"The most important goal in my life is to have some significant impact in preserving and expanding the realm of personal freedom in the life of this country.” Richard D. Obenshain
Recently, Virginia Republican gubernatorial nominee Ken Cuccinelli has been promoting the idea of a series of debates between himself and Democratic nominee Terry McAuliffe. The Cuccinelli campaign has suggested fifteen debates across the commonwealth in a variety of locations including one in the Shenandoah Valley, in the city of Harrisonburg.
However, so far the McAuliffe campaign has not accepted this idea. As a result, the Cuccinelli camp has run a series of ads on Facebook and elsewhere insisting that Virginians deserve a multitude of opportunities to hear from and learn about their choices for governor in November.
Now, I absolutely agree that debates serve as an important tool in campaigning and a handful of lively contests are exceedingly valuable. For that reason, I wrote against my own representative back in 2010 when he refused to attend a debate sponsored by James Madison University. Should McAuliffe agree to at least a few debates? Yes, a thousand times, yes!
Unfortunately in this situation, Cuccinelli has fallen into the same trap as Representative Goodlatte did three years prior; the debate ought to be used as a forum to allow all candidates that will appear on the ballot to express his or her opinions. Goodlatte would not debate back in 2010 because he only faced third party opposition. Cuccinelli wants to debate in 2013 but according to fellow blogger Rick Sincere, plans to exclude at least one other candidate, Libertarian Party nominee Rob Sarvis. This news is deeply disappointing.
This whole situation has echoes back to the national stage. After Ross Perot’s performance during the presidential elections, Republican and Democratic operatives got together to make certain that independent and third party candidates would be excluded from future debates. They created a monopoly among their parties. After the Green, Libertarian, Constitution, and Justice Parties weren’t invited to take part in the 2012 Presidential debates, an organization called Free & Equal hosted a debate where all of the candidates, along with the two major party candidates, were invited to participate. Not surprisingly, neither Barack Obama nor Mitt Romney chose to attend.
I applaud the Cuccinelli campaign in their effort to bring the candidates to a vast number of citizens across Virginia. However, to exclude any eligible candidate based upon his or her party (or lack thereof) is unacceptable. Debates are a great thing, but to be legitimate, they must allow all of candidates the chance to express their opinions.
Around 3 PM on Saturday, Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli arrived at the Republican Party headquarters in Harrisonburg to officially kick off the opening of that office. About seventy-five people attended including several elected officials such as Delegate Ben Cline of Rockbridge County and Harrisonburg/Rockingham Sheriff Bryan Hutcheson. Also on hand were representatives from a handful of other campaigns: Jeannemarie Davis’, Corey Stewart’s, and, of course, State Senator Mark Obenshain’s.
After a prayer and a few introductory remarks, Delegate Tony Wilt spoke to prep the crowd for Ken Cuccinelli. The following video captures the entirety of the attorney general’s speech.
Once Ken Cuccinelli finished, Georgia Long, a 6th Congressional District State Central Party Representative, offered him a gift of flowers in a boot-shaped pot.
After Mr. Cuccinelli left, with the start of the campaign season officially underway for the Republican Party in Harrisonburg, volunteers manning the phones to begin anew the process of identifying and targeting voters.
In the Shenandoah Valley, the long and likely heated contest to select the next governor of Virginia has begun!
For many activists in the central Shenandoah Valley, Dean Welty is a very familiar name. For those who do not know him, Mr. Welty is the Director of the Valley Family Forum, a particularly active political and religious group with ties to organizations like The Family Foundation (based in Richmond) and Focus on the Family. Issues important to this group include: the sanctity of life, the protection of traditional marriage, promotion of school choice, and the free expression of religious freedom.
About an hour an a half ago, Dean Welty sent out an email regarding his personal choices for the three Republican candidates for statewide office as well as his reasoning. They are as follows:
For Governor: Ken Cuccinelli
“Ken Cuccinelli is the uncontested GOP candidate with an exceptional record as State Senator and as Attorney General for defending Life, Marriage and the Family, and Religious Liberty, and for his unwavering fight to protect our Constitutional rights. There is no one better suited by character and conviction to be our next Governor.
