Duke of GOP hazard

Thousands of self-styled paragons of political and social virtue – Republicans – will descend on Cleveland in July to pay homage to their presidential nominee, Donald Trump, and swear allegiance to his Grand Old Party.

And when they do, it will be “Happy Days Are Here Again” for the billionaire businessman from New York City. The attendees to the Republican National Convention will also get the chance to hobnob with Trump’s disciples, many of them nonestablishment types who threw their support behind the long-shot, first-time candidate for public office.

There’s a saying that one of Ohio’s best known governors, the late James Rhodes, often repeated during his election campaigns: “Those who come early get the favors. Everyone else gets good government.”

Among those who were the early supporters of Trump was David Duke, a white nationalist and former grand wizard of the Ku Klux Klan.

According to Politico, Duke told listeners of his radio program that voting against Trump “is really treason on your heritage.”

“I’m not saying I endorse everything about Trump. In fact, I haven’t formally endorsed him. But I do support his candidacy, and I support voting for him as a strategic action. I hope he does everything we hope he will do.”

Duke, a former Louisiana state representative, also urged his listeners to volunteer for Trump.

“And I am telling you that it is your job now to get active. Get off your duff. Get off your rear end that’s getting fatter and fatter for many of you everyday on your chairs. When this show is over, go out, call the Republican Party, but call Donald Trump’s headquarters, volunteer. Go in there, you’re gonna meet people who are going to have the same mindset that you have.”

Politico credited BuzzFeed for first reporting on the Klansman’s comments.

Personal appearance?

So, it’s quite possible that Duke will show up in Cleveland to witness the coronation of billionaire Trump, the new face of the GOP.

You can be sure that the former grand wizard of the KKK won’t be a wallflower at the convention.

He’ll probably erect a white tent in a prominent location near the convention center where he will hold court with like-minded followers of Trump.

And, he’ll host the party of the week because the attendees will be anonymous. Formal attire will consist of white hoods and robes.

The paragons of virtue will turn out in droves because they will be hidden from the prying eyes of those pesky news reporters.

The party will undoubtedly feature rousing speeches based on the theme “Make America White Again” and will end with a benediction around a burning cross.

Now that would be worth the cost of admission.

Another prominent supporter of Trump’s who has made headlines is conservative pundit Pat Buchanan, who ran twice for the Republican nomination for the president, and once with the Reform Party.

Buchanan, an adviser to former presidents Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan, grabbed headlines during one of his campaigns when he talked about the need for cultural cleansing in America.

Recently, he was on National Public Radio discussing the ills of diversity and said, “Anybody that believes that a country can be maintained that has no ethnic core to it or no linguistic core to it, I believe, is na Øve in the extreme.”

Asked by the NPR interviewer about effects of his incendiary language on people, he replied: “I don’t care how that language sits with people. My job is not to make people happy; it’s to tell the truth as I see it.”

Buchanan isn’t shy about espousing the “Americans of European descent” view.

“It’s an America like the country I grew up in, which was a pretty good country.”

So, what would his presence in Cleveland mean? He would draw the party faithful to him like moths to flame. Inflammatory language is very much a part of the Republican presidential nominee’s secret of success on the primary campaign trail.

Then there’s former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, who said this of Trump when she endorsed him in January: “He’s been going rogue left and right. That’s why he’s doing so well. He’s been able to tear the veil off this idea of the system.”

Palin, who was U.S. Sen. John McCain’s running mate in his failed 2008 presidential bid, remains a national symbol of the tea party. Her tough talk about illegal immigration has endeared her to Trump and his followers.

Palin has boasted about her shooting abilities, which she could put on display at the convention.

Indeed, she could hold seminars on how to shoot at undocumented immigrants who refuse to board the Trump trains to take them to the U.S.-Mexican border.

It would not be a surprise to see Maricopa County [Arizona] Sheriff Joe Arpaio standing by Palin’s side, talking about his battle against illegal crossings at the border.

In his endorsement of Trump, Arpaio, the self-described “toughest sheriff in America” said: “Donald Trump is a leader. He produces results and is ready to get tough in order to protect American jobs and families. I have fought on the front lines to prevent illegal immigration. I know Donald Trump will stand with me and countless Americans to secure our border.”

Arpaio could give the Republican faithful tips on how to racially profile. That could come in handy in the general election when a lot of nonwhite voters will go to the polls.

Even if Duke, Buchanan and other such prominent supporters of the GOP’s standard bearer don’t show up in Cleveland, they’ll be there in spirit.

After all, Trump didn’t get to where he is – he is the only one standing from the field of 17 candidates – with the support of Republican Party insiders and members of the establishment. His coalition of blue-collar white males, racists, homophobes, chauvinists and other such “true-blue Americans” expect him to deliver.

Yes, David Duke represents the hazards that threaten the traditional Grand Old Party.

Mayor McNally responds TO LAST WEEK’S COLUMN

Youngstown Mayor John A. McNally has demanded a correction to last week’s column in which this writer asserted he had pleaded guilty to bribery. Here’s what McNally wrote:

“None of the four (4) misdemeanor charges for which I accepted responsibility included Bribery as you asserted in the second paragraph of this week’s (May 8) column. The charges included two counts of Falsification (R.C. 2921.13(A)(1), one count of Attempted Unlawful Use of a Telecommunication Device (R.C. 2913.06), and one count of Attempted Disclosure of Confidential Information (R.C. 102.03(B)).

“Please issue a correction to this fact in your next weekly column.

“I look forward to seeing you at the Editorial Board interviews in the Spring of 2017.”

The mayor intends to run for re-election next year.