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.
The Washington State GOP is in a similar degraded, insider dominated state. In my congressional district a Ron Paul supporter got organized early and won the primary. The GOP establishment trucked in a RINO woman from the very edge of the district to run against him, and she lost. The “punishment” for this was that the county and state party gave ZERO support to the nominee. Their excuse was that the “Central Committee” had not endorsed him. Their reason for this was that he said he wasn’t sure he could support McCain.
I have stopped donating to the GOP both locally and nationally. Having Mel Martinez, a huge open border advocate as head of the RNC sealed that deal. The poor treatment of the local candidate (who was an airline pilot, BTW) just because he was supporting real Constitutional government not RINO policy ended my support of the local GOP party.
Because of the way the primary system has been reformed in Washington the only power the GOP has left is the purse. If we don’t support them they can’t do much.
Palin is smart enough to realize that the conservative route for elected office is the Republican Party.
But she is also smart enough to realize (through a multitude of attacks from Steele,Rove etc.) that the GOP Establishment/Rinos want nothing to do with her.
But she took on the Murkowski Machine in Alaska, so she has a little experience at doing this. Her power is in her monopoly of popularity among Republicans. On Scarborough, a poll showed 70% of GOP rank and file have favorable view.
That will translate into high demand and lots of appearances for 2010 midterms.
But if they screw Palin, the GOP will die. They will lose the base. They need us just like we need them.
To this point, the Party is performing miserably and turning its back on Palin...the only asset they have. They are failing...but it’s not too late, yet.
A fellow FredHead. That's all I need to know.
dittos to you and The Victor too
that inclusive statement is often a red flag
but I’m not in Minnesota although been there a few times and loved it
I see we are of the same opinion. I live in the Minnehaha section of Hazel Dell.
Sure looks that way to an outsider. You would think it would be a Red State. But I live in Connecticut so we can't cast any stones.
Any state that would actually ELECT the likes of Al Franken, in my mind, is truly a lost cause. The GOP coming back any time soon there would be like Teddy Kennedy being thrown out in Massechussets. Not going to happen for quite some time.
Minnesota, the mid-western Odd Duck of political consciousness.
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“Same with the GOP. I refuse to let the bastards win by running me off”
Amen to that!!
A third party is a loser, although I'd sorely love to join one called, "The Pit Bull Party".
We need to take our party back from the wimps and RINOS of all yellow stripes, so I think our best ticket is Palin/Cheney (Liz, that is)
It's a sad state of affairs when the majority of those left in our party today with any cajones are women!
You got it!!! bttt
You think he was actually elected? I don't.
“But would Joe agree with you? Much of what he spoke about was being more inclusive”
OK, I stand corrected. I agree with MOST of what Joe said.
I did not understand what he meant by “more inclusive”.
Please enlighten me.
B U M P
the above is for u too.
One of the advantages of being old is that nothing is new.
We’ve been here before (trashed by the Dems) and came back with a flourish. We can do it again.
What you suggest is a formula for giving the Left, exactly what they want and that is political domination, which they acheived for 40 years with the advent of FDR.
The only problem is that with this crowd, political domination could mean the end of the political and economic system, as we know it.
“If we don’t support them they can’t do much.”
Good point, Jack.
The fact that it (Franken’s election) was even CLOSE is enough evidence for me. Agree?
Palin/Cheney (Liz, that is)
I think I felt a tingle run up my leg.
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