Ousted GOP Head Likely to Defy Party

Former Republican Party of Virginia chairman Jeff Frederick who was ousted from the top RPV slot over the weekend is the gift that keeps on giving. Not one to go quietly, the Washington Post is reporting that Frederick is making noises that he will stand for re-election for the chairmanship at the Party convention in May. Personally, nothing would make me happier than seeing the RPV tearing itself apart in a civil war that could act as a sea anchor of Bob "Taliban Bob" McDonnell's effort to be elected as governor in November, 2009. From my days as a member of RPV, there is some merit to Frederick's complaint that some within the Party think that they rule the sand box and should be allowed to dictate to the rank and file members how to think and how to vote. On the other hand, Frederick is part of the loony far right element in the party that has turned the GOP into a quasi-religious party - something that caused me to leave the GOP nearly a decade ago. Here are some highlights on the ongoing intra-party fight:

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Ousted Virginia Republican leader Jeffrey M. Frederick said Monday he will probably run for party chairman again in May, setting up another clash with the GOP's gubernatorial nominee, Robert F. McDonnell, as Republicans struggle to unite for the November election.

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Frederick, 33, a conservative delegate from Prince William County, acknowledged that his pursuit of the party chairmanship could distract from McDonnell's campaign. But Frederick blamed McDonnell and other Republican elected officials for intervening. "What they need to figure out is, they are not the party," Frederick said. "I'm sick of things being run from the top down."

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The State Central Committee is expected to select Pat Mullins, Louisa County's Republican chairman, or Alexandra Liddy Bourne of Fairfax, an unsuccessful House candidate, as the party leader May 2. But party rules require the election of a chairman four weeks later at the Republican state convention May 30. There, 8,000 to 10,000 activists are expected to gather in Richmond to unite behind McDonnell.

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Frederick would not comment on whether he is considering an alternative post, such as a third-party bid for governor or other elected office.

Virginia GOP Intra-Party War Continues

It is almost humorous to watch the Republican Party of Virginia ("RVP") tear itself apart over attempting to put a fresh face on the Party in the hope of getting the anything but moderate Bob "Taliban Bob" McDonnell (pictured at left with George "Macaca" Allen and Fred Thompson) elected as governor in November. A huge percentage of the moderates I knew in the GOP have left Party and are now voting Democrat with no intention of returning to the GOP until the Kool-Aid drinking Christianist set is thrown from control of the Party. Despite what he may be saying currently, McDonnell is a died in the wool Christianist who thinks extreme Christianist beliefs should control the civil laws. Merely throwing nutcase Jeff Frederick out of the RVP chairman position will not turn the sow's ear GOP into a silk purse. It is also noteworthy that McDonnell has many ultra far right figures from the GOP coming into Virginia to stump for him, including exorcism believing Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal and former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee who wants the U.S. Constitution to reflect the Bible as construed by him.

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Meanwhile, Frederick is a darling of the more deranged elements within RVP and I do not see that crowd going silently into the political wilderness or learning anything from John McCain's defeat in 2008. They are utterly clueless as to just how toxic the Republican brand has become with only 9% of voters under the age of 30 having a positive view of the GOP - versus 59% of that same bracket who view the Democrats in a favorable light - and continue to live in a fantasy world where the GOP's problems arise from not being ultra-far right enough. Personally, I hope the vicious infighting continues and that the Democrat contenders will go to great lengths to maintain the Virginia Democrat Party's unity throughout the primary election effort. Here are some highlights from the Washington Post on the ouster of Jeff Frederick yesterday:

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Virginia Republicans ousted embattled party chairman Jeffrey M. Frederick on Saturday at a tense meeting that left the party bitterly divided as it heads into a crucial campaign season. . . . . But at the heart of the dispute is a struggle that is tormenting Republicans both in the state and nationally: whether to rigidly pursue an agenda dominated by conservative social issues or reach out to more moderate voters with a pledge to focus chiefly on economic concerns.

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For months, the conflict has split the party and overshadowed Republican efforts to win the governor's mansion in a campaign that is viewed by many to be a harbinger for federal midterm elections in 2010. Some of Frederick's supporters said his ouster could sap the enthusiasm of rank-and-file activists come November.

