It was a wave election, propelled in no small part by the seismic shifts at the Watauga County Board of Elections and the shenanigans of the #EggersBros.
Bertrand Gutierrez's lede in the Winston-Salem Journal cuts to the chase: "For a couple of Republicans who, according to Democrats, were intent on suppressing votes, Luke Eggers and Bill Aceto did a poor job."
Eggers and Aceto are busily saying, "See, we're not a partisan Board of Elections. See, we didn't attempt to suppress the vote."
The eleven hundred plus Boone voters who did not choose #TeamTempleton are saying, "See what happens when you try to monkey with ballot access."
Mayor-Elect Andy Ball said it effectively in the Gutierrez article: “This result in some ways speaks to the visceral reaction people have when you try to take people’s voting rights away.”
Meanwhile, near the River Nile, Mark Templeton, who had suggested that he was going to show progressive activists the quickest way to get the hell outta Dodge, was fingering Boone as a "liberal college town" in explaining #TeamTempleton's massive losses.
That will become the company line (and of course doubles back to explain what the #EggersBros were up to all along): the ASU college student vote and the local Republican belief that all their electoral woes are a result of it.
Based on our phone canvassing and door-knocking during the last several months, the Templeton ownership of the local Republican Party had a major depressive influence on registered Republicans. Many Republicans were as offended by the treatment of ASU student voters as Democrats were. I think analysis of "party performance" in yesterday's election is going to show that it wasn't the student vote that won it as much as failure of the Republican base to turn out in support of #TeamTempleton.
Let's face it: the current management of the Watauga GOP has caused its own train wreck, and one wonders what the rank and file will do to untangle to wreckage.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
8 comments:
How to untangle the wreckage? Well, let's see...maybe they should bring up abortion, gay marriage, and guns? Oh wait, gay marriage is already unconstitutional in NC, guns are anywhere and everywhere, and there are virtually no abortion clinics left in NC. What else do GOPers care about? Obama the "liberal socialist Kenyan" isn't going to be on the ballot again, so...I know, keep complaining about how there are too many students voting, and the town won't let developers build more student apartments. Makes sense: demand the right to put up more ghettos for disfranchised rentpayers. That's the ticket.
I am reminded of the two hours I spent handing out "Pam's Picks" at the courthouse during early voting. My companion that day was a local Republican who is disgusted with the antics of the local BOE and party leadership in general. She was supporting Jenny Church, the independent write-in candidate. She quite literally talked the entire two hours about why she was so infuriated.
The results of this election were quite satisfying, but the problem of voter suppression continues. Something must be done to stop voter suppression in Watauga County and all over North Carolina. We can start by getting rid of Aceto and the Eggers brothers.
it is amazing to me that they don't want students to vote, but they want to build apartments for them to live in.. they want to bring more into our area, take their money but not allow them to have a voice, and when they do voice their opinion , its a liberal college town.. well for one I'm glad I live in a liberal town...
I try not to gloat too much - I don't live in the city limits, but I work in town and spend a lot of time here. I am glad that the results turned out the way they did. Boone is a special place. I do hate it when Boone is called a "liberal college town" like that's an insult or something! Looks like the big cities in NC also elected Democrats as mayors. Good for them!
Alienating that "liberal college base" clearly is no way to win...
Citizenof Boone: You could only have been talking to Deborah Greene. She is an equal opportunity basher--mean-spirited, full of hate, and hardly a Repub. I'm surprised you ever got away from her!
I hope they try even greater voter suppression before we vote for our state and congressional candidates. We could use the Eggers to help us get rid of Virginia F and Dan S.
Post a Comment