“Related to this, Lt. Governor Bill Bolling has indicated that he may run against Cuccinelli as an independent. If he does, that will split the vote in November and virtually guarantee Cuccinelli’s defeat. Therefore, please click on the following link in which Bolling has asked for our opinion, and respectfully urge him not to run: http://www.billbolling.com/survey-on-the-2013-virginia-race-for-governor/.”
For Lt. Governor: E. W. Jackson
“In a crowded field of strong candidates, E.W. Jackson nevertheless stands out like none other, as reflected in his bold call for all God-fearing Americans to “Exodus Now” from the Democrat Party. An ex-Marine, Harvard Law School graduate, business leader, and pastor, Jackson is a fighting statesman who can raise the standard and stir our hearts like no one else has been able to do. In addition, he has been a close friend and supporter of the Forum and a powerful champion for Faith, Family, and Freedom.
“Beyond that, Jackson is a man of great vision who transcends party and politics in his commitment to restore our Judeo-Christian heritage and to defend our Constitution. No one expresses it better than when he quotes from Thomas Paine in the fight for independence in 1776:
’These are the times that try men’s souls: The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of his country; but he that stands by it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. … Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation …, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph.’”
For Attorney General:
“In a nutshell, Senator Mark Obenshain not only votes right but, even more importantly, he leads right on issues of principle that others sometimes avoid as being too “controversial”. To cite just a few, he has led the Senate in the fight for life from conception to natural death, for marriage as only between one man and one woman, for private property rights, for religious liberty, and for quality education and choice – to name only a few. Like Jackson, Mark has also been a close friend of the Forum and, with his wife Suzanne, received our annual Wilberforce Award in 2011.”
Whether you happen to agree with Dean Welty’s picks or not, it is beneficial for an informed voter to hear a multitude of opinions. Use them, along with a variety of others, as you make your choice as a delegate for the May RPV convention.
In the next several days, both Susan Stimpson and Ken Cuccinelli will be making stops in Harrisonburg, Virginia.
First, lieutenant governor candidate Susan Stimpson will be hosting a meet & greet on Friday evening. This event will be taking place at Franco’s Pizza, which is located at 225 Burgess Road, from 4:30 PM to 6 PM. Perhaps the location is better well know as being in the same shopping center as Walmart, Staples, and Barnes & Noble. To RSVP for this event, please email RSVP@SusanStimpson.com.
Then, on Saturday, presumptive Republican gubernatorial nominee Ken Cuccinelli will be on hand for the grand opening (or reopening) of the Harrisonburg/Rockingham County GOP headquarters at 2:30 PM. As has been the case in the last several election cycles, this office is located on 182 Neff Avenue, in the shopping center right behind the Valley Mall. For additional information on this event, please contact Adam at ashepherd@rpv.org or call (540) 478-2690.
Yes, it is an exciting time politically here in the city of Harrisonburg as more and more candidates make campaign stops in the friendly city. So don’t miss these opportunities to learn more about your political choices!
In the early stages of the 2013 gubernatorial race, it seemed as if Lieutenant Governor Bill Bolling would be the unquestioned Republican nominee. Due the deal struck four years earlier between now Governor Bob McDonnell and Bolling, where Bolling would forgo running for governor for McDonnell in exchange for future political support, who would able to stand up against the combined political strength of these two men?
Then Senator Cuccinelli and Lt. Gov. Bolling
Then Ken Cuccinelli entered the picture. Ken Cuccinelli, the dynamic Attorney General of Virginia who garnered national attention for his stand against Obamacare, tossed his hat in the ring for governor. Some people in Republican circles had hoped that Cuccinelli, following Bolling’s example four years prior, would run for re-election thus giving Bolling a clear path to the Republican gubernatorial nomination. After several months of uncertainty, Ken Cuccinelli announced that he was entering the race for governor. Given the popularity of Cuccinelli in conservative circles, this decision alone would have made a very difficult path for Bill Bolling’s victory going forward. However, when coupled with the factor that the Republican Party of Virginia then switched their nominating process from an open primary to a convention, Cuccinelli became a virtual lock for the party nomination. Cuccinelli had established himself as a rock star among conservatives and although feared by liberals, the closed process meant that Democrats and independents would have no hand in the party’s nomination process.
