Good evening fellow citizens, supporters of both Don Bolduc and Bryant Messner. As we head into the primary emotions are high, and everyone’s swords are drawn in favor of their preferred candidate.
We’d like to thank Paul Grant for this Op-Ed. If you have an Op-Ed or LTE
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I previously posted a video of the WMUR debate without commentary in an effort to allow everyone who’s only heard ABOUT the candidates’ opponent from other supporters to instead hear from the candidates themselves. To basically allow everyone to step out of their echo chambers.
I would now like to take this opportunity to explain why I, and a lot of us others, are asking you to support Don Bolduc.
Predictably, this campaign has gotten ugly early. That should be no surprise – all politics are. There are supporters of Don’s opponent who publicly profess that we shouldn’t be “tearing other Republicans down,” while in reality, that’s what they’re doing every day.
Who bought the only attack ad on TV?
If every candidate were perfect, then that sentiment would be apt. Instead, we have a clearly flawed candidate running with significant liabilities that the other party is just waiting to seize. These liabilities are not just to himself but anyone looking for a change in the NH Senate landscape.
Of course, his supporters will cry at the top of their lungs that we shouldn’t be pointing out Messner’s numerous issues. That we’re only helping Senator Shaheen. I say that’s bunk. Her campaign already knows it – his past dealings, well-documented in Colorado newspapers, have already made it across the country to our state.
But these loser political operatives don’t want you to know that. Just sit down and be a good Republican and do what we tell you. Internal party politics SHOULD be tough, striving to vet and put forth the best candidate possible so that in the end, we ALL have the right person running to represent us ALL with the greatest odds of winning.
So when Messner’s supporters are saying, don’t be hateful, and let’s get behind our candidate, what they’re really saying is, “Hey! No. Don’t look over there, look over here.” After I responded to and called out one of his more prominent supporter’s blatant hypocrisy and lack of fortitude, the very next day, the webpage where this supporter posted a completely fabricated hit piece issued a policy forbidding anyone from posting anything contrary to their popular narrative in support of their preferred candidate, and this craven individual then blocked me. He’s supposed to represent our President’s campaign – whose election will be far more bruising, and he couldn’t even withstand the scrutiny from a fellow Republican.
Regarding the debate the other night, I offer this.
I watched one candidate answer questions and one dance around them. If I had the time, I’d print out the transcript of the debate because I want to accurately count how many times Messner said the President endorsed him.
Congratulations, you earned his endorsement. Got it. My question is: without his endorsement, what do you have?
You’re very good at name dropping, but can you stand on your own two feet? Can you point towards any significant achievements of your own in public service that you can then translate to future service for the Granite State?
A little more name dropping that’s germane to this discussion – Messner went to West Point. That’s great. So did I. Only, I have yet to find another grad who will drop that tidbit so repeatedly into every conversation. But here’s the difference: Messner graduated the Academy and did what we grads call, “5 and Fly.” He didn’t serve his country for a career and retire from the service. He did the five-year minimum commitment by law required to pay back the US taxpayer for his education and then went out into the private sector where he did quite well.
I don’t begrudge him for not serving a full career and retiring; we’d all rather have people that want to serve in the military instead of people whose hearts aren’t in it. I have many great friends and classmates who did their five and got out, and I think no less of them. But they don’t turn around and brazenly attempt to trade on that reputation and lineage for political gain.
How many times and for what reason did he mention that?
If he didn’t go to West Point, would he have instead so proudly touted his time at the University of (insert name here)? What are you without the names and reputations of others to stand on?
I can tell you someone who’s all that and more: Don Bolduc. He doesn’t have the President’s endorsement, and he didn’t go to West Point. But he’s got ten times’ the achievements and certified experience in public service and commitment to our country. He doesn’t need to drop others’ names.
More importantly, for someone with such a clear affinity for West Point, Messner appears to have forgotten a very key tenet that all West Pointers learned, which is the Honor Code.
Do you remember from the debate when he told us about “deploying” to Germany? When did he “deploy” anywhere? The Army paid to move his belongings and gave him either a barracks room or a housing allowance to live off post – which he did from anywhere from 2-4 years.
And after work each day, he went out on the town or went to the club or enjoyed the local culture because that’s what you do when you’re stationed in a foreign country, not on a combat deployment.
