I admit it: part of what I do is political consulting.
I’ve served at about every political level within this state: volunteer, PCO, executive board member for the Clark County GOP, Legislative chair in the 17th District… executive director for the Washington State GOP. I’ve been to several county conventions, one state convention (which I ran as part of my executive director duties (2000 in Spokane)) and one national convention (2000 Philadelphia).
I’ve met many of the GOP heavyweights, from Bush 1 and 2, to Karl Rove, to Lindsey Graham, to Bob Dole and many others. Many GOP Hollywood types… Robert Conrad, Connie Stevens, Ben Stein, and Jon Voight… the kinds of celebrities you’d find at a GOP National Convention.
I’ve worked as both a paid and unpaid consultant on a variety of campaigns for issues and candidates.
Many in the field are quite mercenary: they’ll work wherever the paycheck takes them.
I, however, refuse to take that final leap and sell out on principles for a paycheck.
I speak and write what I think the way I want to, without guidance or control of anyone. Being outspoken and consistent can make you something of a target.
It has me.
The result is that I’ve made enemies. I’ve always admired much of what Winston Churchill said and accomplished, but among the more notable phrases he is alleged to have uttered is this:
Some hate me for it. Most of those in power despise me, much the same way they despise those they would govern.
But it’s not limited to that.
Some in the GOP hate me as well because I speak the truth regardless of the party.
When I attack Jaime Herrera or Brandon Vick’s respective tenures in elective office, for example, I’m sure that they would just as soon put a bullet through my head as drink coffee with me.
And that’s fine. Telling the truth as I see it is how I roll.
I tell the truth as I see it to the extent that even family members are not immune to it: just ask my brother in law, Marc Boldt.
I say all this as a rather lengthy preface to my observations concerning the growing fissure between the GOP establishment and those who see that particular emperor has no clothes.
The most recent example (of many) was the idiocy of a budget deal where nothing was changed, nothing in the deficit was cut, business as usual was the order of the day and oh, yeah, by the way?
The GOP helped the dems cut retired and disabled veterans pensions while doing absolutely nothing to cut the pensions of federal civilians.
And yet, we are supposed to vote for that… vote for them?
I think not.
Locally, we have a congresswoman that I long since determined to be utterly worthless in every dimension. The biggest issue confronting her congressional district? The scam of the CRC.
What legislation has she passed to address the CRC issues of tolls, of being too short, providing $100 million wasted in mitigation, keeping loot rail as part of the design when there are a great many cheaper, more efficient and flexible alternatives?
Absolutely nothing.
What loyalty as a voter do I owe someone who has been in office from November 2007 through now… and yet has accomplished absolutely nothing except to vote for multiple issues where, once again, the GOP has thrown us under the Obamabus?
Absolutely none.
She governs by press release and taxpayer-paid mailers, refusing to hold open town hall meetings, instead favoring tightly controlled “coffees,” particularly with those who have checkbooks they’ll open for her re-election bid.
One of my two state representatives has done absolutely nothing except to pick up a paycheck since he was elected.
The only thing he’s got going for himself is that he has an “R” after his name in a hard corps “R” district.
Is that any reason I should reward him with my vote?
Hell, no, it isn’t.
But when it comes to that, the establishment types hammer those who don’t go along with their program, and tell us that we should just hold our noses and vote for them anyway?
And it doesn’t end at our local level.
It easily extends to state races, where in the past, the establishment has saddled us with the utterly worthless like Sam Reed, a thankfully former Secretary of State who cared much more about reducing his workload (supporting the convicted felon/sentence not completed vote; doing nothing about illegal alien voters, etc) and most recently, a gubernatorial, Lt. governor and attorney general series of candidates who in far too many instances, out-democrated the democrats.
Yet, the establishment tells us we should ignore our own incredulity, hold our nose and vote for them anyway?
To what end?
Here locally, for example, my top two issues are stopping both the CRC and Cowlitz scams from ever happening.
So, what positions does McKenna take?
Comes out in support of both of these rip offs.
And establishment GOP types who only care about the party label a candidate uses and not what their positions or substance or responsiveness or awareness of the population’s demands might be?
Why, they tell us to vote for them anyway.
We're told that we have to support the likes of Chris Christie, who will sell us out in a heart beat on illegal aliens and whose post-hurricane theatrics with Obama helped to defeat Romney.
Why? Because the polls say he's got the best shot at winning.
Big deal. If he does win, what do we get?
A big talker with a democrat agenda that happens to have an "R" after his name.
When I point out substantive objections to establishment candidates… at any level… my concerns are ignored, the blinders of the establishment are strapped on even tighter, and all we’re told is that gee, our candidates get closer to winning than yours… as if that justifies anything.
