Going…Going….Gone
There has been no shortage of discontent with the Republican party lately, but it seems to be reaching a boiling point over the last week or so. It started for me with the Washoe County GOP central committee election. I received several emails and phone calls in the days following from die-hard volunteers ready to hang it up.
Then, to my surprise, I find out Chuck Muth, a lifelong Republican volunteer, has jumped ship. That announcement was quickly followed by more emails from Republicans who have said next week, they will follow suit.
I wish I could say that the party should be worried, but I know they are not. The people they are losing are the limited government lower taxes types that have been a thorn in the side of big government Republicans for some time now.
Republican voters should be worried, very worried. Activists like Muth and some of the others are few and far between. Those of us that eat, sleep, and breath politics are mentally ill according to the average voter, who swallows small doses of politics because they have to. The people that are being lost are the door knockers, the phone callers, and the constant volunteers. Without those folks, what does a party have?
The most fascinating question to me is, what now? These are not isolated incidents; limited government conservatives are leaving or considering leaving the Republican party left and right. So, does the party make an attempt to woo these folks back in? If not, where do they go? Is a viable third party on its way?
[…] Todd Zuccato at Silver State Libertarian Leanings posts on a specific event in Nevada symptomatic of GOP troubles nationwide. In ‘Going … Going … Gone’ he reports the exodus of a high profile GOP activist and the repercussions that will have in the party and in Nevada politics. […]
April 29th, 2007 at 1:07 pmI don’t see many Republicans leaving the party, unfortunately. There are some great alternatives in the Libertarian and Independent American parties here in Nevada, but those groups have been sadly ineffective in gaining massive grassroots support, and the press all but ignores them (sort of a chicken-egg thing).
Like Chuck Muth, I have abandoned the party apparatus because of its fecklessness in recruiting candidates and, more importantly, because of the lack of adhering to conservative principles by elected R’s. When they vote for continued government largesse and increased regulation, we true believers lose faith.
What’s the answer? One good start would be to start a NV chapter of Club for Growth, putting some big money behind true conservative leadership in primary campaigns. We need a local libertarian version of George Soros to gallop in on his white horse and save the day. Any takers out there?
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November 26th, 2007 at 9:34 pm