Dave Agema (MI-GOP National Committeeman-Elect) Endorses Kerry Bentivolio

[EBounding]

State Rep. Dave Agema (who ousted Saul Anuzis for National Committeeman at the convention) has endorsed Bentivolio! This is really significant. This is why the convention was so important. If Saul won, I have a hard time believing he'd be endorsing Bentivolio.

Updated video:

 

[trey4sports]

woot woot!

 

[Kotin]

!!!!

 

[FSP-Rebel]

This is huge. Clipping Saul's wings was no small task but to replace him with Dave was really amazing. Now, we're starting to bear fruit with this endorsement. Hi-5s all around

 

[DeMintConservative]

Good for Bentivolio.

But where are the people saying that those placed in the party structures should remain neutral during the primaries?

 

[DeMintConservative]

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.

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.

I hope this serves to prevent people from raging whenever some Republican with roles in party structures decide to support a primary candidate they don't like.

 

[angelatc]

Good for Bentivolio.

But where are the people saying that those placed in the party structures should remain neutral during the primaries?

I'm here. I just don't feel it necessary to screech my POV over and over. I'm happy for Bentivolio, but I still think that the party should not meddle in the primaries.

(ANd I was typing that while you were scurrying over to the other thread to cut and paste in your know-it-all response to yourself - this was in response to your orginal snide little remark. )

And no, it won't keep me from raging when the local party bosses work to undermine legitimate liberty candidates.

Once again, they didn't just support a primary candidate that I didn't like. It went way beyond that. According to that candidate, "...the GOP asked me to run." According to the headlines, "Cassis gets GOP backing for McCotter's seat," and "GOP backs Cassis for McCotter seat."

The headline in this instance seems to be "Agema Backs Bentivolio," not "National GOP Backs Bentivolio."

 

[DeMintConservative]

And no, it won't keep me from raging when the local party bosses work to undermine legitimate liberty candidates.

But you're "happy" when the local party bosses work to support "legitimate liberty candidates" and undermine their opponents.

It's good that you reckon your double-standard, but people won't take you seriously when you claim that party officials should stay out of primary elections.

And they shouldn't. I mean, there are plenty of them that are elected officials themselves. Shoudln't that be allowed either? The party isn't large enough to impose that kind of limits.

 

[matt0611]

I'm here. I just don't feel it necessary to screech my POV over and over. I'm happy for Bentivolio, but I still think that the party should not meddle in the primaries.

(ANd I was typing that while you were scurrying over to the other thread to cut and paste in your know-it-all response to yourself - this was in response to your orginal snide little remark. )

And no, it won't keep me from raging when the local party bosses work to undermine legitimate liberty candidates.

Once again, they didn't just support a primary candidate that I didn't like. It went way beyond that. According to that candidate, "...the GOP asked me to run." According to the headlines, "Cassis gets GOP backing for McCotter's seat," and "GOP backs Cassis for McCotter seat."

The headline in this instance seems to be "Agema Backs Bentivolio," not "National GOP Backs Bentivolio."

Yeah, it seems weird for the party as an organization to "endorse" or send someone to stop a certain candidate within the party. Its one thing for a republican party member to officially endorse someone but it rubs me the wrong way when the party acts as a whole to undermine a candidate. Isn't the GOP supposed to back whoever wins the primary? Isn't that what the primary is for?

 

[angelatc]

But you're "happy" when the local party bosses work to support "legitimate liberty candidates" and undermine their opponents.

It's good that you reckon your double-standard, but people won't take you seriously when you claim that party officials should stay out of primary elections.

And they shouldn't. I mean, there are plenty of them that are elected officials themselves. Shoudln't that be allowed either? The party isn't large enough to impose that kind of limits.

What on earth is wrong with you? I have never said that I thought the GOP should interfere in the primaries on behalf of liberty candidates.

 

[DeMintConservative]

Yeah, it seems weird for the party as an organization to "endorse" or send someone to stop a certain candidate within the party. Its one thing for a republican party member to officially endorse someone but it rubs me the wrong way when the party acts as a whole to undermine a candidate. Isn't the GOP supposed to back whoever wins the primary? Isn't that what the primary is for?

Which is exactly what happened and angelatc is opposed. Some party officials endorsed Cassis; some, like Agema, endorsed Bentivolio. That's all there is to it, nothing else.

 

[angelatc]

Yeah, it seems weird for the party as an organization to "endorse" or send someone to stop a certain candidate within the party. Its one thing for a republican party member to officially endorse someone but it rubs me the wrong way when the party acts as a whole to undermine a candidate. Isn't the GOP supposed to back whoever wins the primary? Isn't that what the primary is for?

