[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XGcaaJRK868[/youtube]
There was quite a dust up on this site yesterday over Alabama Rep. Parker Griffith’s defection to the GOP and Erick Erickson’ subsequent call for Griffith to be defeated in the primary. For those of you who were involved in that heated debate, you will remember that my position was that Griffith is welcome in the GOP but that Erickson is entitled to his opinion and that there are already solid, well-funded Republican candidates in the race. Hence, the question is not whether we should or should not demand a primary challenge to Rep. Griffith, but whether or not we should reward him by forcing other candidates out of the GOP primary – and whether loyal Republicans are under an obligation to endorse Griffith in the primary.
I contended we should not clear the field, and that no such obligation exists. And after the argument concluded, I decided to see who the two other candidates were. One is County Commissioner Mo Brooks, who has a decent-if-unprofessional campaign site, but disturbed me with the fact that he literally copied his campaign art and slogan from Ron Paul’s 2008 campaign. The other is businessman and former Navy fighter pilot Les Phillip, who is running a very professional, very well-funded campaign and has already received the endorsement of Mike Huckabee (who delivered a major speech on Phillip’s behalf in September).
Indeed, as a powerful orator, a veteran, and a black Republican running in the Deep South - Phillip seemed likely to be one of the national GOP’s marquee candidates in 2010. I’m certainly impressed with both the man and the campaign he has put together, and Gov. Huckabee went so far follow up a Phillip speech by calling it ”a magnificent address not only by a future Alabama congressman, but by one of our national leaders in the Republican Party for a long time to come.”
Phillip said yesterday that he is staying in the race, and I for one am leaning heavily toward supporting him – not because I have any particular desire for Parker Griffith’s head, but because I think Les Phillip is an absolutely stellar candidate.
So, now that we have put a face on this issue, can anyone here say with a straight face that we should dump this guy in order to placate Parker Griffith? Judging by the operation he’s put together, I would not be surprised if he entered the primary as the favorite – and until yesterday morning he seemed poised to become one of the national stars of the 2010 campaign.
As I have said multiple times, Parker Griffith is welcome in our party – and if he can get by Les Phillip in a competitive primary then he will have earned my respect. However, if you’re asking me to dump a star candidate and a future national leader, force him out of the primary, and disown any Republican that dares support him , the answer is HELL NO.
Nobody has to manufacture a bloody primary for Parker Griffith – Parker Griffith jumped head-first into an already-strong primary field by switching parties. If there hadn’t been stong candidates in the race, perhaps I would feel differently. However, I think it would be ridiculously undemocratic and counterproductive give Phillip the axe just so that Griffith doesn’t have to deal with an uncomfortable primary. The democratic process is already well underway in Alabama’s 5th District – and far be it from us to stop that process from going forward.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7v3HY5FQ850[/youtube] [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ThRaJBz_n48[/youtube]
December 23rd, 2009 at 1:14 pm
Well put. It will be interesting to see if the NRCC greets Griffin a bit more kindly than they have in the past:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rVC3OIdcYLs&feature=player_embedded
That video is disgusting, I would like to retire that sort of B.S.
December 23rd, 2009 at 1:19 pm
Well said Adam B!!!
December 23rd, 2009 at 1:44 pm
I’m with you, Adam. The tone of Erickson’s post (as I understood it — I don’t visit RedState if I can avoid it) was that we should ‘go after’ Griffin. I don’t see why we should do that — he should be welcomed into the party.
But being welcomed is not the same as receiving a payoff for joining — being paid by having other candidates pressured to get out.
Phillip looks like a good candidate — but let the people of the district decide.
December 23rd, 2009 at 1:45 pm
Hannity, Beck, and Levine need to get behind a guy like Phillip. He would make a great leader of the true conservative movement. It will be interesting to see if the GOP throws the money into the primary for Griffith and we end up with a NY23 incident again.
December 23rd, 2009 at 1:54 pm
A Parker Griffith Poll Is In The Field. Have You Been Called?
