Rantz: Semi Bird crashes and burns, may bring down WA Republican party with him

Republican Semi Bird, the self-styled maverick who promised to shake up Washington state politics, has predictably crashed and burned in the gubernatorial primary. But despite the humiliating defeat, he won’t go quietly into the night. And he may bring the Washington State Republican Party (WSRP) down with him as rumors swirl that he’s interested in the party chairmanship.

From the get-go, it was clear that Bird’s campaign was less about winning and more about inflating his own ego. Allying with county Republican groups and recruiting support to back him at the WSRP convention earned him the party’s endorsement over the considerably more electable Republican in Dave Reichert. He exploited a gullible portion of the conservative base that forgot they lived in deeply blue Washington state.

Bird, who claimed he would win King County but only earned about 3% of the vote, never had a chance. He knew it, but kept the grift going hoping to play spoiler to a more mainstream Republican candidate running for governor. He didn’t even win in his own county.

But Bird developed a small, loud, and toxic base of support from activists by pretending a party endorsement, from a deeply flawed process, meant he was owed a primary win. The very people who spewed venom about “the Establishment,” ironically claimed a party endorsement demanded steadfast loyalty of Republican voters. If you didn’t support him or offered critical coverage of his troublesome past, he and some of his campaign supporters deemed you a RINO (Republican in name only). They bullied, doxed, insulted and harassed Republican and Independent voters who knew Bird couldn’t win. Their childish behavior helped ensure Bird would go nowhere.

The fallout from Bird’s delusions of grandeur? An unnecessarily fractured Republican party and a clearer shot at victory for the Democrats. But the damage doesn’t stop there. Now, Bird’s toxic ambitions have set their sights on taking over the WSRP, threatening to dismantle any chance of Republican resurgence in this deep blue state.

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Semi Bird is a candidate without a clue

The Semi Bird campaign was nearly a masterclass in political self-delusion and manipulation.

From his announcement to the bitter end, he peddled a fantasy where he was the savior Washington needed. He painted himself as an outsider, a military hero who could wrestle control from the Democrats and fight back against “the Establishment.” Yet, behind this façade was a troubling reality.

Bird’s military record, a cornerstone of his self-styled hero narrative, was marred by allegations of stolen valor by Green Berets who served with him and the revelation that he was reprimanded for fraud against the U.S. Army. These claims, first brought to light by “The Jason Rantz Show” on KTTH, revealed inconsistencies and outright fabrications in his service record. His response to the reports? To lie, gaslight and claim victimhood, at one point claiming he was the victim of a lynching and arguing I’m a “so-called conservative” because I dared report the truth about his reprimand.

But facts never bothered Bird. He continued to ride a ripple of conservative support, convinced — or perhaps just convincing others — that he stood a real chance. All the while, he and his cult-like followers directed venom towards the one candidate who could actually win as a Republican: former congressman and King County Sheriff Dave Reichert.

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Semi Bird is toxic to Republican success

Dave Reichert, a seasoned politician with a proven track record of winning in King County, represented the GOP’s best hope for reclaiming the governor’s mansion.

With years of public service, including as King County Sheriff and multiple terms in Congress, Reichert has the experience and moderate appeal necessary to win in a state that is so heavily Democrat. But instead of rallying behind Reichert and giving him momentum into the general election, Bird’s recalcitrant flock chose to needlessly attack him, falsely portraying him as a RINO because he’s moderate, an “elitist” beholden to big money interest, undermining his campaign at every turn. Ironically, Ferguson’s campaign ludicrously presented Reichert as a far-right conservative hellbent on turning Washington into the Republic of Gilead.

This Republican infighting, fueled by county party heads and delegates, served no one but the Democrats and Ferguson.

Instead of a united front, the Republican activist base split with Republican voters. Bird’s supporters bought into his baseless claims and Reichert struggled to consolidate the conservative vote. The result? A weakened Republican ticket and a clear path to victory for the Democrats.

Reichert can still win in the general election, but the uphill battle will be insurmountable if Bird continues to selfishly serve himself over the state. And he’s not yet shown any interest in electing a Republican if it’s not him at the top of the ticket. Even though the race had been called Tuesday night, Bird stayed silent.

It’s unclear if he’ll do the noble thing and endorse Reichert, though Scott Greenstone reported Bird said he wouldn’t. If true, it should disqualify Bird from a potential future WSRP chair position. Meanwhile, his vocal mob of social media zealots vow to sandbag Reichert.

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The GOP’s looming disaster under Bird

As if his gubernatorial run wasn’t disastrous enough, Bird now purportedly has his sights set on the WA GOP leadership. He’s rumored to be gunning to replace current chairman Jim Walsh, a move that will destroy the party as we know it.

