By Dean Burnette | Southern Fried Thoughts  

July 22, 2025  

—  

Y’all, something’s been weighing heavy on my heart.  

I got a postcard in the mail from something called Cross For Georgia, making some mighty serious accusations about our state GOP leadership. At first glance, it looked compelling—like one of those CNN “bombshell” reports we’ve learned not to trust. But dig a little deeper, and what you find smells more like political sabotage than honest concern for our party. It paints a picture of a party that’s been “rigged” and run like a “dictatorship.” Sound Familiar? I’m here to tell you, these kinds of apparent propaganda pushes are deeply troubling. They target good Georgia Republicans, especially folks who haven’t had the chance to attend our recent meetings and witness firsthand the winning efforts of our Chairman and Executive Committee over the last couple of years.

As I read it, I got a funny sense of déjà vu. The words were compelling, the layout was convincing, and it was all designed to stir up anger and doubt. It sounded an awful lot like the so-called “evidence” the Democrats and their friends at CNN and MSNBC have been slinging at President Trump for years. They take a sliver of truth, twist it, magnify it, and serve it up as the whole gospel. It’s a playbook we all know by heart.

My advice? Treat this postcard with that same grain of salt. Be wise and be careful of half-truths, because they’re the most dangerous kind.

Now, I ain’t one to shy away from criticism when it’s warranted. But here’s the truth: This kind of division is exactly what our Democrat adversaries want—because they know a fractured GOP means easier wins for them in 2026.  

Let’s talk facts, fairness, and forging ahead—together.  

—  

1. Remembering Dalton: Your Vote Mattered

I was right there in Dalton at our state convention last month. Was it a little rowdy? You bet. We’re Republicans; we’re passionate folks. There were disagreements, especially about how we should vote for our leadership. But let’s be crystal clear about what happened. Let me be clear: Josh McKoon was duly elected as our Georgia GOP Chairman. I was there, y’all, just last month on June 8, 2025, at our annual state convention in Dalton. I cast one of those votes. The Rough Draft Atlanta newspaper reported that despite some discontent, delegates voted overwhelmingly to re-elect Josh McKoon as their chairman, with him winning nearly 64% of the 1,666 votes cast. That’s nearly a two-to-one margin! What’s more, our Executive Committee was also voted in by us, the MAGA Delegates. As a MAGA Delegate myself, I can tell you we weren’t bamboozled. We knew what we were doing.

When the dust settled, nearly 1,700 delegates—men and women from every corner of this great state—cast their votes. And Josh McKoon was re-elected with nearly two-thirds of the vote. That wasn’t a rigged outcome; that was a democratic landslide. That was the will of the people in that room.

The notion that the majority of us, the delegates who showed up and voted, weren’t smart enough to properly cast our vote, or that the election was “rigged” because we used electronic clickers instead of paper ballots? Well, bless their hearts, that’s just plain insulting to every single one of us who participated. Chairman McKoon rightly pointed out that paper ballots would have been far too slow for nearly 1,700 delegates. A clear win is a clear win, no matter how you count it. To suggest that the election was stolen or that the delegates were somehow fooled is a slap in the face to every single person who gave up their weekend, drove for hours, and participated in the process. It insults the intelligence of the MAGA majority that put our current leadership in place. We looked at the options, we listened to the speeches, and we made a choice. We chose to keep the leadership that has been fighting for us, for President Trump, and for the conservative values we hold dear.

McKoon wasn’t some backroom pick—he was chosen by the very people who showed up, debated, and voted. That includes MAGA delegates, traditional conservatives, and everyone in between.  

Yet David Cross and his supporters now claim (without proof) that the election was stolen? Sounds familiar, doesn’t it? The same baseless tactics Democrats use against Trump.  

—  

Here’s the part that sticks in my craw the most. We are heading into one of the most important election cycles of our lifetimes. In 2026, we’ve got to elect a Republican Governor to continue the great work here in Georgia. Furthermore, we have a golden opportunity to send a true conservative to the U.S. Senate and send Jon Ossoff packing.

So, let me ask you a simple question: Who benefits when Republicans are busy tearing each other down?

It’s not you. It’s not me. It’s not the party. And it sure isn’t President Trump.

