Well it appears the great coup long predicted on RedMaryland and, yes, by Brian Griffiths was not to be. If we are to believe the reportage by Michael Swartz on the Monoblogue of the events of the Fall Convention, there wasn't a peep from all those Executive Committee members who were supposedly sharpening their knives and burning for regime change.
Not a word was heard from those so deeply concerned about the "competence" of the current leadership. All we have is Brian Griffiths himself, the only member of this crew with a ounce of self-respect and the conviction to use his real name and stand by his assertions. He will, unfortunately, be left twisting in the wind by the rest of the gang, who, true form so far will deny ever knowing Mr. Griffiths. We'll probably never know who they are unless they slip up and inadvertently identify themselves in their anonymous comments they leave on RedMaryland posts.
The anonymous commenters have accused me of being insufficiently "involved" in state or county politics to be a qualified observer, let alone critic. They want to know how many doors have I knocked on, how many signs have I waved, how many voter registrations have I collected. My answer is: As many as time and opportunity would allow, I suppose. I have supported conservative Republican candidates and elected officials in the best way I know how. I joined the Elephant Club and revamped its website, adding all of its content and used it to support candidates. I started the Elephant Club list on yahoo and presided over many a great debate. I designed a few websites for local candidates and asked nothing in return.
And, apparently, I don't really know what a political party is supposed to do. Well I am convinced that the party needs to set the political tone and to communicate it throughout the state. People need to know what a Republican is and that the ideology of the Republican Party is and should be conservatism. It is conservatism that resonates with those voters who affiliate themselves with the GOP. And it is those voters who need to see their conservatism in action, in word and deed. When this happens, when the conservative tone is clear and unambiguous, it draws people to it. When Republicans dissemble and use the politically correct lexicon of the left, it is transparent and it is sickening. People turn their backs on just another empty suited, blow-dried politician. They don't vote. They don't defend the party and they certainly don't contribute money.
And, I know what a political party is NOT supposed to do. It is NOT supposed to be an embarrassment to its members every time the leadership opens its collective mouth. It is NOT supposed to honor Democrats at Lincoln Day dinners. And its would-be leaders are NOT supposed to name Democratic delegates as Delegate of the Year. So far under Jim Pelura's watch this has not happened. I would expect to read about John Flynn's resignation the day after it does happen, God forbid.
Mike Netherland
Severna Park
Sunday, December 02, 2007
Saturday, December 01, 2007
Anatomy of a Smear
Folks,
In the last 24 hours, or there abouts, since my last post, I have heard from a half a dozen members of the State and County GOP. It is becoming clear that there is nothing to rumor that some kind of a coup is afoot to seek the installation of a new State Party chairman. There isn't even a drumbeat. I don't have Al Redmer's e-mail address, but I am sure he would be appalled that his good named is being used to further this rumor.
All we really have is a cadre of disaffected individuals, in and out of elected office and at least one who ran, up until yesterday, a respected Republican blog. Here are a few things to remember when reading certain blogs flogging this rumor:
1. The only way to force a siting chairman to step down is to first notify him in a formal letter that is sent to members of the Executive Committee.
2. The Executive Committee must meet and vote in sufficient majority to replace the sitting chairman with a successor.
The members of the Executive Committee I have heard from have not received a formal letter notifying them that such a vote would take place. Therefore such a vote cannot take place during the current Fall Convention.
Given these simple facts, the notion that a vote to oust Jim Pelura is imminent is ridiculous. That certain Republicans, who have, it seems, given up all hope of ever holding elected office in Maryland would spread such a rumor is saddening.
What, if not a vote during this convention to replace Jim Pelura, do these Republicans have to gain by smearing the good names of Jim Pelura and John Flynn and other principled conservatives? There are plenty of other Republicans out there near and far who are indeed deserving of such treatment. Plenty.
The folks I have spoken with personally have no doubt as to what motivates the current smear-merchants. Vengeance and ideology, it turns out are on their agendas. Those currently on the Executive Committee, privy to embargoed documents such as financial statements, budgets and letters clearly marked "Confidential," seek to replace a principled conservative with a squishy, bring-home-the-bacon moderate. I don't know Mr. Redmer but I'm sure he would resent such a characterization. Also, members of this cadre who are not on the Executive Committee seek to right many perceived wrongs against them, the latest of which involved the unpleasantness on the Anne Arundel State Central Committee, by smearing county conservatives.
