Articles tagged as

NH GOP

Branding: “Nobody…seemed to consider the possibility that taxes should not go up!”

That was from Grokster Mike’s post that was riffing off of mine on my “ire” on how NH Republicans in the NH House voted to raise the gas tax via HB617 (emphasis mine):

Riffing off Skip’s piece on the gas tax, I happened to walk into a thinly attended local GOP meeting last night – not naming names, because it’s the principle that matters:

The topic under discussion was the recent vote on the gas tax increase, and whether it would have been better to raise gas taxes and take a bite out of passing tourists, or for residents to suck it up in registration fees to keep the state friendly for visitors.

Nobody, NOBODY, in a GOP group (until I walked in) seemed to consider the possibility that taxes should not go up! Once prodded, they wondered aloud whether our roads and bridges were so bad as to warrant this, whether prioritization might be a good idea, or gosh, are all the gas and vehicle taxes actually going toward road maintenance?

And we wonder why we have a problem cutting spending? Do we HAVE to give Maggie’s Marauders a free pass?

U Cud Be a Useful IdiotOnce prodded.  Really?  Once prodded?  Attendees at an NH GOP meeting have to be “prodded” to think of the ramifications of what is a heightened broad based sales tax (most people in NH drive, and driving requires gas or diesel)?  Look, even those that are active in the NH GOP can’t keep track of every bill and every issue that is going on in the State and under the State House Dome.  But my gosh, one would think that they have a grasp of the basics of Republicanism (if not Conservatism).  So, when a good chunk of number of Rs help to enlarge the local Leviathan, it kinda puts a kibosh on putting a Phoenix story on the Republican brand – instead of rising from ashes, this is putting nails into the coffin.  Thus far, it seems like new NH GOP Chair Jennifer Horn is doing the right things – but with respect to providing separation from the Dems, is this a one step forward / 3 steps back?  How does this prevent a “taxes?  Republicans voted for them too – so don’t blame us!” attack?

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SB 0120 – Let’s name the names, shall we? Jeb Bradley (R), Sharon Carson (R), Bob Odell (R), Shawn Jasper (R), Gary Richardson (D)

Let me get this off my chest: I am now ashamed that GraniteGrok, Meet the New Press (our former radio show), and I, did all we could to help Jeb Bradley, the prime sponsor of this Act, beat “Bathroom Bud” Martin in that special election that seems so long ago.  I was told he was a moderate Congressman – boardering on “squish”; I heard it but thought “well, that was ‘before my active time” and he’s sounding a whole lot more conservative now” and beat the drum.  Stupid me – he’s drifted Leftward ever since that first year.  And no, not happy with the results of the NH Senate last session either.

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

One of my pet peeves lately is why is it that normal people can read the plain language of the Constitution and can understand it literally as written – and yet lawyers and politicians cannot?  How simple are the words “… no law….abridging the freedom of speech” – what is there to not understand? Five single syllable words, one with two, and one with three; this is elementary school level English.  Yes, while the Constitution is supposed to be binding on the US Congress, it is the Law of the Land, the foundational philosophy of our Constitutional Republic. The ordinary person who is NOT a lawyer keeps thinking “isn’t it about time to get rid of the lawyers, get rid of the prancing around with “case law” and nuances and penumbras that seem to emanate from black robed creatures when looking upon these words – and just read the words as written?

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Black Swan: Obama’s actions created the TEA Party. Is the Establishment Old Guard Republicans are about to be black swanned?..

“ if you aren’t going to do what you say you would, we can no longer trust you“

I am beginning to think so.  Certainly here in NH during the last two election cycles, the enmity between what I would call the Old Guard Establishment (e.g., “I’m a Republican because…..I’m a Republican” and “who the heck do these newcomers think they are, waving the Party Platform and Constitution?”) and what I call the New Conservative Republicans (e.g, “Winning is the precursor, not the end game in itself”) has only become more distinct and calcified along that gap call “Philosophy / Country Club”.  Do you run and win to put a philosophy into action, or do you run to be somebody and “go along / get along” and make nice with the opposition?  The TEA Party arose because of Obama’s so compressed the political air, the common folks sprang up in dissent – with their ire aimed at those that were throwing the country into a fiscal black hole and ignoring the basic Rule of Law.  That included Republicans as well as Democrats – people who had never before protested got a glint in their eye for those they believed were not living up to and voting by the standards they swore oaths to.

