Bentivolio: GOP Solicited, Backing New Candidate

[angelatc]

Former state senator Nancy Cassis to mount a write-in campaign after being solicited by the GOP that claimed they don't back candidates in primary races:

The 11 Republicans, including Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson, met Thursday morning and agreed to back Nancy Cassis of Novi in a write-in campaign. All 11 supported Cassis.

Though the GOP group chose Cassis, Bennett said the panel had no binding authority to force him or anyone else out of the race.
“But it’s the right thing to do to try to coalesce around the one person,” Bennett said

.

And most importantly:

“She’s well-funded and can hit the ground running.”

If you're pissed at the neocon GOP for continung to get a grip on our movement, then you need to please try to commit a little cash to the moneybomb for Bentivolio.

http://www.hometownlife.com/article/20120608/NEWS13/306070010/GOP-leaders-support-Cassis-Congress-write-campaign?odyssey=nav|head

 

[DeMintConservative]

Kerry Bentivolio is running for the GOP nomination. Hopefully he isn't dumb enough to attack the GOP as an hostile entity or as "they" while trying to pursue the nomination.

11 partisan insiders don't make "the GOP". They're just a bunch of current and former republican elected officials from Oakland County.

 

[MoneyWhereMyMouthIs2]

Kerry Bentivolio is running for the GOP nomination. Hopefully he isn't dumb enough to attack the GOP as an hostile entity or as "they" while trying to pursue the nomination.

11 partisan insiders don't make "the GOP". They're just a bunch of current and former republican elected officials from Oakland County.

Actually, it sounds a lot more like they are attacking him.

 

[DeMintConservative]

Actually, it sounds a lot more like they are attacking him.

Sure, those 11 guys are supporting another candidate. Actually she's one of them.

 

[angelatc]

Actually, it sounds a lot more like they are attacking him.

Thank you. "Just a bunch of current and former Republican elected officials from Oakland County" isn't actually disproving my point.

 

[DeMintConservative]

Saying Bentivolio is being attacked by the GOP makes as much sense as saying Nancy Cassis is being attacked by the GOP.

They're both Republicans in a primary fighting for a nomination.

 

[angelatc]

Saying Bentivolio is being attacked by the GOP makes as much sense as saying Nancy Cassis is being attacked by the GOP.

They're both Republicans in a primary fighting for a nomination.

I never said they were attacking him.

1. The GOP has a candidate on the ballot.
2. The GOP candidate is expected to easily win the district.
3. The Democrats have two candidates in their primary.
4. The GOP said they do not back candidates in primaries.
5. The GOP went out and found another candidate to run against the GOP candidate that is on the ballot, thus forcing both candidates to waste money on a primary.
6. This action by the GOP created unecessary drama in the GOP.

I have no objection to a Republican mounting a write-in campaign. After all, it is the primary. I suppose there would be a case to be made for having the GOP recruit a candidate if Bentivoilio was a tin-foil hat wearing loon who could be expected to lose a seat that the GOP was supposed to easily retain.

I just resent the lies ("we don't back candidates") and the fact that they are squandering the rare opportunity for us to amass a big warchest to spend in the general.

 

[DeMintConservative]

What?

Why on earth would these people be forbidden from supporting whoever candidate they want?

They're a bunch of former state senators, a couple of current state reps, the County Executive, a frm. LG candidate... why wouldn't they incite to run and back a candidate of their liking?

I'm sorry, that doesn't even start to make sense. And while I'm supporting Bentivolio for the time being, I prefer to have someone else running, just in case he bombs. He's too much of an unknown quantity as a candidate. This district isn't exactly PVI R+20.

 

[angelatc]

What?

Why on earth would these people be forbidden from supporting whoever candidate they want?

They don't get it both ways - they don't get to assume leadership roles without also assuming at least a mediocre effort to pretend that they're unbaised.

Bentivolio's opponent proclaimed that she has the backing of the GOP. The Chairman of the Oakland County GOP has made a public statement backing her. The head of the Oakland County EC proclaimed she was the consensus candidate.

Google her, and you'll see headline after headline that read something like "Candidate Says GOP Leaders Backing Her Campaign." Nowhere in any of those articles does any of the GOP leadership deny that the party is behind her, and that the support is all their own.

If you don't think that's not an intentional side effect of their public support, then I don't know what to say. (And I can also assure you that our local GOP delegates are calling foul too.)

I'm think that none of us here are surprised to learn that the GOP doesn't actually want the small government candidates to win seats. I am a bit befuddled why you're supporting their double-talk, as well as their double standards.

But I don't want this to be about you, or them. I want this to be about the candidate that we want to win this seat: Kerry Bentivolio.

