As with many wars, this one started slowly and then gained velocity and I’m tired of being polite, especially the superficial kind that we often see in politics. And especially with those that use the “passive-aggressive” throwing shade “just” this side of obnoxious.
The problem is, too many people KNOW it IS obnoxious, it doesn’t rise to the level of decent repartee, but do not want to be seen as contentious while being truthful in return.
I rarely have that problem nowadays as like with teens that achieve the Age of Majority (or what seems to pass for being adultish nowadays), I have attained my Age of Curmudgeoness and no longer care. Those that have earned my respect are given such. Otherwise, I no longer care much about the phoniness that is required to NOT be a curmudgeon.
So, where am I going with this?
Norm Silber, the Belknap County Republican Chair (and targeted by the Democrat Citizens for Belknap [“CfB”] PAC in the Primary), sent out a status email to the NH GOP Leadership as to what the BCRC had accomplished during the runup to Election Day:
From: Norman J Silber <njs@silbersnh.com>
Sent: Monday, November 7, 2022 12:07:21 PM
To: Elliot Gault <elliot@nhrsc.com>; david strang <davidstrangmd@yahoo.com>; PAUL TERRY <revpaul51@verizon.net>; Marc Abear <sea1mra@gmail.com>
Cc: Jade Wood <jade.woodnh@hotmail.com>; Stephen Stepanek <sbs2093@gmail.com>; Pamzt <pamzt@comcast.net>; Scott Maltzie <smaltzie@comcast.net>; Bill O’Brien <williamlobrien@protonmail.com>; Lara Bezich <larabezich@gmail.com>; Erica NH Graphic Designer <erica@nhgraphicdesigner.com>; nikkimc1973 <nikkimc1973@protonmail.com>; Jacquelyn Sandstrom <jacquelynsandstrom@gmail.com>; Skip Murphy <skip@granitegrok.com>; Jose Cambrils <pigroastking@comcast.net>
Subject: RE: Belknap County General Election Activities
The Belknap County Republican Committee (the “BCRC”) has been very active in the campaign leading up to the General Election tomorrow.In keeping with the principles and goals of the platform of the NHGOP, the BCRC has undertaken numerous expensive steps to try to persuade voters to vote the entire slate of Republican candidates, from the top to the bottom of the ballots, irrespective of what might have been prior differences among us.
To develop and implement our strategy, a subcommittee was formed consisting of Vice Chair Paul Terry, Treasurer David Strang, member at large Marc Abear, and BCRC General Members Lara Bezich, Erica Golter, Nikki McCarter, Jackie Sandstrom, & David “Skip” Murphy. The later 5 individuals have extensive experience in graphic design and implementation.
The result of the work of the subcommittee was as follows:
- 4 different version of road/yard signs, each with a relevant message were developed, and 600 of those signs were placed throughout Belknap County. Copies of those signs at attached.
- 100 of 2 versions of the signs were obtained in a much larger 4 x 4 size and those were placed around the county.
- All signs refer people to StandUpBelknap.com. “Stand Up Belknap” is a registered trade name of the BCRC with the NH Department of State, and clicks on StandUpBelknap.com are automatically redirected to the BCRC website, where our urgings to vote Republican have prominent positions.
- Our BCRC Facebook Page is also active with similar messaging to vote Republican.
- Full page ads were placed in the Weirs Times and the Laconia Dily Sun, urging voters to vote Republican. A copy of that ad is also attached.
- A voter guide listing the Republican candidates in the county was developed in a small, folded format to be handed out to voters- 5,000 copies will be distributed, some of which distribution has already started.
- A cadre of volunteers to wave signs at the polls has been recruited and that recruitment continues- Nikki McCarter is the coordinator.
Hopefully we will see some positive results from our efforts.
Norm Silber
Chair, Belknap County Republican Committee
Member of the New Hampshire Bar & The Florida Bar
Rather innocuous – just a statement of the facts while thanking the folks who helped. How controversial could that be?
Jade Wood, NH GOP Area 5 Vice-Chair and a Gunstock Area Commissioner, couldn’t resist smearing all of the BCRC subcommittee members.