It took the Democrats by surprise.  It took Republicans more by surprise.  And both are reacting against the upstarts – simply because many of us have had it with the Political Class (comprised of both Dems and Rs and the MSM / political operatives) that is seemingly protecting itself against the best needs of the country and “the little people”.

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A Bump On The Road To Unity – some riffs off Steve

Unity

Steve’s post brings up a bunch of issues that are well worth your time to read – and as you can tell by the title here, this is a takeoff on it.  He brings up (along with some of my thoughts):

  • Bloggers like us aren’t the problem that former NH GOP Chair Wayne MacDonald believes us to be…

Most political operatives, campaign managers, politicians and El Jefes of the GOP still have little to no clue how to view bloggers even after a decade since the first bloggers started.  Ditto for cooperating with us.  These folks get frustrated, because they quickly find out that not only can they not “use” bloggers, bloggers get extremely annoyed when a dumb attempt is made to actually do so (and make that abundantly clear, which then makes us “the enemy” in their minds because we won’t “go along”).  We may support your issues, and sometimes, we may even be in lockstep in areas, issues, or people important to you , but realize that it is because those things are important to us – not you.  We do a lot of things but mainly we blog and we do a lot of it.  Personally, don’t ask me to do a lot of other things that you think we should be doing; ask how I might be able to help THIS way – not your way or to plug your “need holes”. We may like you as a politician but don’t view us as part of your campaign staff (even if we “make nice” on you often) that you can then believe co-opting might possible.

Jon Henke a few years ago told me what he tells politico type…

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A Bump On The Road To Unity – Unity of what?

Rose Colored GlassesAgain, Steve’s post on NH GOP’s mistrust of bloggers and unity ignited a bunch of thoughts – and realized I had gone long (even for me).  So consider this Part II of mine from his Part I.  On Unity – or more properly put – the false sense of Unity that some in the NH GOP are proclaiming just because, well, it what is supposed to happen after elections.  Phewy on that – unfortunately, Reality is about to be injected into some self-delusion happy talkers that are believing that nonsense (their rose colored lenses are gonna have to dialed down quick).

Unity – all day Saturday we heard that we, as a Party, now have to unify, that we have to be united.  Well, that’s very true.  The question is “Unity of what?”  Well, the simple answer is “well, to win”.  Gee, no kidding – that’s a given.  The purpose of the NH GOP, historically, has been to take people who are willing to put an “R” after their name and get them elected.  Period.  They have had (or shown) very little judgement or discipline in this matter (sorta like that TSA parody of Rush’s: “He’s breathin’!”).

Simply saying “Unity NOW!” or “We are UNITED!” is now insufficient for the NH GOP at this time.  Period. Silly, really. Ain’t gonna happen and if the E-Board and the Chair think that this state of being is here, well, it’s back to the Wilderness for quite some time (am just hoping it isn’t for 40 election cycles).  A snap of the fingers isn’t going to heal what has been festering for 3 or 4 cycles now (at a minimum, but has become front and center the last two or three cycles).  Ding Ding Ding!  Ignoring the real state of dis-unity it isn’t going to solve it – that’s just doubling down on the Disaster line.  Acting like a judge (or a parent) and only yell “stop it – act like adults ” will probably end up like the SuperBalls I used to bounce off the brick wall at JFK Elementary School – I found out the hard way that a rebounding (super hard) ball on the soft parts of the body HURT.  So will maintaining the delusional.

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Free Advice For Chairman Horn – Part II

OK, perhaps some might think we are piling on tonite – well, sometimes, that’s just what happens.  Besides, as bloggers, this past Saturday was like finding a field full of gold nuggets.  Sure, we do have fun doing some of this (after all, none of us get paid, not even me, and if you aren’t being paid, you’d better be having fun) but it is a lot of “seriousness” wrapped in that “fun”.  Sometimes, though, it’s just a having an observation thrown into your face by someone else.

This time, by new NH GOP Chair Jennifer Horn.  Being a State Committee Member, I was on both her email list and Andrew’s – dualing messages.  Well, given her victory, she sent out one last email from her JenniferForGOPChair account (as it will be Jennifer@NHGOP.org next time). And had a facepalm moment.  After all, one of the Big Three “issues” of this campaign was Unity (“I can create this!”), another was Technology (“I can write and deploy this!”), and the biggest, in my mind, was Messaging (“I can articulate a convincing story”).  Messaging – to differentiate the NH GOP from the NH Democrats. Messaging – to give a clear and obvious choice. Messaging – to articulate the differences.

