Why I Support Frank Roche in NC-4 GOP Primary [Vanity]

I am writing this to you today in an entirely private capacity. I am not writing it in any official capacity as a precinct chairman within the Orange County GOP, but solely as a citizen of this State, who is a Christian, a conservative, and a Republican, in that order.

I would like to encourage you all to vote for Frank Roche in the 4th congressional district Republican primary tomorrow. I’ve met Mr. Roche a number of times, as well as hearing him in more formal settings, and have been very impressed. He strikes me as competent, articulate, and most importantly – a serious and dedicated CONSERVATIVE.

• He’s solid on immigration. In fact, NumbersUSA recently identified Frank as a “True Reform” candidate, which means he is 100% pro-rule of law on this issue.

• Frank is excellent on the issue of our right to keep and bear arms. In fact, he “gets it” as to what the REAL purpose for an armed citizenry is (i.e. not just for hunting, collecting, etc.)

• Mr. Roche is very competent to deal with the financial issues coming out of Washington that currently plague our people. He’s worked in the finance industry, knows its ins and outs, and knows the best way to reform it that will fix the problems while maintaining our capitalistic system.

• He is also, of course, solid on the issues of taxation, out of control government spending, etc. Frank Roche will be a friend of the taxpayer and economic producer if we send him to Washington.

• I am also impressed because Frank is one of the few running for office who really seems to understand and agree with the principles of federalism embodied in our Constitution. In fact, he firmly supports that founding document, he doesn’t just talk about it.

• Mr. Roche also stands firm for American sovereignty, and is an America-First candidate.

Frank Roche is right on the litany of issues that are important to me – and to a lot of other folks across this district.

So, you might ask, why do I support Frank Roche over his main primary opponent, BJ Lawson? Well, in many ways, Mr. Lawson is a fine candidate, and I would find myself in agreement with him on a number of issues as well. However, I have not been nearly as impressed with him as I have been with Frank Roche, also for several reasons:

• I can’t countenance Mr. Lawson’s sometime support for a carbon tax. Though I know that he intends/intended it to be a replacement for the income tax, rather than an add-on, it still strikes me as being predicated on the discredited idea of global warming. Even if he doesn’t believe in GW, the idea itself still assumes that we need to socially engineer people into using less fossil fuels so as to prevent global warming, or at least that is how pretty much every other manifestation of this idea approaches the issue.

• Likewise, in practice a carbon tax wouldn’t simply be a replacement for the income tax, as if you can swap the one out and the other in. It would be a tax that hits us with the double whammy of raising prices, and then taxing those higher prices, costing us more on both counts. Think about it. Not just our gasoline at the pump would go up, but so would the cost of electric power, if you get it from a fossil fuel plant. So would the cost of everything transported by truck or diesel train. So would the cost of anything made from a plastic whose feedstock is petroleum (in other words, much of what we buy, as well as the parts in our cars, computers, etc. etc.). All that would go up, and then be taxed at that higher price.

• Mr. Lawson is involved with that kooky PLENTY scam down in Pittsboro, where they’re trying to create a currency that would compete with the US dollar, having its own exchange rate, etc. Not only is this simply a whacky idea, but it is also unconstitutional, as the Constitution grants Congress the power over our currency (Art. I, Sect. 8) and specifically forbids the states from the same (Art. I, Sect. 10). This being the case, why do we think anything below the state level would have this power? For someone who talks as much about the Constitution as he does, that he is involved in this is surprising.

• I hate to say it, but I have an ethical issue with Mr. Lawson as well. Early on, Frank Roche approached Mr. Lawson, and asked him if he were planning on running again. BJ said “No.” So Frank set up his campaign, made his plans, and ran with it. Then, BJ stuck his finger into the political wind, figured out that it was a good year to be a Republican, and filed to run, already having a campaign apparatus set up and in place, even though he had said he wouldn’t. Now, you might say, “So what? You’re just mad that he’s running against the guy you support.” If so, then you need to look at the matter a little more deeply. BJ’s choice was that of the typical politician – doing what was beneficial to him, not from principle. His was not a moral or ethical choice. He’s already lied to at least one of his potential constituents. A moral and ethical person is, among other things, someone who “…sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not.” What this means is that this type of person, when they say they are going to do something, do it, even if it later turns out that it might not be beneficial to them. They choose honesty and keeping their word over temporary self-benefit. BJ didn’t do that. He tested the political winds, and let that entice him to go against what he had said before. How can I, as one of the persons he wants as a constituent, know that he won’t do the same thing with any promises he makes us now, after he goes to Washington? I don’t.