At the national level, the GOP appears to be just as interested in betraying the people as the left. They seem to be more interested in going about it at a somewhat slower pace, but the ultimate outcomes… illegal aliens, more debt, domestic and foreign policies in a shambles, an economy that has done little to close the gap between the haves and have nots, going so far as to assist the democrats in throwing military retirees generally and DISABLED military veterans under the Obamabus? They sure seem to be the same to me.
The response from the GOP establishment?
Pay no attention to that: vote for us anyway.
Hell…. No.
I have zero interest in repaying those on the GOP left who take us to these insane heights… with my vote, or my silence.
The establishment types claim they’re only interested in winning. Here locally, establishment GOP’ers blew a fuse when the local party kicked then Commissioner Marc Boldt out, an effort seized upon by the local democrat newsletter known as the daily paper, as yet another example of GOP radicalism.
Never mind that the establishment GOP candidate, Boldt, got his ass kicked in the general election. Where was their concern about “winning” then? Nowhere. It never was about winning: it was about keeping conservatives out of office… the same goal, come to think of it, as the democrats.
And that’s the underlying basis for the problem.
Establishment GOP types believe they have to be like democrats to be successful. As a rank and file grunt, however, I have to ask myself: what good is that kind of “success” when the ultimate end just means that we get the same policies as if democrats were elected in the first place: locally, for example, had McKenna won, we’d have an advocate in the governor’s mansion who would out-Inslee Inslee on the CRC Scam and the Cowlitz Casino rip off.
Why should we vote for that? What’s the point? So what if McKenna had an “R” after his name: what would the tangible differences be now between the end of the first year of an Inslee Administration and the first year conclusion of a McKenna Administration?
Damned little that I can see. And that’s the trouble: I have yet to see the answer to the “why?” question from these same establishment types… save the labeling of the candidate… like checking a box.
Don’t concern ourselves with the outcomes; just vote for a Republican because he or she IS a Republican.
Right now we have at least some leeway as to where and how much to cut.
But one day, we will wake up only to discover that luxury is gone… and the decision will be made for us as the value of the dollar bottoms out in ways reminiscent of the German Mark of the 1920's:
This is our future if we don’t act… and soon.
So, what does the GOP do?
Sign on for a budget that cuts $23 billion or so out of a, to date, $17 trillion debt... the equivalent of 23 cents out of $1700... a number that will continue to grow over the entirety of his insane administration… one that will force our debt to increase by additional trillions over the next few years… one designed to increase dependence on government instead of increasing our reliance upon ourselves… a budget that steals from the earners and gives to the takers.
It uses disabled veterans as a way to “save” money.
Instead of standing on obvious, allegedly conservative principles, the old school, establishment GOP has become, at its core, democrat-lite. Time and again, they abandon the concept of doing what needs to be done in favor of political expediency because at base, their number one concern isn’t us: it’s their fear over not being re-elected.
This, of course, is why term limits are so attractive to some: as long as these slime put re-election over the needs of the people… as long as they are willing to trade “stuff” in return for our freedom… then our democracy is in peril.
And what does the establishment tell us?
That we should ignore reality, ignore what our own senses and common sense tells us, and continue to vote for these types of people who live to waste our hard-earned dollars on an abortive effort to remain in office.
And that’s the divide in the GOP: the establishment, who exists to perpetuate the GOP at the expense of the people at any and all costs… and those who are out of the establishment whose primary concern is for this country.
The establishment is well aware of all of this: they recognize they’re under attack and that their positions of power, prestige and money are at risk. So, instead of changing and adapting to the new ideas… what do they do?
They attack. They belittle. They undermine. They help democrats defeat non-establishment GOP’ers… all under the same guise: non-establishment GOPers “cannot win.” So, the message they would send is to reinforce that by working with the left to do their best to make sure it doesn’t happen.
In November, 2012, the establishment candidates for president and governor of this state ran utterly bizarre, nonsensical campaigns. Breathtakingly stupid in concept and operation. They lost... in ways that simply astonish those with any basic political awareness considering who their opponents were and the records they had to run against, particularly that of the anti-American, racist bigot in the White House.
Instead of introspection on the part of the establishment as to the causes of their defeat, a critical examination at the cellular level to determine where they were out thought, out planned, out executed... we get the same-o, same-o.
This is part and parcel of why I left the GOP. (There are other reasons, but for this discussion, these issues will do.)
To the establishment, the ONLY thing that matters is the letter after the name.
To the rest of us, results are the only thing that matter, REGARDLESS of the letter after the name.
It’s that simple, really.
More recent posts below: hit the "Older Post" link.
