In a way Barnette reminds me of Sarah Palin: solidly conservative, but unpolished. The GOP establishment let Palin twist in the wind. The same thing happened to Barnette.
Excellent observations. I stopped contributing to the Republican Party after how the organization treated Sarah Palin. The only reason I gave money to the RNC was because Palin was on the ticket. For over four years I received letters, emails, and phone calls from the RNC asking for money. FINALLY, the RNC gave up.