“If you want to be an activist group, go somewhere else.”
So sayeth a key GOP establishment figure in western North Carolina.
At the September 15th meeting of the Haywood County board of commissioners, county GOP chair Patricia Carr presented a resolution — passed by the party’s executive board — calling for more openness and transparency in the county government’s property valuation process. The Democrat majority on the board basically ignored her. They did yield to Kevin Ensley, the only Republican on the board, to make the official response to Carr’s remarks.
“A heads-up on this would have been nice,” Ensley can be seen saying on the video of the meeting. “The job of a political party is to recruit members and raise funds. Recruit members and raise funds. Not to be an activist group. If you want to be an activist group, go somewhere else.”
Interesting. That sounds just like the mission of my local Rotary Club. So, is Mr. Ensley suggesting that being a Republican is no different than being a Rotarian? Well, what’s that silly platform thing for, then?
Ensley has been a key figure in the western North Carolina campaigns of Gov. Pat McCrory and Thom Tillis. Remarks like Ensley’s speak volumes about the mindset of a lot of folks at the top of the NCGOP hierarchy.
I don’t know who’s right and who’s wrong in this incident, but in a nutshell, the job of the GOP is to elect Republicans, from President to Dogcatcher. The job of an “activist group,” such as the TEA Party, is to educate, motivate, and activate people on behalf of conservative principles, and to hold ALL government officials accountable based on those principles. Although it sure would be nice if the GOP held its elected officials accountable to the principles in its platform. I’m not asking for purity, but surely if 70% is good enough to pass in school, Republicans ought to demand at least that much agreement from its elected officials with regard to the platform.
Funny – our Democratic opponents have a different perspective on the mission of their party.
We need to dump the GOP Surrender Caucus!
The Republican Party adopts a platform and passes resolutions to take stands on issues. It always has, and probably always will. When a stuffed shirt elected official has problems with that and thinks he is a law unto himself, it is time he have a primary and learn that he is the servant and not the master. If I were McCrory and Tillis, I would disown this dude. That sort of arrogance, especially done in concert with the Democrats, will offend GOP voters and it should.
I heard this yesterday on Pete Kaliner. Mr. Ensley has gotten way above himself. I plan on calling him today to discuss this. He should be ashamed in treating that woman the way he did but the thing is—people like him have become addicted to this “entitlement” mentality. He really should change his voter registration…NOW.