Endorsement brings to light the two main sides of “America First”, the traditional/mainstream vs. the “populist”/fringe and Lombardi backed by latter
Back in April when Freelancer Gabriella Hoffman interviewed Republican IL-16 candidate Catalina Lauf, an exchange about the “hijacking” of the America First movement was discussed, with Hoffman describing the “traditional conservatism” opposed to “populism”, pointing out there are areas of overlap.
With Friday’s tweets of 5-term Congressman Paul Gosar (R, AZ-04) backing IL-16 candidate Jack Lombardi, the lines between “populism” America First, backed by the likes of Gosar, ex Congressman Steve King (R, IA-04) and activist Nick Fuentes, and traditional America First can no longer be blurred.
In a June 28 comment on an IL-16 article, Lombardi himself said the following:
“[Catalina Lauf ]…will have to spend 4 to 1 to match the populist“
Jack Lombardi, emphasis added 6/28/21 comment
.
So Lombardi in his own words embraced the “populist” label of America First, which ties him to the Groypers who are backed by Congressman Gosar, ex Congressman King and Nick Fuentes.
Since 2019, the Groypers under Nick Fuentes’ leadership broke away from more traditional America First supporters like the American Conservative Union, who hosts “Conservative Political Action Conference” (CPAC) each year. Indeed, under Fuentes’ “America First Foundation” non-partisan, non-profit, Fuentes and others launched a rival “America First Political Action Conference” (AFPAC), which would hold its meetings at the same time as the annual CPAC in February.
In February of this year, when CPAC met in Orlando, AFPAC2 met in Orlando on same weekend.
When CPAC met in Dallas earlier this month, Fuentes had a rival conference across the street from the CPAC hotel venue, and Fuentes sporting his Pit Viper shades tried to crash CPAC. Here’s the short 2-minute, relatively tame video, including Fuentes’ speaking:
From the desk of John Lopez: Am I making this stuff up of Gosar ties to Fuentes? Nope, you can read about it from late last month here, and feel free to Google the fallout articles and read for yourself.
As for the hour-plus long speech Fuentes made in Dallas after the above video was shot, feel free to Google/YouTube search for it.
Back to Gosar backing Lombardi, here is how the tweets went down on Friday:
That was basically it, nothing formally in writing, nor a joint appearance (not even virtual joint appearance), just a tweet, as fundraising for Q2 reports had finished being posted.
Late yesterday, the Daily Herald picked up the Gosar-Lombardi story and published it yesterday evening online, and appeared in today’s print edition. POLITICO‘s “Illinois Playbook” column published a blurb from the Herald‘s story this morning.
Will this really help Lombardi? Probably not, as his real pain point for his campaign is fundraising. We saw Lombardi’s boast about Catalina Lauf needing to spend 4 times more against the self-described “populist”.
Using the cash receipts/expenses chart for all Kinzinger’s challengers who reported fundraising last week, looks like Lauf has spent over 10 times Lombardi, and for the year, raised over 10 times Lombardi (reminder, the below chart excludes in-kind receipts and expenses):
Where does QAnon/WWG1WGA fit into all this? QAnon is a discredited conspiracy theory that is shrouded in some overlapping truth. One will likely find QAnon believers to a certain degree in both America First camps.
External references to both sides of America First are below:
- Traditional/mainstream America First, through the America First Policy Institute can be viewed here
- Populist/Groyper America First, through America First Foundation can be viewed here
If you’re going to be involved in Republican politics during the 2022 election cycle, please learn what will be at stake from resources above.
Just think, I didn’t even cover Congressman Adam Kinzinger’s (R, IL-16) “Country First” views, yet.
‘Gosar the Gosarian, I order you to cease any and all supernatural activity and return forthwith to your place of origin or to the nearest convenient parallel dimension.”
How do the two America First movements identified in this article differ on issues? I have an idea but would like to hear from John and other people.
This is how I see it (on substance, not style)…
1. The former (mainstream variant) is willing to talk about illegal immigration but less willing to talk about legal immigration than the latter (Groypers).
2. The former is less willing to talk about social issues than the latter and is not as socially conservative as the latter.
3. The former is more pro-Israel than the latter.
4. The former is more willing to support liberal criminal justice reform than the latter.
5. The former is less protectionist than the latter.
6. The former is more supportive of the free market in general than the latter.
7. The former is less critical of the Department of Defense than the latter.
I may have forgotten things.
Both style and substance factor in to certain people being deemed acceptable and others not.
However, I don’t think you’ll persuade many people with the “We’re the GOOD America First guys!” line. Trying to make that name, America First, respectable to a wide audience while also denouncing the America First associated with Nick Fuentes is not something I see you having success at.
What “mainstream” political figures are claiming America First right now? I thought Lauf doesn’t use that term anymore and perhaps even removed it from her Twitter bio?
Follow The Shoe!
No! Follow The Gourd!
https://youtu.be/Ym-k5viJ7tA
✌️😎
Fuentes is just….smarmy.
I endorse Jack Lombardi too.
A lot of people do.
He is young, he is serious, cares about the education system, has life experience, business experience, his family is multi-racial, his wife is a legal immigrant, and he’s a hard worker.
He also isn’t afraid to be a Conservative.
He checks many boxes.
Sure, I too believe when I buy something that’s ‘reasonably priced’ at Wal Mart, I’m gonna have to make a few compromises.
D J, you never cease to make me laugh.
Casey Amos, you’re welcome to your opinions, but what you said raises questions.
