GOP Exit Strategy

All the national right wing pundits are trying to downplay the Obama landslide by saying America is a center-right country. If only Republicans would be more conservative, they'd win more elections.

Of course, much of that talk is pure chicken litter designed to make the losers feel better and the give them some hope to reconstruct the tattered GOP. The reality is that Americans are totally angered with conservative incompetence that brought us Iraq, torture, Katrina, and a recession (or worse)! Americans are also frustrated with lack of progress in dealing with health care financing and a host of other issues.

Local politicians have heard the pundits and are echoing "center-right" at every opportunity. State Senator Emmett Hanger (R-Augusta) expressed that view to the News Virginian which reported:

Though a Democrat carried Old Dominion for the first time since 1964, Virginia remains a state right of center.

That’s the assessment of state Sen. Emmett Hanger, the Mount Solon Republican who has endured assaults from within his own party...

Hanger went on to explain that he supported Gilmore as a conservative but that he was too "combative" to appeal to many voters. Stealing a page from Mark Warner, Hanger went on to talk about working across party lines and getting away from the Rovian politics of "warfare." To give Hanger credit, he has in recent years been more bipartisan in tone. But, when he was elected to the Virginia Senate, his campaign engaged in some pretty nasty stuff. Perhaps his tone changed from the vantage point of incumbency and after seeing that many in his party - swacgirl, Kurt, yankee phil, and Anne to name a few, can go even lower in the gutter.

Truth is, the core activists of the Valley GOP are far right. Very far. While Emmett Hanger may be right of center, the swacs see him as a liberal and maybe even a socialist too willing to work with Democrats. Those wingnuts have a pretty good hold on the local GOP committees and in 2011 Hanger will have a hard time winning the nomination. 

Unless they take this "exit strategy." As they are totally disillusioned with America for electing a liberal, radical, socialist, friend of terrorists, and African-American to the White House (I had one person tell me that's why it is called the "White House"), maybe they should just move. And I have a great place: Alaska!

What's good for them in Alaska?

• Open space - live far away from liberals
• Sarah Palin.
• Ted Stevens - master of jailhouse leadership.
• Books banned in libraries.
• Drill here, drill now.
• Todd Palin and his successionist movement. If it is successful, you can ban the Democratic Party.

There is one downer for these right wing fanatics if they take my advice and move to Alaska: they'll live in the most socialist of states. Yep, the State of Alaska takes money (about $6 billion per year) from from oil companies and doles it out equally to each and every resident ($1,200). From each according to his ability, to each according to each according to his need? But, you'll feel better 'cause you'll have the bucks to buy Ann Coulter's latest drivel. 

Let me know when you are ready to go... I'll chip in for some snow shoes.

Chicken litter

We're 10 days out on the election and both teams seems to pulling out all the stops. A random selection:

The Daily News-Republican endorsed Bob Goodlatte and took a swipe at Sam Rasoul. No surprise in either. Their endorsement could have been predicted a year ago, even a decade ago because the facts and the campaign don't really matter to the editors there. Well, maybe I'll have to eat a little (very little) crow after we find out their views on the Senate race.

Speaking of the DN-R, their letters to the editor frequently are a rehash of libelous BS, many so obvious in their intent and apparent in their stupidity that I think they actually hurt their cause. Then the editors place certain letters in shaded boxes (print edition) or designate it "letter of the day" to, I assume, give them eye appeal and seem more important. Is it just my imagination that this favored treatment is more often given to Obama-bashing letters?

The News Leader has a story about hateful and racist literature showing up in newspaper tubes in the Staunton and Waynesboro areas. Staunton Democratic chair Bob Dickerman referred to the flyers and negative robocalls as "atrocious." On the other hand, Staunton Republican chair Anne Taetzsch denied knowledge of the literature and said it didn't come from the campaign. She said, "my whole thing is the negative approach doesn't work." What? How can she say that with a straight face? After all she's in tight with Chris Saxman the Virginia McCain co-chair whose campaign has used robocalls and mailers spewing the same negative and false information. And isn't Ms. Taetzsch a big supporter of state GOP chair Jeff Frederick, whose racist comments went too far for even the McCain campaign?

On another and more positive front, former Delegate Jim Dillard, a Fairfax Republican, is making calls for Barack Obama. He does get in a jab at McCain/Palin for their negative campaign and lies, but his message is overwhelmingly one of positive support for Obama/Biden. While there has been a lot of news about national Republican figures supporting Obama, there is a groundswell of Republican support among state and local politicians as well.

And the latest counter punch in the sign wars is "You can vote for the chick, but I'm rollin' with Colin." Haven't seen one yet, but understand a few have appeared around Staunton.

Jeff Frederick is a jerk

Jeff Frederick is chair of the Virginia GOP. Elected about five months ago, Frederick was known as a firebrand. He won with the strong support of the most conservative elements of the state party including many from the Valley - Scott Sayre, Anne Taetzsch, Chris Darden, Jim Crosby, Audrey Berkshire, and others.

Last week, while trying to motivate volunteers, Jeff Frederick threw out lies that are the red meat of hate and racism. A reporter from Time recorded the events:

With so much at stake, and time running short, Frederick did not feel he had the luxury of subtlety. He climbed atop a folding chair to give 30 campaign volunteers who were about to go canvassing door to door their talking points — for instance, the connection between Barack Obama and Osama bin Laden: "Both have friends that bombed the Pentagon," he said. "That is scary."

The hopped up volunteers responded by repeating more lies

"And he won't salute the flag," one woman added, repeating another myth about Obama. She was quickly topped by a man who called out, "We don't even know where Senator Obama was really born." Actually, we do; it's Hawaii.

As Frederick's comments have spread across the national media, the Virginia GOP has become the laughing stock of the nation. Or, more like the leper of the nation.

Newspapers from east to west across the Commonwealth have been critical. From The Roanoke Times:

One might expect that type of dangerous rant to be blasted on talk radio, but it falls far beneath the level of respectability that people expect of their state political leaders. The McCain campaign criticized Frederick's remarks. As for Frederick, he remains unapologetic. His tenure as chairman truly must be scary for Virginia Republicans.

More from The Virginian Pilot:

In the five months since he took over the GOP apparatus, Frederick has shown himself to be desperate for attention. He took a cheap shot at House Speaker Bill Howell, the Assembly's leading Republican, for trying to work with Democrats in drafting a transportation package. A few weeks ago, he made a baseless statement about voting registration irregularities around the commonwealth. All Frederick has accomplished is to show why he should not be taken seriously.

Now is the time for the Virginia Republican Party to fire their chairman. Jeff Frederick is a drain on the party and is diminishing McCain's chances in the state every day he remains as chair. Jeff Frederick is tarnishing all Virginians with his racist and hateful bile. Jeff Frederick is an embarrassment to all who love our democracy.

So, will people like Anne Taetzsch, Chris Saxman, Matt Lohr, Chris Darden, and other prominent Valley Republicans move to oust Frederick? Or, by their continued silence, will they condone his brand of ugly and hate filled politics? 

What's with this guy?

According to the News Leader article on the Staunton GOP meeting yesterday Alex Davis, who chaired the nominating committee, somehow left several chair nominees names off the list. Then the nominating committee went back to work, but the election took place before the new list wast approved. Sounds like he is related to Katherine Harris. Anyhow, it is all in character with his previous hyjinks.

Congrats to Anne Taetzsch on her election as the chair. Guess we'll have to wait and see if she's able to unify this group that seems pretty dysfunctional at times. Does she have enough coattails to save Kurt in the Augusta GOP committee? We'll see.