Dec 16, 2009
http://leftinalabama.com/diary/5353/a-parker-griffith-poll-is-in-the-field-have-you-been-called
Griffith Polled Days Before Party Switch
http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/eyeon2010/2009/12/griffith-polled-days-before-pa.html
December 23rd, 2009 at 1:59 pm
Les Phillip on Parker Griffith: Why switch parties now?
http://blog.al.com/breaking/2009/12/les_phillip_on_parker_griffith.html
December 23rd, 2009 at 2:04 pm
#4 There’s no way Griffith switches back at this point. His endorsement would have no credibility and he would be shamed into early retirement.
On another note, whoever said yesterday that Rand Paul had no shot at winning better check the new poll out today with him holding a LARGER lead over his potential opponents than Grayson does.
Also, lots of great columns today that might make for good posts. Ralph Peters, who I usually dislike, had a great one on global bankruptcies in the coming year. Another one, out of the Atlantic, discusses how Dems have found a new way to cheat CBO scoring.
http://www.nypost.com/p/news/opinion/opedcolumnists/the_year_of_bankrupt_gov_ts_vv1vR5wWL7yNqe7FPTtXFL
http://meganmcardle.theatlantic.com/archives/2009/12/the_process_of_passing_health.php
December 23rd, 2009 at 2:09 pm
Griffith Opponent: I’ll Stay in the Race
http://washingtonindependent.com/71764/griffith-opponent-ill-stay-in-the-race
Griffith getting primaried
http://www.politico.com/blogs/scorecard/1209/Griffith_getting_primaried.html
Conservatives Not Ready to Embrace Party-Switcher
Griffith’s Jump to GOP Hasn’t Deterred Primary Challengers, Tea Party Critics
http://washingtonindependent.com/71799/conservatives-not-ready-to-embrace-party-switcher
All is forgiven for Griffith, leader of state GOP says
http://www.al.com/news/huntsvilletimes/local.ssf?/base/news/1261563315107800.xml&coll=1
Democrats say Griffith will face a fight in 2010
http://blog.al.com/breaking/2009/12/post_153.html
December 23rd, 2009 at 2:12 pm
3 – I’ve read some subsequent post by Erickson on the subject and he has claried his position a bit – and I agree with him. Griffith made the right decision by switching sides, but at the same time he did not switch his principles and has a questionable voting record. As such, and given that he has been arelatively loyal Dem until this part year, we have a both a right and a reason to be skeptical. In my book, he gets a welcome and an “atta boy” – but trust and full support must be earned.
The whole thing is further compounded by the presence of Phillip – who is viable regardless of one’s opinion of Griffith. My primary concern at the mometn is to avoid the type of rhetoric we were seeing yesterday, where anyone who fails to support Griffith in this primary is labled as a “purgist”.
Les Phillip will get a lot of support becasue he is a very good candidate, and I don’t think that that supporting him would be a “purgist” move. So, I don’t want to see his supporters labelled as such.
And it’s not just this campaign – I’m growing increasingly concerned with the increasingly-rabid “off with their heads” rhetoric directed at supporters of Rubio, Hoffman, Toomey, and now Phillip. It was one thing to have people be that passionate in support of insurgent candidates, but it’s little more disturbing when the passion is directed toward a message of forced ideological conformity and purposeful top-down leadership. It’s anti-democratic.
December 23rd, 2009 at 2:30 pm
8
If anything, it’s Griffith who is the “insurgent.” Les Phillip is a conservative, a solid Republican.
December 23rd, 2009 at 2:42 pm
And based on the news reporting I might have underestimated the strength of the Mo Brooks campaign – but I would say that, based on what I’ve seen, Brooks had been underwhelming as the establishment candidate and was probably going to get plowed under by Phillip.
December 23rd, 2009 at 3:44 pm
#10 Brooks is a perennial candidate but you’re right about Les Phillips being more of the base candidate.
December 23rd, 2009 at 6:43 pm
I have been a long time reader of this site but have never commented. I live in AL-5 and want to shed some light on the GOP field as I have lived in the district all of my life and worked on the campaign of Griffith’s GOP challenger Wayne Parker in 2008.
Mo Brooks is seen as the establishment candidate. He has been a Madison County(by far the lagest and most GOP county in the district) Commissioner for years and previously was the District Attorney of Madison County and the first GOP State Representative ever elected in North Alabama. He ran for Lt. Governor in 2006, he lost the GOP primary but carried the 5th congressional district handidly. Mo’s dedication to the party is well known and commendible. He has extremely loyal/wealthy support from the party insiders. He is the best funded candidate but is also seen as extremely divisive. You either love Mo or hate Mo. Mo is also Mormon, for what its worth.
