CNN
For the first time in four years, Texas Republicans met in person at their state party convention over the weekend. And boy, did they make up for lost time.
Consider:
* They approved a measure that stated that President Joe Biden “was not legitimately elected.”
* They rebuked the 10 Senate Republicans involved in the bipartisan talks on gun legislation — including Texas Sen. John Cornyn, who was booed during his speech Friday at the convention.
* They voted to advance language in the party platform that describes homosexuality as “an abnormal lifestyle choice” and calls on students “to learn about the humanity of the preborn child.”
* They harassed Republican Rep. Dan Crenshaw, calling him “eye patch McCain.” (Crenshaw lost an eye during military service in Afghanistan.)
Taken together, the message was simple: This is Donald Trump’s party. Period. End of sentence.
“Donald Trump radicalized the party and accelerated the demands from the base,”University of Houston political scientist Brandon Rottinghaus told the Texas Tribune. “There simply aren’t limits now on what the base might ask for.”
Take the treatment of Cornyn and Crenshaw.
Both Republicans are solidly conservative. Cornyn has a 78% rating from Heritage Action, a conservative think tank. Crenshaw’s rating from that same group is 92%.So, what did they do wrong?In Cornyn’s case, he decided to take a leadership role — in the wake of a mass school shooting in Uvalde, Texas — in talks to bring a decidedly narrow framework on guns that would provide more funding for mental health programs and strengthen the review process for those under 21 trying to buy a gun.As notable as what’s in the bill is what’s not: no assault weapons ban, no universal background checks and no raising the age limit to buy a gun. Despite the relatively meager changes the framework proposes, its fate remains very much up in the air — with an ongoing debate about red flag laws and the so-called “boyfriend” loophole.The crowd’s reaction to all of that? “No gun control!,” they chanted over and over again at Cornyn…
