Two Wrongs Don't Make a Right

Our CTGOP candidates need Party
support. They don't need to be yanked
around by our short-sighted leaders

Month after month, I've heard tale of how Republican infighting is causing permanent damage to our so-called Republican Brand.  Of course, these claims are pure nonsense perpetrated by those who don't want to see the millions they've invested in their own glorified plans go to waste.  This is particularly true of our candidates who've made numerous deals with party insiders, and others, and expect that their golden path to nomination won't be shortened by some upstart contender, or worse - by someone who hasn't paid the club dues like they have.

Today's email appeal by our Republican Chairman Jerry Labriola, Jr. is certainly warranted, and I applaud his efforts for reaching out to the party faithful 30 days before Primary Day to rally the base, and ask for financial support for a Statewide GOP victory in November (I'll add a link to his statement when the party webpage is eventually updated).

But I'm unhappy to report that beyond the fanfare for a REPUBLICAN victory in November, there is a practice being advocated which is far more damaging to our brand than spirited public debate.  I'm talking about the decision by some Republican leaders to encourage many Republican candidates to file paperwork to seek endorsements from outside our Party, or worse - run as Independents.

We are alleged to be Republicans for a reason. We are supposed to stand on a set of established principles that make us Republicans , and not anything else (free markets, strong foreign policy, lower taxes, less Government intrusion, traditional family values, etc) . There are reasons that we aren't members of the Libertarian Party, or the Independent Party, or the Constitution Party, or any other political group.  Like so many others, I'm proud of our lineage dating back to Abraham Lincoln (and perhaps earlier by some records), and still believe that we don't need to beg and barter for support from fringe groups who we wouldn't ordinarily be associated for any reason beyond comic relief. 

Republicans aren't Independents, they are Republicans.  Period.

I don't really care what Democrats do.  It's a fact that they are so weak in their own ideology that they have to go out and establish front groups like the Working Families Party and others to give the false impression that their Democrat Candidate is somehow being supported by a whole separate constituency.  The practice is deceitful, and in poor taste - and should be banned altogether - so God knows why instead of standing on our own laurels and selling our own principles as Republicans, why we would run out an emulate the shady practices of our enemies.

Remember when your mother made a teaching point by asking you .... "If little Johnny next door jumped off a bridge, would you?".  Well I guess when it comes to some of our leaders,  the answer is "yes". 

Below is an email which is being duplicated in form and is being distributed to many of our statewide Republican candidates.  In my view it shows that our leaders are once again going down the wrong path.  If you haven't noticed, we excel at poorly executing the schemes of our opponents - which is why they spend half their time mocking us all the way up through and beyond the election.  And - they clean our clocks pretty good!

Subject:	HURRY XXXX INDEPENDENT PARTY ENDORSEMENT!
Date:	Wed, 18 July
From:	M. Boughton <ctgopwin@
To:	XXXX

Dear XXXX ,

Congratulations on your recent nomination! As a Republican, I am proud that we have fielded such a strong team for the November elections.

I am writing to you today to notify you, if you haven’t done so already, of an important opportunity for your campaign. For many years I have been working with the Independent Party and have used their support as a cross endorsement.

If you are to be successful in November, being on the ballot in two locations can make the difference in whether you win or lose - as you are aware, many of the Democratic candidates for office have accepted cross endorsements from the Working Families Party.

I have taken the liberty of including the necessary petitions and the paperwork required to access the ballot for the Independent Party. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or concerns. Time is of the essence so if you decide to pursue the nomination, you must act quickly.

As always, I am available to help you and your campaign in anyway. Good luck!

Sincerely,

Mark Boughton

Instructions:

• Print and fill carefully and completely ASAP the Certification of Nomination and FEDEX to:

Dr. Robert Fand
c/o 79 ½ North Street
Danbury, CT 06810

• Print and fill carefully and completely ASAP the Application for Nominating Petition and FEDEX to:

Pearl Williams

State Elections Division
30 Trinity Street
Hartford, CT 06106

After Ms. Williams receives your Application, she will then send you a petition for you to obtain signatures. There are a required number of signatures for each district and Ms. Williams will provide that number with the petition. You should make copies of the petition package when you receive it so your campaign can garner signatures quickly! Please follow the directions provided with the petition page carefully.

ALL FORMS MUST BE RECEIVED, DATE STAMPED by the Town Clerk by AUGUST 8, 4pm.

 

Certainly, I expected a lot more from Mayor Mark Boughton who aspires to be Governor of Connecticut one day.  But first, to make a fool of himself endorsing Linda McMahon, then Lisa Wilson-Foley (after the controversy), and now to get caught up in this "hogging the line" strategy is ridiculous.  Whatever happened to campaigning openly and honestly on the issues, and helping to re-brand the Connecticut Republican Party into a viable entity?  

Frankly, I'm embarrassed by the whole affair.  It can't be understated - with the prospect of Linda McMahon at the top of our ticket as a sort-of clown candidate, and Lisa Wilson-Foley riddled with scandals and impropriety, and another woman down in the Second District who is nearly certifiable - I'm surprised we amass over 30% in total at the polls. 

 

 

Let's stop acting like Democrats, and start acting like Republicans - honest, fair, principled, and hard-working.  We don't need trickery and smoke and mirrors to win elections - we just need to get out there and tell our story.  And given President Barack Obama's failures, we aught to have an easy job doing just that.

 

 

I AM

 

 

THE KING

 

 

This original blog entry can be found at http://www.thekingsview.blogspot.com/


Disclaimer: This entry and others will be modified/updated at a future date. All entries are for the sole purpose of entertainment. This article does not imply endorsement of the candidate mentioned above, nor has this article been solicited for publication by any political candidate, campaign, or PAC.