Les Phillip is truly the insurgent candidate but is very charismatic and likeable. He gained a solid base in the Tea Party movement and has strong grassroots support. Despite the Huckabee endorsement, he has had trouble fundraising and this could be his downfall. However if he now sees a Hoffman-esque surge of support from Limbaugh, Palin, Beck, Hannity and the like things could change rapidly. People in the district like Les and want to support him but they are not sure he can win. I think the Griffith switch changes that.
The GOP/Tea Party grassroots in the District HATE Griffith and will mobilize in a huge way to see him defeated. I would put his chances of winning the primary at around 25%.
The Dems are also up in arms and are rumored to be trying to cultivate some extremely strong candidates to cahllenge: State Agriculture Commish Ron Sparks, State Public Serivice Commish Susan Parker, Former district judge Deborah Bell Paseur, and possibly even fromer Congressman Bud Cramer(who held the seat previously and is EXTREMELY popular),
December 23rd, 2009 at 7:03 pm
12
Thanks for the intel.
Go Les!
December 23rd, 2009 at 8:13 pm
You’re right about clearing the primary, but you’re wrong about Erickson. Erickson should be entitled to try to primary anyone and say so only in the sense that this is a free country where he’d, similarly, be entitled to try to hop to the moon and say so. But, that doesn’t make his post a mite more rational. Erick Erickson to primary a new GOP’er…the day he joined the party. Do you see Markos Moulistas doing that sort of thing? No, Markos is smart enough to make disingenuous pleas for Crist to jump teams, and disingenuous endorsements of liberal Republicans (Scozzawhatsit). Even if you THINK that you’re going to primary Griffith, you don’t say it the DAY HE SWITCHES and before any more panicked Dems can follow suit. You welcome him, as the heavy-hitting lefties welcomed Specter, and you quietly work behind the scenes to ensure his defeat…and then, when no more rhetorical benefit can be extracted from the meme, you openly turn on him for some vague reason or another. Griffith isn’t entitled to the seat, but we’re entitled to expect AN OUNCE of strategic thinking from the right’s biggest bloggers.
December 23rd, 2009 at 8:35 pm
The Dems are spreading dirt on Griffith as a means of keeping other Blue Dogs in line:
I read this morning that Griffith had contributed to Howard Dean in 2004 — I read it at MyDD. They’re out to get him.
December 23rd, 2009 at 10:23 pm
17 -
Erickson is at his best when he’s leading a blogosphere riot. He has a more agressive style than Kos and so far it has worked very well for him. He’s cultivated a nice niched for himself as the voice of the conserative bbase and the guy who points out the elephant in the room. He likes to be ahead of the trends, and he’s done it again here (I’m a little less aggressivve, but I have a simlar bent, so I get where he’s coming from and his strategy makes sense to me).
Listen – if he want’s to lead a revolt, especialy if he’s going to side with Phillip over Brooks (likely), then there’s really no reason to wait for some fake excuse later. The fact that Griffith is a recent convert is the best weapon against him – and if you forfiet that point now you don’t get it back later. If you want to take out Griffith, the best strategy is to slma the door in his face now and stir up skepticism in the GOP base. If you allow Griffith to be fully accepted, you then have to work harder to get people to become skeptics again.
I’m not making an ideological point here, but rather a strategic one. You may think that Erickson is going off half-cocked, but if his ultimate goal is to rally the entire base behind Phillip, then this is the best move. It may seem premature in the moment, but come primary day, Erickson will be laughing all the way to the bank. I don’t particularly think he’s shooting to win friends and influence people here – he’s shooting to win and this is the best wa to do it.
December 23rd, 2009 at 11:11 pm
At least six MKs sign deal with Netanyahu to leave Kadima
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1261364487336&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull
December 23rd, 2009 at 11:26 pm
If Huck support Phillips, my money is on Griffith.
