(Dave Gibbs) – A lot’s been said and emailed over the last few weeks regarding the upcoming CCRP election. As have you, I’ve been reading it all and talking about it quite a bit. It has become the topic of many conversations amongst us political “junkies.” Frankly, it’s pathetic what this race has become. It is no longer about the direction of the CCRP; it’s about who is or isn’t the sleaziest or meanest candidate.

We long ago lost sight of what is important in this race, and I want to remind you what we are really voting for on Wednesday. At the Townhall meeting last Wednesday, our speaker said the most important thing we need to do is add, not subtract. The magic numbers we need to remember are 22 and 11: 22 for the Assembly, and 11 for the Senate. We can, and do, argue year after year about what is important to us, what we think the State legislature ought to be doing, but, if we don’t have a majority in at least one house, all our arguing and posturing is futile. If we don’t focus on electing conservative judges, we will face court decisions that are anathema to our beliefs. We need to add, not subtract.

The only way to win is to build our Party. We need a big tent, a tent that welcomes people across all aspects of the Republican movement, from Chris Christie followers to Rand Paul supporters. We need a tent that welcomes people from neighborhoods and communities across Clark County. We don’t need a tent with doors and opinion checkers, verifying that you have certain beliefs to be eligible to enter. We need to add, not subtract.

The current leadership and her supporters have shown a blatant intolerance for anyone who disagrees with them. They have gone out of their way to embarrass and attack anyone whose beliefs they feel do not align exactly with their own. They not only verbally attacked but physically encroached upon Congressman Joe Heck at last year’s County Convention. They protested outside of our elected Republican officials’ offices. They passed worthless resolutions condemning Republicans for taking positions in opposition to their beliefs. Have they passed one resolution condemning President Obama, Senator Reid, or any other Democrat? No. Have they protested outside those offices? No. They aren’t adding; they’re subtracting.

At last year’s State Convention, they all ran around wearing buttons saying, “I Follow the Rules.” Yet, when at the National Convention in Tampa, they willing threw out the rules, rules that they themselves advocated and introduced at State Central Committee meetings. They happily neglected to vote as required “by the rules” and disenfranchised our fellow Nevadans. The current Chair, a member of the State Party Executive Committee, entrusted and charged with enforcing bylaws and rules, actually embraced the move and congratulated the convention

delegates for breaking the rules. They embarrassed all of us who were part of that process, and they were proud of what they did. They aren’t adding; they’re subtracting.

Finally, the Chair and her supporters have forced out those who even attempt to disagree with them. Ask the recently resigned Secretary, a Ron Paul supporter, who dared to challenge the positions and direction of the Chairman and the Executive Board. She was told she would be ruined, destroyed. She resigned just a week short of the end of her term, because she wouldn’t stay even one more week. They’re even willing to push out people who had supported them. The politics of personal destruction isn’t adding; it’s subtracting.

How do we deal with all the sleaze that’s been thrown out there? Why did they do that? Well, I’m sure you’ve all heard the phrase that when you can’t defeat your opponent in the arena of ideas, you have to destroy them personally. That is the sole purpose of what has been done here. They knew they didn’t have the votes to win, and the only way to hold onto their power was to destroy their opponent.

So, what do we do on Wednesday? It’s simple. Which slate, from top to bottom, has a plan and has the political and grassroots experience to unite people, to reach out to others, even those who don’t have the exact same political philosophy, to bring them into that tent, to grow our Party and present a positive, welcome message to all those looking for a way to change what is going on in our County, State, and Country. We’ve seen what the current leadership believes – get on board with us or get out. They have no new ideas, no plan to grow the party, no outreach. They have no plans for success. It’s time to stop the subtracting and start adding to our Party.

It’s time for a change to leadership that is open-minded. It’s time for a change to leadership that wants to expand that tent. It’s time for a change to leadership that will make the CCRP a recognized, reputable organization that people will want to be a part of, that people will turn to for advice and help. It’s time for a change to leadership that is focused on addition rather than subtraction. It’s time for a change to leadership that can count to, understand about, and, most important, care about 22 and 11.

See you all at the South Point on Wednesday.