Do people deploy to Hawaii? Do people deploy to Japan? Mr. Messner, that’s not a deployment, and you know it. That’s like my telling someone I deployed from FT Benning, GA, to Fort Bragg, NC.
He wasn’t in harm’s way.
I spent a year in Korea, where we rehearsed war plans every month in case the North Koreans came across the DMZ. We kept our gas masks ready in case they used chem/bio weapons on us. And not a single one of the tens and tens of thousands who were stationed in Korea would ever claim having “deployed” there.
And in case you’re wondering, there are many thousands more Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, and Marines routinely stationed in Germany. Good luck finding someone saying they were “deployed there” except in perhaps the last 2-3 years or so as we rotate units there.
I say this because I did deploy to combat multiple times, and neither I nor anyone with a shred of self-respect would ever claim to have deployed to Germany. I’ve got some years in Iraq and Afghanistan (and there are many out there in far more hostile areas). But my cumulative time is nothing but a footnote compared to the many years that Don Bolduc has spent in hostile areas. You don’t hear him playing fast and loose with buzzwords, do you? He doesn’t have to.
That he thinks so little of himself that he needs to fluff up his exploits is one thing; that he would attempt to deceive the very same people whose taxes paid for his education is unconscionable. And for him to then tell us about VA healthcare, because he’s a veteran and he talked to some people (because he’s never had to use it himself), come on. How about, “I never had to worry about it because I had full Tricare while I was in the Army, and since I got out, I’ve had some pretty good commercial healthcare, but I did ask around…” would have been more appropriate.
You have to pay very close attention to what these candidates are telling you. Ask questions. Do a little research. With Don Bolduc, it’s solid as a rock because he’s pretty binary: either he did it, or he didn’t. He’ll be the first one to tell you. With Messner, you may want to verify before believing the cute catchphrases and what his paid operatives tell you.
Don Bolduc is just like you or I or the average Granite Stater. Born here, lived here, worked here. Left for a while to serve our country and then returned home. The keyword being HOME. He’s not an outsider being foisted on us by party “elites” (who have yet to give us the secret sauce to winning for how long has it been?).
Don retired from the Army and is now a college professor, trying to help raise the next generation and paying his mortgage – the same things a lot of us are trying to do.
I don’t dislike Messner, although the more I observe his actions and the actions of *some of his supporters, the more convinced I am that he’s exactly the wrong person for NH. Senator Shaheen will not break a sweat rolling him because his baggage will write the talking points to use against him. He’s likely a decent person and a great Conservative. Why come to NH to declare your candidacy? Aren’t you more acquainted with the needs and wants of Colorado Republicans, or did they have nothing to offer you?
The last point I want to make is about those Republican party officials telling you to vote for Messner. I referenced one earlier: Fred Doucette. Did you know that he gave full-throated endorsements of Don Bolduc?
Why is he now so vehemently against him?
Why would he use the red meat “RINO” term to describe Don (which is demonstrably false, but of course calculated to manipulate Conservative voters’ emotions so in tune with our President)? Did they ever have a falling out? No. I believe he was bought off.
In the Army, we had a saying for people like Doucette: He’s like the flag – he’s patriotic no matter which way the wind’s blowing. What this actually means has nothing to do with true patriotism; it’s about being opportunistic and taking advantage of the situation no matter which way the political winds are blowing. He’ll always wave with the prevailing winds. Unblock me, Doucette; come out of hiding and answer for yourself.
asked you before how many pieces of silver you cost? Let me amend that please: How many pieces of silver did your spine cost? And was your integrity part of a BOGO deal? You turned your back on someone you once stood for because you didn’t have the stomach for the fight. We can only hope that you don’t drop President Trump if he were ever to appear to falter.
And for the rest of these party “leaders” – let’s look at their history. Again, this isn’t opinion or hyperbole. You can look at the records on the NH Secretary of State page. NH has gone from Red to Purple to Blue – all under these same people who are now telling you, “Trust us. Vote for this guy. Don’t worry about his flaws. Hopefully, the Democrats will overlook them. We haven’t gotten it right yet, but why not gamble with us for the next election?”
We all want the same thing. Ask the hard questions and then ask yourself: who represents me, and who’s going to be able to fight Senator Shaheen? For the good of ALL Republicans, don’t make it easier for the other party.