The only people celebrating this kind of infighting are the Democrats. They are sitting back, eating popcorn, and watching us do their dirty work for them. They know that a divided party is a weak party. A party focused on internal squabbles is a party that can’t effectively fight for its candidates. This “Cross for Georgia” campaign, whether it means to or not, is a massive distraction that could cost us everything.

Democrats don’t even have to lift a finger. They’re watching Georgia Republicans attack each other and thanking their lucky stars.  

—  

Now, has everything been perfect? Lord, no. This side of Heaven, nothing is. But I can tell you that our party has been through audits. Mistakes found were corrected, many before they were even pointed out by others. There have been no findings of criminal activity, no sweetheart deals that hold up under real scrutiny—just the kind of messy, imperfect work that happens when passionate people are trying to get things done.

Don’t let a postcard hijack your common sense. Go to the meetings. Talk to your delegates. Ask the hard questions yourself. Don’t let a slick mailer and a fancy website undermine the hard work and the will of the majority.

We are a family, folks. Sometimes families argue, but at the end of the day, we’ve got to sit down at the same table. Our house is the Georgia Republican Party. Let’s not get so busy fighting over who sits at the head of the table that we let the Democrats foreclose on the whole property.

The Cross For Georgia website (https://crossforga.com/) throws around phrases like “financial mismanagement” and “lack of transparency.”  

But here’s what they don’t tell you:  

✔ Audits happened. No criminal findings. No charges. Just human errors that were corrected.  

✔ McKoon inherited a mess from past administrations but has since stabilized fundraising and party operations.  

✔ The same delegation that elected McKoon also elected the Executive Committee—meaning the majority trusts this team.  

If we’re gonna demand accountability, let’s do it without spreading half-truths that only help Democrats.  

—  

4. What Happens if We Keep This Up?  

Three possible outcomes—none good:  

1. Weakened GOP Infrastructure – Volunteers leave. Donors hesitate. Democrats out-organize us.  

2. 2026 Losses – A divided party means weaker Senate & Governor candidates. (Remember Herschel Walker’s runoff?)  

3. Handing Democrats a Gift – They’ll paint us as “chaotic” and “unfit to govern.”  

Is that really what we want?  

—  

5. A Better Path: Unity & Focus  

I don’t pretend our party is perfect. No political family is. But right now, we have two choices:  

✅ Stand Behind Our Elected Leadership—hold them accountable, yes, but give them the chance to lead.  

✅ Focus on 2026—register voters, expose Democrat failures, and fight the real enemy.  

Or…  

❌ Keep the Circular Firing Squad Going—and let Democrats win by default.  

Y’all, I know which side I’m on.  

Let’s be honest about what we’ve seen under Chairman McKoon’s leadership:

– Successful fundraising efforts that have strengthened the party

– Effective coordination with President Trump’s campaigns

– Transparent operations that have been audited by multiple agencies

– Growing delegate participation at state conventions

Moreover, as someone who’s been in those rooms and witnessed the process, I can tell you that our Executive Committee members were voted in by MAGA delegates – real conservatives who understand what’s at stake.

—  

Ask yourself:  

– Who gains if Georgia Republicans look divided? (Hint: Not us.)  

– Who’s pushing narratives that echo Democrat talking points?  

– Do we really want to imitate the left’s playbook of smears and sabotage?  

I didn’t think so.  

We’re better than this.  

The Audit Trail is Clear

Speaking of transparency, let’s talk about something the “Cross For Georgia” folks don’t want to emphasize: the Georgia GOP has been audited by several agencies. While no organization is perfect, these audits found no criminal activity, and any mistakes that were identified were promptly corrected.

That’s called accountability, folks – something we should be proud of, not ashamed of.

What We’re Really Dealing With

After looking at the evidence and considering the timing, I have to wonder if this “Cross For Georgia” effort isn’t exactly what it appears to be. The tactics they’re using – partial truths, misleading accusations, divisive messaging – sound awfully familiar to anyone who’s been paying attention to how Democrats have been attacking President Trump since 2016.

The Same Playbook, Different Day

Think about it:

– Compelling but misleading evidence

– Accusations designed to divide rather than unite

– Timing that undermines important electoral efforts

– Attacks on legitimately elected leaders

Sound familiar? It should, because we’ve been watching this playbook used against conservatives for years now.