His opponent's already got a HUGE amount of money:

(She-who-must-not-get-search-engine-exposure)

, who served in the Michigan House and Senate before being term-limited out after 2010, said she's honored by the support. She has about $75,000 left in her Senate account, she said, and she and her husband are prepared to put $200,000 of their own money into the write-in effort Cassis estimates could cost about $1 million.

From The Detroit News: http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20120607/POLITICS01/206070467#ixzz1xJmqfsJf​

SO the GOP is lining up against us, forcing our candidate to outraise and outspend a $1 million dollar campaign. I'm trying to get people to see how desperately important this money bomb will be to our effort.

Why are you here, exactly?

 

[DeMintConservative]

They don't get it both ways - they don't get to assume leadership roles without also assuming at least a mediocre effort to pretend that they're unbaised.

Bentivolio's opponent proclaimed that she has the backing of the GOP. The Chairman of the Oakland County GOP has made a public statement backing her. The head of the Oakland County EC proclaimed she was the consensus candidate.

I'm think that none of us here are surprised to learn that the GOP doesn't actually want the small government candidates to win seats. I am a bit befuddled why you're supporting their double-talk, as well as their double standards.

But I don't want this to be about you, or them. I want this to be about the candidate that we want to win this seat: Kerry Bentivolio.

His opponent's already got a HUGE amount of money:

SO the GOP is lining up against us, forcing our candidate to outraise and outspend a $1 million dollar campaign. I'm trying to get people to see how desperately important this money bomb will be to our effort.

Why are you here, exactly?

I'm here because of Bentivolio, funnily enough.

You're using a double standard. Are you saying that all the Paulites recently elected to party structures shouldn't endorse primary candidates? Including Ron Paul? Or folks like Amash and Massie? I'd hope not! Being County Executive or a local party chairman or committeeman doesn't imply you need to remain neutral in primaries. In fact, nothing prevents those folks from running themselves. It's just laughable to pretend they should be neutral.

Are you a Republican or not? If Bentivolio surrounds himself with people who hate the GOP in a GOP primary, then he'll lose and deservedly so. Fortunately him and his campaign manager seem to be smarter than that.

 

[Adrock]

If Bentivolio surrounds himself with people who hate the GOP in a GOP primary, then he'll lose and deservedly so. Fortunately him and his campaign manager seem to be smarter than that.

Agreed. Kerry is already tied to the liberty movement and the tea party. He is the only one on the ballot. He needs to be making overtures to both groups while not antagonizing the establishment. I hope he is going to every meeting the liberty movement and tea party have. He also needs to be going to his local LD/county GOP meetings to introduce himself to the establishment, social conservatives, and Reagan Republicans. He is the only one on the ballot, no need to inflame. Let them act a fool.

 

[angelatc]

I'm here because of Bentivolio, funnily enough.

You're using a double standard. Are you saying that all the Paulites recently elected to party structures shouldn't endorse primary candidates? Including Ron Paul? Or folks like Amash and Massie? I'd hope not! Being County Executive or a local party chairman or committeeman doesn't imply you need to remain neutral in primaries. In fact, nothing prevents those folks from running themselves. It's just laughable to pretend they should be neutral.

Are you a Republican or not? If Bentivolio surrounds himself with people who hate the GOP in a GOP primary, then he'll lose and deservedly so. Fortunately him and his campaign manager seem to be smarter than that.

I am saying that the GOP already has a candidate - Bentivolio.

The other woman who filed the write in campaign specifically said she was solicited by the GOP to run a million dollar campaign against another GOP candidate. If you're trying to pretend this wasn't the GOP, and was just a group of private citizens, either you're mistaken or she is. Since she was in the meeting, I'm going to assume she knows what actually transpired.

It's being referred to as a "coronation attempt."

I am also saying that it's a bone-headed move on behalf of the local GOP to force their candidates into an expensive primary to win a seat they were heavily favored to win in the general. This just creates bad blood between the TEA Party and the GOP factions.

The officials involved said that the GOP does not get involved in primaries, but I think that soliciting a candidate to run against the candidate who managed to get on the ballot is indeed considered interfering in the primary. (Happily, the other Republicans in my county agree that this is a very wrong move by the party. Unfortunately, we're not in Bentivolio's district.)

I am also saying that is why it is very important for us to contribute to his money bomb. The establishment favorite is expected to spend $1 million on her campaign. Bentivolio has the advantage of actually being on the ballot, which will help, but Lisa Murkowski managed to wrangle a seat away from us in the general using a write-in, so we can't take it for granted that it won't work.

But hey - if you think I should use the "us against the establishment" to drum up a sense of urgency here on the forums, then I'm entirely open to hearing how you think we can get the people to cough up some bucks.

 

[angelatc]

Agreed. Kerry is already tied to the liberty movement and the tea party.

