Warren County GOP Update

I thought this was interesting and worth passing along...

I thought you would like to know [that] at the board meeting this morning for the Warren County GOP Board meeting, it was brought up how Lori Viars has been threatening current incumbent office holders that she will run candidates against them. She of course denied it, but it was further [confirmed] by a few other office holders. And basically Tom Grossman (party chair who intends on running for Commissioner, so he does not want to anger Ms. Viars) and Dave Fornshell (party vice chair, who plans on running in the Central committee race for Rachel Hutzel's seat against Bruce McGary who is the Chief Assistant Prosecutor) basically told the elected officials that they need to develop a thicker skin. Yes that is right, the Party leadership did nothing to stop her.

Lori gets away with threats and intimidation. She is a cancer that is eating the party alive. The divide is the size of Montana at this point. People need to wake up and realize you do not need Lori Viars to win an election. If anything, it will work against you. And the Warren County GOP needs to wake up because the Democrats have one thing going for them… they do not let disruptive and divisive people manipulate the Party. The Democrats unite together and look at what it has done for them.

Bottom line, Ms. Viars is not about pro-life. She is about power. It’s not about the best candidate for the Republican Party ticket. It’s about HER candidate. Get over yourself Ms. Viars. You are judgmental, hypocritical and run good people away from the Party.

I've written about Lori before... It is pretty rare when you find Lori and I on the same side of an issue which is really saying something. But I have to agree with the reader when they say that Lori is about power. I can't think of a single reason why Lori Viars would back Rawnica Dillingham against Chuck Furmon unless it was about power. Because it sure wasn't about values...

More to the point, I don't fully understand the power that Lori has over politicians. Her organization isn't all-powerful. Contrary to what she'll say to any reporter who asks her, elections are not won or lost based on whether or not Lori Viars endorses a candidate. In fact, outside of Warren County, Lori Viars power is pretty much non-existant near as I can tell.

Now before the usual suspects get all fired up in a tizzy, let me say that we need social conservatives and the issue with Ms. Viars isn't what she says she believes. The problem is her tactics.

We don't need power hungry people behind the scenes threatening people and generally causing mayhem. On the other hand, I'm sure that's exactly what some people think I do every day right here on WMD. The difference, is that I do so in a public forum where people can call me out if I make a bad call. And I would never threaten somebody that I would run a candidate against them if they didn't agree with me 100%. At least, not a real candidate... Bottom line: There is a difference between raising issues and being a menace. I think more and more people are making that determination for themselves as to which camp certain people are in...

Although, there is something to be said for incumbent politicians getting a grip. I'm not a big fan of the incumbent protection racket that party politics usually supports; so I also happen to think that if you are big enough to play the game, you should know enough to put on the pads because you are going to get hit. In fact, I'll go so far to say that I often write really obnoxiously rough things about political figures just to say what they will do. It is my litmus test and most career politicians who are used to having their ring kissed fail it miserably. And often.

Okay...let the hate mail commence...