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Abernathy Strategies
RepublicanGazette
Tuesday, March 18, 2008 "When news breaks, we fix it" Published daily except some days
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Any discussion of changes to future West Virginia Republican presidential conventions will wait until the Republican National Committee weighs in on the system for future primaries, Chairman Doug McKinney told the state GOP committee on Saturday.Convention manager Lynn Staton, though, did offer a report on the convention and pointed out the event exceeded all expectations in terms of attendance and participation by the various campaigns. In the wake of states moving their primaries and caucuses earlier and earlier in the process, many observers believe that both the Republican and Democrat national parties will take a hard look at invoking a system of rotating primaries that will put a halt to states attempting to leap frog each other in the primary process. Consideration of future WVGOP prez conventions to wait
Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama are both scheduled to visit Charleston this week, signaling that the Democrat primary is unlikely to be resolved soon.
Charleston readies for visits by 2 candidates who are almost alike
The Democrat Party's identical twins, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, are both scheduled to visit Charleston this week, Hillary on Wednesday and Barack on Thursday. Governor Manchin will be a busy host.Never before has a party seen such a long, drawn out battle between two candidates who are basically identical on every single issue. At least when Gerald Ford and Ronald Reagan fought it out in 1976, there were clear differences in philosophies between the incumbent president and the former California governor.Aside from the obvious differences in race and gender, you couldn't find a variation between Clinton and Obama with a microscope, politically speaking. Both claim to want to end the war in Iraq as soon as possible. Both favor tax hikes on "the rich." Both are radically pro-choice, and pro-gay rights. Both want "universal healthcare," and both see government as an active agent in making a difference in society.Both seek to make history, Hillary as the first woman president, Barack as the first black commander-in-chief. Neither has any more experience than the other, and the thought of either of them answering that emergency call at 3 a.m. is frightening indeed.That the Democrat Party is enduring such a marathon process to choose between two candidates whose philosophies are virtually interchangeable is the most ironic aspect of this drama with no end. It's like being forced to sit through two showings of "Gone With The Wind," but no matter how long it takes, Rhett Butler still ends up not giving a damn.It's not like Hillary and Barack are fighting over the heart and soul of the Democrat Party. The heart and soul of the party belongs to both of them. Instead, they're fighting over the liver and the kidneys, like two Hannibal Lecters completely unconcerned about the carcass they are leaving in their wake. Democrats can't make up their minds in this titanic struggle, mainly because voting for one is little different than voting for the other. If it weren't for the Democrat National Convention that will ultimately force a decision, Hillary and Barack could carry on this road show for years. So the show comes to Charleston this week, where, because of West Virginia's natural conservatism, neither will be able to talk openly about most of the issues they care about. Instead, they'll limit themselves to criticisms of President Bush and things like taxes and spending.Even considering Al Gore and John Kerry, it is difficult to imagine two candidates less likely to win West Virginia in the fall. They are coming here because the May 13 Democrat primary might still matter, but after that, and after a nominee is finally decided upon, his or her presence in the Mountain State will likely be limited to TV commercials that bleed across state lines.Hillary and Barack struggle to find differences to argue about, but one thing they are smart enough to admit they agree on is that pro-life, gun loving, coal-dependent, patriotic West Virginia is not their kind of state. Hillary, Barack are like cannibals happily devouring their own party
State GOP office manager Marti Riggall outfits Chairman Doug McKinney with a St. Patrick's Day costume on Saturday while former Congressman Mick Staton chuckles along.
Notes from the WVGOP state committee meeting
Several Republican legislators attended Saturday's meeting of the West Virginia Republican State Executive Committee, including Senators Clark Barnes, Vic Sprouse, John Yoder and Dave Sypolt, and Delegates Tim Armstead, Craig Blair, Walter Duke, Kelli Sobonya, Carol Miller, Ray Canterbury, Bill Hamilton, John Overington, and probably others I forget right now but will add as I recall them......Any lingering ill will from the state presidential convention was not evident on Saturday, at least openly. People from all factions spoke cordially throughout the afternoon......The fact that the method of choosing alternate delegates to the national convention has been changed did not sit well with everyone, but it appears the change was legally approved by the committee several months ago and filed with the Secretary of State's office as required......It was announced by national committeewoman Donna Gosney that Candace Reed will now assume the day to day responsibilities of operating Camp Lincoln, the annual summer camp that teaches students about politics and government. This year's camp runs June 29 through July 5 at Camp Ceasar in Webster County. Camp Lincoln is open to West Virginia high school students, and has been overseen through the years by General John "Doc" and Peggy Bahnsen, who will continue to play a role......While the meeting room at the Ramada Inn in South Charleston was pretty packed, the committee just barely had enough members present in person or by proxy to reach a quorum. With a total of more than 140 committee members on the roster from around the state, reaching 50 percent plus one is always a challenge. The party should consider a bylaws change lowering the number of members necessary to achieve a quorum, especially since many members almost never attend meetings, giving credence to the longstanding belief that they only maintain their committee spots for bragging rights or, eventually, death notices. 