taft administration changed its name to Bureau of Investigation, later re-named the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Back to Basics for the Republican Party is my civil rights history of the GOP. To quote the book: "The more we Republicans know about...

Grand Old Partisan celebrates more than seventeen decades of Republican heroes and heroics. Today, I deplore Democrat disregard for national security. Andrew May was a Kentucky Congressman who served on the Military Affairs Committee during WWII. June 1943, after a junket to the Pacific, he revealed in a press conference that Japanese depth charges exploded too high. Correcting their mistake, the enemy sank an estimated ten American submarines. No action was taken against the powerful Democrat. July 3rd 1947, May was convicted of accepting bribes from a munitions company. He served nine months in federal prison. Five years later, President Truman pardoned him. Back to Basics for the Republican Party is my civil rights history of the GOP. To quote the book: "The more we Republicans know about the history of our party, the more Democrats will worry about the future of theirs. For more information, see www.grandoldpartisan.com .  Here is a YouTube Video about this arti...

Grand Old Partisan celebrates more than seventeen decades of Republican heroes and heroics. Today, I lament the Slavery Party's lack of piety and patriotism. July 25th 2016, at their national convention, Democrats booed God. They were furious at a suggestion that their platform mention the Almighty. In the convention hall that opening day, there were no American flags. Delegates did, however, wave Mexican and Palestinian flags. Only after Republicans mocked them for it did, the next day, the Stars and Stripes appear.  Back to Basics for the Republican Party is my civil rights history of the GOP. To quote the book: "The more we Republicans know about the history of our party, the more Democrats will worry about the future of theirs. For more information, see www.grandoldpartisan.com .  Here is a YouTube Video about this article. Here is a TikTok Video about this article. Here is an Instagram Video about this article. Here is my Substack abo...

Grand Old Partisan celebrates more than seventeen decades of Republican heroes and heroics. Today, I appreciate the Emancipation Party's dedication to protecting civil rights. July 24th 1866, Tennessee was re-admitted to the Union. Confederate sympathies in the Volunteer State had been weakest among the eleven to secede. As a condition, the legislature of that former rebel state was required to ratify the 14th Amendment. The authorization had been written by Republican Representative John Bingham and passed by the GOP-controlled 39th Congress. Back to Basics for the Republican Party is my civil rights history of the GOP. To quote the book: "The more we Republicans know about the history of our party, the more Democrats will worry about the future of theirs. For more information, see www.grandoldpartisan.com .  Here is a YouTube Video about this article. Here is a TikTok Video about this article. Here is an Instagram Video about this article. Here i...