With these exceedingly difficult circumstances, Bill Bolling recently withdrew from the Republican nomination for governor. At that time, he refused to endorse Cuccinelli for the post. Given that Bolling had been seeking the nomination for governor presumably since first running for lieutenant governor in 2004, the fact that he would not readily endorse the man who he likely believed stole the nomination from him isn’t too surprising.
However there was one startling development as Bolling floated the idea of continuing his campaign for governor as either an independent or a third-party candidate. The prevailing thought was that Bolling would not run in 2013 but was merely using the idea as a way to vent his frustration about the whole process.
But it seems that the idea of Bill Bolling for governor is not dead. Over the weekend, I was sent the link to a website that is actively promoting his candidacy. It seems that Gail “for Rail” Parker, a candidate for U.S. Senate in 2006, and the Independent Green Party of Virginia are working to get Bolling’s name on the ballot. According to the site, the petition drive for Bolling began on January 2nd of this year. The real question becomes is this effort independent of the Lt. Gov. or is website part of his exploratory run?
I’ve said on several occasions that Ken Cuccinelli will be the next governor of Virginia. However, if Bill Bolling runs either third party or as an independent, it is possible that he could draw enough support from disaffected Republicans to radically change November’s outcome. Will this movement led by Gail Parker derail the Cuccinelli campaign train? Will Bill Bolling run for governor?
Shortly after the November elections, I heard Fun.’s Some Nights and realized that many of the lyrics in this song apply to the current turmoil in the Republican Party stemming both from the nomination of Mitt Romney and his failure to win the general election on November 6th.
Now, I know what some of you are thinking; gee, do you always draw ties between politics and pop culture? Well, I guess that connection is simply programmed in my brain. For example, when I watched the James Bond film Skyfall yesterday, I noticed a number of interesting theories at work, such as the question of when or if one should surrender his or her own needs and desires to the greater good of the state. But any discussion of Skyfall will have to wait for another day.
First, if you haven’t heard Fun.’s Some Nights, or if you don’t remember the song, I encourage you to listen to it again here.
For purposes of this article, I’ll quote a line from the song and then explain the current political significance regarding the controversies within the Republican Party. Is everyone clear on the format then? Okay. Let’s begin.
Right off, we have the line “Some nights, I stay up cashing in my bad luck”.
A few Republican pundits blamed the results of the 2012 election on bad luck. Oh, if only Hurricane Sandy didn’t hit when it did…oh, if only Representative Todd Akin didn’t stick his foot in his mouth when it came to rape, Mitt Romney would have won. Although bad luck can certainly play a factor in all facets of life, including elections, the Republican Party lost for more important reasons than simply “bad luck”.
The next line of interest is “But I still wake up, I still see your ghost”.
The political ghost for the Republicans is the spirit of Ronald Reagan. Most Republican activists fondly remember the Reagan presidency in particularly idyllic terms. Oh, they think, if only we could only find another Ronald Reagan then we could return both the country and the party to some sort of golden age. Unfortunately, the standard practice is to whitewash history so we tend to forget that despite his greatness, Reagan did have his flaws and the country wasn’t perfect under his rule. Nevertheless, Reagan was a good president, but we must recognize the simple fact is that he is gone. The GOP must look to the future, not continually dwell on the past.
Moving on, we find the lines:
“Oh Lord, I’m still not sure what I stand for oh
What do I stand for? What do I stand for?
Most nights, I don’t know anymore…”
In these lyrics we find the crux of the GOP dilemma. What does the Republican Party stand for these days, if anything? Many conservatives I know would argue that the Republicans stand for a federal government restrained by the constitution, free markets, fiscal responsibility, personal liberty, a strong national defense, and a faith in God (see the creed of the Republican Party of Virginia). But one does have to wonder, if those principles guide the GOP, why did they select such a poor standard bearer in the form of Mitt Romney? After all, during his political career, he opposed the 2nd Amendment, approved of judicial activism and fought against the right to life by supporting Roe v. Wade, spoke in favor of some aspects of government involvement in healthcare, and believes that government can deny citizens suspected of terrorism their basic constitutional protections. Are these the values that the modern GOP supports?
