Given that we’re under attack, this is hardly a time for infighting. But as a Republican in Bucks County I’ve been progressively annoyed with the party. A few months ago I finally decided to come back to the party that abandoned me almost a decade ago, and I’m already regretting it. Take this story, for instance, about getting Tea Party groups kicked out of polling places. Now the reason was because they weren’t following state disclosure laws for fliers handed out at polling places. The Tea Party groups should have known about the law, and that they didn’t get their message out is on them. If you’re going to be insurgents, you better know how to play the game. But this is not to say I’m letting the GOP off. Here’s what pisses me off:
Poprik said that although the effort to block the tea party fliers was driven by the election code violation, she finds the idea that the tea party candidates would try to buck the party’s endorsements distasteful.
“In order to be a state committee person you do some work, you get to know people and then you run for state committee,” Poprik said.
Poprik said the tea party candidates are unknowns to most members of the Bucks County Republican Party. She said the party would not support them because they haven’t risen through the ranks and proven themselves.
“This is a party office. This is not a public office. This is our election,” Poprik said. “It is highly unusual for people who have never done a thing for the party to run for state committee.”
Listen Lady, when your party hijack the election apparatus that my tax dollars pay for, it’s no longer a “party office” or a “party election.” At that point, it becomes a public office, and candidates are entitled to a fair shake before voting members of their respective parties. Maybe the Tea Parties are blocking your endorsements because they no longer feel the Republican Party represents them.
I certainly felt that way, and now I come back to rejoin and get involved again, and I find alternate views are being shut out. You have no right to the Bucks County GOP. If members of the party feel you’re doing a lousy job, and make no mistake about it, you’re doing a lousy job, we’re entitled to run other candidates to replace you.
This isn’t the safe, GOP dominated Philadelphia suburbs they used to be. It’s time to come into the 21st Century and get serious about rebuilding the party’s brand. That’s not going to happen with the political dinosaurs that currently rule the GOP.
Poprik is correct ….. it’s a party primary, and it’s party rules. That the tea party didn’t know that is simply a testament to how rigged the party system has become. Don’t worry, if they’re for real, they’ll catch on quickly. Just don’t expect party bigwigs to sit still for having their power usurped by the proles.
This is but one of the reasons that I’m no longer involved with the Repubican party; mostly because I’ve been gravitating towards libertarianism for several years now. My experiences helping to elect the two squishes Bill Frist and Don Sundquist was just the last straw.
My suggestion; find out who your party precinct chairman is, and make his life miserable. That, or run yourself and take the party over from the inside. Again, expect resistence.
Actually, it’s not just a matter of their rules. As Sebastian mentioned, they use a taxpayer-funded system to hold the elections for these seats within the party. Therefore, it is open to any member of the GOP who votes, and there’s no requirement about having to rise through ranks or make friends with their members for holding the office.
This was a possible strategic mistake. If it’s one thing the Tea Party loves to do is figure out what’s broken and start using the system to circumvent it. Witness the Utah primary.
Thus, if “ranks” is a roadblock, they will cheerfully start to dismantle it.
YMMV.
Tell it brother!
That’s the same bullsh*t they said when they sank the Open Primary here in CA, that between the Democrats and themselves, it was *their* game only. And what happened to CA when the permanent minority got to keep their country-club seats – they kept feeding at the trough until bankruptcy set-in.