Westover Shills For Jeffers
Posted by Andy on June 1st, 2006
Craig Westover devoted his recent column to defending Sue Jeffers’ attempt at the Republican endorsement for Governor. But he is playing pretty fast and loose with some facts.
A lifelong Republican who volunteered for Gov. Tim Pawlenty’s 2002 campaign, Jeffers is best known as a vocal leader in opposition to bar and restaurant smoking bans. She’s also outspoken on private property rights, a supporter of no new taxes, and an opponent of publicly funded stadiums — traditional Republican positions.
“A lifelong Republican” - Prove it. She has not attended Precinct Caucus in New Brighton for the last 6-8 years. I believe she did volunteer to be an election judge in 2002, but that is the only instance. Do those few hours spent at the polls warrant the “lifelong”?
So strong are her Republican credentials that party leadership encouraged her to run for City Council, the Minnesota House or Senate and even the 5th District congressional seat.
“Credentials” Huh? What credentials? She runs a business? Oh, lots of people would have great Republican credentials by that standard. What are they? List them please.
GOP leadership has called Jeffers’ challenge a “publicity stunt,” and has taken the politically practical but philosophically narrow view that the party should not provide a public stage for a candidate who has said that should she fail to get the party endorsement, she’ll run against the GOP candidate in the general election.
That is standard in most endorsing conventions. If you pledge NOT to abide, that does warrant not being nominated. It was a requirement at the 6th CD Convention. I didn’t know she did say that. The last time I had talked to her (here) she said that she did not want to make a Democrat get elected. Now, all of a sudden, she is going to run against Pawlenty in the general.
The Republican Party Constitution states that the only requirement to seek endorsement is agreement to run as a Republican if endorsement is granted.
And she sure can seek the endorsement. Anyone can, but to be given the priviledged lists, that is a wholw other story. It is quite ironic that the privacy freak Libertarians are saying it is wrong to give out personal information to anyone that wants it.
A candidate is under no obligation to not run or even support the party if endorsement isn’t granted.
Dead wrong. Along with the endorsement comes the responsibility of working with the Party and other endorsed candidates. If there are no obligations, what is all the beef with TPaw based on?
“No one individual or group has the authority to say who is and who is not a Republican worthy of endorsement. That is up to the delegates.”
Actually, the chair of the convention can allow or refuse time to people. Plus if there is a signature requirement to get speaking time in the convention rules, well then that too works. And the state central committee and/or the executive committee are the governing body that does make decisions for the party as a whole. So yes a person or group can do that.
The story is little more than Westover taking his shots at the GOP. He played fast and loose with some facts, and did more preaching than investigating. And why?
Remember Sue Jeffers filed her campaign as a Libertarian. Why now all the interest in being a Republican?
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June 1st, 2006 at 6:49 am
My problem with Sue isn’t that she has the Libertarian Party endorsement. It’s that she said she was too embarrassed to run as a Republican, now she wants the support and endorsement of those she has damned and continues to damn. It’s self-serving and hypocritical. I know her concern for conservative ideals is genuine, but she has made some bad choices in terms of strategy.
Still, I say let hear speak her mind.
June 1st, 2006 at 8:34 am
So when do we see the “Dump Sue Jeffers” website? If you go through your posts and substitute “Michele Bachmann” for “Sue Jeffers” they read just like Eva’s. All that’s mising are a few photoshop images of Jeffers dressed as a hooker promoting prostitution.
Republicans should do better.
June 1st, 2006 at 8:41 am
Have I EVER trapped Jeffers in a bathroom?
Have I EVER said Jeffers is evil and a hater?
Have I EVER said that Jeffers is a bad person?
Have I EVER said that Jeffers is wrong on the issues?
No to all!
Comparing me to Eva? Give me a break. Journalist, even hobby ones, should do better than that.
June 1st, 2006 at 9:17 am
The question Sue Jeffers is presenting for Minnesota Republicans is “Does this party really stand for the principles of the platform?”, or is it satisfied with, as Westover correctly put it, DFL-Lite? I’m an active Libertarian, but I spent 30 years as a committed Republican watching as that party stray from its principles. I’ll be at the GOP convention helping Sue, and wearing both Goldwater and Jeffers buttons. I’ll work for her, and vote for her, no matter which party banner she ends up running under. If Minnesota Republicans are SMART, they’ll fight their party leadership’s dirty tricks, and nominate a candidate for Governor who believes in traditional Republican values. If they’re not smart, Libertarians will support her as OUR candidate. The simple truth is that she’s a better choice, for everybody, than Pawlenty.