Difference.  Kinda hard to do, though, when you use their words their way, ma’am!  My immediate response to friends was:

>> And Now We Move Forward!

 PLEASE tell me that she really has no idea what she just said…...in copying the Obama campaign slogan “FORWARD!”

 FORWARD! – the slogan of Marxists and Socialist from time eternal.

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Did Saturday’s boos send a response to Jim Foley’s claim?

Well, when the call for a second for Jim Foley’s Finance report, all that was heard were “BOOS”.  Umm, no second was heard.  The call for a second was issued a second time for Jim Foley’s Finance report, all that was heard were “BOOS”.  Umm, no second was heard – a second time.

Togetherness?  Kumbaya moment?  Not so much, I guess.  But he did promise just that, once upon a time:

Jim Foley For NH GOP Chair

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A Bump On The Road To Unity

Will the NHGOP suit up and fight
Suit up…or get out of the way.

As a Blogger I am encouraged by the calls for unity from the NH-GOP leadership.  But I do not believe they have a clue about how to get there from here.  And blaming bloggers is clearly not the answer.  In fact, it is exactly the opposite of “the answer.”  I make that quite clear in the status update I posted on Facebook this morning.

“…the NHGOP is very bad at messaging.  They are terrible at policy support during the session.  They are not aggressive at all when it comes to going after Democrats.  They never use the media resources at their disposal effectively.  And they do a poor job of supporting local candidates.  Meanwhile, ‘Bloggers” are doing all of those things…for free.  But rather than thank me for the 1200 articles a year I might write attacking left wing policy, narrative, legislation, or commentary; or thanking me for supporting the platform, conservative principles, good legislation, or local Republican candidates, they piss and moan like children over the fifteen or so articles where I call out the GOP for acting like progressives.“

The first step toward recovery is accepting that you have a problem.  The NH-GOP has a problem and it is not bloggers.

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“Secrecy in the name of unity” – Yet, I thought the NH GOP was about “Openness & Transparency”?

From the NH GOP Platform:

II. TAXES AND SPENDING

Government Structure:

Expand openness and transparency to employment, expenditures and all recipients of taxpayers’ funds

“Secrecy in the name of unity” – what a phrase; anyone else see the uber-contradiction between what the NH GOP demands of its Government and what governance it is willing to hold itself to?  What a phrase from the person who held highest office in the State Party, now former NH GOP Chair Wayne MacDonald to utter.   Once again, the disconnect of “Fine for thee but not for me” rears its ugly head.  No, Wayne MacDonald and James “Jim” Foley, as we here at the ‘Grok have been pointing out for YEARS now, bloggers are not the problem.  We only hold the flashlights and flip the ON switch to ON.  What they shine on is strictly a manifestation of the internal works that folks like you have created.  Or do you not like that message either?  Good governance, either in Government or any other organization, yields trust – and that demands openness and transparency.  However, both of these “gentlemen” believes otherwise – that secrecy is the stuff of good governing, I guess.  We can only trust ourselves – the elected to rule govern.

Consistency – oh true, there are times we may continue the early practice of the blogosphere being the Wild Wild West (which does upset some of the delicates out there, or those that believe they are the be all and end all, and above criticism)  but in almost everything we say or believe in here at the ‘Grok, we are consistent.  Sure, like most folks, we do slip up now and then (heck, with almost 13,500 posts, we’ve said a whole lot a whole lot of times) – but they are the exception rather than the norm.  You read us, you know us.  Government, and the NH GOP, should be internally consistent.  They are not.

This was the most egregious fact that was brought out by Steve’s post (“Wayne Mac Donald ..”People who blog are those who are “ruining” the party”“)  linked to a piece by political newcomer Kathy Benuck about her experience at the NH GOP Annual Meeting.  Seen through her eyes, from a fresh unvarnished perspective should be viewed by those now in charge of the NH GOP.  My takeaways of her “cause for concern” items:

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Hillary: “What Difference Does It Make??” Former NH GOP Chair Wayne MacDonald: “What difference does it make?”

Hillary Clinton loses it Drudge BenghaziActually, in both cases, the answer to both cases is “It DOES make a difference – a tremendous one, in fact.”  And both are in the same area: trust.  Or in fact, creating more a lack of trust than what already exists.  Both questions from the top figures in the organization show a lack of concern of the perception of impropriety at best or a callous lack of concern (at all) at worst.