The problem is that the TEA Party is also at odds with the establishment. They aren't embraced by the old school GOP any more than the Liberty republicans. (The Livingston County delegates 1 TEA Party, 1 RP, were relegated to non-voting status in an emergency meeting that took place after the state convention ended.)

 

[Adrock]

The problem is that the TEA Party is also at odds with the establishment. They aren't embraced by the old school GOP any more than the Liberty republicans. (The Livingston County delegates 1 TEA Party, 1 RP, were relegated to non-voting status in an emergency meeting that took place after the state convention ended.)

Hell, maybe the best way to do that would be to directly go after the establishment. It would at least get everyone talking about him. He should go after the establishment to up his name I.D. while trying his best to pull all the other groups together. He shouldn't go too far though, he needs everyone for the general election

 

[angelatc]

Hell, maybe the best way to do that would be to directly go after the establishment. It would at least get everyone talking about him. He should go after the establishment to up his name I.D. while trying his best to pull all the other groups together. He shouldn't go too far though, he needs everyone for the general election

Taking a cue from the candidate...I don't see him making any anti-GOP statements. I think he's trying to stay positive. I'm just trying to

a. Beg people to understand how important fundraising is to a campaign. The GOP would have been less inclined to seek another candidate if they knew that Bentivolio can raise money. That's just how it is. A candidate who can't raise money is a weak candidate. No lies about that.

b. Play on the anti-establishment sentiment. Because it really is us smalll government types against the establishment.

For heavens sakes - McCotter voted for card check. He's been called the unions Manchurian candidate. If that's the guy the establishment was backing, something is seriously wrong with the establishment.

 

[Adrock]

Taking a cue from the candidate...I don't see him making any anti-GOP statements. I think he's trying to stay positive. I'm just trying to

a. Beg people to understand how important fundraising is to a campaign. The GOP would have been less inclined to seek another candidate if they knew that Bentivolio can raise money. That's just how it is. A candidate who can't raise money is a weak candidate. No lies about that.

b. Play on the anti-establishment sentiment. Because it really is us smalll government types against the establishment.

For heavens sakes - McCotter voted for card check. He's been called the unions Manchurian candidate. If that's the guy the establishment was backing, something is seriously wrong with the establishment.

I hear you on the fundraising. The money bomb next week is key. It is good to see his campaign is showing signs of life. He starts with a good advantage, being the only one on the ballot and all.

 

[DeMintConservative]

I am saying that the GOP already has a candidate - Bentivolio.

The other woman who filed the write in campaign specifically said she was solicited by the GOP to run a million dollar campaign against another GOP candidate. If you're trying to pretend this wasn't the GOP, and was just a group of private citizens, either you're mistaken or she is. Since she was in the meeting, I'm going to assume she knows what actually transpired.

It's being referred to as a "coronation attempt."

I am also saying that it's a bone-headed move on behalf of the local GOP to force their candidates into an expensive primary to win a seat they were heavily favored to win in the general. This just creates bad blood between the TEA Party and the GOP factions.

The officials involved said that the GOP does not get involved in primaries, but I think that soliciting a candidate to run against the candidate who managed to get on the ballot is indeed considered interfering in the primary. (Happily, the other Republicans in my county agree that this is a very wrong move by the party. Unfortunately, we're not in Bentivolio's district.)

I am also saying that is why it is very important for us to contribute to his money bomb. The establishment favorite is expected to spend $1 million on her campaign. Bentivolio has the advantage of actually being on the ballot, which will help, but Lisa Murkowski managed to wrangle a seat away from us in the general using a write-in, so we can't take it for granted that it won't work.

But hey - if you think I should use the "us against the establishment" to drum up a sense of urgency here on the forums, then I'm entirely open to hearing how you think we can get the people to cough up some bucks.

First, the GOP doesnt' have a candidate. You're confusing your wish with reality. There are two candidates in this primary: Bentivolio and Casssis, who's running as a write-in candidate.

Second, the woman didn't said anything with that sense. You're just making that up. She was encouraged to run by local Republicans, many in positions of leadership. She said the formulaic "the gop wants me to run!". Some of them are endorsing her, others are endorsing Bentivolio. I'd rather to see all the republicans in the district uniting behind Bentivolio right away, but that was as likely to happen as seeing every Republican in the country uniting behind Romney now.

Third, I wouldn't worry too much about a $1 million dollar campaign. If they raise that, more power to them. It's not my money.

There are no "Tea Party" and "GOP" factions. Bentivolio is as much of a Republican as Cassis. You can pretend otherwise, but you're just fooling yourself. There are two factions of the GOP fighting each other in the primary. Like it thousands of other primary elections throughout the country, for local, state and federal offices.

I have no problem with the "us against the establishment". Please don't misrepresent my views. I have a problem with the "us against the GOP" (and again, it's not so much that I personally find it silly, it's also that it'd actually hurt Bentivolio). Do you understand the difference between these two?