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Dozens of Frederick's supporters rallied outside a hotel west of Richmond where the committee was meeting, waving signs that said "Don't Split My Party" and "We Elected Jeff. We Want Him to Stay" and chanting "Elected, Not Selected." Frederick stood on the sidelines, watching and praying with a small group of supporters. "It's nothing but a mob lynching. That's what it is,'' said Theresa Robinson, a Republican activist from Chester.

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McDonnell and other candidates are trying to set a course for Virginia Republicans by playing down their focus on ideology and such hot-button issues as gun rights, immigration and abortion. But many of the party's rank and file agree with Frederick's contention that by abandoning conservative principles they would betray their values. "The enthusiasm of the grass roots is critical in the fall,'' said Gary C. Byler, chairman of the 2nd Congressional District Republican Committee in Hampton Roads. "We have to heal those wounds."

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Frederick said he might fight to get his job back. His opportunity will come when thousands of activists will gather next month at a state convention. The event was designed to unite the party's rank and file behind McDonnell.

Virginia GOP Civil War Intensifies

As a former member of and activist in the Republican Party of Virginia ("RPV") in its days before it became largely an arm of James Dobson's affiliate in Virginia, The Family Foundation, I have continue to watch in dismay as the party has degenerated into the realms of religious based lunacy. The Family Foundation's position on gays for example, reads in part as follows:

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Homosexual advocates are working through school curricula and student groups such as “Gay-Straight Alliances” to bring their message to children in Virginia. Legislation is needed to bar these groups from promoting risky sexual behavior in our public schools.

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The current party chair, Jeffery Frederick, is an anti-evolution religious fruit loop all too in keeping in his religious views with his puppeteers at The Family Foundation. In fact, Frederick in many ways personifies the aspects of the Republican Party rejected by Virginians as evidenced by Barack Obama's win in Virginia last November. As a result, it is interesting to see the growing efforts to drive Frederick from the RVP chairmanship. Whether or not it might signal a effort to shift the party from control of the lunatic far right remains to be seen. Likewise, Bob "Taliban Bob" McDonnell's (pictured above) entry into the fray is somewhat out of character since McDonnell has long been a darling of the Kool-Aid drinker set. (I've previously posted about what I see as McDonnell's dishonest efforts to say he is a moderate - compared to what I don't know, maybe Attila the Hun - and my sincere hope that he loses his bid to be Virginia's next governor). Two stories in the Washington Post - here and here - look at the growing drama in the RPV and the intra-party conflicts which I hope will leave the party fractured and less competitive in the November elections. Here are some story highlights:

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With the three Democratic candidates for governor battling for their party's nomination, GOP candidate Robert F. McDonnell was in a posture that many statewide candidates can only dream about. McDonnell is running unopposed for his party's nomination and has all spring to prepare for the general election as the Democrats attack one another. . . Despite all this, the McDonnell campaign apparently couldn't resist wading into an ugly, internal party battle over Del. Jeffrey M. Frederick's fitness to serve as chairman of the Virginia Republican Party.

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The looming battle could set up the kind of split that McDonnell and GOP leaders worked so hard to avoid. It's a curious strategy that poses huge risks for McDonnell. . . . GOP insiders say McDonnell's campaign staff played a key role in lining up signatures to call the special election.

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By challenging Frederick, McDonnell has picked a fight with some of his party's most loyal supporters. Frederick, a social and economic conservative, was elected chairman at last year's GOP state convention after he waged a campaign to unseat John H. Hager, a moderate, from the position. Frederick cobbled together a coalition of several thousand antiabortion and anti-tax activists as well as home-schoolers, many of the same delegates who supported Del. Robert G. Marshall (Prince William) over former governor James S. Gilmore III in the Senate race.

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If Frederick survives, it will be a major setback for McDonnell. It would also give Democrats fodder to argue that the state Republican Party is dominated by conservatives, despite McDonnell's efforts to position himself as a centrist on many issues.

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McDonnell could face another set of problems if Frederick is ousted from his position. . . . Marshall predicts the conservative base will quickly turn on McDonnell if it appears Frederick is "railroaded." Marshall said an independent committee should be set up to evaluate the accusations against Frederick. "If an independent group doesn't do this, this is going to seriously damage Bob McDonnell," Marshall said. "The folks who came to the convention who voted for me and voted for Frederick, they just won't work for McDonnell."