My Advice: Trust But Verify

Now, I’m not saying y’all shouldn’t ask questions or demand accountability – that’s what good Republicans do. However, I am saying we need to be smart about our sources and careful about our timing.

Just like you wouldn’t trust a CNN report without checking multiple sources, don’t take these “Cross For Georgia” claims at face value. Do your homework. Talk to delegates who were actually there. Look at the official records. Therefore, we gotta be wise. Take these accusations with a grain of salt, like you would a CNN spin job. Do your homework – verify the facts from reliable sources like the articles I linked. The GA GOP has been audited, mistakes fixed, and we’re movin’ forward. Insultin’ the majority of delegates who voted for Josh and our leaders? That’s not MAGA spirit; that’s disruption.

The Real MAGA Movement Stands United

As a MAGA delegate who was present at the convention, I can tell you that the vast majority of us who support President Trump also support Chairman McKoon and our Executive Committee. We voted for them because we believe they’re the right people to lead us into the crucial 2026 elections.

Consequently, when someone tries to tell us that we didn’t know what we were doing when we cast our votes, that’s not just insulting – it’s divisive in exactly the way our opponents hope it will be.

Looking Toward 2026: What Really Matters

Instead of fighting among ourselves, we need to be focusing on the real challenges ahead:

– Electing a Republican governor to replace term-limited Brian Kemp

– Keeping our constitutional offices in Republican hands

– Defeating Jon Ossoff and returning a conservative to the U.S. Senate

– Building the grassroots infrastructure we’ll need without President Trump at the top of the ticket

These are the battles that matter, and these are the battles we can’t afford to lose because we were too busy fighting each other.

The Democrats’ Dream Scenario

Make no mistake: every minute we spend arguing about Chairman McKoon’s legitimacy is a minute we’re not spending on voter registration, fundraising, or candidate recruitment. Our Democratic opponents understand this perfectly, which is why they’re probably secretly funding efforts to keep us divided.

Look, I’ve been around politics long enough to know that perfect unity is about as rare as hen’s teeth. However, there’s a difference between healthy debate and destructive division.

Right now, we need to stand behind our legitimately elected leadership and focus on the work ahead. Chairman McKoon and our Executive Committee earned their positions through a fair, transparent process witnessed by hundreds of delegates.

The Choice Before Us

We can either:

1. Unite behind our elected leaders and focus on winning in 2026, or

2. Fall for divisive tactics that weaken our party and help Democrats

The choice seems pretty clear to me.

Final Thoughts: Stay Focused on What Matters

Friends, I’ve seen enough political campaigns to know the difference between legitimate concerns and manufactured controversy. What we’re seeing from “Cross For Georgia” has all the hallmarks of the latter.

As Republicans, we believe in accountability, transparency, and fair elections. Chairman McKoon and our Executive Committee have demonstrated all three. They were elected fairly by delegates who knew exactly what they were doing.

Meanwhile, let’s not give our Democratic opponents the satisfaction of watching us tear ourselves apart right when we need to be at our strongest.

The 2026 elections are coming whether we’re ready or not. Let’s make sure we’re spending our time, energy, and resources on winning them – not on fighting battles that only help our opponents.

If you’re a Republican voter in Georgia, join me in rejectin’ these tactics. Reach out to your local GOP, volunteer, and spread the word about unity. Remember, life’s like a good bowl of gumbo – better when we all pitch in. Stay strong, stay united, and God bless Georgia!

Because at the end of the day, that’s what being a good Republican – and a good Georgian – is all about.

—

What do y’all think? Have you received one of these postcards? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below. And remember, if we’re gonna win in 2026, we need to stay united and focused on what really matters.

Keep stirring the pot with purpose,

Dean Burnette

Southern Fried Thoughts

Citations:

[1] https://apnews.com/article/georgia-republicans-chairman-election-trump-speech-044edbcaa5b18eacc8dc9ae970b19b58

[2] https://crossforga.com/

[3] https://roughdraftatlanta.com/2025/06/08/republican-convention-in-dalton-georgia/

[4] https://southernfriedthoughts.com

[5] https://www.ajc.com/politics/politics-blog/meet-josh-mckoon-the-new-georgia-gop-chair/OHD4U62ITZE3JB367R3HESMRVE/