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Abernathy Strategies
RepublicanGazette
Friday, February 8, 2008 "When news breaks, we fix it" Published daily except some days
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All opinions are those of The Republican Gazette and its editor, Gary Abernathy, except letters or commentary signed by others, and do not reflect the views of anyone else, including clients of Abernathy Strategies.
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News from the future? Let's hope not
GOP, recently riding high, torn now by dissention
April 1, 2008
CHARLESTON, WV (Future News Service) -- Less than two months ago, the West Virginia Republican Party couldn't have asked for a brighter future after nearly four years of struggles and turmoil. The party was coming off a presidential convention more successful than even its most optimistic members could imagine. The convention brought more than 1200 state Republicans under one roof, attracted the personal attention of three presidential candidates, garnered national media attention, and added much needed additional revenue to party coffers.In addition, the party had finally erased a debt that had plagued it since 2004.But lingering bitterness over the results of the convention have once again left the party in a lurch. The rifts between the various factions supporting Mitt Romney, John McCain and Mike Huckabee have not healed. Donations have dried up, and many party members refuse to even talk with others members, while still others openly criticize some fellow Republicans in the media. GOP officials are divided, and various efforts have been made by members of one faction or another to discredit or oust members of a rival faction."It's sad," said one Republican committee member, who asked not to be identified. "Like always, just when it seems we have our act together, we're destroying ourselves from within." -------------------------------------
The above story could move from fiction to reality if party members and activists fail to quickly put the convention behind us and unite for the future. When I saw a story in the Charleston Gazette very early on Thursday morning containing comments from Chairman Doug McKinney discussing bad feelings from the convention, I was taken aback. Regarding the Romney loss, the Gazette reported:He (McKinney) and many others blamed Republican consultant Gary Abernathy, a former executive director of the state party, for coming up with the plan to give McCain's votes to Huckabee."Gary hurt himself," McKinney said. "A lot of people are very angry with him."Yes, a lot of Romney supporters were, and likely are, very angry, and much of their anger is apparently directed at me, despite the fact that the "plan" to give McCain's votes to Huckabee was not a plan devised by me or any other particular individual, but was instead a strategy obvious to almost everyone after the results of first round balloting. The fact that I was serving as "floor manager" for McCain and had introduced Gov. Buddy Roemer on McCain's behalf no doubt contributes to the belief that I was controlling events on the McCain side, when in fact decisions were being made by consensus, including by those who had been with McCain much longer than I. Doug and Sue McKinney have been friends of mine and supporters of the party ever since I have known them. When Doug sought the chairmanship in 2006, I defended him on this website against attacks from West Virginians for Life and others that he was "pro choice" on abortion, and I supported his election.After the 2006 campaign, Doug offered me a consulting role with the party, and I gladly accepted, stepping away from that position only upon accepting a role with the Fred Thompson campaign. At Lincoln Days or other events where I had a chance to introduce them, I always referred to Doug and Sue McKinney as a team, because that is how they operate, to their credit and the party's benefit. Sue is as active as Doug, serving also as chairwoman of the Harrison County Republican Executive Committee.So when I read Doug's comments in the Charleston Gazette, I was somewhat stunned. Regardless of how he felt inside, or what others were saying to him, I never expected him to voice it publicly. I responded with a brief retort on this website, which I have now removed. My phone rang off the hook Thursday with Republicans around the state asking what had prompted Doug's outburst.Later on Thursday, I was contacted by the Charleston Daily Mail regarding Doug's comments. Having been counseled, and calmed, by many friends, I tried to take the high road, which I hope is reflected in the story. I explained that as Romney's Harrison County chair, the convention result was understandably upsetting for Sue, and likely also for Doug, but that they were great Republicans, and hopefully we will move forward together for a successful November election. The process of the presidential convention resulted, by its nature, in divisions within the party, as the faithful chose sides and worked hard to recruit delegates for their candidates, or even "steal" delegates from one candidate to another. The system generally proceeded with an amazing lack of animosity, as it became a kind of game among friends, everyone promising to unite behind the winner at the end of the day -- a promise always much easier made in politics than kept.Even county chairs and state and county committee members were urged to pick a side. For instance, along with Sue McKinney, Melody Potter of Kanawha openly supported Romney, as did others. Pam Krushansky of Monongalia, Angie Adams of Wirt, and others came out for Thompson. (Honest, our county chairs are not all women, but those very busy activists come quickly to mind.) Other candidates had their own county chairs or other high profile Republicans in their corner. More GOP House of Delegate members supported Thompson than supported another candidate.The Romney campaign, better funded and