Jack Lombardi…
– young? He’s 44, well past middle-age of 36 (and God only knows how long any of us have)
– education? Outside of speaking out at local meetings during public comment, what has he done? Also, before running for Congress, did he speak out?
– life experience? At 44, he’s been married twice with child from each. What other life experiences you looking for?
– business experience? You know this for certain? What’s the name of his employer/business? I’m waiting for him to publish his Financial Disclosure statement next month, as I’ve found several 1st time candidates can’t prove businesses they claimed to have started.
– hard worker? How do you know
– Lot of people endorse Lombardi? If that were true, his FEC filing would have been much better.
His Financial Disclosure statement will reveal much, but as D J pointed out, compromises made for reasonably priced people.
Put another way, you get what you pay for.
Why is Lopez flying off the handle about Lombardi?
I’m sick and tired of pansies masquerading as conservatives.
I’m sick and tired of RINOs. And I’m suck and tired of Lauf, liars and libtards like Pam Althoff, drunks like Reick and sicko pervs like Clerk Dan Aylward.
Why doesn’t the statewide GOP ‘elites’ with crooks like Edgar and Brady just flake off?
There is plenty of time to discuss the versions of America First. Back in May, President Trump asked Newt Gingrich to come up with an America First version of a Contract with America for 2022, with policy statements.
So looks like Trump is looking for a consistent America First policy platform. America First Policy Institute only launched in April, and are still trying to organize around the 5 major policy planks. More on that later.
But want to discuss this reference:
“I thought Lauf doesn’t use that [America First] term anymore and perhaps even removed it from her Twitter bio?”
Completely false. The America First to my knowledge was never in her Twitter profile/bio, but it’s in her pinned tweet and her campaign video in her pinned tweet.
Lombardi and his more extreme supporters trying to make a mountain out of a non-existent mole hill.
Given their context, it’s like instead of displaying your American flag on your front porch (profile), she chose to display it in the front yard. People will say she doesn’t have the flag displayed from her porch, but it’s still there for all to see.
And given fundraising, the people she wants to reach at this time know she’s for real, and her Q2 numbers proved it.
Lopez, stop being a cuckservative.
It’s unbecoming.
QAnon is alive and well in the McHenry County Republican party.
From the anti-vaxxers, COVID Hoaxers of the members of the GOP to the belief in stolen elections.
Look at all the Republicans who refused to wear masks in crowded public places.
Richard is right out of the QAnon play book.
The oh so enlightened Communist creep “knowledgematters” should be overjoyed that nationalists reject the Covid vax propaganda.
According to the fake virologist Fauci, most of the unvaxxed will die.
With Christians, nuclear families, conservatives out of the way, he and his devils can create their dystopia far less hindered.
But ‘knowledge matters” understands that the vax will be the killing agent when the next bioweapon is released, so he bleats nonstop 24/7 how vital the vax is to doom more good people.
And the more Lopez trashes Lombardi, the more likely I will be voting for him.
So I’m guessing it’s to early for me to speculate with LeopardMan, whether Lombardi was in on this whole virus lab thingy.
** At 44, he’s been married twice with child from each. **
I have zero interest in defending Lombardi, but this is such a BS attack.
The irony of Lopez then supporting Trump and referencing Newt developing a policy platform also seems lost on Lopez.
In Calvinball, a player may use Calvinball equipment in any way the player sees fit, from causal injury to self-reward.
AlabamaShake, that wasn’t an “attack” of any kind, just stating the facts.
When Lombardi went after Catalina Lauf asking her about raising kids, THAT was a B.S. attack, given her age. Upon further reflection, I’ve wondered if Lombardi was planning to launch that question against Kinzinger given he’s less than a year older than Kinzinger, yet Lombardi’s oldest about to turn 18 and just graduated high school, which he shared publicly, and we all learned over the past week Kinzinger and wife expecting their first.
I know the irony of Trump and Newt, yet candidate vetting so crucial, it must be done, long before the primary.
Echoes of 2004, and lack of candidate vetting that set events in motion that brought us the 2-term Obama presidency come to mind.
We learn from our mistakes, and any newcomer with no history in public policy let alone public office and life will be vetted.
I guess I overlooked her pinned tweet.
I still don’t think she wants to get into a match with candidates like Lombardi or Marter on who is Trump-y-er or who is the “real” America First or whatever, and I don’t think she will spend much of her campaign fighting with them.
I think she’s going to ignore them for the most part and try to hammer Kinzinger.
If the other candidates get brought up, I think the default line will be they are not electable not that they are some kind of phony America First or a too offensive version of America First.
Lombardi has less than 12 k cash on hand; Marter has about 7 k.
Lauf has what? 141 k?
If she does any media appearances in the future where she talks about “America First” be sure to share so we can check it out.
There are a lot of people out there saying Lombardi is going to receive Trump’s endorsement.
Lombardi seems like a real fighter.
How about a debate and/or a question/answer session between the 4 listed in the above table plus Kinzinger.
On taxpayer property such as at MCC.
McHenry County Blog could sponsor it.
Let’s get these folks together.
Call in the Northwest Herald, Daily Herald, etc.
This is not a McHenry County race.
The only local connection is Lauf.
Lauf = Laugh
Lombardi is a fighter and he’s willing to work!
Lauf is a loafer and is only in this to get a gig on TV, but she lacks passion and knowledge for both public office and a correspondence gig.
Marter is a true Conservative like Lombardi but he gets the ‘old white guy’ stigma. Shame.
Lombardi is the best pick right now.