Tillis: No real difference between me and my #NCSEN opponents
Yep. That’s what he told The Cumberland County Republican Women’s Club on Saturday. Okay, Mr. Big Boy Pants™, then why are YOU running?
I disagree with his assertion there. I think there are BIG differences between Tillis and the rest of the field. He’s the only candidate in the field who appears to be using his day job to shake down people for campaign contributions. (It’s illegal to accept campaign contributions to your legislative campaign fund from people with business before the state while the legislature is in session. It’s NOT illegal to accept them for your US Senate race while the legislature is in session.)
I don’t believe any of the other Republican candidates have been caught in blatant pay-to-play schemes, either.
Greg Brannon and Heather Grant spend their days healing people physically. Mark Harris spends his days preaching and trying to heal people spiritually.
Harris and Brannon, Tillis’ two nearest competitors, have more formal education than Tillis does. They both have doctorates in their respective fields, while Tillis has a bachelor’s degree from an online college.
Tillis is the only GOP candidate I am aware of who tried to enact a state health care exchange for ObamaCare. (Thank GOD for the NC Senate.)
Tillis claims his “experience” sets him apart from his opponents. Bill Frist of Tennessee, in his two terms in the Senate, got elected Senate majority leader. He had never held political office prior to his terms in the Senate. He worked as a physician in Tennessee.
Lauch Faircloth, when he was elected to his single term in the Senate, had no prior elected office experience. Jesse Helms had two non-consecutive terms on the Raleigh City Council decades prior to moving up to the US Senate.
Tillis spent time as a technology consultant with a major corporation prior to being elected to the Cornelius Town Board and the North Carolina House. Neither Greg Brannon nor Mark Harris have been elected to anything. Brannon has built a business from the ground up and has been on the front lines of health care delivery — a HUGE issue in America right now. Through his medical missions in Asia, Latin America, and Africa, Brannon has seen a lot of the world’s trouble spots FIRST HAND. Harris — as a veteran pastor — has been on the frontline of a lot of social and spiritual struggles.
Thom Tillis has more elected office experience than Brannon and Harris. But it can be argued that both Harris and Brannon have more REAL-WORLD, REAL-LIFE experience than Tillis does, and can bring a perspective to the table that is much needed in DC.
The biggest difference is that Tilli$ is a lapdog for McConnell, Rove, and the Washington beltway establishment, who are not that much different from the Democrats, while the rest of the field are conservatives of various degrees who will represent the citizens of North Carolina instead of the $pecial Interest$. We saw one aspect of that when the rest of the candidates regularly appear at candidates forums to interact with average voters, while the arrogant, nose in the air Tilli$ ducks those fprums. When he refused to listen to prospective constituents when he is a candidate, he surely would not listen to them if he were elected.
Who runs the Senate will be a huge deal. If it is McConnell or someone like him, don’t expect much change. If conservatives get enough votes in the caucus to elect a real leader, then we can expect some solid strides on important issues. Tilli$ is in bed with the wimpy status quo, while many if not all of the others would be votes for change in the Senate leadership. Of course, hopefully, Matt Bevin will take McConnell out in the Kentucky primary, but even if he does, there will be another stick in the mud after that seat.
One could go through specific issues, but two of the big ones are Obamacare and Amnesty for illegal aliens. Tilli$ differs from the rest of the field on both. You have already pointed out how Tilli$ differs from the rest on Obamacare. On Amnesty, Tilli$ is the only candidate to support a ”pathway to citizenship” (amnesty) for illegals.
I’m sick to death of political ‘whores’ getting elected and doing the bidding only of the VERY few ultra-wealthy donors who put them in office………while turning their backs on the welfare of 99% of citizens. This goes for both Republicans and Democrats. They betray both their constituents and our constitutional system.
We need people of integrity who are strong enough to resist the pressure to become part of the DC corruption. We certainly don’t need people who have already proven themselves to be part of that system BEFORE they head to Washington.
Amen
What we need and what we gonna’ git ain’t the same thing. We all need to think of how we can beat Hagan. It will be very embarrassing if she wins in November.
I saw the event last Friday with 7 of 8 candidates and it was disturbing. 4 of em’ have no chance of beating Hagan and the other three only have a slim chance of beating Hagan with all things considered. The candidate who was absent only has a slim chance of beating Hagan when the dirt starts flying. When the Media gets started on the GOP nominee folks are going to get real nervous.