If there is a strong and ambitious moderate faction of the party, let them persuade the party faithful that theirs is the best way, seek a mandate in the light of day to lead the party, rather than abducting it in the middle of the night. If they have the courage of their convictions, they should stand up and proudly state their arguments and refutations.
Otherwise, I suggest they go back home, turn their compost heaps, watch a few more hours of Lifetime or Oxygen cable TV programming, sip green tea and put in some time on a Re-Elect Wayne Gilchrest phone bank.
Mike Netherland
Severna Park
In the last 24 hours, or there abouts, since my last post, I have heard from a half a dozen members of the State and County GOP. It is becoming clear that there is nothing to rumor that some kind of a coup is afoot to seek the installation of a new State Party chairman. There isn't even a drumbeat. I don't have Al Redmer's e-mail address, but I am sure he would be appalled that his good named is being used to further this rumor.
All we really have is a cadre of disaffected individuals, in and out of elected office and at least one who ran, up until yesterday, a respected Republican blog. Here are a few things to remember when reading certain blogs flogging this rumor:
1. The only way to force a siting chairman to step down is to first notify him in a formal letter that is sent to members of the Executive Committee.
2. The Executive Committee must meet and vote in sufficient majority to replace the sitting chairman with a successor.
The members of the Executive Committee I have heard from have not received a formal letter notifying them that such a vote would take place. Therefore such a vote cannot take place during the current Fall Convention.
Given these simple facts, the notion that a vote to oust Jim Pelura is imminent is ridiculous. That certain Republicans, who have, it seems, given up all hope of ever holding elected office in Maryland would spread such a rumor is saddening.
What, if not a vote during this convention to replace Jim Pelura, do these Republicans have to gain by smearing the good names of Jim Pelura and John Flynn and other principled conservatives? There are plenty of other Republicans out there near and far who are indeed deserving of such treatment. Plenty.
The folks I have spoken with personally have no doubt as to what motivates the current smear-merchants. Vengeance and ideology, it turns out are on their agendas. Those currently on the Executive Committee, privy to embargoed documents such as financial statements, budgets and letters clearly marked "Confidential," seek to replace a principled conservative with a squishy, bring-home-the-bacon moderate. I don't know Mr. Redmer but I'm sure he would resent such a characterization. Also, members of this cadre who are not on the Executive Committee seek to right many perceived wrongs against them, the latest of which involved the unpleasantness on the Anne Arundel State Central Committee, by smearing county conservatives.
If there is a strong and ambitious moderate faction of the party, let them persuade the party faithful that theirs is the best way, seek a mandate in the light of day to lead the party, rather than abducting it in the middle of the night. If they have the courage of their convictions, they should stand up and proudly state their arguments and refutations.
Otherwise, I suggest they go back home, turn their compost heaps, watch a few more hours of Lifetime or Oxygen cable TV programming, sip green tea and put in some time on a Re-Elect Wayne Gilchrest phone bank.
Mike Netherland
Severna Park
Sunday, November 25, 2007
First Spouse?
What should we call the husband of our first woman President? Notice I didn't use the phrase "female President." The ability to make this simple distinction has been lost on members of my generation (who consciously avoid it) and simply doesn't exist for later ones (from whom is has been deliberately kept by members of my generation).
To illustrate this stage in human evolution, simply read the Washington Times feature on The U.S. Mint. The story is a cutesy feature on how one federal agency is dealing with the possibility of a woman President. The cultural and intellectual vagrants at the Mint presented President Bush and the First lady with their first ever "First Spouse" series of commemorative coins.
My 10-year-old daughter and I were waiting for the train at Union Station when I decided to read it. I got to this point:
Why this is a cultural and not a clinical or biological issue is important because it marks a recent example of the real effects on society that attempts to erase from our perceptions and thoughts any and all differences between the sexes, or between social norms such as right and wrong.
The problem with such experimentation is that the differences are not erased. They are now and will always be real. What we have instead, is an entire generation of willing dupes and a new generation of people with no connection to their true cultural heritage except that which has been scrubbed clean of the truth, good and bad. The phrase" Ladies and Gentlemen" is simply just a sound that a person makes in addressing an audience, no more meaningful than a car alarm.
And so we have the Director of the U.S. Mint who has no concept of what a Lady is or was and why that term is used to distinguish one woman from another. If he does, and he appears to have the years to know better, then he falls into the "willing dupes" category.
In grappling with the problem presented by a woman holding the highest office in the land, one must come to grips with the differences between Ladies and Gentlemen, which Edmund Moy, the 38th Director of the Mint, seems to have abandoned. The solution, as with all things male and female (except in Montgomery County, MD of course) is to have separate commemorative series.