I’ve served at about every political level within this state: volunteer, PCO, executive board member for the Clark County GOP, Legislative chair in the 17th District… executive director for the Washington State GOP. I’ve been to several county conventions, one state convention (which I ran as part of my executive director duties (2000 in Spokane)) and one national convention (2000 Philadelphia).
I’ve met many of the GOP heavyweights, from Bush 1 and 2, to Karl Rove, to Lindsey Graham, to Bob Dole and many others. Many GOP Hollywood types… Robert Conrad, Connie Stevens, Ben Stein, and Jon Voight… the kinds of celebrities you’d find at a GOP National Convention.
I’ve worked as both a paid and unpaid consultant on a variety of campaigns for issues and candidates.
Many in the field are quite mercenary: they’ll work wherever the paycheck takes them.
I, however, refuse to take that final leap and sell out on principles for a paycheck.
I speak and write what I think the way I want to, without guidance or control of anyone. Being outspoken and consistent can make you something of a target.
It has me.
The result is that I’ve made enemies. I’ve always admired much of what Winston Churchill said and accomplished, but among the more notable phrases he is alleged to have uttered is this:
“You’ve got enemies? Good. That means that somewhere, you stood up for something you believe in, sometime in your life.”I do that every waking moment. This blog, approaching 5000 posts, is evidence of that.
Some hate me for it. Most of those in power despise me, much the same way they despise those they would govern.
But it’s not limited to that.
Some in the GOP hate me as well because I speak the truth regardless of the party.
When I attack Jaime Herrera or Brandon Vick’s respective tenures in elective office, for example, I’m sure that they would just as soon put a bullet through my head as drink coffee with me.
And that’s fine. Telling the truth as I see it is how I roll.
I tell the truth as I see it to the extent that even family members are not immune to it: just ask my brother in law, Marc Boldt.
I say all this as a rather lengthy preface to my observations concerning the growing fissure between the GOP establishment and those who see that particular emperor has no clothes.
The most recent example (of many) was the idiocy of a budget deal where nothing was changed, nothing in the deficit was cut, business as usual was the order of the day and oh, yeah, by the way?
The GOP helped the dems cut retired and disabled veterans pensions while doing absolutely nothing to cut the pensions of federal civilians.
And yet, we are supposed to vote for that… vote for them?
I think not.
Locally, we have a congresswoman that I long since determined to be utterly worthless in every dimension. The biggest issue confronting her congressional district? The scam of the CRC.
What legislation has she passed to address the CRC issues of tolls, of being too short, providing $100 million wasted in mitigation, keeping loot rail as part of the design when there are a great many cheaper, more efficient and flexible alternatives?
Absolutely nothing.
What loyalty as a voter do I owe someone who has been in office from November 2007 through now… and yet has accomplished absolutely nothing except to vote for multiple issues where, once again, the GOP has thrown us under the Obamabus?
Absolutely none.
She governs by press release and taxpayer-paid mailers, refusing to hold open town hall meetings, instead favoring tightly controlled “coffees,” particularly with those who have checkbooks they’ll open for her re-election bid.
One of my two state representatives has done absolutely nothing except to pick up a paycheck since he was elected.
The only thing he’s got going for himself is that he has an “R” after his name in a hard corps “R” district.
Is that any reason I should reward him with my vote?
Hell, no, it isn’t.
But when it comes to that, the establishment types hammer those who don’t go along with their program, and tell us that we should just hold our noses and vote for them anyway?
And it doesn’t end at our local level.
It easily extends to state races, where in the past, the establishment has saddled us with the utterly worthless like Sam Reed, a thankfully former Secretary of State who cared much more about reducing his workload (supporting the convicted felon/sentence not completed vote; doing nothing about illegal alien voters, etc) and most recently, a gubernatorial, Lt. governor and attorney general series of candidates who in far too many instances, out-democrated the democrats.
Yet, the establishment tells us we should ignore our own incredulity, hold our nose and vote for them anyway?
To what end?
Here locally, for example, my top two issues are stopping both the CRC and Cowlitz scams from ever happening.
So, what positions does McKenna take?
Comes out in support of both of these rip offs.
And establishment GOP types who only care about the party label a candidate uses and not what their positions or substance or responsiveness or awareness of the population’s demands might be?
Why, they tell us to vote for them anyway.
We're told that we have to support the likes of Chris Christie, who will sell us out in a heart beat on illegal aliens and whose post-hurricane theatrics with Obama helped to defeat Romney.
Why? Because the polls say he's got the best shot at winning.
Big deal. If he does win, what do we get?
A big talker with a democrat agenda that happens to have an "R" after his name.
