We have all heard it over and over again since the last election. “Liberty County voters rejected Barack Obama. Local Republican’s victories were all because of Obama’s failures.” Longtime activists local Democrats love to say these things. They love to discount the efforts made by local Republicans over the last fifteen years. They love to discount any effect Liberty Dispatch has had in leveling the playing field.
Local Democrat spinmeisters are oversimplifying their analysis of the last Liberty County election because it suits their purpose. Democrats around here survived Jimmy Carter and other poor leaders. They have chosen to try and magnify the Obama factor for several reasons.
The first reason to blame the head of their party is that if it is Obama’s fault, then they have no responsibility in being the first Democrats to lose like this in Liberty County since before William McKinley was assassinated in 1901. If that is true, if most voters voted differently than before because of the former Chicago based Senator, then local Democrats can continue the myth that they have always had better candidates. They can also continue to act as if their party has not had one scandal after another for years.
But prior to the last election, two more important things happened than the Obama factor. First, simultaneously the economy went south and local Democrat officials continued to raise spending and borrowing levels. Some would argue that ties into hearing about all of the spending and borrowing voters heard about in Washington. No argument here, local Democrats have always tried to say they were not like national figures in their party. They were being deceptive. The local borrowing and spending in the last four years has been done in record numbers.
Second, over the last fifteen years Republicans have moved to Liberty County at a higher rate than Democrats and the new move-ins were enlightened and angered about the scandalous behavior from local Democrats. New folks to this are didn’t fall for the shoot the messenger spin from the local media and other Democratic image makers.
Unfortunately for some who are now associating themselves with the Republican party, knowing that Obama is not the most important reason for recent party success means the next election will not necessarily be a shoe-in just because Obama will be headlining the Democrat’s ticket. If local Republicans don’t show they are different from Democrats, the next election could be a popularity contest or it could be a rejection of recent changes.
A week has not gone by when someone has not harassed one of us about the lack of changes by our new Republicans. The comments almost surely foreshadow the campaign we will see from Democrats in about ten months. One scandal involving a Republican and it could be that running as a Democrat will be an advantage locally.
Unless of course, our newly elected Republican officials roll back county spending to 2006 levels. People that are griping it has not happened – that nothing different has happened – may be showing the GOP how to solidify the trust they so badly need to build a strong and effective political effort to better this community. In 2010 Liberty County voters said enough. Now Republicans have to do enough to earn their trust.
11 comments:
I agree 10% personal, 10% Obama, and 80% me and mine have had enough of what has been going on around here.
Some may say Obama will be a heavy burden to anyone around here running on the Democrat ticket. I will add to that and say anyone running on the ticket with Mike Little will have a heavy burden. The money machine combo of Hight, Zbranek and Little is finally crumbling. People have truly had "enough".
I am amazed that your former County Clerk in Liberty County is getting a pass. Your District Attorney, your County Attorney, and your Sheriff must be busy making speeches at the Garden Club.
Good article but the same hopeful but worried candidates huddled around waiting for election results in November are probably now convinced that they are very popular and invincible. The classic mistake of new officeholders is to focus on trying to stay out of trouble rather do everything they can to make this a better county and insist all those around them do the same.
You guys are trying to sugar coat it, but your damn Republicans have really done nothing but enjoyed what they complained were bloated budgets. I don't care how unpopular the President may be next election, the local Republicans have shown us nothing. Chambers has added a court reporter. Hinch has given a new Assistant a raise over the previous more experienced one. And Norman Brown continues to pile expensive temporary band aides on our roads.
Judge Chambers' addition was needed and will save us money in the long run. The other two officeholders have as little regard for tapayer money as any Democrat. Their track record proves it.
If you want to earn my trust go back to 2006 budget numbers and adjust the effective rate in order to null and void the crazy appraissals that raise our taxes.
Good luck on changing the county's budget "process". Intimidation is a hard thing to overcome.
Local Democrats have never been able to answer the question "Why would anyone want to be a local Democrat if they are not like Democrats everywhere.... why be one?"
Rome wasn't built in a day. These new Republicans have been in office two months (59 days) and you are expecting them to turn all this crap around in this short of time. It took the Democrats years of corruption to get the County to where it is now. These new office holders are not miracle workers. Hold your horses and give them some time to try to fix this mess.
the best thing about the recent election results is that it has opened the door for good people to try their hand a local politics.
you no longer have to worry about someone trying to hold your head under water for merely signing up to be a candidate and part of the process.
hight is gone. lester is gone. arthur is gone. little is on his way out. youngblood and buttcannon have been outed...in more ways than one.
come on liberty county americans. get involved. do not worry about the dirty side of politics getting all over you.
the people that were doing the dirty have been outed and we will not tolerate a corrupt government any longer.
do not be afraid. put your name on the dotted line and get involved in our county government.
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