(Chuck Muth) – A growing number of conservative Republicans have opted to support the independent conservative candidacy of longtime conservative activist Janine Hansen in Elko-area Assembly District 33 race instead of the moderate GOP nominee, John Ellison. As such, they recently formed an informal group called “Republicans for Janine.”
And Elko County GOP chief Charlie Myers is having a cow over it.
After the Elko Daily Free Press reported on the establishment of the “Republicans for Janine Hansen” group last week, Chairman Myers sent a rant-to-the-editor which was subsequently published by the paper.
In it, Myers complained about a “conspiracy” of some kind (no, no black helicopters are involved….and they’re dark blue anyway), declaring that the paper’s headline – “Republicans for Janine Hansen” Announced – misled voters into thinking the Elko County Republican Party had endorsed Janine.
Oh, puh-lease. Does Chairman Myers really think Republican voters in Elko are that dumb?
Then again, maybe some of them are. Look at who they nominated in this race. But I digress.
“Our mission is to elect those that have sound conservative values, understand and follow the Constitution of the United States, are Republican and have a solid track record in demonstrating our core values,” Chairman Myers wrote to the Free Press.
Well, here’s the problem for Chairman Myers and the party establishment folks in Elko: When it comes to sound conservative values, understanding of and adherence to the Constitution, and possessing a track record demonstrating core conservative principles, Hansen beats the party’s nominee hands down.
Not just beats….crushes.
And twice on Sunday.
In fact, the only department in which Ellison beats Hansen is in being a registered Republican. But I guess if you’re an unthinking, lockstep party-line voter, that’s enough.
By the way, when asked this week whether or not he supports Republican Assembly Minority Leader Pete Goicoechea’s outrageous proposal to tax groceries as way to raise an additional $500 million for the government, Mr. Ellison replied, “It depends on how they are going to do it.”
Which raises two questions for Chairman Myers:
1.) Is raising taxes by a half-billion dollars by taxing milk and butter and eggs and cheese one of the Elko County GOP’s “sound conservative values” and “core conservative principles”?
2.) If not, then why is the Elko County Republican Party supporting a candidate who says he might vote for just such a tax hike and refuses to sign the Taxpayer Protection Pledge?
Oh, that’s right….because he’s a “registered” Republican.
Whether or not he embraces “sound conservative values” and supports “core conservative principles” is of secondary importance. As long as he has an “R” after his name, that’s good enough, right? My party, right or wrong….right?
In concluding his rant, Chairman Myers asked: “What is the difference in this (“Republicans for Janine Hansen”) and Republicans for Harry Reid? I would say none!”
And you would be dead wrong, Charlie.
The difference is – and it’s a HUGE difference – that Janine Hansen is a conservative and Harry Reid is a socialist….er, I mean liberal. And Sharron Angle is a conservative, while John Ellison is a moderate who apparently would vote for a new tax on baby food “depending on how they do it.”
The fact that Republican Party leaders continue to promote, support and shove wishy-washy moderates like John Ellison down our throats is why so many former Republicans, such as me, have gone independent, while others have re-registered with third parties that are more consistently conservative.
It’s also why a growing number of registered Republicans are rebelling against the GOP establishment and are supporting conservative independent and third-party candidates instead. That’s why so many Republicans have joined “Republicans for Janine Hansen.”
And that’s why there’s a darned good chance in this campaign cycle and this election environment that an independent, third-party candidate like Janine Hansen could actually win the general election.
Wake up and smell the soon-to-be-taxed-if-Goicoechea-and-Ellison-get-their-way coffee, Chairman Myers. You don’t have a conspiracy on your hands; you have a full-blown mutiny.
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