That's the way I see it. If Cassis had announced she was running a write in, and the party leaders had endorsed her, nobody would have batted an eye. (Rolled them, maybe.. ) But having the GOP go out and solicit a candidate for a seat they're expected to win regardless strikes me as inappropriate. And I'm not alone. The last GOP meeting was chock full of delegates giving our poor county chair an earful over it. And we're not even in Oakland !

 

[DeMintConservative]

What on earth is wrong with you? I have never said that I thought the GOP should interfere in the primaries on behalf of liberty candidates.

What do you mean by "the GOP"?

If you mean that Agema shouldn't be endorsing Bentivolio, then I'm sorry I misunderstood, and misrepresented, your position - the "I'm happy for Bentivolio" part mislead me. I obviously still think you're wrong about the party officials being neutral in primaries.

 

[angelatc]

Which is exactly what happened and angelatc is opposed. Some party officials endorsed Cassis; some, like Agema, endorsed Bentivolio. That's all there is to it, nothing else.

Are you being intentionally obtuse, or are you just a dick? I've illustrated that the people in question were not acting as individuals, they were acting as the party.

 

[angelatc]

The headline in this instance seems to be "Agema Backs Bentivolio," not "National GOP Backs Bentivolio."

The headlines in the nomination were "GOP backs Cassis."

 

[angelatc]

What do you mean by "the GOP"?

If you mean that Agema shouldn't be endorsing Bentivolio, then I'm sorry I misunderstood, and misrepresented, your position - the "I'm happy for Bentivolio" part mislead me. I obviously still think you're wrong about the party officials being neutral in primaries.

Yes, I would be perfectly happy if nobody in the GOP endorsed candidates in the primaries. I don't know how to make that any clearer.

 

[DeMintConservative]

Are you being intentionally obtuse, or are you just a dick? I've illustrated that the people in question were not acting as individuals, they were acting as the party.

This is completely false.

What was exactly the party structure that "acted as the party"?

Again, there were 11 people, some of them party officials, some Republican elected officials, some former elected officials (like Cassis) who got together to pick a candidate and decided to endorse former state senator Nancy Cassis.

That's all there is to it. You're very confused - maybe being too literalistic interpreting offhand remarks - if you think that "the party" did anything collectively.

If you think you're right, I'm sure you can come up with the exact party structure that acted collectively (apparently it was NOT the Republican Michigan Party) and link to some statement of the party.

 

[angelatc]

That's all there is to it. You're very confused - maybe being too literalistic interpreting offhand remarks - if you think that "the party" did anything collectively.

If you think you're right, I'm sure you can come up with the exact party structure that acted collectively (apparently it was the Republican Michigan Party) and link to some statement of the party.

Jesus, open your eyes and read. The candidate herself said that the GOP solicited her. The headlines in the newspapers said that the GOP was backing her.

But we're supposed to believe that it was just the local party bosses, and not the actual local party. Or something....

 

[DeMintConservative]

Jesus, open your eyes and read. The candidate herself said that the GOP solicited her. The headlines in the newspapers said that the GOP was backing her.

But we're supposed to believe that it was just the local party bosses, and not the actual local party. Or something....

Headlines? Like newspaper headlines? Are you basing this on some random newspaper headlines?

Can you point out the exact party structure and come up with some link to an announcement or something like that or not?

 

[angelatc]

Headlines? Like newspaper headlines? Are you basing this on some random newspaper headlines?

Can you point out the exact party structure and come up with some link to an announcement or something like that or not?

Random newspaper headlines? How about all the newspaper headlines?

About 11 members reunited Thursday at a hotel to interview the possible write-in candidates the party could get behind, Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson said.

From The Detroit News: http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20120607/POLITICS01/206070467#ixzz1ya92opV8​

And why are you repeatedly ignoring that the candidate herself said that the GOP solicited her?

"I'm very grateful for their support," Cassis said. "The party came to me, and I'm proud and honored to be called upon to serve."

From The Detroit News: http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20120607/POLITICS01/206070467#ixzz1ya9cOhJi​

The confab was necessary, Patterson said, because the party can't get behind Bentivolio, the Republican who made the Aug. 7 primary ballot.

From The Detroit News: http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20120607/POLITICS01/206070467#ixzz1yaAMf8Kn​

When the elected officials get together and make a statement that the party is going to draft a candidate that the party can support, I am pretty comfortable in asserting that the party is supporting one candidate over another.