Then we have “This is it, boys, this is war – what are we waiting for?”
Both the Republican and Democratic Parties have been actively working to destroy political dialogue in this country. Differing political opinions are not tolerated; those who disagree, either domestically or internationally, are treated as enemies that cannot be reasoned with. Taken in its extreme form, you get thoughts much like President George W. Bush statement in 2001, “Either you are with us, or you are with the terrorists.” The prospect of any sort of political middle ground is treated with hostility. Once a people begin to treat their friends and neighbors as enemies based upon mere political disagreements, that country is no longer politically healthy. As fellow political blogger Rick Sincere stated earlier today, “People with whom I disagree are people with whom I disagree. They are not demons, mortal enemies, or the Antichrist. Disagreements about policy and culture are the lifeblood of representative democracy and pluralist society. They are not signs of the Apocalypse.”
“Why don’t we break the rules already?”
The Republican Party famously chose to modify many of its rules at the Republican National Convention in order to favor the establishment and exclude liberty activists. But it is okay, because the end justifies the means, right?
“I was never one to believe the hype – save that for the black and white”
Leading up to the election, some political pundits, like Karl Rove or Dick Morris, predicted a victory for Romney, apparently not based upon political reality, but predicated upon the mere hope that Romney would win. Should we leave objective journalism to the “black and white” newspapers?
“I try twice as hard and I’m half as liked”.
Mitt Romney did work diligently to win the election. However, far too many voters had a hard time liking a New England liberal elitist who was unable to relate to the plight of the average working man or woman. Nationally, he claimed less votes than the not particularly well-liked John McCain.
“…but here they come again to jack my style”
Here we have the establishment lament. Oh, those cursed Ron Paul supporters! If only they would have fallen in line behind the party nominee. Who cares what principles they may or may not hold? The victory of the party is of paramount concern. They only exist to cause trouble or to “jack” the style of the establishment.
“…who I am, who I am, who I am. Oh, who am I?”
As stated earlier, the GOP is a party with an identity crisis.
“Cause I could use some friends for a change
And some nights, I’m scared you’ll forget me again”
In order to survive as a national party, the Republicans will need to attract new voters or “friends”. A lot of these potential friends are youth associated with the Ron Paul movement but in order to attract these folks, the party must adopt a more pro-liberty slant.
“Some nights, I always win, I always win…”
A repetition of the mistaken belief and/or fantasy that Romney and the Republicans would enjoy a great victory on Election Day.
“Well, that is it guys, that is all – five minutes in and I’m bored again
Ten years of this, I’m not sure if anybody understands”
One of the great concerns of the establishment is the acquisition of power. To many of them, principles are a secondary issue. Without this power, they grow bored and don’t wish to wait ten long years (or, in this case, four years) to regain influence in Washington.
“So this is it? I sold my soul for this?
Washed my hands of that for this?
I miss my mom and dad for this?”
Some conservative activists are rightly upset that they compromised their principles in order to defeat the supposed greater threat of Barack Obama. The line, “I miss my mom and dad for this?” echoes the fact that many volunteers sacrificed their family life for the pursuit of this political goal. Unfortunately, at the end of the day, we don’t have a Republican victory, the GOP doesn’t seem to hold too closely to our principles any longer, and some of our personal relationships have become strained apparently needlessly.
“Who the %&*# wants to die alone all dried up in the desert sun?”
Unless the GOP returns to its principles and works to attract the new converts, sooner or later the party will die alone or be relegated to political irrelevance. This line could also refer to the neo-conservative foreign policy of George W. Bush, which was extended by Barack Obama. These conflicts resulted in many of our soldiers dying alone in the deserts of the Middle East.
“When I look into my nephew’s eyes…
Man, you wouldn’t believe the most amazing things that can come from…
Some terrible nights…ahhh…”
I’ve stated this fact over and over again, but the youth are the future of the party. If we could but understand their concerns and tie them into the greater Republican movement then perhaps some good could come from the terrible night of November 6th.
