NC-03: Hangin’ with Lindsey and Don (and a few hundred others)
I found this gem on Twitter last night:
In case you didn’t know, Eric Rouse is one of the gaggle of candidates seeking the GOP nomination for the Third Congressional District’s seat in Congress. If all you knew was what you saw in this tweet, you’d think Rouse and Graham were hanging out when their “pal” Donald Trump called. *One heck of an intimate conference call was had. *
Well, Mr. Rouse left out some important details — which were filled in by the folks at the Asheboro Courier-Tribune. (Asheboro is in the SIXTH Congressional District. Rouse, again, is running in the Third.) :
President Donald Trump spoke at the Randolph County Lincoln Day Dinner Friday night.
Even though he was at his Mar-a-Lago retreat in Florida, Trump made a phone call to U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham while the South Carolina lawmaker was giving a speech at the AVS Banquet Centre in Asheboro.
According to Dave Craven, chair of the Randolph County Republican Party, Graham’s phone rang while he was speaking. Someone said, “If it’s Trump, answer it.” Graham, indeed, answered and soon held his phone up to the microphone.
“The president wished everyone well,” Craven said, “and said he was sure we were being entertained by Sen. Graham.” […]
As you can see from the photo, it wasn’t exactly an intimate gathering involving Graham and Rouse. (It really shouldn’t come as a shock that a politician exaggerates things. But this was just too much of a special case to pass up.)
A well-placed source, who has ties to both the state and national GOP political efforts, tells us that President Trump calling in like that is nothing new. In fact, he did it last weekend while congressman Mark Meadows was speaking at a western North Carolina county’s GOP dinner.
My source tells me Trump political aides have coordinated with certain favorite politicians in DC. Whenever said favorite pols are speaking to a large gathering in a battleground state — like, say, North Carolina — the politicians are asked by Trump aides to leave their contact number and a rough estimate of the time they’ll be up speaking at the podium. Thus facilitating a “surprise” call from the president where he can speak candidly and directly with the crowd of GOP supporters.
Eric Rouse is one of those candidates in the 3rd District and said, “you know what? I think I’ll run.” He has purchased TV Ads in the district (much of it is reportedly self-funded) and has done little to show his commitment to conservative causes outside of the Lenoir County Commission. It’s real easy to label yourself as a strong conservative when the board of commissioners is majority Democrat. What really counts is what Mr. Rouse will do under pressure from the GOP Leadership. Will he stand for principle or go with the crowd? There is little evidence that would support the former.
By the way, what was he doing in Randolph County? Did he show up to all of the NC03 County Conventions?
I think voters in NC03 should do a comprehensive study of each candidate’s record and activism. Phil Shepard reaffirmed his willingness to listen to constituents with his vote against the Anti-Folwell Bill. Michele Nix has travelled the entire State of N.C. meeting with Republican activists and prior to that was a very active member in tea party organizations and the Republican Liberty Caucus. Despite some of my reservations about his character, Speciale has demonstrated an interest in fighting for the grassroots. There are many other unknown grassroots candidates in the race and we should strive to elect someone that has been in the trenches fighting rather than take up political opportunism at the blink of an eye.
Lindsay Graham may have come around on building the wall, BUT he is still a big supporter of amnesty for illegal aliens. That has not changed since Graham was one of the Gang of 8 pushing a major amnesty bill in the Senate. His nickname is “Grahamnesty”.
One has to be suspicious of any Republican who tries to be tight with Lindsay Graham.
Is Graham still using a flip phone?
Anyone but Nix.