Again, there are a lot of things that I would agree with BJ Lawson about. But between these two men running, the clear frontrunners in the race, I have to choose Frank Roche. These are my reasons, you may evaluate them however you wish, but I would urge you to consider them when you go into the voting booth tomorrow across the 4th district.

I'm not over there and I don't vote there, but since I saw your post, I wanted to find out who the other guy was that was running and when doing so, I came across the following ...

Frank Roche, Candidate For NC-4 US House Seat, Announces Bogus Tea Party Endorsement – UPDATE

This press release was issued today by the Frank Roche campaign.
According to the press release, “T.E.A. Party USA PAC Endorses Frank Roche’s Congressional Campaign.”
There is no contact information given for T.E.A. Party USA PAC on the press release. An internet search of this name in North Carolina yields only the above press release.
A little more digging reveals the following:
T.E.A Party USA PAC is a Ning network. It is not exclusive to Roche’s district, much less a North Carolina Tea Party group. Upon visiting the North Carolina group page for the T.E.A. Party USA PAC, I discovered that, before I joined the network, there were exactly four members of the T.E.A Party USA PAC North Carolina Group. That’s for the entire state.

[ ... more at the link ... ]

Perhaps Mr. Lawson is running because of the real small government principles that are lacking with Mr. Roche. Perhaps Mr. Lawson has strong feelings and wants to bring real change to DC. - Mr. Roche will be just another Republican. Perhaps Mr. Lawson is fighting for his children...who is Mr. Roche fighting for (no wife, no kids, no family)??? but he has stated that his liberal family from New England is still living in the nanny and welfare region of America.

Perhaps Mr. Lawson is the best educated, respected, most knowledgeable person in the race.

Who has said they will not be there more than 8 years??? Mr. Lawson that is who.

Who has been supported by American For Prosperity (AFP) - Mr. Lawson - that is who. Who is the one that lives the principles he states - Mr. Lawson that is who.

I could go on but I suggest you go to www.lawsonforcongress.com and learn for yourself.

Titus:

Well I guess you’ve been drinking some of Frank’s partyline Kool-Aid. Let me enlighten you on some of your points:

- Solid on immigration: That Frank “endorsement” was bogus and means nothing. B.J.’s stances on immigration are just as tough if not tougher, but B.J. is not a bigot like Frank.

- Second Amendment: At the NC Freedom debate, all of the candidates were asked if they owned a firearm. B.J. is the ONLY one who owns one, and he has a concealed carry permit to boot! I bet Frank can’t even aim at a target!

- Economics - D.C. is filled with “economists” with much fancier degrees than Frank, and guess what - they’re the ones who have been screwing up our financial system! People with PhDs from Harvard! Has Frank ever signed a paycheck for his employees? Nope - but B.J. has!!

- Constitution - who gave out 50,000 copies of the Constitution in 2008 and another 7,000+ this year? B.J.!

- Cap & Trade - B.J. has never supported cap and trade and he signed an Americans for Prosperity pledge. Frank took old comments completely out of context and has twisted them around erroneously.

- Plenty - that was never intended to compete with the US dollar, but rather to serve as a community growth system for the local economy.

- The waivering - The 2008 race took a huge toll on B.J. and his family. When he first met Frank, he was undecided, but no matter what, Frank was going to run. Frank was cordial to B.J. at first, but then started attacking him one day and insulting his stances. That ticked B.J. off and he realized the lack of Frank’s character. He decided to run again, but then looked at the numbers again and Frank’s negativity and didn’t know if his family could make the same sacrifices. Fast forward to late 2009, when the health care bill was passed and the whole Congress and Obama administration have taken things down a steep slope. B.J. is running because of his kids and their future. Frank is running for himself and himself only. His ego wouldn’t even be able to fit inside the Capitol’s hallowed halls.