That the rumors suggested he was actively thinking about making this move should tell his flock that he never thought he could win, though that didn’t stop him from dismissing every poll showing him headed for defeat as bought and paid for by “the Establishment.” Bird did not respond to a request for comment from “The Jason Rantz Show” on KTTH.

The failed former Richland school board director disavowed big-money donors and the “elites.” Good luck fundraising for the party. Will he be calling the people he vilified for being wise enough not to throw money at a campaign with no chance of succeeding? Or will he rely on small money donors that couldn’t even fund his own campaign?

Bird’s brand of politics — built on lies, division and ego — threatens to drive a wedge further into an already fractured party. If he succeeds, the GOP will be saddled with a leader whose primary talent lies in self-promotion rather than effective governance. It will lean into the most conservative candidates for offices that only moderates can win.

Bird’s toxic influence is already evident.

His campaign tactics only alienate moderate voters and push the party into the fringe. In a state where Republicans need to appeal to centrists and independents to have any hope of winning, Bird’s leadership would be a death knell.

First I hope they come for you, what a traitor Jason!

Your mother proud? If she sleeps with the devil, I suppose so. How much to do it, stay out of jail, keep your head, what’s it take to turn on your entire country?

— PCsnotPC (@PCsnot) August 7, 2024

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WSRP made it easy for Bird to exploit

Walsh, who was admittedly stuck between a rock and a hard place, made it easier for Bird to advance his own interest over that of the party and Washingtonians.

The decision to have party delegates endorse candidates before there was even much campaigning was beyond foolish. Delegates are incredibly important, but they are most certainly not reflective of the average Republican voter in the state. A system where a candidate can recruit delegates and then bus them to the convention is one that can very easily be gained. Delegates eager to usurp Republican primary voters is just as bad. And a party that allows a candidate for office to serve as a county party chair and sit on the Executive Board? It’s amateur hour.

The chairman also poorly handled Bird’s many controversies, particularly around his service record.

After “The Jason Rantz Show” on KTTH revealed that Bird was reprimanded for committing “fraud against the United States Government” by submitting false information to advance his career and for wearing “awards and badges that you had not earned,” Walsh allowed a Bird loyalist to lead an investigation into the allegations. It doesn’t appear that the WSRP ever even received Bird’s full military records.

Ultimately, Walsh put the onus back on Bird to clear himself of the allegations and blamed my reporting for fueling controversies. Bird, with institutional party support, made Walsh’s job to hold their endorsed candidate accountable even more impossible.

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A crossroads for the WSRP

The WSRP stands at a crossroads ahead of a general election.

On one path lies the potential for renewal and resurgence, led by experienced, pragmatic leaders, while fully backing moderate candidates like Dave Reichert to win statewide office and conservatives who best reflect their districts. On the other, the chaos and division embodied by Semi Bird. The choice should be clear, but Bird’s ability to sway a significant portion of party leaders complicates matters. No doubt, those loyalists will blame everyone and everything other than Bird for the defeat, further burying their heads in the sand as they drive the party off a cliff.

If Bird truly hopes to take over the WSRP as chair, and the party’s Washington State Republican Central Committee (WSRCC), which includes members from all counties in the state, puts him in that seat, they will set the party back decades. And it would be unlikely to recover fully, truly failing reasonable Washingtonians who want common sense, non-fringe leaders in Olympia.

It’s time for the party to wake up. Bird’s failed gubernatorial bid should serve as a cautionary tale, a stark reminder of the dangers of placing faith in charlatans and confusing lawn signs and social media trolls for support.

The Republican base needs to rally behind leaders who can win — not just in primaries, but in general elections. They need to support candidates who can appeal to a broad electorate or their individual district, not those who pander to the fringes. As important, they cannot let grifters and manipulators lead the WSRP.

End Bird’s hope of leading the WSRP now

Semi Bird’s campaign was a lesson in what happens when a party places its faith in a cult of personality rather than in proven leadership. Perhaps they could at least back a candidate who wasn’t recalled from office in an exceptionally conservative district?

Bird’s ambitions, unchecked, threaten to dismantle any progress the WSRP has made. Republicans in Washington must reject Bird’s divisive, manipulative, self-serving politics and unite behind leaders who can truly make a difference. Perhaps that’s Walsh, if he still wants the job. Maybe it’s someone else who understands the most conservative candidate is not always who is best suited for party support.

In the end, the goal is to win elections and implement conservative policies that benefit all Washingtonians. With Bird at the helm, that goal would be further away than ever. The WSRP must choose wisely, or risk becoming a footnote in the state’s political history. The future of the party — and the state — depends on it.

Listen to “The Jason Rantz Show” on weekday afternoons from 3-7 p.m. on KTTH 770 AM (HD Radio 97.3 FM HD-Channel 3). Subscribe to the podcast here. Follow Jason on X, formerly known as Twitter, Instagram, and  Facebook.

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