As Grokster Scott points out here, the question from Hillary was an avoidance of responsibility on her part.  She may, indeed, have future political plans and does not want a political albatross hung around her neck.  It was also, secondarily, a defense of Obama and of Obama’s claim that He has single handedly decimated Al Queda and made the word safe for Socialism (after all, an Obamessiah has to be blameless in order to mold us to be able to enter into his Heaven on earth).  After all, if that policy PR is shown to be false (and I believe that it has), the inference can be “where else is Obama’s foreign policies failing?”  or other policies as well.

But it matters even more – Government should be open and transparent.  It does matter, in that it is not YOUR Government, it is ours, the Citizens.  This is not YOUR nation, it is ours, the Citizens.  The reasoning of those we have elected to govern (not rule) as well as how that reasoning turns into action (and then how that action is carried out) should be able to be followed by the ordinary citizen.  When that open and transparency is violated, the lack of trust by the ordinary system rises.  Pulling down the shade by dint of her question only creates dark corners in Government in which bad things seem to sprout and create rot.

Oh, back to Wayne MacDonald, now the former NH GOP Chair…on the NH GOP Area 5 Vice-Chair race

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NH GOP – fallout from the Annual Meeting

I was forwarded this email by Mary Bonser and she has given permission to publish it (emphasis mine, not Mary’s).  I do wonder if the NH GOP will accept its warnings? After all, now former NH GOP Chair Wayne MacDonald claims that blogs are ruining the Party.  Which is yet another problem – if a lowly blog can ruin an entire State Republican Party, one of two things is true (after Mary’s Letter):

Regina Birdsell, Chairman
Rockingham County Republican Committee
P.O. Box 772
Exeter, NH 03833

January 27, 2013

Dear Regina,

Please accept my resignation as a Committee Member and Area 3, Vice Chairman for the Rockingham County NH Republican Committee. I will also be leaving the Republican Party.

As a woman in my sixty’s this is not a decision that I make lightly, as I have been a Republican all of my adult life. However, it is something I have been seriously considering for almost 2 years as I have watched the NH Republican Party lose its noble purpose and stumble in on itself.

Saturday’s Annual Republican State Committee Meeting was a watershed moment for me and for the NH Republican Party.

At the meeting it became clear that the party has no idea that it is in a rut of inconsequentiality and proceeded in major ways to dig the rut deeper. It was a ridiculous demonstration of awarding people who have failed demonstratively with, what amounted to, “participation awards”, merely for showing up, apparently.

I can no longer waste my time with a party that operates in a stifling bell jar of delusions of former grandeur. The NH Republican Party is now the pathetic old high school football star that still wears his “letter” jacket and hangs out in the town square as the world leaves him farther and farther behind. The NH Republican Party has lost its way and doesn’t know it, and doesn’t want to know it, and anyone who tries to tell them is marginalized and even demonized.

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Live Blogging – from the NH GOP Annual Meeting

Back on the road tomorrow at the NH GOP meeting at the Bedford High School – schlepping all the equipment and hoping to be able to live stream from there and talk to interesting people.  And yes, Groksters get to vote as well – new by-laws and new officers. It should turn out to be…..interesting. … Read more

Endorsement – JP Marzullo for NH GOP Vice-Chair

All organizations need a Number Two person, and at this place in time for the the NH GOP, a good one is needed indeed. Someone who knows the people, knows the groups, and knows the nuts-and-bolts of both the Party as well as campaigns to help regain the House, the Executive Council, the corner office, … Read more

Endorsement – Diane Bitter for NH GOP Secretary

I have known Diane for a number of years now and was quite some time before I even knew that she was involved in Republican Party activities.  At that time, she was not an “out front” person – but she was the person “that made things and events work”.  If someone asked her to carry … Read more

AN ESSAY: Mark Levin & Andrew Hemingway? Or Mitt Romney & Jennifer Horn?

Andrew Hemingway For NH GOP Chair!
Andrew Hemingway…
…and Mark Levin…

Strange juxtapositions, you say? Especially when talking about the the race for NH GOP chairman between Jennifer Horn, the “establishment” choice, and Andrew Hemingway, the “Movement Conservative” choice? No, I say, not at all. Levin/Hemingway on the one hand, and Horn/Romney on the other are emblematic of the state of the Republican Party today…both in New Hampshire and in the United States. It is separated—note that I did not say

…or Jennifer Horn…
…and Mitt Romney?

