[Vision2020] Republican "Strateagery"

[Mark Solomon]

It is very sad that the Latah Republicans have bought into the Rovian 
school of politics in which it is perfectly acceptable to distort and 
lie about a Democratic candidate on the simple premise that it 
doesn't matter how you get elected as long as you get elected. I 
know: I was subject to the same type of smear campaign currently 
directed at Shirley Ringo during my run against Tom Trail two years 
ago.

The Trail campaign placed ads making the claim that I was going to 
take away people's guns. Trail based his absolutely false accusation 
on my response to an NRA survey in which I said that unlimited access 
to automatic weapons was not a good idea. Didn't matter that I also 
responded that protecting people's rights to own guns was extremely 
important to me, or that I likely spend much more time with a hunting 
rifle in my hands than Tom Trail ever has.

But why let a little truth get in the way when there's an election at 
hand? Despite that fact the Trail and I participated in at least half 
a dozen candidate forum and debates, he never brought up the gun 
topic in a place where it could actually be discussed. The same 
appears to be true of Falen's attacks against Shirley Ringo.

I've no insider information on why the local party that used to be 
one of balance and integrity when its leading voice was Tom Boyd has 
transformed into a winner-take-all-damn-the-effects-on-the-community 
but I will observe that it also coincides with Gary Schroeder's 
annointing of his son Barrett as chair of the Latah Republicans. 
Barrett is treasurer of the Falen campaign.

Coincidence? I think not. I hope there are community-minded Latah 
Republicans reading this post and that they think long and hard about 
what their local party has become under Schroeder's leadership.

Mark Solomon


At 7:42 AM -0800 11/5/06, roger hayes wrote:
>>I believe much campaign strategy flows from the very top of the 
>>Republican party down to small elections such as the one between 
>>Rep. Ringo and Mr. Falen. On a national level, political scientists 
>>have stated that mud slinging, fear mongering, and downright lying 
>>have reached epic proportions . Worst of all, they say negative 
>>campaigning works! I can see how in the eleventh hour, desperation 
>>might sway Mr. Falen to allow this sort of garbage to flow from his 
>>campaign. Hopefully, the educated population we have here in Latah 
>>County will see through this, and vote with their intellects rather 
>>than emotions.
>
>>  In line with this thread, I appreciate and support Rep. Ringo's 
>>"no" vote on the gun bill. It is another piece of "red herring" 
>>legislation designed to appeal to people's fears. It is just like 
>>old the flag burning bills, the new anti-gay marriage legislation 
>>and initiative, the "takings" initiative, and a myriad of worthless 
>>ideas which do nothing. The intent is to distract people from 
>>important issues of the day while behind the scenes big decisions 
>>are being made that effect the population's real needs greatly. Who 
>>burns fags? One can't get married to a same sex partner in Idaho. 
>>The property rights of Idahoans are already protected. Reciting the 
>>pledge is an act already performed in schools, at meetings, 
>>everywhere. How important is it that we enact laws encouraging or 
>>forcing us to recite it?
>
>>We need people in government who spend their time working for the 
>>good of all the people they represent. We do not need to pay people 
>>take a "fine-toothed" comb to our society in an attempt to scare us 
>>into division and compliance.
>
>>I am seriously disgusted by this small act on the part of the local 
>>Republican party. It reflects a lack of integrity in the party on a 
>>national scale.
>
>Sincerely,
>Roger Hayes
>Moscow
>
>
>>
>>
>>------------------------------
>>
>>Message: 5
>>Date: Sat, 4 Nov 2006 13:10:02 -0800
>>From: Chasuk <chasuk at gmail.com>
>>Subject: Re: [Vision2020] why did Roger Falen make those claims?
>>To: "Bill London" <london at moscow.com>
>>Cc: vision2020 at moscow.com
>>Message-ID:
>>	<ef6f41de0611041310p4a508c02mae124db2b365f8d1 at mail.gmail.com>
>>Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed
>>
>>On 11/4/06, Bill London <london at moscow.com> wrote:
>>
>>>I am surprised that Roger Falen, who seemed to be a coherent and caring
>>>person by his V2020 posts, would stoop so low in his campaign against
>>>Shirley Ringo to attack her patriotism with these groundless accusations
>>>that she refused to stand for the pledge and that she attacked the pledge in
>>>three different votes in the legislature.
>>
>>>For some reason, I expected more integrity from him
>>
>>Thank you.  My sentiments precisely.
>>
>>--
>>"Intolerance betrays want of faith in one's cause." -- Mahatma Gandhi
>>
>>End of Vision2020 Digest, Vol 5, Issue 47
>>*****************************************
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