Earth to GOP
By: BJ Lawson
This fascinating article on Politico outlines the pessimism that Newt Gingrich, Tom Cole, and other Republican leaders feel going into the November elections:
Shellshocked House Republicans got warnings from leaders past and present Tuesday: Your party’s message isn’t good enough to prevent disaster in November, and neither is the NRCC’s money.
The double shot of bad news had one veteran Republican House member worrying aloud that the party’s electoral woes — brought into sharp focus by Woody Jenkins’ loss to Don Cazayoux in Louisiana on Saturday — have the House Republican Conference splitting apart in “everybody for himself” mode.
“There is an attitude that, ‘I better watch out for myself, because nobody else is going to do it,’” the member said. “There are all these different factions out there, everyone is sniping at each other, and we have no real plan. We have a lot of people fighting to be the captain of the lifeboat instead of everybody pulling together.”
In a piece published in Human Events, the Republicans’ onetime captain, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, warned his old colleagues that they face “real disaster” on Election Day unless they move immediately to “chart a bold course of real reform” for the country.
Wait, Newt. You’re looking for a “bold course of real reform”? Perhaps a “Contract with America”? Hey — I’ve got a great idea. Excuse me for being presumptuous, and I don’t pretend to be an experienced politician, but we’ve already got a contract with America: it’s called our United States Constitution.
In fact, I’ve been running a grassroots, insurgent Congressional campaign based entirely on limiting our federal government to its intended Constitutional scope, restoring fiscal sanity, restoring our civil liberties, ending the occupation of Iraq, pursuing a just and affordable foreign policy, ending inflation and restoring prosperity through monetary and economic freedom.
What’s really amazing is that this simple, unifying message just won my primary election with 71% of the vote against the establishment’s neoconservative candidate. Oh, and my friend Rep. Walter Jones won his primary with 60%, as well.
Even better, given how willingly our elitist incumbent Rep. David Price takes orders from his establishment Democratic handlers, I expect this message will challenge his 22-year reign quite effectively in November.
I sincerely hope that we have a cohort of good Republicans who are ready to serve the people, and the Constitution, in 2009. But Newt is right: letting the Democrats own the “change” message will eviscerate the Republican party.
The economic and security challenges we face are not partisan challenges. Neither should be our solution — it’s time to again embrace the real contract with America, and restore a Constitutional federal government:
Please help us take this powerful message to the 4th District. We’ve won the primary, and need your immediate support to start building our plan and organization for the general election. Please donate today.
May 8th, 2008 at 12:30 am
BJ - You’re running an inspiring campaign and I’m so excited about it. It is just wonderful to hear a Republican candidate call attention to both the principled and unprincipled parts of the GOP. I’m hopeful that you and the message of liberty will wake up this country!
May 8th, 2008 at 7:41 am
Thanks for bringing some much needed “tough love” to the party. Most candidates today would probably think that towing the party line is the best way to serve the party. But that would be too easy. The really difficult thing to do is to stand up against certain intra-party adversity and redefine that party line into something principled that stands on a solid foundation.
May 8th, 2008 at 8:58 am
“What’s really amazing is that this simple, unifying message just won my primary election with 71% of the vote against the establishment’s neoconservative candidate.” haha.. I love it! Your opponent was endorsed by several of the establishment’s neoconservative elected officials too.
May 8th, 2008 at 9:40 am
Didn’t know where else to post it, but The American Conservative Magazine’s Blog mentions your victory,
“News of B.J. Lawson’s victory in North Carolina is very encouraging indeed — and what a margin! Lawson is a sterling (or maybe, as a nod to monetary issues, I should say auric) Ron Paul Republican and antiwar conservative. He faces an uphill battle in the Fall against incumbent Democrat David Price, who has been in office for over 20 years (with a one-term interregnum in after the ‘94 elections). But his win shows that a consistent small-government ethic and responsible foreign-policy views can still prevail in today’s GOP.”…
by Daniel McCarthy at The American Conservative
May 8th, 2008 at 2:03 pm
I heart B.J. Lawson. (In a very platonic way, of course.)
May 8th, 2008 at 5:43 pm
Good luck to you sir and congratulations on your 71% trouncing of your neocon opponent.
Very inspiring!
May 8th, 2008 at 9:02 pm
BJ, congratulations on your victory. You’re that much closer to the prized spot.
Take it from me, a guy who ran for US House three times (2002-2006) promoting the libertarian message, including deciding to run as a Democrat who went on to win 41% of the vote with only $16,000, it’s doers like you and Murray Sabrin and others who put their own necks out there who will win this for us.
Kick their asses and don’t hold back the passion. Don’t be hypnotized away by the allure of power and NEVER turn away your supporters however “different” they might be.
Starchild, am I right? (Inside joke to Starchild)
Go Lawson! As long as you’re faithful to the message, we’re behind you all the way.
Frank
Miami, FL
May 8th, 2008 at 9:51 pm
“The libertarian” message as some call it is, in reality, the original Republican message. Just look at Robert Taft (aka “Mr. Republican”) and Barry Goldwater (aka “Mr. Conservative”)… we can even look at Reagan. Lawson here is a true Republican… any part of the party, like Cho, is wrong if they say otherwise. Their arguments are baseless. All we have to do is look at these people who were a main part of the party. Has everyone else lost a knowledge of history or are they too ignorant to care about standing for anything real?
May 9th, 2008 at 5:10 am
Paige, you should put that on a t-shirt.
May 9th, 2008 at 9:58 am
Thanks for running and I’m thrilled you and Mr. Jones took care of business in the primary! I couldn’t vote for you here in my district, but was out supporting Ron Paul and was passing out information to voters outside one of the local polling stations (first time I’ve ever done anything like that!). Keep up the good work and get in there so we can have more honest/constitutional representation here in North Carolina!