The First Gentlemen Series, will be small at first, while the First Ladies Series will continue to grow, God willing.
To illustrate this stage in human evolution, simply read the Washington Times feature on The U.S. Mint. The story is a cutesy feature on how one federal agency is dealing with the possibility of a woman President. The cultural and intellectual vagrants at the Mint presented President Bush and the First lady with their first ever "First Spouse" series of commemorative coins.
My 10-year-old daughter and I were waiting for the train at Union Station when I decided to read it. I got to this point:
"What to call a male "first spouse" could be a hot topic if Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, New York Democrat, is elected president next year.So I asked my 10-year-old what should the husband of the President be called. After phrasing the question a few different ways, she finally came up with "The First Gentleman."
Why this is a cultural and not a clinical or biological issue is important because it marks a recent example of the real effects on society that attempts to erase from our perceptions and thoughts any and all differences between the sexes, or between social norms such as right and wrong.
The problem with such experimentation is that the differences are not erased. They are now and will always be real. What we have instead, is an entire generation of willing dupes and a new generation of people with no connection to their true cultural heritage except that which has been scrubbed clean of the truth, good and bad. The phrase" Ladies and Gentlemen" is simply just a sound that a person makes in addressing an audience, no more meaningful than a car alarm.
And so we have the Director of the U.S. Mint who has no concept of what a Lady is or was and why that term is used to distinguish one woman from another. If he does, and he appears to have the years to know better, then he falls into the "willing dupes" category.
In grappling with the problem presented by a woman holding the highest office in the land, one must come to grips with the differences between Ladies and Gentlemen, which Edmund Moy, the 38th Director of the Mint, seems to have abandoned. The solution, as with all things male and female (except in Montgomery County, MD of course) is to have separate commemorative series.
The First Gentlemen Series, will be small at first, while the First Ladies Series will continue to grow, God willing.
Sunday, November 18, 2007
Tis The Season, Again
Christmas used to be my favorite time of the year. It stopped being so when American society stopped having Christmas parties; when grade schools stopped having Christmas Pageants and stores stopped selling Christmas decorations and other things I had associated with this time of the year.
Now I can't even look at a container of egg-nog, whose label has the traditional red and green coloring and borders of ribbon, holly berries and poinsettias, without being reminded of this sad fact. I opened the refrigerator one morning to get my milk for my morning coffee and stared at this label whose contents were described, in the traditional Christmas script, as "Holiday Egg-Nog."
OK, why does it have to be described as "Holiday" egg-nog? Why not just plain egg-nog? At what other time of year do I find egg-nog in my refrigerator? Christmas, of course. Well, we backwards and unenlightened obviously can't be trusted to have the colors, graphics and script associated with Christmas and NOT think of this time of year as Christmas, can we? So the good culture-neutral nut-jobs have seen to it that such dreadful thoughts never enter our empty heads.
Later that same day, I get an e-mail message from one of our esteemed conservative Republican elected officials inviting me and the fam to, yes, a "Holiday Party" fundraiser. The invitation was festooned with garland, holly and berries and poinsettias, and was written in the traditional Christmas script.
It's almost enough to make one say "Bah! Humbug."
Now I can't even look at a container of egg-nog, whose label has the traditional red and green coloring and borders of ribbon, holly berries and poinsettias, without being reminded of this sad fact. I opened the refrigerator one morning to get my milk for my morning coffee and stared at this label whose contents were described, in the traditional Christmas script, as "Holiday Egg-Nog."
OK, why does it have to be described as "Holiday" egg-nog? Why not just plain egg-nog? At what other time of year do I find egg-nog in my refrigerator? Christmas, of course. Well, we backwards and unenlightened obviously can't be trusted to have the colors, graphics and script associated with Christmas and NOT think of this time of year as Christmas, can we? So the good culture-neutral nut-jobs have seen to it that such dreadful thoughts never enter our empty heads.
Later that same day, I get an e-mail message from one of our esteemed conservative Republican elected officials inviting me and the fam to, yes, a "Holiday Party" fundraiser. The invitation was festooned with garland, holly and berries and poinsettias, and was written in the traditional Christmas script.
It's almost enough to make one say "Bah! Humbug."
The Mes..ge...Not Get...ng...Thro...
I unhappily report today that our message is not getting through. How do I know this? It first occurred to me last month as I trudged back to my truck after another long day at work along with other trudgers whose daily work lives involve the MARC commuter train system.
