In what is expected to be only the first of many aspirants (unlike the last election cycle), Portsmouth businessman and conservative activist leader Jack Kimball has taken the first step in a quest for NH’s Corner Office currently occupied by John Lynch. And already, the Democrats are on the attack. From where I sit, that’s not an entirely BAD thing…
Fosters reports
It’s the summer before the summer before the 2010 election, but Democrats claim the N.H. Republican Party has already found its "new leader" after resident and Portsmouth businessman Jack Kimball filed papers Tuesday to run for governor.
If you are Jack, or one of his supporters, you would probably agree with the above statement. Of course it’s the part where they call him a
"radical right-winger" who’s made "disturbing comments" about America becoming the land of socialism and fascism
that the agreement ends. "Disturbing?" Who can deny America ISN’T turning into a land of socialism and fascism? With government growing at breakneck speeds, our children’s future being mortgaged away to the Chinese, some of it filling the state’s coffers ("one time monies") in order to prop up a bloated budget thus staving off any real reductions or cuts, I would say anyone NOT concerned is "radical."
In addition to Democrats, Fergus Cullen, the former state party chair noted for standing by helpless as the once mighty New Hampshire Republican Party collapsed into deeper minority status, has already jumped in, criticizing Jack’s principled conservatism as somehow inappropriate:
"The math is very simple," he said, citing a recent Gallup Poll showing 50 percent of state voters identify themselves as independents. "We cannot win elections if we only get the votes of Republicans. In order to win elections we need to attract the votes of independents, and so a candidate who only motivates the base does not have a winning electoral strategy."
Jack’s answer?
Kimball pledged to hold his ground, saying there are Democrats who "feel exactly the way I feel" about the direction of the country and "independents are swinging dramatically back" to Republicans.
"I’m not a big-tent Republican. What I am is a Reagan Republican and I am going to stick to that. There are some Republicans in the party that want to moderate and I’m not one of them," he said.
What does that mean? Kevin Landrigan runs down the list in the Nashua Telegraph, reporting:
Kimball said he stands for cutting taxes and government spending and for gun owner rights, while opposing abortion, gay marriage, stimulus money and government-run health care.
"Unlike John Lynch, I’m a small government guy all the way," Kimball said. "I believe in making tax cuts that can produce additional revenue."
Asked how he would have balanced the current, two-year state budget, Kimball said he would have trimmed expenses and opposed the 39 tax and fee hikes contained in the final document.
"It’s a tough job but very necessary," he said.
Hmmm. While this sentiment might frighten the big government statists that infest both of the Granite State’s political parties, I think it may find common cause with a great many ordinary citizens.
