As NCGOP elections approach, the rumor mill starts swirling
Both the chairmanship and vice chairmanship of the North Carolina Republican Party are up for grabs this summer. Two candidates are vying for the chairman’s post, while a gaggle of folks are slugging it out for the #2 spot.
As with any crowded political field, rumors — aimed at “thinning the herd” — tend to make the rounds. Here are two of the hottest ones related to the NCGOP leadership races:
1. Forces close to Governor Pat McCrory are twisting arms within NCGOP leadership to get the governor’s nephew, Patrick Sebastian, hired on as the state party’s executive director. This has been passed to me via several sources in the position to KNOW something like this. Unfortunately, none of them will agree to go on the record. I put in a call to the governor’s press office last week to ask about this report. The young man who answered the phone took my name and number and promised I’d get a call back. It never came. I cornered Claude Pope, the chairman candidate endorsed –and reportedly recruited by — the governor, this weekend at the Moore County GOP convention. I asked Pope what, if anything, he knew about the details of this report. Pope said he knew nothing of any effort to secure a paid position for Sebastian at party headquarters. Pope confirmed for me that Sebastian is an employee of Russell Peck, who is running Pope’s chairman campaign.
2. Vice-chairman candidate Marcus Kindley VOTED for Barack Obama in 2008. Multiple activists have passed this one on to me, claiming to have seen the information on Facebook, of all places. Kindley adamantly denied the rumor when I asked him about it on Saturday. He was bewildered — to say the least — about how someone could have come up with that. Kindley contacted me later and hypothesized that some activists may be confusing him with Al Bouldin, the Guilford County GOP chairman who only left the Democrat Party a handful of years ago. “They may have heard about the Guilford chairman, and thought of me,” Kindley said. “But ME voting for Obama? That’s preposterous.”
I, for one, would never believe that kind of nonsense about Marcus. Whomever is spreading it should stop. This is exactly the kind of pointless rumor-mongering that leads to us hurting ourselves worse than we hurt the Democrats. We need to be about principle, policy, and experience. Not about what rumors can best ‘take down’ the other guy. Like Barry Goldwater said, in I think it was 1964, it’s time to grow up, conservatives. We have the fight of our lives in 2014, and we are really going to kill each other off here and now? It’s time for a gut check, cowboy up, and start working for right and truth.
I only hope they can find someone who is current on their state and federal income tax. Fast pay makes fast friends, at least where I come from.
Here’s an interesting question. Why do you think any arm twisting has to occur to get the governors nephew hired?
Ill tell you why, this kid is an absolute worst nightmare to deal with. I can’t tell you how many stories I’ve heard from multiple folks HIGH up in ncgop volunteer positions. No one will follow up with negativity on him because he’s got that silver spoon connection, but like I said to my district chair why would us hard working party members want to answer to and grow up with some kid just because he’s related to mccrory? And if he is havin to twist arms to get into the position what do you think will happen as soon as the party leaders and the kid have a disagreement? He’s going to run to uncle pat that’s what. I’m curious to hear mr Clifton’s take on this!
I have heard some of the same. Why does Pope have him in his campaign?
I have heard the same too about Patrick. I have had conversations with those that have worked with him back into 2008, and being involved in party politics its easy to see that way he acts is dripping with ‘entitlement.’ Sad to say that his name came up at my county meeting and there was a unanimous ‘groan’ that swept through the room. Apparently he seriously damaged his reputation last cycle and has alot of growing up to do. Not sure if his reputation matters though if his uncle is just going to muscle him into every job. Kind of robs him of the chance of succeeding on his own, a little sad.
Pope needs to be asked directly if he intends to have the royal nephew play any role in the NCGOP, and if so what?