For the good of the party
As many of you who frequently read this page are aware, I’ve been on something of a personal bent regarding the goings-on at the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections and Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner’s efforts to remove the current board. Even before the shenanigans of last May’s primary debacle, I have consistently advocated for a change of operations at the Board and I supported the Secretary’s decision to remove the entire group.
In the last few days, I’ve received many emails, some voicing support and some disapproval of my position and outspokenness on this issue. From the beginning I have indicated that this is not a partisan issue, but one of voter and public trust. And then late on Thursday afternoon I received this note:
You are absolutely right about the CCBOE! I always knew Bennett and the rest of his facist nazis were the problem. The dems aren’t dummies, that’s why they left.
While those who read this page probably spend a fair amount of time focused on politics and elections, the majority of people out there do not. Just look at how the coverage of the fraudulent recount case and this upheaval of the board were covered in the media - they focus on the sensational and then quickly fade. Why? Because John Q. Public is more interested in the counting of votes on American Idol than they are in counting the votes for elected officials. It is within this culture of a civically disengaged populace that the current scenario is unfolding. The only thing that the public is seeing now is that the Republicans are the problem because they refuse to go. The end result is that the story gets Cliff Noted down to the level of that earlier “nazi facist” email.
It would be one thing if this was a Cuyahoga County only issue. Given that the Republican party has NO elected officials in countywide office, I can understand some reticence to a 
Democratic Secretary of State making demands. But with the onus of the GOP’s State Chairman as one of this Board’s immovable members, this issue becomes an Ohio issue, which then by nature of Ohio in the scheme of presidential elections becomes a national issue. Add to this the level of national scrutiny that this particular Board of Elections has received for past failures, and you have a Democratic party feeding frenzy on your hands (note to my Democratic friends, be prepared for mailboxes that overflow with fundraising appeals from Chris Redfern and Howard Dean talking about a Republican “culture of corruption” in Ohio with Bob Bennett as the main character).
It’s time for a Barry Goldwater moment.
As the dark walls of the Watergate conspiracy were closing in, the Arizona senator visited his friend Nixon and demanded that the president resign - not only for the good of the country, but also for the good of the party.
The time has come for a local Republican old-timer (are you reading this Dave Harbarger?) to visit Chairman Bennett and ask that he step down - not only for the good of the county, but also for the good of the party.
[…] P.S. wenBLOG explains why Bennett and Florkiewicz should resign for the good of the GOP. […]
March 23rd, 2007 at 9:25 am
Scott and Wendell, still I am not moved in my opinion. Comparing this situation at the BoE to Watergate is such pathetic nonsense it boggles the mind.
It is no suprise to me that you Scott jump on the bandwagon against Bob and side with those who believe that Bob and Blackwell stole the election from them in 2004, talk about aid to the enemy.
“Fraudulent recount” in this case the facts show that these employees used the procedure that had been used for over 25 years in selecting the precincts to be recounted. Further, the prosecutor’s office knew about it before the recount was certified and raised no objection. Most importantly there is no evidence of any impact on the election.
Also, Ken Blackwell was aware of most of these issues last year and chose not to take any action for the 2004 or 2006 election problems that Brunner claims she is taking action on. Are you saying Blackwell dropped the ball?
There is a massive political agenda here by the opposition who plan to make certain that there is no repeat of 2004 in 2008. They will not stop with the removal of Bob, they will go after anyone who doesn’t cave to their voting plans, which include unchecked instant registration, unchecked provisional voting, unchecked and unconfirmed registration and on and on.
It is not in the interest of our Party for Bob to step down. This is about the 2008 elections and beyond. The rest of you don’t be fooled by this agenda, it is sinister and part of a plan to make sure that there are no elected Republicans in Cuyahoga County and no effective balance in the process.
Fair and open elections require that our Party have its voice and not be intimidated by a partisan Secretary of State. Not only will I not lobby Bob to step down, I will lobby him to fight the good fight. That is in the interest of our Party and in fact in the interest of good government and open, honest elections in Cuyahoga County.
Dave
March 23rd, 2007 at 7:47 pm
Dave:
I won’t speak for Scott, but…
I agree with you that this now becomes a partisan issue, and Jennifer Brunner and the Democrats have kicked our butts. The worst thing about it is that we’ve allowed them to take the offensive under the veil of good government and make our party look bad. Defending the party is one thing, but defending it so that you play into your enemy’s hands is another. We’re so far into the enemies hands that the time has come to step back, lick our wounds and come prepared to fight a battle of our choosing on a different day.
You can fight the good fight and you may eventually win the battle but you will have lost the war.
March 23rd, 2007 at 10:12 pm
I just simply don’t agree, we lose the war if we refuse to battle and just run away. “Now is the time for all good men (and women) to come to the aid of their Party.”
Dave
March 26th, 2007 at 1:47 am
[…] By Jill Miller Zimon (from Writes Likes She Talks) I don’t know what Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner listens to in her car or at any other time, but strains of Tom Petty’s I Won’t Back Down ran through my head as I wrote up my notes from her semi-impromptu press conference last week at the City Club of Cleveland. Ohio Republican Party Chair Bob Bennett’s Tom Petty tune would probably be more like Don’t Come Around Here No More, except I’m fairly confident that it’s going to be him who won’t be coming around here no more, and there seem to be no shortage of folks who are just fine with that (hey, that’s a pretty impressive array of Ohio’s NEO political pundits asking for Bennett to do the right thing). […]
March 26th, 2007 at 7:29 am