By LYNETTE SOWELL-STEVENS
Cove Leader-Press
The Coryell County Republican Women hosted their annual summer social, Boots & Bling, at the Texas Station Event Center in Gatesville on Saturday evening. Steve Munisteri served as the special guest speaker.
Currently, he is a senior advisor in the office of Governor Greg Abbott.
From 2010-2015, Munisteri was chair of the Republican Party for the state of Texas, and served as senior advisor for the campaign of United States Senator Rand Paul. From 2017 through 2020, he was deputy assistant to President Donald Trump and was Principal deputy director of the White House Office of Public Liaison.
Munisteri spoke on the value of capitalism over socialism and reminded those in attendance of the importance of voting in the upcoming November elections.
“The same summer the President is celebrating freedom and liberty, be it the wrestling match or the Indy car or the fireworks, it’s the same summer that the Democrats, for the first time, have removed the mask and say they are Democratic socialists,” Munisteri said.
He said that socialism does not work, and that there is no longer just a battle between Republican and Democrat, but a battle between freedom and conservative values, and the Democratic socialists.
“I just want to go tell them, folks, socialism doesn’t work. Just go to Cuba. They’re still driving 1950’s cars. I was brought up during a time when we had socialist countries all through Eastern Europe, and China was completely socialist, and Russia. It didn’t work. They had empty shelves. Even the socialists in Russia and China don’t believe socialism works because they are back into different form of capitalism,” Munisteri said.
“It’s the free enterprise, entrepreneurial spirit of this country that at the end of World War II, our gross domestic product was equal to every single other nation in the world combined. The United States was 50 percent of the world economy. Even today, with China and Russia going basically capitalistic, we are still 24.4 percent of the world economy. We’re basically a quarter of the world economy, and we only have 4.2 percent of the population.
“The reason we are that is because freedom gives you innovation. It allows the mind to go free to think of new things.”
He pointed to inventions like the airplane, the telephone, the light bulb, the assembly line, curing polio, nuclear power, and even AI. He said that there are 144 Americans born in another country, most of whom came here with nothing that today are billionaires, in one generation.
“But it’s not really about being a billionaire; it’s about what we do for the average American. So to put this in context, because I think these democratic socialists, particularly the younger generation, have no idea how lucky they have it in this country.”
Munisteri said freedom is in jeopardy.
“There have been 20 polls since March between James Talarico and Ken Paxton. Out of those 20 polls, Ken Paxton has only been ahead by four, and by margins of 2, 1, 1, and one. That is too darn close. Even in the governor’s race, the last eight polls, the governor has only had a lead of 1% to 6%. In three of those polls, the governor is only up by one point.
“There are more of us than there are of them. But it doesn’t matter if we don’t turn out to vote. One of the things I want to talk to you about tonight is we need to be united. There’s no difference between our candidates that ever justifies abandoning your duty to fight for freedom and liberty when socialism is on the line. So we have a tough fight, but if we’re united and we turn out, we will win. But no precaution: if we don’t turn out, the Democrats can steal them. And so, at the end of the day, this is again not a battle between Republicans and Democrats.
“The Democrats are trying to turn this country socialist, and they are looking to Texas as the linchpin to flip this state. If they want to come down here and make the battle here, I say bring it on, hold the line. We can win the state, and we can win it not only to elect Governor Abbott and the rest of the ticket, but most importantly, send a message to the rest of the country that this will be a free state, a free country. We support liberty, and Texas will lead the way again.”
Saturday evening’s event featured a fajita dinner, live music by Texas Connection, as well as silent and live auctions, raising thousands of dollars for the club.
Prior to the dinner and speech, the club presented donation checks for $500, one to Munisteri for Gov. Greg Abbott, one to Celia Sellers for TX State Representative Shelby Slawson, and also had a check for Texas State Senator Pete Flores.
The CCRW meets monthly on the 4th Saturday of the month at 11 a.m., alternating between locations in Gatesville and Copperas Cove.
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