The GOP has reduced itself from Big Tent of a few degrees of conservatism to a single BAM — By Any Means.
Acting as host of the 2026 Labor Day picnic of Local 965 and the NWA Labor Council picnic on Sept. 7 — genially, I hope — I emceed the program that comprised stump speeches by November candidates who shared our burgers and hot dogs at Veterans Memorial Park in Fayetteville.
After introducing myself with a brief bio and explaining a bit about UA-Fayetteville Education Association / Local 965, I spoke about the upcoming midterm election. The following is based on the draft I had in hand but revised a bit on the fly.
For nearly the entire 10 years in my current position at the university, I’ve been a member of this union. With decades working mainly in the South I never before had the opportunity to be a union member. I couldn’t wait; unions help level the playing field with our employers.
Local 965 has long co-hosted this picnic along with our annual May Day Workers Day picnic with the Northwest Arkansas Central Labor Council (AFL-CIO). Among the diners tonight are union members from the Fayetteville VA Medical Center, the U.S. Postal Service and the Arkansas & Missouri Railroad. We’re glad you’ve joined us once again.
While Local 965 addresses campus issues — conditions for our graduate teaching assistants is a priority — we readily see our future is tied with the November elections, to reduce Republican super-majorities before they corrupt the country and bankrupt us individually.
Three picnics ago, the UA union and Labor Council gained a co-sponsor when the Northwest Arkansas chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America offered to help defray the costs of food, equipment and whatnot. We’re glad DSA members are enjoying the cookout tonight as well.
In planning for tonight, concerns grew that we might lose some audience and some candidates over the presence of the DSA.
While Democrats generally stand to the left of the political fulcrum, most place themselves in the middle. Opposing Republicans look to create an advantage in painting all Democrats with a hard left brush. After all, DSA is finding significant successes across the country recently — New York and Michigan come to mind.
Thus, we encourage everyone to vote. I know you here are all registered, so remind your family members, friends and co-workers that the deadline to register is Oct. 5.
It should go without saying — so I’ll say it anyway! — that the DSA is not necessarily wild about all 14 candidates here tonight, nor are each of these candidates comfortable with the DSA’s presence.
We planners shouldn’t have worried. Looking around I see that this is our biggest picnic turnout. I am about to introduce the candidates, some are Democrats and others are running for non-partisan posts such as judgeships and city councils. Fourteen!
This criticism of the Democratic Party comes not just from the GOP but from within the party. Democrats proudly call their group a Big Tent party, referring to a wide variety of stances. But the threat of another year of losses makes party leaders wince while still espousing the Big Tent, so I “Googled” the term.
I learned that for decades the GOP called themselves Big Tenters as well. One such Republican was the late Lee Atwater. He was sort-of the Stephen Miller of his day, the Reagan-Bush years. It may be surprising that in 1989 Lee Atwater said, “Our party is a big tent. We can house many views on many issues.”
The U.S. doesn’t have a dozen political parties apiece like other countries. When there’s just two, they must hold multitudes. Inevitably there always are strains at the seams of a Big Tent. While Democrats still use the concept, the Republicans though have folded their Big Tent and buried it.
The Republican Big Tent mainly had held to a conservatism for traditional American principles where most were moderate though to the right while including a few liberal members.
That’s gone. The GOP has reduced itself from a Big Tent of several degrees of conservatism to a single BAM — By Any Means. And, gosh, BAM works, an effective strategy where only the ends matter.
As Labor Day starts the campaign season in earnest, the issue is not if the Democrats can hold their Big Tent but that the GOP prefer keeping power By Any Means. Republican strength comes from nearly all of them biting their tongues.
I don’t mind being naive enough, despite my graying head, to believe and hope that they know better. Help organized labor return the country to democracy.
The post “2026 Labor Day Labor Picnic Biggest Yet” notes that the 14 candidates had an audience of an estimated 72 picnickers.