June 1st, 2006 at 9:43 am
Sorry Bob, I’d like to restate my opposition for you again.
1) Had Jeffers initially run as a Republican, I’d have said welcome to the mix, let’s see how you do.
2) But since she decided to file and organize her Campaign as a Libertarian and only after the fact decide to seek the GOP nod, thanks but no thanks.
3) The fact that she will not abide by the endorsement is just more proof that this is a stunt, and she actually has no intentions of really running as a Republican.
The State Party has every right to deny endorsement to someone who refuses to abide by the endorsement. It is a standard part of most endorsing conventions.
And I just absolutely love how Libertarians all of a sudden know exactly what it is that Republicans should do.
Well I got news for you. I’ve been busting my arse for a couple years in the trenches for the GOP, and do you know what. People happen to like Pawlenty. He has a 51% approval rating. So maybe, just maybe, the Libertarians who hate him soooo much, are in the minority.
Seriously, if one more fair weather friend ‘Republican when all is well’ and Libertarian to be “Principled” person tells me what I am suppose to do or else they’ll never show up again, I’m going to blow my stack.
Brent said it in a comment of another post and it is perfect for all you goll darn arm chair activists.
THE GOP TABLE IS A MIRROR IT REFLECTS WHO SHOWS UP AND LOOKS IN IT
If you don’t understand that, that will help explain the entire problem with the coming to the dance late and expecting to have your say on the decorations.
June 1st, 2006 at 11:04 am
My problem with Sue is captured perfectly in Bob’s post…It’s the “the party is not playing fair and won’t let me speak” whining that rubs me wrong! Trust me - I would LOVE a challenger that shoves our dear Governor back to the right, but Sue is not it. I say that Bob, based on what I read on Sue’s own campaign website!
The accusations of “dirty tricks” and kingmaking do nothing for her campaign at all in this delegates very humble opinion.
LL
June 1st, 2006 at 11:26 am
Andy,
Like many other Libertarians, I was a Republican for as long (30 years) as I could convince myself that GOP elected candidates believed in their own platform. When that belief disintegrated in the face of no more than power politics and winning at any cost, I dropped out. I don’t hate Pawlenty… I voted for him last election, and it would please me to see the MN GOP be successful and THEN legislate to their platform.
The Minnesota GOP can continue down the “a little right, a little left” path, and Libertarians will continue to welcome former Republicans an alternative to actually promote what they believe in.
Unfortunately for all of us, the GOP still seems to still have that same old attitude… don’t look too closely at what we do, just support us and we’ll win elections. Pawlenty SHOULD have a high approval rating… he’s done some things that should DELIGHT Minnesota nanny socialists. That SHOULD displease Minnesota Republicans, shouldn’t it?
June 1st, 2006 at 11:36 am
Bob,
Why is it that your Libertarian candidate for Governor so badly want to get into the Republican Party if we are all so stupid and have strayed so far from what we beilieve that even you yourself can no longer all yourself one of us?
What has changed in MY party so that Jeffers is not too embarrassed to run as a Republican?
And again, insulting me and my kind really does reflect back on your whole party. I used to think fondly of the Libertarians, now I see them as a bunch of high browed babies who act just like the left does. “Think like I tell you too, or else I’ll call you stupid”
June 1st, 2006 at 11:48 am
Lady Logician,
I understand your objection to Sue Jeffers, but you should also understand that the GOP has a lot of members, still hanging in there, who hold libertarian positions. I can talk to Republicans all day and get a wide variety of positions from them. They each think they’re Republicans, which indicates the problem… what DOES it mean to be a Republican? Who matches your own beliefs better… Pawlenty or Jeffers? Who would be more likely to lead Minnesota in the direction YOU want?
Sue isn’t likely to get the nomination, but her presence at the convention, if allowed, and her candidacy, regardless of party, WILL move Minnesota politics further away from socialism. THAT is our common enemy. She can help your party and our state, if you give her a chance.
June 1st, 2006 at 11:51 am
Now I have heard it all. “Pawlenty is a socialist”
Yeah, that’ll really bring people on board the Losertarian bus. Shame them into thinking they are supporting a communist.
June 1st, 2006 at 12:01 pm
Andy,
Like so many other Republicans, including Lady Logician, Sue Jeffers wants the party she once had… a party with meaningful ideals. She’s trying to do that by challenging Pawlenty, because he DESERVES to be challenged. To the extent she’s successful, she’ll improve YOUR party, and the Libertarians may lose a candidate. Big Deal! She’s our endorsee because the GOP doesn’t want to challenge their “winner”. NO party, including the LP, likes internal challenges, but when your party gets bent out of shape, there is NO good alternative.