staffed than any other campaign, worked hard to recruit delegates and line up support, and at the end of the filing period Romney had more delegates than any other candidate. The Ron Paul zealots kicked into high gear, as did the Huckabee camp.On Tuesday morning, when the big day finally arrived, the national picture had changed dramatically from just a few weeks earlier. Thompson and Rudy Giuliani had dropped out of the race, and McCain had come back from the dead to claim the lead. Romney was running second, and Huckabee was playing a spoiler role. Because McCain had been virtually written off when delegate sign-up was underway back in October and November, he had only a handful of delegates at the convention. But elsewhere, in states holding actual primary elections, his fortunes looked good. Because of that, he elected to skip the West Virginia convention, while Romney, Huckabee and Paul saw the state as a place where victory was within their grasp, and they came in person to make their cases.McCain had a chance to score a knockout punch on Tuesday, but every bit of news emerging early in the day (like who won West Virginia) could, conceivably, swing things one way or another in primary states -- exactly the scenario convention organizers had pitched for months to drive home the importance of the West Virginia event.When the dust settled, and the McCain strategy to deny Romney a convention win by coupling its votes with Huckabee's (and, surprisingly, Paul's) became clear, angry feelings emerged, and strongly. What had seemed like almost a guaranteed victory had become a demoralizing defeat. Months of hard work and planning -- actually as much as a year's worth or more for the Romney camp -- went down the drain. I sincerely sympathize with Romney's rank and file supporters, both because I have been there, and because many of them are friends. But would I do anything differently, for my part? No. That is the nature of the convention process. The anger is understandable, but the outcome was predictable. Convention CEO Bob Fish had described exactly such a scenario in countless media interviews in the weeks and months leading up to the convention, explaining how, as candidates were dropped from the ballot round after round, their votes could go to another candidate and determine the outcome.Romney, Huckabee and McCain survived the first round of balloting, in that order, with McCain a very distant third. McCain clearly would have been the candidate dropped after a second round, which would have been a mere formality, followed by another full hour break before Round Three. After Round Three, with McCain off the ballot, most of his votes would have gone to Huckabee, giving Huck the win. But the McCain camp had to ask itself, what was the guarantee that Romney, in Round Two voting, would not pick up enough votes to win from the supporters from the ousted Paul, or even from defecting Huckabee or McCain delegates?It was then that the McCain campaign -- through a consensus of campaign staffers and volunteers, and not through the "genius" of any one person -- decided to go ahead and use their votes in Round Two to try to achieve the result that would have eventually come in Round Three, had there been a Round Three. Romney's shot at winning on Tuesday came and went with Round One, and the Romney campaign chiefs likely knew as much.Doug McKinney is probably right when he points out that many convention attendees did not understand the real nature of a convention and the vote switching that would eventually occur. But it is somewhat odd to have the McCain and Huckabee forces accused of making "secret back room deals," and then also criticized for the fact that McCain backers were walking around openly in the big convention hall with signs reading, "McCain delegates, vote for Huckabee!" Which was it -- too secret, or too open?The resentment from some Romney delegates will likely never completely evaporate. But for most of them, I hope that time will heal the wounds, and that the personal nature of the hurt will succumb to the realization that the result that occurred on Tuesday was practically destined to happen due to the nature and requirements of the process, regardless of the individuals involved. This will be my last post on the issue. We all have better things to do. I have, since the end of the convention, spoken with many Romney delegates who, though dejected by the results, were professional and courteous in their congratulations to the winner, and to the McCain campaign. But a few are apparently so angry, bitter and, in some cases, vindictive, that rumors are swirling of paybacks against various McCain or Huckabee backers. Such are the makings of party ruin.If we go down that road, the phony news story above will soon become all too real. Yesterday, I posted a response here to comments made about me in the Charleston Gazette by Chairman Doug McKinney. My response reflected my anger and surprise at his choice to publicly voice his feelings.However, two wrongs do not make a right. I have removed my post from this website. I apologize for my response to Doug's comments, and I hope we and all Republicans can work together for the future successes for the party as a whole. An apology
Sobonya fundraiser a hit
A fundraiser in Cabell County for Delegate Kelli Sobonya was a major hit Thursday night, with nearly 200 individuals enjoying a festive evening of music and food. I had the pleasure of opening the evening and introducing Kelli, and GOP statewide candidates Russ Weeks (governor), Beth Walker (Supreme Court), Hiram Lewis and Dan Greear (both Attorney General) were on hand, along with several of Sobonya's fellow delegates and other candidates, along with Cabell GOP chairman John Morris and West Virginia Republican Club officials Lisa Peana, Charles Bolen and Mike Ankrom. A live band -- called A Live Band -- provided hits from the '60s. Homemade chili and hot dogs were the featured entrees -- and they were excellent.