December 23rd, 2009 at 11:38 pm
19. So petty.
December 24th, 2009 at 12:31 am
20. As is Huckabee.
December 24th, 2009 at 12:37 am
Mo Brooks is definitely the front-runner here. PG has said he will return campaign contributions to dems making him and Mo have almost equal coffers. Mo has ~ 200k and Phillip’s campaign still owes Phillip money. Mo is strongly supported in this district and despite his website (which was made for free by a supporter) Mo is very effective campaign leader as shown by his election records here – http://www.mobrooksforcongress.com/Mo_Brooks_for_Congress-Mos_Bio_4.html
In my opinion, this article was very weakly put together.
BTW, Phillips bought Mike Huckabees endorsement for $30k. Most of the reason why he’s still in the red.
December 24th, 2009 at 2:39 am
Here is how I see it. We either can choose to support a candidate who holds no loyalty as he demonstrated by voting against the people and standing with Pelosi and her socialist views more than 3/4 of the time and compared returning to the Constitution to something like squeezing toothpaste back into a tube. Or we can choose a polished politician who may have not voted to raise taxes or do things that would be harmful to the people he is suppose to represent, but clearly has no problem with politics as usual and has not demonstrated that he will fight to take the nation back to the Republic our Founding Fathers gave us. Or we can support a candidate who volunteered to put his life on the line to defend this great nation and protect and defend our Constitution against ALL enemies, foreign and domestic.
Folks, people are sick of the political games! People want someone who is going to stand for them! The political climate has changed…and people are mad as hell…at both parties! We need a candidate who is not going to continue the games, but is going to pick up the ball and run down the field for a touch down for the PEOPLE not the parties! That person is Les Phillip! He is not just going to go to DC and slow down the corruption, or keep it from getting worse. He is going to actively fight to bring our nation back to the Republic it once was, standing solidly on our Constitution!
If you are tired of the political games, and truly want this country to be back in the hands of the people, then your money had better be on Les! Mine is!
December 24th, 2009 at 4:50 am
Many of the Tea Party folks are not Republicans….they are from the Constitutional Party. They have found a home in the GOP through the tea party movement, the rise of Sarah Palin’s and the internet grassroot movement.
#23 Denel for the People 2010 is an example of what these activist are about, if they want to start a revolt let them run on the Constitutional Party ticket.
December 24th, 2009 at 6:30 am
“#23 Denel for the People 2010 is an example of what these activist are about, if they want to start a revolt let them run on the Constitutional Party ticket.”
Maybe is the two main parties would come away from Socialism and quasi-Socialism respetively, we would not need a revolt, but the Swells appears not too eager to avoid a revolt. If these clowns were serious, they would not allow the health bill to proceed.
December 24th, 2009 at 10:32 am
Mo Brooks and Les Phillip both claim to believe the same things. The only difference is Mo has PROVEN that he means what he says and Les is merely posturing. Easy choice. Mo Brooks.
December 24th, 2009 at 1:54 pm
Adam,
That’s just silly. Have the Democrats forfeited ANY of their attacks against Specter because they spent the first week or two of his defection shaking their heads at how sadly radical the Republican Party has become? Is he any more secure? Parker Griffith is one man out of 435. Anyone who’s strategical game plan begins and ends with targeting one congressman is inherently shortsighted. So even if I grant that it will be marginally easier for Reps to knock off Griffith if they go after him now, that barely even begins the calculation. I ask you again: what are moderate Democrats who suspect they’ll lose as Democrats, and who disagree with fundamental elements of the Democratic agenda, going to do if we have our most prominent spokesman primary a defector the DAY he joins our caucus? They’re going to stay put, that’s what. And they’re going to cleave to their left-wing because at least the left has money and manpower and the center and right, apparently, won’t reward them for doing the right thing. Politics isn’t binary. It’s not just “primary Parker Griffith” or “don’t primary Parker Griffith” as though Parker Griffith was the sole man in the universe. In any broader strategic sense, Erickson’s impulse is terrible. It’s be disastrous if he actually had Kos-like influence.
December 25th, 2009 at 5:45 am
Unfortunately, I have no vote it the Alabama election. I don’t know Mo Brooks & I sure I don’t want to know Parker Griffith. I personally worked & socialized with Les Phillip for a few years (in a publicly traded company which actually forced him to have to be away from his family for long periods of time) There were always 2 things foremost in his mind—his family & his LOVE for this country! You never had to question his loyalty & dedication to either one. It also was apparent that even though he was sacraficing time away from his family & he didn’t really love what he was doing… he was a “Man of commitment”!
