All across Connecticut, tired run down Republican Town Committee Chairs are considering whether or not they’re up to or willing to be second-guessed, insulted, and criticized by committee members for another two year cycle.Their frustration and exhaustion is understandable even for those that enjoyed successful local election cycles two months ago.
Every move local chairs make is subject to review by committee members who often have half or none of the facts and the harshest criticism tends to arrive from those members who rarely write checks, fail to attend fund-raisers and certainly don’t do any heavy lifting on behalf of the party.
None of that keeps them from calling or emailing however.
For example:
A chairman’s able to purchase lawn signs for 4 dollars without obligation to buy weeks or months in advance and with no pre-set minimum. Members complain that the closer (by 8 miles) vendor didn’t get the business at over 9 buck’s per-sign.
The Chairman is holding a large fund-raiser at their home; and is told,
“Don’t go micro-managing the event” (At their own home?)
The above incidents are true, only the town is being left anonymous to protect the guilty.
Even in victory the local chair is lucky to get so much as an honorable mention; instead the victory is credited to overall national mood.
Below is an open letter to those hard working local Town Committee Chairs that should stay and they know it, but are considering this coming March as an opportunity to escape.
You're going to remain Chair if for no other reason than it's the right thing to do for your town, your state, and your nation.
You're well aware that America has long been the last escape for victims of tyranny.
Thus should we as a nation fail, the planet as we know it will descend into an abbess with individual liberty and devotion to God both long forgotten within just two or three generations.
You also know that should the Republican Party fail, America will as well.
With your God given talents, and the pure white hearts within you and your spouse; despite all sorts of criticism, snide remarks, and rude uncalled for overt attacks, you overcame all odds and forced your candidates to run harder than even they had intended resulting in a total GOP win just two months ago.
While the casual observer might confuse the victory as some referendum on national events; why then did the adjacent town where they delivered a higher percentage plurality for Bush in 2000, 2004 and McCain in 2008 than your town did, fail to win more than one single Republican seat on their Town Council?
Your Republicans were victorious because they outworked their political opponents and to assume anything else is an insult to every Republican candidate as well as the entire Republican Town Committee.
Further, we know you. State central members and others have witnessed you in action.
We're familiar with your non-political concerns regarding the death of a young Town Committee member, a local under-funded Seminary, or the neighborhood military reservist about to embark on a tour in Iraq. One need not be among the most observant to conclude that your efforts are driven by a desire to serve God Himself through kind acts towards others than any other desire.
You've worked hard, and received less than the accolades you deserve, quite the contrary in fact.
I know you're weary of the position and its responsibilities, and I wish I was wrong about this, but I'm not.
You must remain at the helm, taking the pot shots directed at you, and being second-guessed constantly by those that have less than half the facts on an issue but hold a strong opinion anyway.
For you to do less will expose your town to further harm and with that further erosion of conservative ideals which will only weaken the chances of other Republicans locally and those involved in regional and state races.
I don't believe that God's gift to mankind of free will is served by a government that restricts the liberty of it's citizens, or encroaches on their ability to worship Him (or not) as they see fit.
Neither do you.
You have no choice but to go on for you know others will fail where you have prospered, because you know in your heart why you have been successful where others have failed.
God has smiled upon your efforts as He recognizes the servant’s heart within you.
God Bless you, and may He grant you the patience you'll need to match the tenacity you have.
Well put, ACR!
ReplyDeleteI tell the Tea Party folks that it's easy to criticize the local party, but they're the people who've been manning the barricades alone--don't blame them for not winning fights you didn't show up for! Join your energy to their knowledge and dedication, and we can get something done in November.
Joe many if not most in the established Republican party have been left behind by the people because they dont represent our interests. Please dont loose sight of that fact.
ReplyDeleteIf there are people in the Republican party who have truely held onto their principles, the people who happen to attend tea parties and grassroots events will see that for themselves.
Both major parties have been too caught up in their own agenda for far too long they will have to earn the trust this November. They wont do that by ramming the usual suspects down the throats of the voters at the polls.