Although I began writing this article before watching Fun.’s video, the backdrop of the U.S. Civil War is appropriate to the political situation. After all, the Republican Party is embroiled in its own civil war to determine who will control the party, the establishment or the conservative/liberty wing. This battle is clearly playing out in Virginia as Lt. Government Bill Bolling squares off against Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli for the Republican nomination for Governor in 2013. One important question is yet to be determined. Is the modern Republican Party in the mold of Thomas Jefferson, who called for a limited federal government, or has it reverted to the party of Abraham Lincoln who promoted the expansion of federal authority?
Perhaps after reading this article, you might hear something new when Some Nights comes on the radio again. So what does the Republican Party stand for these days? Honestly, some nights, I don’t know. But I do know the direction that I’ll be pushing it. The GOP must be a strong advocate for liberty at all times.
Do you believe that the greatness of our country was founded upon the principles of a limited and constitutional government, personal responsibility, and the free market? Do you sometimes think that the Republican Party and the nation as a whole have lost their way? And does your adherence to these principles of liberty ever make you feel like a political outcast? Well, if you answered yes to any of these questions and live in or around the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, I have some good news for you!
On September 16th, the Republican Liberty Caucus of the Shenandoah Valley will be holding a meeting in Staunton.
Although some of you may not know of the Republican Liberty Caucus, you are, no doubt, familiar with some of the leaders that they have endorsed. Here is a short list: 2012 Senate candidate Ted Cruz of Texas, Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli, Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky, Senator Jim DeMint of South Carolina, Representative Justin Amash of Michigan, and Representative Ron Paul of Texas. I think you will agree that each of these individuals are some of the best leaders that this nation has to offer, statesmen who promote the values of limited government conservatism and liberty.
As mention earlier, starting at 4 PM on September 16th, the Republican Liberty Caucus of the Shenandoah Valley will be gathering. It will take place at Mrs. Rowe’s Restaurant in Staunton, Virginia, just off of the 222 exit on Interstate 81. Although the guest list is still tentative, it is confirmed that Robert Kenyon, the chairman of the Virginia Republican Liberty Caucus, will be there.
So, no matter where you happen to live in the Shenandoah Valley, or even if you reside just outside the area, I hope that you can join us in September as we seek to build a coalition of like-minded activists. Please RSVP on the Facebook page so that we reserve enough space for all.
Working together, we can reclaim our party, restrain our government, and restore our nation.
Last week, Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky announced on the Sean Hannity show that he was endorsing former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney for president in the 2012 Republican nomination. The typical response from a number of my Facebook friends was quite hostile. As the argument went, how could Rand Paul endorse a liberal like Mitt Romney when the champion of liberty and Senator Paul’s father Ron Paul is still in the race?
I would wager that quite a few people who are upset with Rand are fairly new to the political game and therefore don’t understand how the endorsement game works.
For example, closer to home, State Senator Mark Obenshain (VA-26) recently sent out an email encouraging citizens to vote for Representative Bob Goodlatte and George Allen in the Virginia Republican primary on Tuesday. Now, as you may recall, I have endorsed both Karen Kwiatkowski and Jamie Radtke; obviously I do not agree with Obenshain on this matter. But, when it comes to his votes in the General Assembly, I maintain that Senator Obenshain is one of the best members of that body. Should this one simple issue of endorsement outweigh a multitude of good votes and legislation? Conversely, if a poor candidate or politician endorses a liberty-minded candidate, should that announcement erase a long slate of bad positions?
As I wrote many years ago, Virginians for Life sent out an email about then State Senator Ken Cuccinelli back in 2008. They compared him unfavorably to the biblical Judas due to his endorsement of Representative Frank Wolf. I would not have endorsed Wolf as he and I disagree over the underlying philosophy of proper governance. However, if we all reacted by condemning Cuccinelli over this rather trivial matter, what would be the end result? Would we still have a spirited attorney general that is willing to fight against Obamacare and other overreaches of the federal government?
Be it for better or worse, endorsements are one way elected officials pay back favors and reward loyalty. After all, here in the 6th district, both Bob Goodlatte and George Allen have helped a number of our current politicians gain their office and thus many of those folks feel that they need to repay that debt now. Moving back to the national level, the theory goes that it is the duty of every good Republican politician (who wishes to remain relevant to the party) to offer some measure of support for the party’s presidential candidate.
