Real America’s Voice – Professor Penn Podcast EP248

Republicanism vs. MNGOP: Real Republicanism with Professor Penn & Steve Boyd

Date: October 22, 2025
Host: David Penn ("Professor Penn")
Guest: Steve Boyd (2024 Minnesota Congressional Candidate, CD7)

Overview

This episode dives deeply into the ongoing struggle for the philosophical and operational soul of the Republican Party, both in Minnesota and nationwide. Professor Penn interviews Steve Boyd—a grassroots conservative and recent candidate—about the barriers regular citizens face when trying to engage authentically with party politics. Together, they explore the difference between Republicanism as a way of life and a set of principles, versus Republicanism as a professional career, focusing on Boyd's personal journey, his campaign for Congress, the challenges he faced, and the broader implications for citizen involvement in the political process.

Key Themes and Discussion Points

1. The “Fourth Turning” and the Battle for the Heart of the GOP

• The host draws connections between American political upheaval and global trends, viewing the current unrest as part of a broader existential battle.
• [01:23] “There is a battle for the heart and soul of the Republican Party... it's going on everywhere.” — David Penn

2. Republicanism: Not Just Party Membership, But a Life Philosophy

• Boyd and Penn stress that “Republican” is not simply a party label but a philosophy rooted in sovereignty, minority rights, civic involvement, and serving the common good.
• [03:07] “Republicanism is a philosophy of life... every citizen of every country is the sovereign of their own life.” — David Penn

3. Entering Politics—Motivation and First Steps

• Boyd describes his political “activation” in 2020 after feeling a sense of duty and becoming frustrated by national events and the state of the party.
• [05:35] "I always thought things were just taken care of...I didn't realize until I studied the Constitution what was really at stake." — Steve Boyd

4. The Power and Dysfunction of the Endorsement Process

• The endorsement system within Minnesota’s GOP is discussed as a place where small groups wield outsized power—and often, newcomers are actively discouraged.

• [09:59] "There's a lot of people in control that don't want that involvement." — Steve Boyd

• Penn recounts his own experience being stymied by party leadership when trying to start grassroots educational programs:

  • [13:13] "We don't need any more Republicans. We need more work out of the ones we have." — Penn paraphrasing a party official

5. Frustrations with Political Process and the Gatekeeping Class

• Both speakers recount stories of wanting to get more people involved, only to be blocked by entrenched party figures who fear losing control.
• Local vs. state-level gatekeeping: It’s “easier” to get in at the county level, but higher rungs are tightly controlled.
  • [14:36] "On the county level...there's a lot of sincere people who want involvement. As you work up the ladder, it becomes more and more [exclusive]." — Steve Boyd

6. Sense of Duty, Faith, and Public Service

• Boyd attributes much of his decision to get deeply involved—and even run for Congress—to a sense of spiritual calling and faith in God.

  • [21:00] "I think so." — Steve Boyd, when asked if faith influenced his pull to step forward

• [30:55] Notable Quote:

  • “Duty is ours, results are God’s.” — John Quincy Adams (quoted by Steve Boyd)
  • Boyd and Penn agree that winning isn’t the ultimate metric—integrity and principle are.

7. Authenticity Over Trickery: “Holding to Principle”

• Party professionals, according to both, are more focused on “winning” for its own sake, even if it means compromising values.

  • [32:31] "The trick is to appeal to the base … and trick the centrists and moderates so that we can get elected. It's about tricking people." — Penn paraphrasing party elites' strategy

• Younger voters, they note, are increasingly hungry for authenticity, not strategy.

  • [33:22] "Authenticity is the most important thing right now, especially in the younger generation." — Steve Boyd

8. Grassroots Education—Patriot Academy and Biblical Citizenship

• Boyd shares his work teaching the Constitution to youth, highlighting the thirst for truth and principle among young people.

  • [24:03] "They're not learning this in school, are they?" — Penn

  • [24:06] "No, and they loved it. I couldn't get them to leave." — Boyd

9. Challenging the Incumbent—Inside the CD7 Campaign

• Boyd discusses his decision to run against sitting Congresswoman Michelle Fischbach—not out of personal animus, but to reinvigorate the district and demand stronger, principled representation.

  • [51:20] "It was never about Michelle Fischbach... It was about, this is what I believe. This is what I felt called to do." — Steve Boyd

  • Frustration that a district as red as CD7 isn’t leading more boldly on conservative issues (January 6th, election integrity, pro-life).