Her actions as a Commissioner, in my humble opinion, have directly aligned with the CfB. Publicly this was shown by her constant berating of two Commissioners, Republicans Peter Ness and Dr. David Strang (also the Treasurer of the BCRC), during the GAC meetings, yelling (often in concert with Douglas Lambert who had his BCRC General Membership removed by the General Members over a misdemeanor assault charge against a General Member female) that they had to resign from the GAC for “violating their oaths of office.” However, neither ever specified which ordinance, bylaw, statute, or Constitutional Article necessary to have violated their oaths.
A simple thank you would have been sufficient. However, she just couldn’t help herself (I’ve been watching this trend for a while from her) – read closely to see the bit that carries on the demagoguing used against Ness and Strang. First, the part where she just HAD to pat herself on the back:
—— Original Message ——
From: “Jade Wood” <jade.woodnh@hotmail.com>
To: “Elliot Gault” <elliot@nhrsc.com>; “david strang” <davidstrangmd@yahoo.com>; “PAUL TERRY” <revpaul51@verizon.net>; “Marc Abear” <sea1mra@gmail.com>; “Norman J Silber” <njs@silbersnh.com>
Cc: “Stephen Stepanek” <sbs2093@gmail.com>; “Pamzt” <pamzt@comcast.net>; “Scott Maltzie” <smaltzie@comcast.net>; “Bill O’Brien” <williamlobrien@protonmail.com>; “Lara Bezich” <larabezich@gmail.com>; “Erica NH Graphic Designer” <erica@nhgraphicdesigner.com>; “nikkimc1973” <nikkimc1973@protonmail.com>; “Jacquelyn Sandstrom” <jacquelynsandstrom@gmail.com>; “Skip Murphy” <skip@granitegrok.com>; “Jose Cambrils” <pigroastking@comcast.net>
Sent: 11/7/2022 2:52:54 PM
Subject: Re: Belknap County General Election ActivitiesThanks for the update Chairman Silber:
Using the resources you speak of including the signs and voter guides (special thanks to Marc and Nikki for coordinating deliveries) the Lakes Region Federated Republican Women’s chapter worked with local candidates to mobilize a sign wave in Laconia on Saturday and is also coordinating volunteers to pass out voter guides at polling places. In addition, as you know from the last BCRC meeting, I worked with Elliot and the Tri-county Republican committee to secure the remaining neccessary funding required for a mailer to support candidates in Alton, Barnstead and beyond in the amount of 1000.00.
Belknap County has healing to do and is learning many important lessons from this election cycle, however, it’s good to see correspondence like this underscoring our efforts as conservatives.
Remember, calling yourself a Republican doesn’t necessarily make you a Conservative.
Thank you to the members of the subcommittee, I recognize and appreciate the things all of you have done to help Republicans get elected…hopefully they outweigh the other things.
I’ll see you tomorrow or Wednesday at the BCRC meeting.
Good luck!
-Jade
Classic – lift up oneself at the expense of others. And I hate it when people resort to a passive-aggressive tone – not honest enough to make a point but still just HAVE to shove their elbow into somebody’s ribs (e.g., the classic “wave of the hand” but done verbally). Problem for this response is that I no longer allow bullies to get away with bullying without a response of my own. Generally rather bluntly:
—— Forwarded Message ——
From: “Skip” <Skip@granitegrok.com>
To: “Jade Wood” <jade.woodnh@hotmail.com>; “Elliot Gault” <elliot@nhrsc.com>; “david strang” <davidstrangmd@yahoo.com>; “PAUL TERRY” <revpaul51@verizon.net>; “Marc Abear” <sea1mra@gmail.com>; “Norman J Silber” <njs@silbersnh.com>
Cc: “Stephen Stepanek” <sbs2093@gmail.com>; “Pamzt” <pamzt@comcast.net>; “Scott Maltzie” <smaltzie@comcast.net>; “Bill O’Brien” <williamlobrien@protonmail.com>; “Lara Bezich” <larabezich@gmail.com>; “Erica NH Graphic Designer” <erica@nhgraphicdesigner.com>; “nikkimc1973” <nikkimc1973@protonmail.com>; “Jacquelyn Sandstrom” <jacquelynsandstrom@gmail.com>; “Jose Cambrils” <pigroastking@comcast.net>
Sent: 11/7/2022 8:23:10 PM
Subject: Re[2]: Belknap County General Election Activities>>…hopefully they outweigh the other things.
