Incumbent Members of Congress don’t lose, right? Certainly not their own party’s nomination, right? Well Rep. Wayne Gilchrist of Maryland, who was registered to vote as a Republican, liked to vote with House Democrats so much that he garnered a primary opponent in Andy Harris, a strong conservative. This primary challenge to Erlich was backed by, among others, former Maryland Governor Bob Erlich. The conservative Club for Growth weighed in heavily as well — check out the ad below. Well to make a long story short, last night Maryland Republicans in Gilchrist’s district spoke loud and clear — tossing the liberal Republican out on his ear, and handing the GOP nomination to Harris.
This is a very positive thing because it shows that at the local level, Republicans want to send Representatives back to Washington who will stop the liberal agenda of Nancy Pelosi and her cohorts, not ones who will seek to work with her towards her goals.
For the most part, we have lived in a "weak party" system here in America. After all, take a country like Great Britain. There, political parties can actually "decline" to allow an incumbent to run for the nomination of their party. With tools like this, they are able to ensure that their party’s officeholder stay true to the principles and issues of their party. When an incumbent like Gilchrist is toppled (despite hundreds of thousands of dollars in support from the unions I might add), it sends a loud message. A good message. Actions have consquences, and that when pushed hard enough, Republicans WILL police their own…
**There is more – click the link**
February 13th, 2008 at 12:00 am
OK – so you say it IS okay to challenge an incumbent. There has been much debate about that in Ventura County.
February 14th, 2008 at 12:00 am
So the GOP policies its own? Do you mean like perverted Sen. Larry Craig?
Please Flash, think before you write this stuff. If the GOP policed its own they’d be howling for Craigs resignation yet I hear nothing.
February 14th, 2008 at 12:00 am
* Abraham Lincoln “conserved” the Union when it seemed certain to split into
two parts. The “Radicals” of that era were the people who tried to destroy the
United States by way of armed insurrection and secession.
* Randy Cunningham was ousted from office by a gutty U.S. Attorney, Judge
Carol Lam, who was appointed by George W. Bush. Voters then filled the
spot with Republican Brian Bilbray in the subsequent special election.
* The GOP Senate leadership DID demand Larry Craig resign, and he initially
agreed, before reneging on the promise… His term ends THIS year, and if tried
to run again, GOP primary voters would destroy him. Compare that to Democrat
voters who repeatedly re-elected Reps. Gerry Studds and Fred Richmond after
they admitted having sex with a male page (Studds) or soliciting sex with a 16-
year-old boy (Richmond).