10. Systemic Barriers and Manipulation in the Endorsement Process

• The “Otter Tail Fiasco”: How delegate disputes in one critical county (Otter Tail) potentially changed the outcome of the endorsement.

  • [62:40] "It's almost 10% of the entire delegation is from one county, that those seats aren't settled...We're going to hinge the endorsement on that." — Steve Boyd

• Issues with the party chair of the district also being a staff member of Fischbach's congressional office—a blatant conflict of interest.

  • [66:09] "The chair...worked on the congressional staff of Michelle Fischbach." — Steve Boyd
  • [66:46] "I'm not signing into an endorsement process that's run by an employee of my opponent." — Steve Boyd

• Refusal to sign an “endorsement pledge” (to withdraw if not endorsed) as a matter of principle, since incumbents often do not honor these pledges themselves.

  • [70:14] "If I compromise at the very beginning...and expect to go to Washington and hold my principles, are you kidding me?" — Steve Boyd

11. The Aftermath—Burnout and the Ongoing Challenge

• Personal and political cost: After months on the road, tireless volunteering, and battling an entrenched party, Boyd admits to deep exhaustion and burnout.
  • [81:40] "I'll let you know." — Boyd, when asked if he’s recovered
  • [82:05] "I still struggle to be involved in party stuff." — Boyd

12. The Call for True Unity and Citizen Action

• Both men stress that only a surge of citizen involvement can save the party and the country from professional class domination and drift toward “uni-party” establishment control.

  • [67:50] "The only way this changes is if you feel the pull and you get involved to save your country." — Penn

• Reasserting the need for education, principle, and real debate, especially with/for young people and urban voters currently ignored by party leadership.

  • [88:04] "Steve Boyd wants to make America Christian Again." — Star Tribune headline referenced approvingly by Boyd

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the actual difference between Republican and Democrat identity:

  • [17:18] "Liberals are all about me, me, me. Republicans…love your neighbor as you wish to be loved, the common good." — David Penn

• On the consequences of abandoning principles for ‘winning’:

  • [31:06] "Win or lose, it's not what matters, it's how we do it. That's not real popular in the political world." — Steve Boyd

• On authenticity as an electoral asset:

  • [33:11] "They wanted someone who’s willing to have a conversation, simple as that. And I think that's a bigger majority of the population than we realize." — Steve Boyd

• On educating young people:

  • [24:06] "I couldn't get them to [leave]. Not what I expected. It was incredible." — Steve Boyd

• On the party’s resistance to new people:

  • [55:45] "One of the main criticisms I got [was] how many new people we got involved." — Steve Boyd

• On party media:

  • [58:32] "The Star Tribune was much fairer to me than many people in our own party." — Steve Boyd

• On gatekeeping and conflicts of interest:

  • [66:09] "But the bottom line is he worked on the congressional staff of Michelle Fishbach...I'm not signing into an endorsement process that's run by an employee of my opponent." — Steve Boyd

• On the need for individual citizen action:

  • [67:50] "The only way this changes is if you feel the pull and you get involved to save your country." — David Penn

Key Timestamps

• 00:42 - 03:07 – Setting the global and historical context (“fourth turning,” Republicanism as an idea)
• 05:35 - 09:59 – Steve Boyd’s political activation; discovering the powers and pitfalls of local party meetings
• 13:13 - 15:21 – Gatekeeping and resistance from party officials when trying to bring in new people
• 21:00 - 30:55 – Faith, sense of duty, and accepting the call to run
• 32:31 - 33:11 – Authenticity vs. party trickery; what voters really want
• 51:20 - 58:38 – The challenges of running against an incumbent & issues with party fairness
• 59:30 - 66:46 – The endorsement pledge controversy and Otter Tail County delegate dispute
• 72:57 - 77:38 – The ground campaign: door knocking, events, and burnout
• 81:40 - 82:05 – Emotional aftermath and difficulty sustaining engagement
• 88:04 - 89:06 – Faith, Christian voting, and the relationship of religion and political life
• 90:38 - 93:49 – Gun rights, sovereignty, and the stakes of political drift

Conclusion

This episode is a candid, at times raw, exposé on the internal obstacles within the Republican Party as seen through the eyes of a principled outsider. The conversation is filled with memorable analogies, historical perspective, and insistence that only grassroots, principle-driven engagement can revitalize Republicanism in America. Boyd’s story is both a warning and an inspiration for anyone contemplating a plunge into local or national politics.

Find Steve Boyd

• Facebook: Steve Boyd
• (More social links not specified)

Connect with Professor Penn

• X/Twitter: @ProfPennPodcast