Listening to local talk radio this morning on the Big Talker FM, I heard host Curtis Wright criticizing the efforts of local and state Republican organizations. He was angry because he'd scheduled the NC GOP chairwoman as a guest and she was apparently a no-show. Wright has every reason to be ticked off and I share his frustration with elements of the GOP. It does sometimes seem that the Republican party would rather not win elections. I can't and won't defend the party at the state level and I can't speak for the New Hanover County GOP either.
But Wright also singled out the Brunswick County GOP while talking to a Brunswick County caller, and I have to step up in their defense. When my wife and first moved to Oak Island in 1994 we changed our registration to Independent just so we could have something on our ballot on primary day. On the county level, there were no primary contests on the GOP side and quite a few positions had nobody opposing the Democrat in the general election. It was pathetic. A few years later I got involved with the Brunswick GOP executive committee. Meetings were sparsely attended and not terribly friendly to a newcomer, least of all a Yankee newcomer.
Over the next few years more and more newcomers began getting involved. There was ugly infighting, recriminations and hurt feelings. "Locals" who had been fighting the good fight in a county 100% controlled by Democrats were a bit defensive about people moving into town and trying to "do it just like we did back home." All of this was understandable and looking back on it, was probably a good thing. Democracy ain't pretty.
A couple years ago, the infighting mostly stopped. A new chairman was elected who honestly had nothing but the party's best interests at heart and people started coming together. Now we have meeting with more folks in the audience than we had around the table 5 years ago. Our office has been open every day for weeks and we're adding more volunteers all the time. This year the GOP will have observers in all of Brunswick County's polling places. Phone calls to voters are being made. Every new Republican registering in Brunswick County gets a letter from the party welcoming them and inviting them to help out.
Sure we could do more, but we're a bunch of volunteers and amateurs at the political game. Some have lots of experience and some none, but we're all getting better at this all the time.
By the way, Brunswick County Republicans now control both the county commission and the school board. While I don't always agree with our representatives, it's a far cry from no conservatives daring to run.
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The "frustration" you noted on October 22nd later grew when only about 250 Republicans showed to support their US Senate and Governor Candidates at the regional forum at CFCC (an event that almost a hundred volunteers worked on for months to give exposure to these Republican Candidates)!
ReplyDeleteThe event at CFCC was promoted with the Republican Chairs in 5 counties in SENC for over 4 months! And, although some might be slapping themselves on the back for some seats on the County Commission and Schools Board, half-hearted outrage was shown by the BRP at the US Congressman's disrespect for voters of Brunswick County by not debating the Republican Candidate, Mr. Breazeale (a Candidate that got luckwarm support); no shows by Brunswick County Republicans at the CFCC regional forum to support our US Senator that, more than any toher time, needed a show of support; no shows by the Brunswick Republicans for the Republican Governor Candidate - the best Republican Candidate in years!!!
Now, ultra-liberals control a NC Senate Seat; the Council of State; the Governor's Mansion; the NC Senate; and the NC House: ultra-liberal's policies that control 85% of the actions by the Brunswick County Commission and Brunswick County School Board through their unfunded mandates!
Sometimes, Independent Conservatives feel like their dragging the anchor of the 'out of touch' Republican Party. And, for all those Republicans that "had other plans" on those important nights, I guess losing the Senate seat; the Governor's Mansion; losing the NC Senate; and losing the NC House was "acceptable"! If supporting these Candidates at these important events was "inconvenient" - try how "inconvenient" it will be for the next 4 years!
More could have been done. More should have been done. And, more must be done. But, not by me...I did my part.
"Frustration"? No, deep disappointment. It's time for "Conservatives" to move forward to success in the 21st Century - with or without the Republican Party. I would prefer "with"!
Curtis Wright
The Morning Beat
THE BIG TALKER FM