Posted on 07/08/2009 6:55:10 AM PDT by flattorney
As a military officer for 30 years, I came to recognize the necessity of good leadership. When I retired from the military in 1998, I became active politically in the Republican Party. Since that time, I've been elected to two National Republican Conventions, acted as a military spokesperson for the Bush/Cheney campaign in 2004, and served as national veterans coordinator for Fred Thompson's presidential run. In 2007, I ran for Minnesota GOP party chair as a reform candidate, and lost. Over the years I have raised tens of thousands of dollars for GOP coffers, donated many thousands of dollars to local and national GOP candidates, worked many hours at the grass-roots level and been asked repeatedly to run for state or federal office by Minnesota GOP officeholders.
So why on Earth have I decided to leave the Minnesota GOP?
Simple: When a political party becomes so dysfunctional that it no longer can operate without tyrannical domination over the grass-roots, it is time to stop enabling bad behavior from that party. I have come to the conclusion that a majority of Minnesotans and many Republicans no longer trust the message of the Minnesota GOP. After years of ineffective party leadership resulting in a record number of defeats, lack of transparency in party dealings, alleged financial impropriety by former party employees, and numerous Federal Election Commission problems, can you really blame the electorate for abandoning the Minnesota GOP?
On June 13, the party continued its death spiral by electing the same failed leadership that has lost the last two elections. The "old guard" network of the GOP State Central Delegates continued to imitate lemmings gleefully following each other over the cliff to the political abyss below. Possibly the last chance to reform and re-energize the Minnesota GOP before the 2010 governor's race has been lost. For me, it was the last straw. I refuse to enable poor performance any longer. In my opinion, the new party leaders are rabid, power-hungry ideologues and the former attack dogs of the previous party chairman. They will not provide a message of inclusiveness or willingness to discuss contrary opinions. Honest, open and transparent party operations will not exist. The party is increasingly controlled by a small group of major financial donors and lobbyists who demand that their hand-picked people maintain the leadership positions. Most elected GOP politicians don't dare support reform out of fear of retribution. When lobbyist and corporate money has this type of stranglehold on a political party, fresh ideas and quality leadership fail to rise to the top.
The Minnesota GOP is no longer capable of competing. If you need further evidence, you only need to look at these two examples: the decision of Gov. Tim Pawlenty not to seek a third term and the decision of businessman Brian Sullivan, long thought to be the party's hand-picked successor to Pawlenty, of declining to run. I'm convinced both men, after watching the abandonment of Sen. Norm Coleman by principled conservatives and the debacle at last year's state GOP convention, where Ron Paul supporters were attacked and shouted down, have read the party tea leaves and decided the Minnesota GOP is so divided it is in no condition to contend in 2010.
After June 13, I came to the conclusion that the Minnesota GOP is no longer capable of being saved. My detractors will attack me, anonymously, or claim that I have hard feelings or that I'm just taking my ball and going home. Wrong — I'm only doing what thousands of Minnesota Republican voters have done over the last two elections; it just took me longer to pull the plug. Somewhere is a political party that is inclusive and wanting of seasoned political grass-roots talent. Somewhere there is a political party that will stand on principle, not radical partisanship. Somewhere there is a political party that isn't bought and paid for by large financial donors or special interests. There must be a party in need of fiscally conservative, principled individuals who will work for the people of Minnesota and not for the blind political ambition of a few. I encourage like-minded Republican voters to join me. I'm sure we'll find that new home.
Lt. Col. Joe Repya, of Eagan, is retired from the U.S. Army after 30 years of service that included Vietnam, Operation Desert Storm and Operation Iraqi Freedom.
I suspect those who see things the way she does will make their way to her tent. My counsel to her at this point would be to spread her ideas far and wide and let those who want to support her seek her out.
She couldn’t have picked a better time to resign and get started on the next phase of her life, whatever that is to be.
Have a good day.
I agree completely. It is certainly easier to win within the party framework but at the moment the party framework is ignoring its base. That is a recipe for disaster and the only way to solve the problem is through a lot of hard work at the grass roots.
Rules for longevity keep changing-based on the needs of the services.
If ARNG, he may well have served 30+, as long he did not exceed max age requirements at the time.
I my plan is simple. Vote conservative whether they be GOP, democrat, independant, etc.
Sure we’ll lose some but we’ll also win some and most important we’ll show exactly what we will and won’t vote for.
Conservatism is usually at odds with the “everything for everyone” mentalities (means big brother and big government and big taxes etc) of both major parties.
