The NewsLeader out of Staunton had a article about the bill introduced by Delegate Landes regarding the identification of a candidates party on the election ballots....
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A Watch-Dog group to keep an eye on the Augusta County Board of Supervisors and now Governor Terry McAuliffe......
Just sounds like sour grapes to me
ReplyDelete“Yea, Iam the (a) Republican running for office” or “Iam a Conservative Republican” was the typical response of an independent candidate when they were asked their political views while running for office. These lines were used quite a bit during the last local election with Independent candidates running for office against Republican candidates. After all Augusta County typically votes 70% Republican and you have to chip away votes some how.
ReplyDeleteIf you’re the average voter that doesn’t keep up with ins and outs of local politics (which many do not) and a candidate knocks on your door and proclaims to be the Republican Candidate or heavily insinuate his Republican views, who’s to say he isn’t the Republican Candidate? Not to mention leaving off the "Independant" on his campaign literature and political signs.
Independent BOS candidate Kurt Michael touted his former title as Augusta County Republican Committee Chairman as often as he could. Independent BOS Candidate David Karaffa made no mistake in proclaiming he was a Conservative Republican when asked his political affiliation. Heck, he even went so far as to solicit the endorsements of Delegate Steve Landes and Senator Emmitt Hanger before his candidacy announcement in Jan 2011! Not to mention his statement in an Augusta Free Press article that he was a local Tea Party member. After being questioned about that title after a Tea Party hosted candidates forum, he simply dismissed it and blamed it on the Editor as being misinformed while writing the article. Yet, he let that misinformation stand without correction. Independent Candidate Marshall Pattie, who was the former Augusta County Democratic Committee Chairman, most likely played both sides when talking to potential voters.
Voter confusion is bliss when running for office and can be used as a strategic campaign “tactic” especially if you’re that sly Independent candidate who knows that party affiliation will not be on the ballot for voter clarity.
The News Leader takes note of all of this in the current article in which Delegate Landes is sponsoring legislation that would identify candidates by their party affiliation. No wonder why Kurt Michael is against such legislation by his quote. "On a local level, I think party I.D. does more harm than good." It would have harmed his and the other Independents campaigns by derailing their “tactic” of representing themselves to voters as Republicans. "People want to vote for the person who represents their views on local issues, not a party," So if a voter states they have Republican views on tax’s, economics and spending (local Issues) does this mean they would affiliate themselves with the Republican Candidate and not the Independent Candidate?
Simply put, if this legislation passes this would provide voters with the clarity of identifying the candidates by their labels, eliminating the campaign “tactic” of voter confusion of a candidates’ views and affiliation.
Anonymous. Good and valid points. No wonder why kurt and karraffa are against party id at the ballots. I know for a fact that karraffa stated he was the conservative republican candidate for bev manor. My mother asked him twice while he was on her door step if he was the republican candidate. She only knew different after that letter in the paper saying who the party candidates were. I don't know about kurt he never came to my door. I guess if u want to be a politician you might as well start out lying as a candidate for the office.
ReplyDeleteI do know that I was asked to help out with the Shifflett campaign in going door to door as well as help with the campaign signs. Several locations in BevManor had called Shifflett saying
ReplyDeletethat his competition had requested and placed the competition \challengers campaign signs on their property after stating the chalenger was the "Republican" running for office. Just another one of the tactics used by this "gang" and have seen this type of things in the past especially by one of the members of the "Gang of Four"....
Consider this: the SWACster sits on the State Central Committee which just recently voted to require a loyalty pledge for primary voters. Since Gang Member Micheal thinks ID at the local level is not good, does the SWACster have a position on this that should be shared? How much information is being shared that local GOPers need to know about? Is it like the good ole days when M and M treated us like mushrooms, giving us only the BS they wanted us to know and keeping us in the blind on the rest? One assumes the SWACster provides a safe vote for the establishment in Richmond so it would be interesting to know exactly what the position is on these very similar issues.....
DeleteDid the SWACster vote to require a loyalty pledge?
Why should they have to declare if they are Republicans or Democrats? Mr. Karaffa and Dr. Mike made it known that they were independants when asked so it just seems like sour grapes to me.
ReplyDeleteKatrina,
ReplyDeleteSee above comment regarding sign locations and how some Independents were claiming to be the "Republican" when trying to get their BIG campaign signs up at the Car wash corner that had great traffic by it. Playing word games and tactics like this is why many have little faith in our government...
"Watch",
ReplyDeleteI found it interesting that the State Central would come up with such requirement with so much talk about the "Establishment" candidates out there. Now we are in a primary where Mitt seems to be the chosen one and many in the have fallen in line and supporting Mitt as they have been told. Spoke to one of our 6th district representatives the other night who told me he is sicken how our candidates are all ignoring Reagans 11th which says speak no ill of other Republicans and I agree with him. I like the way Newt comes out and says what we are all thinking and makes it obvious. Now tell me what you are going to do with our economy\country and not whats bad about the other guy.. State Central march in lock-step? Seen it before and will see it again but some are starting to stand for themselves... Unfortunately none from around here...
The business should have to allow everybody put their signs up for the people driving by should see all of the signs. It's not right that Mr. Karaffa sign was not allowed on that busy intersection. I am just glad that he won so he can make the changes we all need!
ReplyDeleteKatrina, Care to enlighten us on what those changes we all need are?
ReplyDeleteChange that Mr.Karaffa and Dr. Mike were talking about the whole campaign and at the voting places. If it was not for Dr. Mike we would have never gotten the people we needed at the Yancey firehouse. Mr. Karrafa promised to bring the voice of the people to the board of Supervisors and work together as a team to break up the "Ole boy network" of the past,
ReplyDeleteWhy was it that Pyles failed the Fishersville area so bad? He's had years to make it an issue and never did. All Michael did was take a political opportunity to ride at the forefront of an issue that had ALREADY reached such a critical mass (folks insurance rates going up) that this issue would have been resolved without him trying to take the political credit.
ReplyDeleteKatrina.
ReplyDeleteYancey Firehouse now has numerous aid staff that the whole county pays for to benefit those like "Dr. Mike" who made the most noise and deals with Supervisors like Pyles. My district has a strong volunteer staff that carries most of the weight resulting in a small paid professional staff needed. Maybe those living up on Emerald Hills near Yancey need to start volunteering to man that firehouse if they want low rates. Instead the other districts pay for the staff so "Dr. Mike" gets his low insurance rates... "Watching" is right it was only a political issue used to get attention and possibly elected to the BOS...
So the taxpayers money coming from Deerfield is paying the salaries to guard the houses on the Emerald Hills of Fisherville?
ReplyDeleteMr Karrafa claims he is an Independant lets see if he gets a photo op with Tim Kaine as he did with George Allen, as seen in both papers today.
ReplyDeleteAfter all if your an Independant you are supposed to represent all parties Democrat and Republican.