Rush was Right: politics DOES reward mediocrity, abject failure.
That’s one of the many things I took from his many over-the-air sermons.
As an example, The Great One cited former President Jimmy Carter. Carter was hands-down the biggest disaster as president in modern history. (Yes, worse than Biden.)
Yet, so many in the chattering class and the stupid drive-by media anointed him — after he left office — as some kind of saint. His work with Habitat for Humanity and his babbling in favor of the anti-American-Third-World-dictator-of-the-week was praised over the airwaves, on the college campuses, as well as in the salons of Georgetown and Park Avenue. (*Move over, Saint Paul and Saint Peter.*)
Never mind that Carter’s successor, Ronald Reagan, helped bring about economic prosperity and prevent The Cold War from becoming World War III.
Look at our state’s own politics. Some of its biggest success stories are likely incapable of holding down a real job in the real world in the face of the ridiculous regulations they helped push into law. (They’re certainly hell-on-wheels when throwing around other people’s hard-earned money.). Neither Roy Cooper, Josh Stein, nor Jeff Jackson have accomplished one damn thing in public or private service that justifies granting them all of the power they’ve obtained.
Let’s look at the NCGOP too. Donald Trump rampaged through our state. That fact should have aided some GOP success down the ballot. (Hmm. Let’s see.)
Before the election, Republicans had a 72-48 veto-proof margin in the state House and a 30-20 margin in the state Senate. When the smoke cleared, the GOP had a 71-49 margin in the House and a 31-19 margin in the Senate. They can’t override vetoes now.
Republicans went backwards, despite a big Trump win. (Maybe it had something to do with NCGOPe types running away from fiscal conservatism and the shrinking of government. It’s had to get your call for revolution taken seriously when people can’t tell the difference between you and your opponents.)
Millions upon millions of special interest shake-down cash changed hands throughout our capital city. Tim Moore, arguably one of the architects of this electoral mess, got rewarded with a congressional seat (that he drew).
No one’s getting fired in Raleigh. The same cast of characters – except Tim – is in place on Jones Street. The NCGOPe will not be running off anyone involved in November’s mess. In the real world, you get fired for failing to get the job done. But not in Raleigh. In Raleigh, with the help of shake-down cash and some minions, you get pushed right up the ladder.
*Ain’t politics grand?*
Let’s look at DC. *Our very own* Richard Hudson just got reelected as the head of the US House Republican campaign committee. (Richard is supposedly our local man in Washington. But no one ever sees him — unless there’s a check to be handed over to him.)
Hudson tried to pass himself off as accomplished — back when he was claiming Concord as his place of residence. Lil’ Richard claimed to be the CEO of something called Cabarrus Marketing — which didn’t exactly exist beyond some official-looking incorporation paperwork. He’s spent most of his adult life as a hack serving various politicians. (But it sounds sooooooo much better on your resume to say CEO instead of *political hack.* Even IF *poltiical hack* is the truth.)
As I said, Richard got reelected head of the congressional GOP campaign committee by acclamation. Unopposed. Boy, he must have done a great job in the recently completed elections, eh? (Let’s take a look.)
Prior to the November election, the GOP had a 220 -212 margin over the Democrats with three vacancies. Now that the smoke has cleared, the GOP now holds a 220-215 margin over Democrats. Hudson and his team were responsible for recruiting and funding GOP candidates for the US House in the November elections. How did they not romp in an election so viciously dominated by MAGA and Trump?
It’s likely the same reason Raleigh’s results were so mediocre. The gang in DC ran like hell from conservatism. Ratings by Heritage Action tell us that Hudson and the rest of North Carolina’s congressional Republicans (except retiring Dan Bishop) regularly voted to the left of the average House Republican.
This will be pretty much the same US House group we saw during the last two years. There has regularly been a group of 50 or so House GOPers who will vote with the Democrats at the drop of a hat. And why shouldn’t they? Richard & the gang regularly make it clear they care only about the (R), and none of that *principle* stuff.
Perhaps Hudson excelled at getting an exceptionally large amount of special interest shakedown money into the pockets of key members of Congress and political consultants. That’s looking out for your pals, and not your alleged friends and neighbors back home.
It’s astounding to watch people get rewarded for producing little to no visible, substantial results that benefit the country, the state, or the community.
Supremely on point summary of the haplessly pathetic state of affairs of North Carolina’s DC and Raleigh Republican Party. We are one election cycle away from being purple, two from being blue. The Democrats play to destroy while the NCGOP in Raleigh and DC play to destroy us.
And while we can argue about the stranglehold the NCGOP party apparatus has on the candidate offering, at some point, we, the voters, have to accept responsibility for continuing to vote for these people. Jesse Kelly regularly points how red states have the worst senators, conman who lie to get elected and then work ferociously to screw their voters. This is us/this is Tillis.
Again, not sure how we dig out of this hole, what the next steps are, if there is a single balls of steel leader out there, if the pending rein of RADICAL Stein/Hunt/Green will shake this sorry state to its core but something HAS to change.
Now that Michael Whatley is no longer infesting the NCGOP, perhaps there can be a fair and honest election for Republican state chair. Maybe Jim Womack will run again. We need a strong, solid conservative at the helm of the NCGOP. Otherwise, the rot will continue to spread!
From Triangle radio yesterday, Lara Trump to challenge Tillis? Came from a Duke Univ political professor.
Don’t recall hearing that news prior to yesterday?
TheEnemyIsWithin post is the best post ever. WE are responsible. I’ve voted Tillis 2x.
Anyone think Joni Ernst, Collins, Marcia Blackburn, Lindsay, et als ARE conservative? We can name 20 US r senators that are liberal leaning. Including Ted Cruz, Grassley, They ARE NOT conservative.
Actually have <10 and that may be way high across the entire USA.
Have NONE in NC after January in elected office that I'm aware. McHenry(disgusting), Hudson, Foxx(god-awful), Murphy(deceiver #1)….
THIS state is in one big conundrum come Jan. We have 4Y of lib, far left, activism leadership in Raleigh. Unsure since way back in the dem hold days it's been this bad.