Anytime the topic of government/politics came up (which it usually did) Les would “GLOW” & intelligently stand up to anyone with his convictions! [trust me on this one, Les won't back down if he disagrees] He is well educated (open-minded until he makes his own conclusion) on the workings of government & issues that could affect Americans.
I can’t remember a time when he would “fly-off” without first researching the facts.
Too bad he doesn’t still live in FL, we need a new Governor!
What you see with Les———-is what you get!!!!!!!!
December 26th, 2009 at 2:18 pm
Im from Alabama district 5. I can tell you that Mo Brooks has been a member of the Sierra Club for a number of years. Who knows what kind of influences this radical leftist organization will have on Brooks.
If you compare the candidate’s messages. One candidate says he wants to vote out Nancy Pelosi. (good idea). The other candidate says he wants to promote, protect, and restore the Constitution. (I think this is the better idea). and Lastly, Griffith, he simply wants to avoid the annoyance of finding another job.
December 26th, 2009 at 6:26 pm
The Sierra Club used to be a club for avid outdoorsmen. Mo Brooks joined the club because he likes canoeing trips and used to take his family down white water rivers. I was a member when he was and know him personally. He is no longer a member of the club. He is also a man of extremely high moral integrity.
Get the facts straight tbeach.
December 26th, 2009 at 10:32 pm
Griffith has sided with Nancy Pelosi on most everything and suddenly he think we should forget!
December 27th, 2009 at 12:21 am
@ 30
Mr. Ex-Sierra Club Member, you just confirmed my “incorrect” facts. Tell me, if I were to go canoeing will I have to join the Sierra Club? Is it a pre-req? Obviously the choice to join this organization involves more than canoeing. Are we to believe that the decision Mo Brooks made to join a radical organization was simply a naive and uneducated decision to simply go canoeing?
If this is the case, should we not be concerned of the judgement calls he will make as a US Congressman?
Have a Blessed Happy New Year, sir.
December 27th, 2009 at 3:48 pm
Mr. Thomas Beach (tbeach), and everyone else, for that matter:
I admire everyone’s dedication to their particular candidate. Intra-family fights always seem to focus and expand on the smallest of differences.
At this point, however, we must be mindful that a wolf has just entered our hen house. I suggest we collectively focus our attention on the need to clear out the wolf. Everything else will take care of itself in due course.
Our task before us will be great. Our common foe may lack scruples, but he does not lack cunning. And he does not lack in funds from those who like pliable congressmen.
If our camps work together on this, we will collectively prevail because our collective values will be in Washington (either Mo or Les, either will be fine). If we spar with each other too much, we play into RINO* Parker Griffith’s hands and enhance the prospects for the defeat of the values we seek to promote.
* Note: “RINO” may be too soft a term given Griffith’s vote for Nancy Pelosi and four figure contributions to Sen. Harry Reid, Presidential candidate and now National Democrat Chairman Howard Dean, etc., etc.
Sincerely,
Mo Brooks
Candidate for Congress
Alabama 5th Congressional District
December 31st, 2009 at 8:25 pm
I agree completely with this commentary. As a resident of the 5th Congressional District in Alabama, I am appalled at the nerve the GOP is evidently showing in its effort to disrupt the primary process here.
Is the 5th District some type of “experiment” for the GOP in order that they can maintain control and put “their” candidates in, perhaps trying to cut The Tea Party out of the process, altogether? It seems very strange indeed when just eleven months ago, Parker Griffin was not good enough to represent us, his past misdeeds were even brought into question (and should have been), and Griffin BARELY won the election; now he’s a GOP? I don’t think so.
If anything, this will galvanize The Tea Party here in Northern Alabama and the will of the people that we will take no more. We have been robbed on every level imaginable. Now the GOP wants to “stick it to us” by telling us we will support Griffin? By threatening donors, using tactics such threatening supporters into giving money to Griffin instead of Phillip or Brooks? Dirty politics, plain and simple.
Well, the people will play down and dirty with the GOP. Bring it. Tell Griffin to bring it. We outnumber HIM and his liberal cronies. The people of the 5th District almost beat him last year; we WILL beat him this time. Les Phillip is a great man, a person who can be respected, who will keep his word and frankly, I would prefer him over the other two because he HASN’T been in politics!