When I point out substantive objections to establishment candidates… at any level… my concerns are ignored, the blinders of the establishment are strapped on even tighter, and all we’re told is that gee, our candidates get closer to winning than yours… as if that justifies anything.
At the national level, the GOP appears to be just as interested in betraying the people as the left. They seem to be more interested in going about it at a somewhat slower pace, but the ultimate outcomes… illegal aliens, more debt, domestic and foreign policies in a shambles, an economy that has done little to close the gap between the haves and have nots, going so far as to assist the democrats in throwing military retirees generally and DISABLED military veterans under the Obamabus? They sure seem to be the same to me.
The response from the GOP establishment?
Pay no attention to that: vote for us anyway.
Hell…. No.
I have zero interest in repaying those on the GOP left who take us to these insane heights… with my vote, or my silence.
The establishment types claim they’re only interested in winning. Here locally, establishment GOP’ers blew a fuse when the local party kicked then Commissioner Marc Boldt out, an effort seized upon by the local democrat newsletter known as the daily paper, as yet another example of GOP radicalism.
Never mind that the establishment GOP candidate, Boldt, got his ass kicked in the general election. Where was their concern about “winning” then? Nowhere. It never was about winning: it was about keeping conservatives out of office… the same goal, come to think of it, as the democrats.
And that’s the underlying basis for the problem.
Establishment GOP types believe they have to be like democrats to be successful. As a rank and file grunt, however, I have to ask myself: what good is that kind of “success” when the ultimate end just means that we get the same policies as if democrats were elected in the first place: locally, for example, had McKenna won, we’d have an advocate in the governor’s mansion who would out-Inslee Inslee on the CRC Scam and the Cowlitz Casino rip off.
Why should we vote for that? What’s the point? So what if McKenna had an “R” after his name: what would the tangible differences be now between the end of the first year of an Inslee Administration and the first year conclusion of a McKenna Administration?
Damned little that I can see. And that’s the trouble: I have yet to see the answer to the “why?” question from these same establishment types… save the labeling of the candidate… like checking a box.
Don’t concern ourselves with the outcomes; just vote for a Republican because he or she IS a Republican.
Right now we have at least some leeway as to where and how much to cut.
 |
| Hyperinflation in Germany: banknotes were cheaper than firewood. |
This is our future if we don’t act… and soon.
So, what does the GOP do?
Sign on for a budget that cuts $23 billion or so out of a, to date, $17 trillion debt... the equivalent of 23 cents out of $1700... a number that will continue to grow over the entirety of his insane administration… one that will force our debt to increase by additional trillions over the next few years… one designed to increase dependence on government instead of increasing our reliance upon ourselves… a budget that steals from the earners and gives to the takers.
It uses disabled veterans as a way to “save” money.
Instead of standing on obvious, allegedly conservative principles, the old school, establishment GOP has become, at its core, democrat-lite. Time and again, they abandon the concept of doing what needs to be done in favor of political expediency because at base, their number one concern isn’t us: it’s their fear over not being re-elected.
This, of course, is why term limits are so attractive to some: as long as these slime put re-election over the needs of the people… as long as they are willing to trade “stuff” in return for our freedom… then our democracy is in peril.
And what does the establishment tell us?
That we should ignore reality, ignore what our own senses and common sense tells us, and continue to vote for these types of people who live to waste our hard-earned dollars on an abortive effort to remain in office.
And that’s the divide in the GOP: the establishment, who exists to perpetuate the GOP at the expense of the people at any and all costs… and those who are out of the establishment whose primary concern is for this country.
The establishment is well aware of all of this: they recognize they’re under attack and that their positions of power, prestige and money are at risk. So, instead of changing and adapting to the new ideas… what do they do?
They attack. They belittle. They undermine. They help democrats defeat non-establishment GOP’ers… all under the same guise: non-establishment GOPers “cannot win.” So, the message they would send is to reinforce that by working with the left to do their best to make sure it doesn’t happen.
In November, 2012, the establishment candidates for president and governor of this state ran utterly bizarre, nonsensical campaigns. Breathtakingly stupid in concept and operation. They lost... in ways that simply astonish those with any basic political awareness considering who their opponents were and the records they had to run against, particularly that of the anti-American, racist bigot in the White House.
Instead of introspection on the part of the establishment as to the causes of their defeat, a critical examination at the cellular level to determine where they were out thought, out planned, out executed... we get the same-o, same-o.
This is part and parcel of why I left the GOP. (There are other reasons, but for this discussion, these issues will do.)
To the establishment, the ONLY thing that matters is the letter after the name.
To the rest of us, results are the only thing that matter, REGARDLESS of the letter after the name.
It’s that simple, really.
More recent posts below: hit the "Older Post" link.
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