Posted on 05/12/2002 4:55:43 PM PDT by TLBSHOW
This past week, I learned from several sources that members of the New York State Republican Committee are monitoring my column. They are reportedly “very concerned” that an “ideological war” is breaking out in Ithaca. In particular, my recent columns criticizing the Ithaca College Republicans and lambasting moderates have caused great consternation for many. But it goes further. One absurd allegation coming out of Albany suggests that four members of the Cornell Republicans—including myself—physically intimidated Ithaca College Republican Chairman Kyle Clark in an attempt to force him to retract his club’s infamous apology. Yes, I confess. I did it. I’m the “Son of Sabia”—serial killer.
Two sources have told me that the State Republican Committee is “extremely worried” that I might pen an article critical of New York State Governor George Pataki for taking progressively moderate policy positions over the last four years. Veiled threats have been made to retaliate against conservatives in Ithaca who deviate from the party line.
It is all so flattering. First 100,000 readers in one week, then coverage at Fox News, then mention by Rush Limbaugh, and now monitors at the New York State Republican Committee. I must be doing something right.
To the State Republican Committee officials who are trying to put pressure on me (and others) to “toe the line”: You really chose the wrong folks to mess with. Cornell’s conservative Republicans are not going to remain silent if our principles are being trampled. Why don’t the Northeastern Republican moderates stay silent and toe our line?
The goal of the State Republican Party is to elect Republicans to public office. Fine. But grassroots conservatives seek not just to elect Republicans, but to shape the Republican Party’s agenda so that our elected officials will actually stand for conservative principles when they assume office.
This, I believe, is what irritates the Northeastern Republican Establishment. They want conservatives to shut up, vote Republican, and never say a bad word about Republican officeholders who fail to stand for anything. In short, they want us to neither be seen nor heard. Fortunately, at the local level, there have been instances where conservative Republicans have stood up for themselves.
In 2000, incumbent Congressman Maurice Hinchey (D-NY) was challenged by nominal Republican Bob Moppert. Moppert, who failed in two previous campaigns against Hinchey, decided that the best way to get elected was to move Leftward. In a speech to the Cornell College Republicans in September 2000, Moppert announced his support for affirmative action, his desire to increase Medicare spending, his preference for balanced budgets over tax cuts, his support for abortion, and his opposition to the privatization of social security. Sadly, these are typical policy positions taken by Northeastern Republicans.
Fortunately for conservatives, the leader of the largest College Republican (CR) chapter in New York State—Cornell CR Chairman Ryan Horn—bravely stood up to Moppert and the Northeastern Republican Establishment. In an editorial in the local paper, Horn wrote:
[Moppert’s] established platform also favors affirmative action, opposes school vouchers, and is pro-choice. Due to his deviation from both the national platform and the College Republican platform, the Cornell College Republicans do not endorse Mr. Moppert's campaign for Congress.
Moppert was defeated in the race by a 25-point margin, 62% to 37%. The Cornell College Republicans took a great deal of heat for Horn’s unprecedented opposition to the Party’s chosen congressional candidate. But it was precisely Horn’s putting principle first that has made him the most successful young Republican leader in the State of New York.
“But Sabia,” you might say, “that is bad political strategy. You guys shot yourselves in the foot! You should have just supported Moppert. He’s better than Hinchey, isn’t he?”
No, he’s not. In many ways, he is worse. Hinchey has a set of principles—bad principles, wrong principles—but you know what they are. Moppert tried to “out Democrat” the Democrat. If voters have a choice between an actual liberal and a wannabe Democrat, why wouldn’t they just vote for the real thing?
Moppert stuck his finger in the wind and decided that being a “moderate” was the way to go. He was horribly wrong. Moppert never gave conservatism a chance because he barely espoused any right-wing ideas in his campaign. Maybe he never believed in conservative ideas or maybe he was just too intimidated to articulate them. Either way, he was a bad candidate.
And did we shoot ourselves in the foot? I would argue that we did not. Hinchey was re-elected, but a message was sent to the Republican Party—the next time you want a candidate who can win, send us a conservative!
Now, some at the State are worried that conservatives will “Moppert” Pataki. A few folks at the NYS College Republican Executive Committee have threatened to inundate local newspapers with letters blasting Cornell Review if we write anything critical about Pataki.
“How much sway does Sabia still have up at Cornell?” one top State CR official queried.
To those people I ask: Are you kidding? Do you really think you scare us? In fact, to most conservatives I know, the heavy-handed threats were received as a challenge!
However, as angry as we are at some officials at the State Party, we will not take our rage out on Governor Pataki. Most conservatives in Ithaca have a mildly favorable view of the Governor. We support his property tax cuts, welfare reform initiatives, and extraordinary leadership in the wake of September 11th. We are peeved at his opposition to basic Second Amendment rights, his failure to push any meaningful restrictions on abortion (such as parental consent laws for minors), and his extravagant spending on health programs. Still, weighing the pluses and minuses, most would conclude that the Governor has earned re-election; he’s no Bob Moppert.
In spite of the political pressures from Albany (and Niagara), grassroots conservative Republicans—at least in this little corner of the world—will continue to critically evaluate candidates and issues. Conservatives will not be bullied by anyone.
Rather than bark at Cornell Republicans, the State ought to be pointing to us as a shining example of what a future New York State Republican Party ought to resemble.
EAT ME.
With that out of the way, as Bugs Bunny would have said, "What a bunch of maroons."
Good deal. Saddly this is the way most people on FR want it also. Every since GW has been in the only thing that matters is Republicans. And this goes right to the very TOP of FR. Keep up the good work.
Not just in the northeast. We get a lot of grief here in Mn.
This past week, I learned from several sources that members of the New York State Republican Committee are monitoring my column.
He read that somewhere. He wrote it down, and then he read it.
George Pataki and the NY State Republican Committee are not actively monitoring the editorials of some unknown college newspaper writer. They’re too busy raising taxes and buying off the unions.
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