June 1st, 2006 at 12:04 pm
Andy,
Your misquotes and flaming attitude doesn’t deserve any more serious comment.
June 1st, 2006 at 12:55 pm
Bob:
How come she didn’t court the delegates at the precinct caucus? Or the House District endorsing conventions? Or the Congressional District conventions (minus the 2nd District)? Fact is, she should have thought about this in January when she first announced. Johnny (or Jane)-come-latelies just don’t cut it in major party politics.
June 1st, 2006 at 1:11 pm
When was it HER party? Those couple hours on election night in 2002 when she was an election judge?
And I’d like to point out that YOUR party endorsed someone who does not share all of your ideals. IE she is pro-life, and seems to support government Health CAre and Education.
Remo, good points, and that has been my point all along. Jeffers didn’t do what she needed to do to get the GOP nod. We are a caucus state. Bachmann got the endorsement on Caucus night. When Jeffers didn’t even show up on caucus night, it was proof she wasn’t really running as a Republican, which is my whole point.
June 1st, 2006 at 1:38 pm
“I understand your objection to Sue Jeffers, but you should also understand that the GOP has a lot of members, still hanging in there, who hold libertarian positions.”
So fine Bob, but why play the victim card? Why not just come out and state to the delegates what is on the website? I agree with a lot of what Sue has on the website…why didn’t I hear ANY of that at the CD 2 Convention 2 weeks ago?????
“Who matches your own beliefs better… Pawlenty or Jeffers? Who would be more likely to lead Minnesota in the direction YOU want?”
Bob - you really don’t want the answer to that question do you????
“Your misquotes and flaming attitude doesn’t deserve any more serious comment. ”
And your dodging serious questions don’t do your candidate any service either Bob. Valid questions have been asked and are going unanswered….why wasn’t Sue at the caucus’ in early March? Why did she wait until AFTER the endorsement process started to speak out against the “party system”?
Your candidate was the one who started the “flaming” with her advertisements (such as the one I just heard on AM1280) accusing the Party of wrongdoing. Don’t forget, a lot of the people that you are courting are party activists like Andy and myself. Insulting the “party” is an insult to those of us who are neck deep in the party working out butts of to try to make changes! Your insults do nothing more than cause those that you are “fighting” to solidify their opposition to your candidate!
Ever hear the old saying “you catch more flies with honey than with vinegar”?
June 1st, 2006 at 1:43 pm
““A lifelong Republican” - Prove it. She has not attended Precinct Caucus in New Brighton for the last 6-8 years. I believe she did volunteer to be an election judge in 2002, but that is the only instance. Do those few hours spent at the polls warrant the “lifelong”?”
BTW Andy - I consider myself to be a “lifelong” Republican, however there is more to being a “Republican” than being a Party Activist. It was not until recently that I became a “party activist” because up until that time, I didn’t think I had anything to offer, I didn’t have the time (raising a child, working and all that) and it just was not that important to me. This attitude of “you have to work in the party for X number of years in order to be considered _____” is utter baloney!
Bob - THIS is how you come to your candidates defense and rebut these kinds of comments. Running away does you no good at all!
LL
June 1st, 2006 at 1:50 pm
LL,
When Bob Davis used to talk about her all the time, he always referred to her as a Libertarian, I concede your point that you don’t have to show up, BUT and it is a huge BUT, you have to at least consider yourself a Republican when people ask.
But Jeffers was too embarrassed to say or be Republican when she filed as a LIBERTARIAN!
June 3rd, 2006 at 7:22 pm
Andy:
# Andy Says:
June 1st, 2006 at 8:41 am
Have I EVER trapped Jeffers in a bathroom?
Have I EVER said Jeffers is evil and a hater?
Have I EVER said that Jeffers is a bad person?
Have I EVER said that Jeffers is wrong on the issues?
No to all!
Comparing me to Eva? Give me a break. Journalist, even hobby ones, should do better than that.
EY: Andy, can you give me the source for your suggestion that I have trapped Michele Bachmann in a bathroom? I wasn’t even at the infamous Scandia town hall meeting where bathroomgate occured.
I’ve documented why I think Bachmann shouldn’t get re-elected to her current seat, or elected to congress on Dump Bachmann. You and Craig are free to disagree with me.