(Chuck Muth) – When it comes to blowing smoke up your skirt, no one in the Nevada Republican Party has been better at it than Chairman Chris Comfort. But the act is getting old. Sooner or later you have to provide more than rhetoric and platitudes. You have to produce actual results.
That day of reckoning for Comfort is right around the corner.
Despite having been in office for over four months now, Comfort continues to obsess over Harry Reid. His communications operation simply regurgitates RNC press releases slamming Harry while Harry’s son Rory, running for governor and overseeing the disaster known as the Clark County Commission, gets a free pass.
Making matters worse, the party hired a full-time Communications Director over two weeks ago, and anyone who knows Ciara Turns, a fire-breathing former conservative talk-show hostess, knows she’s no shrinking violet. Frankly, she’s a ball-buster – and the fact that she’s not out there busting Rory’s balls every day indicates that Comfort either doesn’t have his priorities straight or is trying to micro-manage the operation.
In the meantime, the party has failed to file quality candidates for various legislative seats currently being held by Democrat incumbents, or has filled many of those seats with B-team candidates. As of yesterday, there are virtually no experienced, known GOP candidates running for attorney general, secretary of state or state controller. And the filing deadline is tomorrow.
In addition, Comfort provided no party presence, guidance or assistance to GOP legislators during the recently concluded special session. Not only wasn’t Comfort at the table, he wasn’t even in the room. Or the building. Or for that matter, in the city.
There’s been, to the best of my knowledge, only one fundraising event (RNC Chairman Michael Steel was the guest) since Comfort took the reins. And the state convention, which was supposed to be held in April, was postponed because Comfort failed to secure a venue in time.
Meanwhile, Rory Reid and Democratic legislative leaders continue to pummel Gov. Jim Gibbons and Republicans over budget and other issues while Comfort feeds the press “happy talk” and spin about how the GOP is more united than ever and one big kumbaya party. His appearance on Jon Ralston “Face to Face” program opposite Democrat Party Communications Director Phoebe Sweet was just short of embarrassing.
As was his self-serving press statements that a tightening of voter registration numbers by some 20,000 voters last month was due to some national wave of joy for Republicans rather than the reality of a scheduled voter registration “purge” by the election department, which relegated Comfort to laughing-stock status among the media and veteran political operatives.
And exactly what is he doing about this new Tea Party of Nevada threat? His public dismissal of them as being virtually irrelevant despite some half-dozen high-profile GOP losses in recent years by margins less than the number of votes cast for conservative third-party candidates borders on clinical denial.
Finally, the John Ensign scandal, which only gets worse and worse, threatens GOP candidates in Nevada up and down the ballot in 2010. Yet Chairman Comfort continues to stand by his man even though his man has done nothing for the party over the last dozen years unless it benefitted him personally or politically. Why continue to defend the indefensible? The time to throw that man overboard is long overdue.
With the political winds blowing “right”-ward right now, all of this under the leadership(?) of Chairman Comfort amounts to yet another major blown opportunity for the party which never seems to miss an opportunity to blow an opportunity. And I’m hearing rumblings that party regulars and Central Committee members are tiring of it very quickly.
In fact, I smell mutiny in the air.
I’ve heard Chris Comfort isn’t allowing Ciara to engage because he is afraid she would show him up. His comments on the voter roll purges show what a rank amateur he is. For all his “Silicon Valley” experience (hey Chris, people in Silicone Valley call it Palo Alto FYI) he couldn’t even hold his own against a bad Demo press operative. He hasn’t worried about fundraising because by sheer luck his mail program has been bringing in real money thanks to Harry Reid not Comfort.
Bottom line, if the party wants to win this cycle we need to ditch Comfort and get someone in there who knows what the hell they are doing. Chris, you’re a decent person but a very bad chairman and I for one think you would be better off resigning and saving face versus driving this train wreck to the bitter end.
Carol or Sherri would both be better chairwomen as they have more experience within the party and better communication with the grassroots people.
Have to agree with Leon.
Comfort is an abrasive egomaniac whose biggest contribution to the party is providing banners to counties with a slogan on it so he can stand infront of everyone and look like a good guy who is steering the ship well.
I know both Sherri and Carol and like both of them but think we need someone from the south. Maybe someone like John Hambrick or Bill Weidner. Either way Comfort has got to go. We need new leadership for the NV party.
[...] Yes, I do believe the natives are restless. If you haven’t read the full column yet and/or would like to add your own comments about the job Chairman Comfort is doing and/or on the state of the Nevada Republican Party these days, click HERE [...]
That mail program was started by Sue Lowden months before she left and the money is coming in still.
“He hasn’t worried about fundraising because by sheer luck his mail program has been bringing in real money thanks to Harry Reid not Comfort.”
I left the being active in Las Vegas after several run in’s with Mr Know it all Comfort. Now I give money directly to candidates in other states like Scott Brown and Marco Rubio. I don’t see throwing away money down the Nevada Republican rat hole.
There does seem to be a great lack of seriousness in the NV GOP – a sort of “we’ll win no matter what” attitude. First off, we might not win – secondly, we could win a smashing victory, and that is better than a coast-to-the-goal moderate win.
It is stunning that with excellent Republicans signing up for offices all across America that here in Nevada we lack first rate candidates for major offices. This, in and of itself, is enough to justify tossing the current leadership.
Like I have always said, “If Dr. Comfort was doubled jointed, we would never see or hear from him again.”
The fact that Comfort appeared on “Face to Face” opposite Democrat Party Communications Director Phoebe Sweet shows how he doesn’t understand positioning or politics. You never go against a staffer when you are the boss. He lowered himself and elevated her. He should have waited to debate the party chair.
I posted this in response to the “hissy fit” article,..and I am reposting it in response to this article. Well written Chuck!
I gave many years to the Republican party,..as a volunteer, a candidate, an elected official, committee member and on the executive committee for Clark County. I stepped back from my involvement after I ran for Clark County Chair because I felt it was appropriate to allow the newly elected Chairman to lead without feeling hindered by my involvement,…being from the south originally we believe in graceful exits,..but the in house fighting was ultimately the reason I did not return. It saddens me greatly to see the lack of leadership and total disarray of the party. Al ot of very good and dedicated people gave many years to the party,…it would seem all their hard work has been in vain. Someone needs to step up and take the reigns. This has gone on long enough.
Sounds good to me. How about you, Chuck?
C. Thomas Gott MD, JD, PhD
Nevada Bar No 9816
5642 S. Eastern Avenue, Suite C
Las Vegas NV 89119-2310
Telephone: 702-891-0378
Fax: 866-314-4946
Cell: 702-592-0141
Jenney is correct. Someone needs to step up and take the reigns. But the question is…who? Who wants to VOLUNTEER and spend their own personal money to run a dysfunctional organization that devotes 80 percent of its time in intra-party squabbles and endless debates over the bylaws and Roberts Rules of Order?
Sue Lowden is a fine person, a solid conservative and longtime grassroots supporter who contributed hundreds of thousands of dollars to GOP candidates and causes in the 90s and 2000s. And look at how some elements have trashed her and her reputation over that stupid, meaningless convention in 2008. Why would any sane, respectable individual want to put themselves through that kind of character assassination hell?
[...] This type of behavior stinks of previous failed party leaders. Chris Comfort comes to mind… [...]