To read the inaugural speech, click here (whitehouse.gov)

To watch a recording of the speech and the oath of office, click here (cspan; speech begins at about 3 mins)

President Trump shows class in victory, click here (USA Today)

To learn more about President Trump, click here (Wikipedia) or here (nat’l GOP)

SJCRP Chairman Nathan Butler writes:

Do you remember when Barack Obama was inaugurated as president of the United States? Celebrities competed to attend the inauguration, and shortly after he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Simply for being Barack Obama. He hadn’t even done anything yet.

Fast forward to Donald Trump. The hysterical paranoia in the national press. The sulking celebrities. I am not a fan of these people, and far from being a snub it makes me appreciate our new president more. I’m fairly certain far-left academia is in a feverish fury too.

It remains to be seen what lesson we should learn from this last election. Did democrats flub it with their fixation on far-left candidates like Bernie Sanders? Did Donald Trump win it with his widely noted willingness to say exactly what he thinks? Does this herald a new era of conservative leadership?

I honestly don’t know. The election was very close. I guess as party leaders we’re supposed to say that the democrats are over. I believe such hubris just makes people distrust us as yes-men. After Barack Obama won there were countless editorials about how the Republican party was over. Let’s not make the same silly mistake.

We need to start preparing now. Democrats believe they simply didn’t run a candidate extreme enough to mobilize the base. And with such narrow tolerances between winning and losing we cannot afford laxity.

We understand that there is a certain level of ambivalence among some, including in our party. Instead of leaving, stay, and help shape the party. We invite everyone to give our new president a chance. May God bless America!

PCO and Orcas resident Rick Boucher later wrote (1/25): 

“What a relief.” There I said it. I was a NeverTrump voter.  I did not vote for the man. And, “No, I did not vote for Hillary.” Now, who is President?  Donald Trump. Well then let us work with that. Time to move forward. I have entered into a state of “Trust, but Verify”. I am very pleased with what I have seen thus far. Policies and Nominations appear to be very good. Some of the nuances of the Trump persona are to be expected. I expect the NeverTrump attributes will glare at me at times. Actions, though, speak loads. The actions have been very good, by and large. I am a bit eager to see if Congress, if our new President crosses the Constitutional line, to see if Congress stands up for themselves or just lets him bulldoze them like they let the previous President. And if they do, how will he react? I do not think President Trump should over extend his power to truncate President Obama’s over extensions. What is the right approach/solution for fixing those issues? It will be interesting the next two years. The first week is more than interesting.  Feels like a win. A lot of work to do going forward.

It is wonderful to see how WA State Republicans have managed to pry power from the democrats in our state. It speaks to the remarkably capable Republicans in this state.

Take a moment to read Rep. John Koster’s legislative update:

http://houserepublicans.wa.gov/email-updates/koster-email-update-011817/

GREETINGS REPUBLICANS!!

At our biennial meeting on January 7, 2017, the San Juan County Republican Party held its elections to the new two-year term of its Executive Board of the San Juan County Republican Party. Those who were elected precinct committee officers were eligible to vote.

As your new chairman I’d like to take a moment to introduce you to our new team:

Chairman: Nathanael Butler, San Juan. I have been involved with the GOP for about four years. I hold a degree in Modern Middle East Studies/Arabic, speak fluent Thai, and have lived in Cairo and Bangkok.

Vice Chair: Lynda Lee Gerpheide, Lopez. She has been active in the GOP for 30 years, in California and more recently in Washington’s 41st LD.

Treasurer: Alex Gavora, San Juan. An activist and attorney, we are lucky she has been lending her talents to the Executive Board and the Republican Party for many years.

Secretary: Heather Christensen, San Juan. She is a Medical Provider, a wife and mother of two children, and has two dogs. As a member also of Mainstream Republicans of Washington, she believes in Reagan’s “Big Tent” concept—there is room for everyone in this tent.

State Committee Woman: Cindy Carter, Orcas. A long-time activist, she is also a former Chair and State Committee Woman of SJ County. Her work and ideas are well-respected throughout the County and the State GOP.

State Committee Man: John Christensen, San Juan. He is a retired probation and parole officer and on the Board of the Mainstream Republicans of Washington.

I look forward to working with you all! Our next big event is the Lincoln Day event in February or March. More information forthcoming. We would love your help and participation!

For more information please contact sjcrpchair@gmail.com or fill out a form under “contact us” at www.sjcrp.org for more information. Please be patient as make our transition from the previous board to the new one. More information can also be found under the “contact us” tab on this website.

To get involved, shoot me an email: sjcrpchair@gmail.com

Sincerely,
Nathan Butler
Chairman, SJCRP

“No matter how conservative your views may be, unless you do something about it you really aren’t that conservative.”