Black Hat

One Republican who has come out as planning to run against Congresswoman Virginia Foxx in the 2018 Republican primary is Matthew Vera. I wrote about him before. Now I discover a second Republican looking to unseat Foxx, one Courtland J. Meader (some impressive name, that).

He actually declared his candidacy on August 11 on his Facebook page, describing himself as "a rock and roll loud mouth bad ass Republican that's going to shift shape in Washington." Okay, I get the loud mouth and bad ass parts, but a shape-shifter? That kind of means we can't trust where he stands right now and that once he gets to Washington, he'll be changing shapes. Or else I don't know how to read English.

His Facebook page, like his photograph, suggests a braggart who might be more hat than cattle. Apparently, he has THE solution to Obamacare which will change the world and wow the millennials and save money and redeem the irredeemably poor and cure the heartbreak of psoriasis. He's big on bragging and thin on detail. It's just gonna be a miracle, and you'll have take his word for it.

He's going to beat Virginia, evidently, by essentially melding into her, but to be honest I'm not sure he's actually ever met the Madam:

Virginia is a sweet, endearing woman, but she has also become a career politician with little interest in making big changes and battling the very well organized loud mouth liberal Democrats in this nation. Respectfully, at her age she just doesn't even have the moxy for it. We are on the same side technically, and I wish to stay as far away from denigrating Rep. Foxx as I can, because she is a decent person - but I also know it's time to hand over the baton. Her time has been, my time has come. [italics added only where amazement broke out]

Some times he veers left on Facebook:

Basing our healthcare on whether the insurance industry can turn a profit or not is a major problem .... Cost cutting on the patient's and the healthcare worker's backs is also a major problem.

I'm on my way to cheering him for that, but then he defines his Republicanism in a very curious way:

I'm a member of the Republican party for my own reasons, but they do not rule over or create my political or social views. My policies are problem solving and absolutely non-partisan, as they address and solve problems - not worry about which side believes what or desires whatever. My policies are for the people.

"For my own reasons"? What does that mean? Republicans "do not rule over my social views." Great! if I understand what you mean. But how does that square with "bad ass Republican"? I'm confused.

Getting a clear policy position out of Courtland J. Meader is going to take a bit more research.

Virginia Foxx Has A Republican Primary Opponent

Matthew Vera of Kernersville (link to his website), a former high school cross country/track and field coach in Forsyth County who works now as a Ralph Lauren warehouseman in Kernersville. His website paints a portrait of a good guy who's as earnest and innocent as newcomers to politics usually are.

He does not mention his political party, but he is registered Republican. He does not mention the current incumbent in the 5th District seat, but he makes a clear contrast to Madam Foxx:

"We have a responsibility to our society to promote tolerance and prevent discrimination on the basis of age, race, color, religion, sex, disability, national origin, ethnic group, sexual orientation, covered veteran or other legally protected status."

He lists as important policy issues teacher pay (over which federal office-holders don't have a lot of influence) and the minimum wage, about which he writes:

Living within your means is still tough when your means are barely enough to get you from paycheck to paycheck. No matter what background or circumstances brought you to the work week ahead, we all have felt or seen the struggle that exists regarding pay. Our time card now boasts more hours than ever before in search of that additional dollar that will allow the power to stay on, the daily meal on the table to be more than enough, the long needed vacation or family trip a little more doable and activity packed!

What contemporary Republican candidate for office talks like that? Certainly not The Madam, in whom the milk of human kindness curdled decades ago.

I like this guy, and I already don't want to see him hurt.

(He also has a candidate Facebook page.)