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The Washington Post also reports the following:

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The dispute has taken an unexpected turn into full public view as all five of the state's Republican members of Congress sent Frederick a letter Friday asking him to resign immediately instead of facing a no-confidence vote April 4.

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The dispute is fast becoming a generational and ideological clash that threatens to destabilize the party when it can least afford it. Republicans, both in Virginia and nationally, are struggling to find an identity and a unifying leader to counteract President Obama and Gov. Timothy M. Kaine, the new chairman of the Democratic National Committee.

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But Frederick is being supported by a tenacious group of social and anti-tax conservatives. On Thursday, some of his backers arranged for automated calls to party activists accusing McDonnell of being an "elitist" who is taking orders from "tax-raising, anti-gun, pro-abortion officeholders in Richmond." Frederick denies authorizing the calls.

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Until now, Democrats were fearful that they would be the ones fighting with each other. For the first time in three decades, there is a contested Democratic primary for governor. Now it's McDonnell, with no primary opponent, who is bogged down by an intraparty feud.

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From a gay rights prospective, nothing can be better than an RPV which is tearing itself apart in a feud that could cause the most insane of the party's base to stay home this coming November. Not only would that result help to insure another Democrat for governor, but it might assist in the defeat of some of the most anti-gay GOP members of the General Assembly - a true win-win situation. I hope the RPV civil war continues and becomes incredibly nasty.

Republican Party of Virginia Civil War?

Apparently the national Republican Party is not the only area of the party where power struggles have been unleashed. The Virginian Pilot is reporting that Many ranking Virginia Republicans are seeking to oust embattled Del. Jeff Frederick, R-Prince William (at left), as chairman of the state GOP. A petition containing a list of grievances was delivered to the state party headquarters in Richmond on Wednesday said several Republican state party officials, who did not want to be identified. Here are some highlights:

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Frederick, who publicly pledged not to seek reelection to the legislature during the just concluded General Assembly session, indicated in a written state this afternoon that he doesn't wish to step down as party chairman. I have every intention of continuing as Chairman and completing my term in May 2012," Frederick said in the statement. " I have the commitments necessary to win the vote on April 4th, and will fulfill my term and the commitment to the people who entrusted me to lead our Party back to victory.

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Former attorney general Bob McDonnell, the state Republican Party standard-bearer as the presumptive gubernatorial nominee, endorsed the effort to remove Frederick in a statement Thursday.

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Admittedly, Frederick is a real piece of work and recently attacked Charles Darwin on the anniversary of Darwin's birthday, saying Darwin's theories were "used by atheists to explain away the belief in God." Such ravings certainly do not help Bob McDonnell in his efforts to market himself as a moderate (which he is not). Here is a clip of Federick's denunciation of Darwin:

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While such views are representative of the true GOP party base today in Virginia, particularly among the Kool-Aid drinkers at The Family Foundation, such views are precisely what scared away moderates and independents in the November 2008 elections and set the stage for Virginia to go Democrat in the presidential race for the first time since 1964. Moreover, the GOP lost three seats in the House of Representatives as well thereby setting off a round of recriminations as noted by the Washington Post as follows:

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But while the Virginia Democratic Party emerges from the elections stronger than it has been in decades, Virginia GOP leaders are dogged by finger-pointing and disorganization as they prepare for the 2009 races for governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general and the state House of Delegates.

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On the day after the election, Virginia Republican Party Chairman Jeffrey M. Frederick blamed the presidential campaign of Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) for the party's poor showing in the state on Election Day. . . . McCain campaign officials, who declined to be identified because they are not authorized to speak for the senator, said they were left with no choice but to marginalize Frederick and the state party.

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"It was just constant drama that surrounded Frederick, and it is quite frankly something the GOP candidates will have to deal with next year," the McCain adviser said.

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Inasmuch as no GOP candidates in Virginia can be categorized as gay friendly by any stretch of the imagination, one can only hope that the party civil war will continue and undermine McDonnell's efforts to win the governorship.