“divided,” “fractured,” or “split”; the word is chosen carefully—into two divergent “points of view.” On the two sides there are what might be called “the hard-corps, committed, Constitutionalist, activist, movement conservatives” on the one hand, and the…

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Well, what do you know – Andy Martin mentioned us. Is it time to swoon yet?

“You are probably wondering why I’m running for [NH GOP] state chairman. I think we could almost adopt the slogan, “Vote for Andy: No One Likes Him!” The party “Establishment” probably shudders at the mention of my name. And the right-wing, pseudo-Brit Groksters think of me as a form of fertilizer, or religious nightmare or … Read more

Like father, like son? Like Jim Foley, like Bruce Perlo?

NH GOP Chair race.  Heating up.  Exposing a longstanding flaw in an Establishment mindset.  A Big one -> “Activists out side the Party are worthless”.  Remember what Finance Chair and Derry Chair said:

In addition- we have a meeting of activists every month- it is know as the Executive Board

with the implication of “we are the activists that count”.  Well, that was pretty inclusive right there, eh?  In 2006 & 2008, you had the Party activists – period.  And in a lot of cases here in NH, given the “down the nose” treatment by “Party Activists” and Mucky-Mucks like Foley, a lot of the volunteer outside the Party folks either sat on their hands (and wallets) or moved a whole lot slower if they helped at all (trust me, I heard the stories).  Top-down, command-and-control; 2012 had results more similar to 2008 and 2006 than 2010.  Sure, there were other factors in play here this cycle (muchly due to the Obama Big Data for which the Establishment Republicans (and the money they represent) had no answer, but a good deal of the “down enthusiasm” of the grass roots had to do with the way they were treated – and with the way that Bill O’Brien was treated).  When hard work was put in on Constitutional and Party Platform issues and bills, only to see it defeated by “less grassroots oriented” / Establishment Republicans, why support the Party?  So instead of getting a heartfelt “thank you for your work in the election” (e.g., TEA Party / 9-12ers/ RLCNH / Constitutionalists / Libertarians, Papa Smurf (aka, the Gnome of the North) took much of the credit for the election results.  No matter.  But when the kicks were laid in afterwards during the legislative Sessions, well, one could say that the NH GOP did it to themselves.

And no one has EVAH  laid out how much better of a NH GOP Chair MacDonald turned out to be than Jack Kimball (and I can throw in Fergus “The Fringe” Cullen into that mix with MacDonald as well) when actual results are compared.

And now, former Grafton County Chair Bruce Perlow is doing it again.  Nice:

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Well, IS this how the Old Guard Establishment Republicans wish to operate? Well, so can we!

We can play the game of “Sampson brings down the house” (Judges 16) as well as they wish for us to play in their sandbox.  I am on Andrew Hemingway’s email list and while I was working on the post rebutting Bruce Perlo (“Like father, like son? Like Jim Foley, like Bruce Perlo?“), I received this from Andrew:

As the face of our party, I fully expect to be attacked with false claims and baseless attacks from the Democrats. It’s disappointing to see my opponent’s campaign sink to a new low by using a committee member to send out an email to the entire Republican Committee filled with baseless claims and character attacks.

Upon receiving his email, I called Mr. Perlo today and asked him to back up his claims and he was unable to do it. His attacks on my honesty, my character, and to infer that I am anti-Semitic were disgusting.

Exactly what I said in my post – he made a whole lot of accusations and conveniently went after Andrew.  But Bruce’s problem is the for every accusation, the same can be said for Jennifer Horn – or that there is NO history at all of her even trying in these areas.

I am glad of one thing – unlike many in the Party today, Andrew was willing to make waves and stand up for his background, his history, and (better yet), his beliefs.  No tap dancing, no hiding, and no “silence is golden” (actually what I have found, is that “golden silence” is mostly like gold – you are deeply buried to the point of irrelevance).

But this next point was rather interesting – show how inbred the Establishment can be:

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We the People Freedom Forum – so, where IS the website?

I had put this post up (“We the People Freedom Forum – so, where ARE the tax forms?“) a couple of days ago. Well, I just got a little tweet  – it seems that the site has now changed:     Well, well.  Questions getting a little to close about the non-profit status?  Thinking that … Read more

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