We had endorsed Ovide Lamontagne in the Republican Primary for NH Governor early in this election cycle; it is now time to roll out additional endorsements. We reviewed a number of races, talked with a number of candidates, reviewed objective ratings done by groups that mirror the ‘Grok philosophically (e.g., Republican Liberty Caucus of New Hampshire, NH House Republican Alliance, and HRA, New Hampshire Liberty Alliance), and then talked / voted amongst ourselves. Now, we are asking for your votes for them.
This cycle, we are endorsing Rick Parent to be the next US Congressman representing New Hampshire in the First Congressional District.
We first met Rick last cycle as he ran then as well – a nice guy but not sure of the process, what he had to do to be successful, how to articulate his positions, and the best ways to get his message out. We liked him as a person but really didn’t feel that it was his time – while his heart and his intent was there, he was not ready.
This time, he is better situated – and we believe that he is much improved! He has always been a Patriot – as Chief Engineer on a cargo ship that supplies our troops in the Middle East, he is a down to earth guy that knows the value of hard work and showing up. A plus for me – I wish MORE Engineers would run instead of just politicians looking for the next rung up the political ladder – he has spent years learning his craft in the private sector. I “get” his campaign tagline: “Engineering the future, one step at a time” – Go back to fundamental principles, consider the problem in the light of those principles, break the problem down to more manageable pieces, make sure those pieces will work individually and as a whole knowing that a SYSTEM is better than a point solution, and then roll it out incrementally instead wholesale changes. While politics is much less deterministic than engineering software, electronics, or hardware, the point of considering the whole and how even the smallest legislative changes can impact Society is a skill that many (if not most) politicians never learn. It is never good to start a runaway train…
Rick knows from personal experience what it is to get his hands dirty and keep things running – his is the responsibility to ensure that both the lives of his shipmates are safe and that our Armed Services get the supplies to keep them safe. He has spent his time in the Gulf better learning the issues and how to explain his stances based on the Constitution as “his system”. Oh yes, big time on the Constitution – and we believe that will not change just because the election is over. He understands that the Constitution is not just legal foundation but now IS our lifeboat.
We did an interview series with Rick Parent – links after the jump. Oh, and for those that remember that we endorsed someone else last time…
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Back in 2008, and I may have shared this story before, I was discussing with a longtime friend my conclusion that then candidate John McCain was not really a ‘Republican.’ He could not understand why so I asked my baptist minister friend…”there are a lot of ‘interpretations’ of Christianity, and for the most part each is reasonably accepting of the others…but isn’t there a point at which what it is they are “practicing” is no longer Christianity?” He said yes. I said, “OK, same with being a “Republican.”