The polls, worthless as they are, say my dog can beat Hagan, and with good messaging, any of these candidates can, too.
But here’s what’s going to happen……Either Mr. Establishment wins the nomination and he’ll get plenty of $$$ from the Party to win or lose it and we’ll be treated to a lot of Unity talk from the Party, or any of the other candidates will win the nomination and the Party will offer lukewarm support and little money and then blame us for nominating a loser when Kay Hagan coasts to re-election come November.
So re-electing Hagan is embarrassing, sure, but at least we won’t be sending a non-conservative Establishment Republican to Washington to embarrass us further and ruin our brand.
Beating Kay Hagen is not the most important objective. Changing the culture of DC is. You won’t do that by sending Tillis to DC. In fact he’s more damaging than Hagan. Didn’t Karl Rove say he’s wants to extinguish conservatives? It would be far more embarrassing to send Thom Tillis into the general election as he is a candidate that is unelectable against Hagan. However if he were to trip up and win the primary. The media is all to content with either of them (Hagan or Tillis) because both will do their bidding. Look at “Tricky Dick Burr” as an example.
If you think Tillis is nonresponsive to constituents now when he needs something from them like their vote and won’t even bother to show up to speak with constituents at a forum less than 3 miles from his house, do you think he’ll listen when he’s tucked in tight inside the beltway 350+ miles away in DC and needs nothing from the public during his 6 year free ride?
Tilli$ only cares if you’re waving $100’s in his face. Money is the only thing that gets his attention. He is not fit for any public office.
> We all need to think of how we can beat Hagan. It will be very embarrassing if she wins in November.
Yes. And the same people who told us Romney and McCain were the only credible candidates are telling the same about Tillis.
Look at who the Democrats consistently push forward as the candidate they want to run against.. would they pick the candidate who can beat Hagan, or the candidate they can beat? Would they pick a Conservative Republican, or a Republican who supports their Progressive agenda just in case he does manage to beat Hagan?
The liberals are DEFENDING Tillis when he is attacked by Harris or Brannon. It should be obvious who they want to run against.
Tillis was the only candidate LOSING to Hagan in the most recent polls.
Tillis is the only candidate caught LYING multiple times about where he went to school. He embellished his resume just like he embellishes his role in the NCGA.
Tillis is the only candidate who has raised the bulk of his money from lobbyists, DC insiders, etc. The other candidates have the support of regular individuals from North Carolina.
Tillis primaried a Conservative Republican to pay him back for exposing the corruption of Jim Black and Richard Morgan.
Tillis supports Public Private Partnerships – using taxpayer dollars to create profit for a corporation.. often a foreign corporation … who will give kickbacks.
It just boggles my mind that anyone in the NCGOP would consider Tillis as a credible candidate.
Tilli$ support of ”a pathway to citizenship” (Amnesty) for illegal aliens should wake up all Republicans that he is not our guy. Amnesty will create a Democrat majority in our country as explained here:
http://washingtonexaminer.com/study-finds-more-immigrants-equals-more-democrats-and-more-losses-for-gop/article/2547220
Much to do about nothing!
Greg Brannon told Glenn Beck last week that:
“We are pulling back the veil and showing who the wizard is and they are getting exposed,”( Brannon said of Tillis, whose conservatism he questioned at multiple points.) “We are going to win this without a runoff. There’s no doubt in my mind. The wave is coming.”
The primary is obviously over and Brannon will emerge victorious. It will be a great victory for the Tea Party.
Not gonna happen.
Bet it does……
Message to the #GOP – Remember those 3-4Million Republican voters who stayed home in 2012 because Romney was not able to rally them to go to the polls? And oh yeah, remember that you, GOP, shoved that candidate on the people? We the people tried to tell you, but your arrogance said you knew better. STOP trying to push #Coward Unprincipled Thom Tillis on NC’ians. The people are fed up with you, and the tipping point is now.
I’m afraid the Establishment wing of the Party needs a few more defeats before they remember an age-old political truism that a successful candidate must appeal to more than one faction of the Party.
And maybe actually SHOW UP in person to meet the people and answer questions??? Tillis really is a weenie.