Civil War within the GOP? Or not? - Granite Grok

Civil War within the GOP? Or not?

I just got this from a close and greatly respected political activist and observer of the political scene in New Hampshire: 

Tim, there are FOUR announced candidates I think: O’Brien, Chandler, Reagan, and Emerson. "Civil war"? Not so much. . .

My response? I said this: Dagny, we’re aware that John Reagan and Susan Emerson are also running. But the real struggle for the Speakership is between two people only, because they’re the obvious front-runners, Bill O’Brien and Gene Chandler. In addition, Bill and Gene are very instructive as direct opponents….


Rep. Chandler, while he has served with loyalty and distinction in years past, is "yesterday’s Republican." That is, someone who champions old, tired, and discredited GOP policies that do little more than "go along and get along" with the Democrats, who are perceived to be—and thus are allowed to be—dominant.

The other contestant in the two-way Speakership race—Rep. Bill O’Brien—is a "New Republican": Thoughtful and idealistic—while at the same time tough, gritty, aggressive, and unafraid—he is an excellent legislative tactician who has the capacity to lead the Republican Party and the state of New Hampshire back from the destructive abyss that Gov. John Lynch and his Democratic majority have brought us to in the last four awful years. Policies championed by Rep. O’Brien will lead New Hampshire toward beneficial economic and social policies that will be good for our state and good for generations who will follow.

O’Brien isn’t the only New Republican duking it out with yesterday’s discredited Republicans. The civil war—and it truly is going on within the GOP—has featured and continues to feature match-ups like these:

  • State Rep. Marco Rubio vs. GOP favorite Gov. Charlie Crist in Florida.
  • Rep. Pat Toomey vs. GOP favorite Sen. Arlen Specter in Pennsylvania.
  • Paul  Hoffman vs. GOP favorite Dede Scozzafava (or whatever her name was) in New York.
  • Pat Miller vs. GOP favorite Sen. Lisa Murkowski in Alaska.
  • Gov. Sarah Palin vs. the corrupt GOP in Alaska, and then John McCain’s idiotic campaign managers during the Presidential campaign.
  • Gov. Chris Cristy vs. the corrupt political establishment in New Jersey.
  • Sen. Jim DeMint vs. almost all other GOP Senators.
  • Rand Paul vs. Sen. Mitch McConnell in Kentucky.
  • Sharron Angle vs. Harry Reid and the entire GOP establishment in Nevada.
  • Mike Lee vs. GOP Sen. Bob Bennett in Utah.
  • GOP Tea partiers across the land vs. the (dare I say it?) totally politically exhausted GOP establishment in Washington, DC.
  • And then…finally…wait for it!…
  • ….Our very own Rep. Bill O’Brien vs. Rep. Gene Chandler, right here in the Free State of New Hampshire.*** 

*** But with the immediate caveat that I do not level criticism against Gene Chandler that the GOP establishment deserves elsewhere. From all that I know, Rep. Chandler is an honorable man. The same is not true of some GOP  establishment-types, as well as "party hacks"in both parties…especially the Democratic Party, which today has become obviously—even ostentatiously—corrupt and malevolent, through-and-through.

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