One of my fellow trudgers, a long-time commuting acquaintance who delights in passing the time between late or annulled MARC trains by ribbing me about the latest Republican or Bush administration foible. A retired army non-com, he disapproves of everything the current government does and we have interesting debates. His political acumen, however, is limited and his opinions tend to be formed, like so many others, in the Democratic echo chamber of the mainstream media.
So together we trudged and debated as we have on so many occasions until he stopped and wheeled around to face me. This is it, I thought, he's snapped and now he's going to resort to violence. I tensed and waited for the strike, when he suddenly he changed the subject as though he just remembered something very important that he wanted to tell me.
"Did you know that we are paying farmers to not grow anything?" he asked, expecting me to fall over and die. "Not only that," he continued when I didn't appear as dumb-struck as he expected, " but we are paying millions to rich farming conglomerates!"
Well, I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He had just heard the news about the Congressional debate over the most recent Farm subsidy reauthorization. I wanted to tell him that, unfortunately this has been the case ever since the Great Depression, that yes, of course I knew this and have remained a Republican largely because of it and many other ridiculous wastes of tax revenue, etc.
But, why? He wanted to know. Well I took the time to explain the purely political reasons behind the ancient policy he just discovered and the very real economic impact of such politics on the poor nations of the world. I don't think I made a convert that night but maybe, just maybe, he'll hesitate come the general election before voting for Hillary Clinton.
More recently, on the Metro this time, another commuting acquaintance took the occasion to explain to me his plan for getting another of his kids into a private school. The tuition is eating him alive, he said, but what can he do? The public school stinks on ice. I was about to leave him with my trademark "almost makes you want to vote Republican," when he said he was going to look into a tuition voucher. Intrigued, I asked what sort of voucher he had in mind. Well he had heard about private school tuition vouchers "on the news" and was going to look into Maryland's program to see if he qualified.
I almost missed my stop. I was this time, dumbstruck. I recovered in enough time, though, to advise him that looking into the Maryland school voucher program would be a waste of time, as there isn't one. No? No. We could have had one, I said, but your friends and neighbors voted against the last time it was on the ballot. Oh. "Almost makes you want to vote Republican, doesn't it?" I said as I left the train. Yeah, I heard him say.
One of my fellow trudgers, a long-time commuting acquaintance who delights in passing the time between late or annulled MARC trains by ribbing me about the latest Republican or Bush administration foible. A retired army non-com, he disapproves of everything the current government does and we have interesting debates. His political acumen, however, is limited and his opinions tend to be formed, like so many others, in the Democratic echo chamber of the mainstream media.
So together we trudged and debated as we have on so many occasions until he stopped and wheeled around to face me. This is it, I thought, he's snapped and now he's going to resort to violence. I tensed and waited for the strike, when he suddenly he changed the subject as though he just remembered something very important that he wanted to tell me.
"Did you know that we are paying farmers to not grow anything?" he asked, expecting me to fall over and die. "Not only that," he continued when I didn't appear as dumb-struck as he expected, " but we are paying millions to rich farming conglomerates!"
Well, I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He had just heard the news about the Congressional debate over the most recent Farm subsidy reauthorization. I wanted to tell him that, unfortunately this has been the case ever since the Great Depression, that yes, of course I knew this and have remained a Republican largely because of it and many other ridiculous wastes of tax revenue, etc.
But, why? He wanted to know. Well I took the time to explain the purely political reasons behind the ancient policy he just discovered and the very real economic impact of such politics on the poor nations of the world. I don't think I made a convert that night but maybe, just maybe, he'll hesitate come the general election before voting for Hillary Clinton.
More recently, on the Metro this time, another commuting acquaintance took the occasion to explain to me his plan for getting another of his kids into a private school. The tuition is eating him alive, he said, but what can he do? The public school stinks on ice. I was about to leave him with my trademark "almost makes you want to vote Republican," when he said he was going to look into a tuition voucher. Intrigued, I asked what sort of voucher he had in mind. Well he had heard about private school tuition vouchers "on the news" and was going to look into Maryland's program to see if he qualified.
I almost missed my stop. I was this time, dumbstruck. I recovered in enough time, though, to advise him that looking into the Maryland school voucher program would be a waste of time, as there isn't one. No? No. We could have had one, I said, but your friends and neighbors voted against the last time it was on the ballot. Oh. "Almost makes you want to vote Republican, doesn't it?" I said as I left the train. Yeah, I heard him say.
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