I am conservative, I do not want to play in a play ground littered with the very things that are fundamentally antithetic to my way of life. No apology from me and no great expectations from the “parties”. They are all about control and power, which to me is the opposite of what I want from my government. Humanism runs rampant in our society, to the disgrace of self-determination and freedom. Don't get me wrong- I am for a strong federal government, according to constitutional powers grated it, but not an iota or farthing more!
God Bless
You do realize that the liberal wing of the Republican party also say the exact same thing--that the Republican party has been taken over by the religious right. So who is right?
I say, let's stop fighting among ourselves and fight the Democrats.
“I my plan is simple. Vote conservative whether they be GOP, democrat, independant, etc”
Agreed.
I will vote for someone who isn’t quite as conservative as I like in some cases but I won’t vote for an Arlen McCain under any circumstances.
My most important issues are taxes, immigration, guns, and drilling for oil here. All are of equal importance to me. There are other issues but those are my right now issues.
“You do realize that the liberal wing of the Republican party also say the exact same thing—that the Republican party has been taken over by the religious right. So who is right?”
The “religious right” is a loaded word. Conservativism has 3 legs. But, the answer is pretty obvious. The establishment liberals control the Party and the Primary nominating process.
You have to look no further than the Primaries being open to being diluted to favor the Liberal/Moderate cadidates. There will be conflict in the Party until power is balanced.
Conservatives will fight an uphill battle due to this. When conservatives retake the Party, theose rules will be changed.
“My most important issues are taxes, immigration, guns, and drilling for oil here.”
My most important issues are no illegal immigration, lower taxes, guns, and to kill the global warming scam.
Big difference, eh? ;-)
“If you think we have 20 years to build a new party of conservatives, go for it. I don’t think America will survive even 4 years of this America-hating Marxist dictator POS, let alone 20 years.”
I don’t know what we have, and you may be right, and if you are, we are witnessing the last days of the America we know and love. I just want all of us to get our heads out of the sand and see what the real world looks like, and what we face if we wish to take over the GOP. I don’t think we can do that in any less than 20 years, simply because we never really controlled it in the first place.
So, take your choice. 20 years to build a conservative party, or 20 or more years to make the GOP a conservative party.
“So, take your choice. 20 years to build a conservative party, or 20 or more years to make the GOP a conservative party”
Some choice. Our immediate problem is Obama. If we don’t stop him, or impeach him for sedition, he will finish us off. Just look at what he has done in a few months. He has taken over, or set the stage for taking over the entire economy of the United States. As a lifelong man of finance,
I am mortified!
It is mortifying!
In my district we went from this piece of RINO trash
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2287740/posts
To top notch firm conservative Tim Walberg. The GOP called him a lost cause and stripped him of money and left him to lose by 2% which left us with our current pelosi hand puppet.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2287768/posts
Rep. Hayworth (R,AZ) refused to back Bush on amnesty for illegals. Rove cornered him in the White House, and said “You don’t like brown people, do you?” Rove froze Hayworth out financially, and he lost. Nice work if you can get it ;-)
If I recall they also told Tom Tancredo that he would never “darken the door” of the white house again.
Yes they did. Now Jeb Bush is lining up a coalition to back Obama for amnesty. Beam me up, Scotty!
Yes, I thought of that too. Happened to my father-in-law. Could have been prior enlisted as well. I don’t know anything about Joe Repya, most likely a stand-up guy. I’m just the suspicious sort, I guess...
Tim Walberg was one of the best congressmen of my lifetime. He started his career in the Michigan legistature and was a founding member of the “NO Caucus” (anti tax caucus) In 17 years he never once voted for a new tax. Endorsed by both the club for growth and the minutmanPAC. He spent his vacation last summer in a darkened house of representatives demanding that the democrats come back and deal with gas prices. His final act was voting against the big bank bailout.
Our local paper called him one of the best congressmen we’ve had but would not endorse him because he wouldn’t promise to bring pork to the area. Instead they endorsed democrat Mark Schauer and now seem to regret it.
How does someone who defines his self as a fiscal conservative feel about limited government? My dealings with them in the past indicated that it wasn’t of much concern.
Honestly, some of the things this guy says and the way he says them lead me to believe there is something deeper here that needs to looked at. I would be the very last person to defend the GOP (just read my post history) but something indicates to me that this guy may think the GOP needs to become even more liberal... hmmmm...
Is it possible that the state GOP is going hard core limited government and this guy doesn’t like it? Dont know.. All we have is an opus to determine this by.
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