May 9th, 2008 at 10:47 am
It’s sad that BJ Lawson ran as a Republican hiding his true agenda. Now victorious in the primary, he is espousing much of the same rethoric as the Democrats and isolationist Libertarians. Of course, he didn’t really hi-light these views before the election, rather just wrapped himself in the cloak of the Constitution. I note none of his campaign literature discuss his anti-war stance or his libertarian views on legalizing drugs.
I don’t think BJ is good for the Republican party. He should be honest and run as a libertarian. As much as I dislike Price, at least you know where he stands on issues (well he doesn’t really take a stand, he is just given orders from the Dem leadership :).
Doesn’t matter anyway, BJ doesn’t have a chance against Price. Don’t waste your money on this candidate!
May 9th, 2008 at 2:33 pm
Michael, you must have no idea what a real Republican is. First of all, this is not isolationism, this is non-interventionism. The Republican party used to be the non-interventionist party. If you don’t know this perhaps you aren’t a real Republican? Please research senator Robert Taft, who was known as “Mr. Republican”. He was a non-interventionist. It’s people like you, Michael, fake Republicans, who have been twisting the principles that this party once stood for. Honestly, and I don’t care what I sound like now, but you should be ashamed of yourself for lying.
May 9th, 2008 at 2:44 pm
Michael is typical neocon warmonger who loves government and all that it does. In other words the kind of fellow who would rather rule in hell than serve in heaven.
May 9th, 2008 at 4:13 pm
I’m pretty disappointed at the many Augustus Cho supporters who are so bitter in the wake of their candidate losing. They may not disagree with everything B.J. stands for, but you’d think they could agree that B.J. is a million times better than David Price. Instead, they still attack B.J., cry rivers, actually encourage people not to give money to their *Republican* nominee and continue to act in a “social club” mentality. Thankfully, only a small minority of local Republicans are doing this and a small portion of the 29% that voted for Augustus Cho. Most have now rallied around us, knowing that the most important thing now is to put our differences aside, focus on what we have in common and beat David Price in November. I applaud these people for being truly loyal to their party, unlike those who continue to attack B.J. even now that he has won the nomination (and overwhelmingly so, I might add). I’m hoping this is just a temporary ’sore loser syndrome’ and they’ll come around. I’m perfectly willing to work with them going forward to beat David Price in November. That is what is important, and I hope that they will realize this soon and join us.
By the way, how great is it that this campaign is so willing to allow criticism to be displayed in clear view? Any other campaign might well just delete a comment like the one Michael made. Michael, that’s something you should think about…
May 9th, 2008 at 5:36 pm
Hello everyone. I’d like to inform all of you that there will be a “Money Bomb” for BJ’s campaign. Check out the website and pledge!
http://www.LawsonLibertyFund.com
Thanks!
May 9th, 2008 at 6:17 pm
it’s not about any Party. isn’t party politics about as truly important in life as Duke vs UNC or UNC vs NCSU? although a lot of us certainly highly enjoy sports and party rivalries and an “us” vs “them” mentality, BJ will work for what truly matters in this election and for our country - a small but effective federal government grounded in the Constitution. that’s why this registered democrat plans to vote for Dr Lawson in November.
May 11th, 2008 at 12:16 am
Congratulations on the win, BJ.
Winning in November requires reaching out to all conservatives, including those ‘Cho neocons.’ I hope the battle wounds from the primary are cast behind us, and that BJ makes sure to emphasize the things that all conservatives value (without betraying his own principles, of course) and that bring the folks out on election day.
If fiscal restraint, pro-life, etc. fails, here’s the one message that should work on any Republican: “A vote for Lawson is a vote against Pelosi.”
May 11th, 2008 at 3:47 pm
BJ,
I have a suggestion for a campaign ad, if it can fit in the 30-second format. Consider the question at the end of our national anthem: “Oh Say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave, O’er the land of the free, and the home of the brave?”
The question isn’t whether we still fly the flag; obviously we do. The question is whether we are still free, and are we brave enough to demand and defend our freedom? Back when Ron Paul announced his candidacy for president, I wasn’t sure. Today, I’m far more hopeful than I have been in a very long time.
I think your campaign would do well with a theme of reminding the voters of the principles for which we overthrew our king. Do people want handouts from the federal government, or do they want the government out of their lives?
-jcr
May 11th, 2008 at 3:50 pm
Michael,
You are a damned fool. The voters are swarming to the democrats because the country-club republicans have betrayed them. Candidates like BJ are the hope of the Republican party.
-jcr
May 11th, 2008 at 3:53 pm
Jeremy,
You are correct. The Libertarian party, as it happens, began in the 1970’s when the Republican party went off into the weeds under Richard Nixon. If Libertarians return to the Republican party, that’s a sign of hope for the Republican party and the country.
-jcr
May 11th, 2008 at 6:31 pm
Michael:
Your feelings are exactly what one would expect in the immediate aftermath of a primary as heated as this one got at times. I’m sure that there are plenty of Republicans in the 4th district who didn’t vote for BJ, just as I know that there are many who did not vote for Augustus Cho. However, I firmly believe that all who voted from Cho or Lawson can agree on one thing: BJ Lawson will make a much better Congressman than David Price. If we wish to stand a chance against the Price machine in November we MUST unite as a party behind our nominee. 71% of voters in the Republican primary in the 4th district BJ Lawson as their candidate, and it should now be the goal of all Republicans, and like minded conservatives, to see this great man elected to Congress.
Best,
Justin B. Clark
DCGOP