This election has been a reasonably brutal one. There is a battle being waged openly for the first time in my memory for the Republican Party’s soul.
Last evening as I was trying to sum up this election, David Holland posted a note to his Frontier Republican friends.
With David’s permission, I reproduce that engaging and forgiving note below. I cannot sum up the truth of what the threat Frontier Republicans any better then David can.
It carries significant weight because of David Holland’s years of experience. David has served in elected positions, and his public life represents a body of work for Wyoming and the Wyoming Republican Party with few equals. David Holland is a leader Wyoming is blessed to have, and his life work shows it.
David Holland, thank you for being the leader you are and kindly letting me reproduce your heartfelt post here. You are an inspiration to all Republicans.
TO MY FRIENDS WITHIN THE FRONTIER REPUBLICANS…
(and yes, I have quite a few),
I think you have been sold a bill of goods.
The Frontier Republicans are not about civility.
Leaders from Wyoming’s most populous counties, finding that their ideas were not accepted by the party at large, usually by a vote of 70/30% – rather than win support in the arena of ideas, chose to attack party leaders as “corrupt,” stifling debate at state meetings, and running county parties in violation of parliamentary procedure and party by-laws.
They have brought unelected lawyers carrying proxies to state meetings, attempting to intimidate party leadership with disruptive tactics and both veiled hints and open threats of lawsuits.
One legislator from northeast Wyoming, rather than searching out the truth, encouraged those disgruntled leaders by openly stating concerning party leadership, “I cannot wait to stand in their way and hamstring them all!”
At the formative meeting of the Frontier Republicans statewide, party leaders were referred to as cockroaches.
Neither are Frontier Republicans conservative. One of the darlings of the organization is the leading proponent not only of a state income tax, a toll road, a mileage and usage tax, but, in fact, of EVERY tax brought forth.
Liberal PACs have given large donations to FR candidates in the last few weeks.
They are so unprincipled that, at our state convention in June, it was actually suggested that we allow our statement of “timeless principles” – the party platform – to expire every two years. In other words, our principles would not be principles at all. When that and many other intentionally disruptive motions failed, they walked out of the convention and had the gall to seek refunds of their fees and dinner tickets.
Most of you old friends – and you know who you are – have been very influential in my life. We went to church together, raised our children together, served in law enforcement through the Sheriff’s Posse together.
Please take a long, hard look at the Frontier Republicans. Please come home to a grassroots party that awaits you with open arms.
