We’re going to be amplifying what Steve all but said over the next two years because once again, Republicans can’t seem to get out of their own way even when they’re winning. This from the UL tells part of the story:
NH Senate flips, Democrats to pursue new agenda
Progressive topics like paid family and medical leave, a minimum wage hike and legalizing recreational marijuana will get a new lease on life with Democrats taking control of the state Senate for the first time in a decade….“They voted for paid family and medical leave, access to affordable health care, resources to combat the opioid crisis, and to continue supporting our local public schools. Congratulations to the Senators-elect, welcome to the Senate, and thank you for answering the call to serve your district.”
And then Jeb Bradley decided to open his yap, never understanding that he’s part and BIG parcel of the problem the NH GOP faces:
Senate Majority Leader Jeb Bradley, R-Wolfeboro, along with Morse held GOP safe seats and survived but said these results must be a wake-up call to Sununu and Republican leaders. “Governor Sununu had no coattails and didn’t campaign with House and Senate members. He is going to pay a price for that certainly,” Bradley said. “He won, but Sununu under-performed; there’s no question about it. We did fine with in-state fundraising but we’re going to have to address the out-of-state interests and get ourselves on the map the way Democrats did and again that starts with our governor.”
Right. First rule of NH GOP politics is to blame the other guy. No, Jeb, it wasn’t Chris Sununu that paid the price (although by siding with the SJWs on the conversion therapy ban (e.g., silencing Free Speech) and bathroom bill (again, siding with Leftist SJW in erasing basic science), he should have.
It IS, however, the long war by the NH GOP to screw their activists and base by the decades old tactic of demanding their votes (LOOK AT WHAT WE’LL DO!) and then stabbing them in the back (re: policies like the above) or doing what Steve outlined: pretty much doing nothing and squandering the time and capability we gave you.
So let’s slide into this two year long argument with just two items. Was:
- Championing Obamacare’s Medicaid Expansion a REPUBLICAN Platform plank?
- Is meddling in the free marketplace (or what used to be) with PSHN/Eversource’ s capital equipment (re: generation plants) a REPUBLICAN Platform plank?
- Oh heck, one more: was championing that all New Hampshirites should pay a “hidden tax” (re: higher electrical rates) by making sure that the biomass generation plants up North would receive higher than marketplace rates for the electricity they (cough, cough) provide.
Go ahead, Jeb, tell me how they all match up with the Republican Party. Oh, you can’t? Such a surprise.
While Jeb might be right about Sununu not politicking with other NH GOP candidates, this failure is not on his shoulders – it’s folks like you. With 2018 being the equivalent of 2006 (the year I REALLY became politically engaged) with the exception of the Governorship, I blame it folks like you. Once again, you’ve proved that old saw right: “why vote for semi-Democrats when you can vote for the real things?”. With activities like the above, how can we tell the difference?
Sure, you boosted Constitutional Carry and by doing so, enhanced individual liberty. That isn’t enough to compensate for the above in which you made Government more in control of decisions that should be ours alone. And because of those actions (after all, the elected RINOS made the above happen as well), you sullied the reputation of NH Republican candidates all over. Sure, there were others responsible for this but you, Jeb Bradley, have been the stand out for years.
You’re the ones that degrade the Brand of the NH GOP along with the incoherent messaging to the electorate. WE have better messaging on Conservatism than you do – and that’s rather sad, don’t you think? We’re just a small bunch of volunteers that are passionate about what is good and necessary while you folks elect (well, supposed to elect) people that spend billions of dollars every year. The stakes are so high because the bucks are so large but you folks can’t seem to learn (with the exception of when Bill O’Brien was in charge of the House) how to govern. You’re the dog that (sometimes)catches the car bumper and then go all bewildered because you just don’t know what to do.
The Democrats do – they’ve already filled their taxiways with bills just RARING to go when the control tower gives the release message. The GOP just kinda sits there, twiddling their thumbs.
And the electorate, the base, knows it. It’s gonna be a really tough two years, especially if Sununu doesn’t hew to the Republican line in order to be seen as “bipartisan” (translation: your values, not mine). And voters will look up the results the NH GOP will have in that time frame. Will there be any?
I’ve gone longer than I thought on this but here’s the closer which we at GraniteGrok will be hammering on for foreseeable future:
If the NH Republican Party wants to win, and win Consistently, act like you believe in the Platform. Speak like you do and at each and every turn. Vote like you do at each and every opportunity. And Legislate like there’s no tomorrow because two days ago was that “no more tomorrow” – and you blew it.
Instead of sitting on your collective asses.