But let’s return to the first question. How can Rand Paul endorse Mitt Romney while Ron Paul is still in the race? The response is quite simple, but not an answer that most Ron Paul supporters will either accept or want to hear. I hate to say it, but short of a major miracle or divine intervention, Mitt Romney is and will be the Republican nominee for President.
Although it is true, as repeatedly pointed out these last few days, Rand Paul is not Ron Paul, the simple fact remains that Senator Paul is one of the few liberty-minded legislators in the United States Senate. In one fairly recent example, while most Senators were either apathetic, or downright hostile in the case of Senators McCain (R-AZ) and Graham (R-SC), about defending our civil liberties during the debate regarding the indefinite detention of American citizens without trial, Senator Paul remained firm in his efforts to try to derail this effort.
Regardless of this minor endorsement issue in the grand scheme of things, as long as Rand Paul continues to embrace the key principles of liberty and the Constitution, I am proud to support and defend the Senator from Kentucky. And yes, if you are wondering, these thoughts do come from a former Ron Paul staffer who actively volunteered for his former boss in this election cycle. I just hope that the rest of my like-minded brethren will realize that Rand Paul is a great senator and, endorsement or not, we need to support and elect more men and women like him.
Well ladies and gentlemen, the time for the 2012 Tax Day Rally has come and gone.
On April 14th, the Shenandoah Valley Tea Party held their annual event in downtown Harrisonburg, Virginia. The event boasted an impressive list of speakers including Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli. Even if you missed the gathering, you can still either read about it on examiner.com or watch a slideshow video on youtube.
During the football game between the New York Giants and the Dallas Cowboys, I received an email from our Attorney General entitled, “Now that Everyone Is Upset With Me…” In the message, Mr. Cuccinelli reiterates his earlier opinion that “Virginia needs to change its ballot access requirements for our statewide elections.” However, he goes on to state, “…my concern grows that we cannot find a way to make such changes fair to the Romney and Paul campaigns that qualified even with Virginia’s burdensome system. A further critical factor that I must consider is that changing the rules midstream is inconsistent with respecting and preserving the rule of law – something I am particularly sensitive to as Virginia’s attorney general.” As a result, he promises that he “will not support efforts to apply such changes to the 2012 Presidential election”.
In his concluding remarks, Ken Cuccinelli admits that this particular position was not for the best. “But when convinced that my position is wrong, I think it necessary to concede as much and adjust accordingly.” I cannot say what, if any, impact my earlier article made to switch his decision, but the most important factor is that he now recognizes this error. Many politicians arrogantly claim to never make mistakes in judgment. However, I’m glad to see that our Attorney General proves himself to be of a higher caliber; not only is he taking responsibility, he is also reversing himself before it is too late.
I predict that this matter won’t tarnish Ken Cuccinelli’s reputation too much. Nevertheless, this episode has provided Lt. Governor Bill Bolling, his opponent for the Republican nomination for Governor in 2013, a bit of ammunition. As the Lt. Governor writes in a press release this evening, “Going forward, I would also encourage Attorney General Cuccinelli to avoid making public statements that criticize our state election laws while his office is defending the State Board of Elections in a lawsuit that has been brought against them by Governor Perry and certain other presidential candidates. I am concerned that such public comments could be used against the Commonwealth in our effort to defend these lawsuits, and I am confident that the Attorney General would not want to do anything that could jeopardize his office’s ability to win this case.” Yes, Lt. Governor, I certainly agree with your thoughts on this matter.
Although neither the Perry nor Gingrich campaigns will be happy to learn that they have lost an ally this evening, I’m pleased to report that Cuccinelli has reversed course. Hopefully, when it comes to holding free and fair elections here in Virginia, the rule of law shall always prevail.
Recently, Virginia Republican gubernatorial nominee Ken Cuccinelli has been promoting the idea of a series of debates between himself and Democratic nominee Terry McAuliffe. The Cuccinelli campaign has suggested fifteen debates across the commonwealth in a variety of locations including one in the Shenandoah Valley, in the city of Harrisonburg.