Thanks for the backhanded compliment and for trying to paint yourself as innocent as newly driven snow. Unfortunately, your response falls under the header of a “thank you CYA”. Why?
Remember, it was YOU who demonized two good and decent Republicans on the GAC, Commissioners Peter Ness and David Strang, for months accusing them of violating their Oaths of Office (Part 2, Article 28) in trying to force them off the Gunstock Area Commission simply because they were asking uncomfortable and penetrating questions concerning the operations of Gunstock (like that hotel in the new Master Plan that was to be built on land that Gunstock didn’t own – and that was just a surface level question).
Yet, neither you (or Douglas Lambert) have ever proved that either of them violated any GAC ByLaw, BCRC ByLaw, NH GOP ByLaw, local ordinance, State RSA, or NH Constitutional Article. No once. But what a hell of a demagogue marketing campaign on your part in forcing Ness to finally resign (a political newbie that had no resources [with which to fight back) . You destroyed the reputations of two decent men for simply for political reasons and gain. One of them the Treasurer of the BCRC – nicely done as an elected officer of the NH GOP.
And remember, I have LOTS of video “receipts” to prove it if you want to contest me on this. Folks, all the video is up on GraniteGrok and/or the GraniteGrok Youtube Channel.
No, this “thank you”, with that phrase, is a CYA move and a sanctimonious passive-aggressive back-handed dig…
…and doesn’t outweigh what you did in helping the aims of the Democrat PAC named “Citizens for Belknap” – destroying the then Conservative GAC that led to the tremendous division within the all Republican Belknap County Delegation. The CfB then, with your [intentional | unintentional] assistance, eliminated almost all of the Conservative Republicans in the Primary (with the exceptions of Paul Terry, Barbara Comtois, Peter Vadney, and Dawn Johnson who are now under attack by even by some Republicans).
With your “assistance”, we only have Republicans to vote for who are both anti-Parental Rights (Bordes especially), and those sucking on the teat of Union Monies from Brodie Deshaies’ Common Sense PAC that was almost entirely funded with 2-$10,000 tranches from 2 Union PACs:
- Mike Bordes – $1,000 (twice!)
- Travis O’Hara – $1,000 (twice!)
- Doug Trottier – $1,000
- Tim Lang – $5,000
Along with Howard Pearl (also $5,000 union money), the GOP can kiss Right To Work legislation goodbye. And yes, I have posted the filings of the Common Sense PAC on GraniteGrok:
I have remained silent on your part in all this to this point. However, with that aimed remark, “hopefully they outweigh the other things“, no longer. You are the LAST person that I’d be listening to for “healing” given that you were at the forefront of creating the damage in the first place…meeting after meeting after meeting.
YOU NEED TO RESIGN YOUR NH GOP AREA 5 Vice-Chair position for behavior unbecoming such a position and aiding that Democrat PAC with your actions that has destroyed the Republican Party in Belknap County.
Have a great evening (snort!).
-Skip
Yeah, she saw me last night at the BCRC – and quickly walked away. She, too, disrupted the meeting along with Lambert and Hough. I did laugh when finally a lady upfront got up and berated both Lambert and Hough with some choice words and effectively called them bullies for being the ones creating the disorder and trying to take over the meetings (and noted that they had just started to attend) even as they have been trying to wage a PR against the BCRC and its leadership.
Good for her.
And what response did THAT get from the NH GOP Leadership?
<crickets>. Absolutely <crickets>
I agree with the plethora of posts about the NH GOP that Steve, Ed, and Ray have put up in the contrast with the organizing by the Democrats: absolutely useless. In this lack of an answer, they are no better than the run-0f-the-mill School Board (aka “The Easter Island stone faced Moa statues”) – a silence that is deafening.
I won my race for NH GOP Delegate – I get to vote for the next slate of NH GOP elected Officials.