B.J., because he’s not a cookie-cutter conservative, is an issues guy. That’s why despite the Obama train, he got lots of U and D votes. Look at the numbers - do you think a moderate unaffiliated in Chapel Hill is going to vote for Frank? Not a chance, but they’ll vote for B.J.

"who is Mr. Roche fighting for (no wife, no kids, no family)??? but he has stated that his liberal family from New England is still living in the nanny and welfare region of America."

"but B.J. is not a bigot like Frank."

"I bet Frank can’t even aim at a target!"

"Frank is running for himself and himself only. His ego wouldn’t even be able to fit inside the Capitol’s hallowed halls."

How charming - a real "fight 'em on the issues" attack. BJ must be very proud. If I didn't know better I'd say you guys work for the Dems.

I've met Frank several times since last fall and I've never heard anything approaching a bigoted comment from his mouth, nor have I seen this much vaunted ego you describe. I have,however, seen BJ be snippy with his own people and be a butt to others at events ("even if I'm goin' down in flames I'm giving out all these damn Constitutions!"). These kind of comments and the "rumors" and the vandalism reek of the desperation that evidently passes for policy at the Lawson campaign. 4th District, if that's the kinda guy that makes you proud then knock yourself out and take the advice above. If you want something better, vote for Frank Roche .

RocheforCongress.com

Sorry dude, but let's face facts - BJ Lawson is a feckless pretty-boy who can't take a firm stand on half the issues he tackles.

He was for the carbon tax before he started taking tons of flak for it, and finally realised that it was killing him - then he started backtracking.

Re: immigration - actually, Frank was just endorsed by NumbersUSA, and I assure you, the endorsement is quite legitimate. As for your "bigot" comment, well, it's not my fault nor Frank's that open borders shills like yourself think that ending illegal immigration is "racism." Good luck trying to sell that dreck here on FR. Anywise, BJ is, again, ambiguous at best on this issue, too.

Re: guns - sorry, but somebody doesn't have to own a gun to support the Second Amendment, anymore than someone has to write a book to support the First. I wonder if BJ Lawson would ever have the gonads to come out and say that the 2nd Amendment is about giving the people the right to alter or overthrow the government if need be? Frank has, heard him say so myself.

Anybody can hand out copies of the Constitution. Too bad BJ doesn't know what's IN the Constitution. Take the PLENTY, for instance. It's unconstitutional, any which way you want to look at it, regardless of the intention. It's a shame that Mr. Lawson apparently doesn't have the smarts or the constitutional knowledge to know this.

Further, BJ is on the record as saying that he thinks that corporations should not have rights under the Bill of Rights (a left-wing position mimicking Marxists, btw), even though protecting this VERY THING is why we have the freedom of assembly guaranteed by the 1st amendment. "Mr. Constitution" my foot.

BJ lied to everybody in the OCGOP, Wake GOP, the Roche campaign, etc. etc. He continued to say that he was not going to be running right up to the day he filed his candidacy, a few days before filing ended, and he was already working on getting his campaign in place while he was lying to everybody and saying he wasn't going to be running. In 2008, BJ was against the surge in Iraq, and was racking up endorsement from anti-American kooks like Adam Kokesh, who is affiliated with Code Pink. Now that the surge succeeded, he's done an about face and is trying to sound hawkish.

You're right in one respect - BJ Lawson IS an issues guy. He knows the issues so well that he will take both sides on them all, sooner or later.

I find it amusing to see people like you claiming that BJ has this tremendous appeal to moderate Chapel Hillians. Unfortunately, the actual numbers Lawson got in 2008 don't back up this case. BJ spent over a million big ones in 2008, and you know how he did against Price? He improved his vote percentage by a whopping 0.8% over the guy that ran against Price in 2006, who spend about $20,000. Big whoop.

And do I think that Chapel Hillians will be inclined to vote for Frank? Well, if what I am hearing from the Chapel Hillians that I've talked to while making several hundred calls and several score of door to door visits are any indication, then the answer is YES.

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B.J. Lawson

Frank Roche, Candidate For NC-4 US House Seat, Announces Bogus Tea Party Endorsement – UPDATE