We have one of the larger counties in this state, and one most badly in need of new leadership, given what I consider to be the abysmal outcomes in this county.
The problem is that I haven't seen or heard anything from anyone about what changes they intend to make.
I have a letter from a slate that wants to run for chair and vice chair. Their problem is that the letter doesn't address the multiple failures of the local party and our less then stellar outcomes.
In fact, we're told just the opposite. We are told that the "county experienced a so-called 'red wave' in the 2010 election."
Actually... we didn't. And that the two running on this slate seems to believe that we actually did have a "wave" here indicates to me that they don't know what's wrong, don't have a clue about the political reality, and correspondingly, have no plan to fix the many things that are broken. Further, I have literally never heard of one of these people.1994 was a wave here locally. 2010 wasn't even a ripple.
A further disqualification is that one of the slate members worked on Ridgefield Barbie's campaign. And that, as they say in the parlance, is a no go.
In addition, anyone elected needs to remove both Anna Miller and Lisa Schmidt from any position on the Executive Board.
In the 18th District, at this point, the choice seems to be between the current Legislative District Chair and someone closely affiliated with Jon Russell.
No political ally of Russell should be elected to anything. Further, in the email I received from the challenger, no compelling reason (does it really matter what you fly... or where? What does that have to do with running a legislative district?) was given to replace the incumbent Chair, a Chair of a district where every Republican won and almost every candidate of any description who was smart enough to have an "R" after their name in Clark County destroyed their democrat candidate counterpart district wide.
That kind of success should not be rewarded with electing someone who wants the job because, well, they want the job. They offer no reason to replace the incumbent, they point out no shortcoming on the part of the incumbent, and as a result, I will not be supporting them.
The candidates in any contested race should have a debate in front of all the PCO's so we can ask questions and make the most informed choices.
That there is no debate process built in to the reorg system is just one of the many weaknesses in County party leadership and our system of governance.
I have sent in 5 resolutions to change the bylaws. Two are housekeeping types.
The remaining 3.... not so much.
My brother-in-law, alleged Republican County Commissioner Marc Boldt, was one of Democrat Steve "Easy Money" Stuart's first endorsements.
Boldt has endorsed Stuart in the past, particularly when Stuart was benefiting from the corrupt money of megacasino developer David Barnett while he was running against Tom Mielke and I was working my ass off getting Mielke elected.
Swell. He can endorse anyone he likes... this is, after all, America. But if he's going to do that, then he should politically suffer for it, like he's helped make us politically suffer for it.
This bylaw change will end any GOP county or district support of any elected Republican official who endorses or otherwise works to get any democrat elected.
That means no signs, no literature, no use of GOP facilities and no help.
You want to endorse democrats? Then quit screwing around and just switch parties.
The next bylaw change would automatically make any elected GOP official who lives in Clark County a voting member of the Executive Board.
Looking at our Executive Board, there is not one member who has ever won an election to anything that I can see.
How can we be a successful organization with a goal of electing people when NONE of the Executive Board has ever been elected to anything?
Changing this bylaw would add the experience and savvy of Joe Zarelli, Don Benton, Ed Orcutt, Ann Rivers and Paul Harris to the Executive Board as voting members.
The last one of the 3 would require anyone endorsing in a contested primary at any level where more then one GOP candidate is running to resign.
Ron Hart endorsed Ridgefield Barbie in the middle of a contest primary (Which is why I won't be supporting him for state committeeman, by the way.... that and his lack of vision as to the problems and the fixes at the state level.) There is no way a member of the Executive Board generally and a county chair particularly can endorse in a contested primary, no matter how that endorsement is spun, without avoiding the appearance of favoritism like that displayed by Anna Miller.
I reiterate: anyone can endorse anyone they like. But this is a POLITICAL PARTY. And anything an Executive Board member does is subject to strict scrutiny. And the County GOP cannot be used as a platform to help your friends while screwing your enemies just because you don't support them.
So, feel free to endorse. But understand that your endorsement constitutes your no-notice resignation from the Executive Board.
That won't stop EBoard Members from stabbing other candidates in the back... but at least they'll have to hide it and we can at least maintain the veneer of what appears to be an even playing field, unlike the blatant and absolute favoritism shown in the last election.
Reorg is December 2. I'll let everyone know how it turns out.
Cross posted at Clark County Politics.
