Uabashed Racist to Represent GOP in Congressional Race

[Ryan]

http://apnews.myway.com/article/20040806/D849H5G80.html

I've said it before and I'll say it again - stand proud, Republicans, for this is YOUR party.

Among my favorite quotes:

Hart, 60, vows if elected to work toward keeping "less favored races" from reproducing or immigrating to the United States. In campaign literature, Hart contends that "poverty genes" threaten to turn the United States into "one big Detroit."

"When I knock on a door and say white children deserve the same rights as everybody else, the enthusiastic response is truly amazing," he said.

If a black person opens the door, he says he simply drops off campaign literature and leaves.

[Dionysos]

http://www.shelbygop.org/grey/entries/00000083.html

Republican Party Endorses Dennis Bertrand for Congress


On Thursday night, in an unprecedented move, the Shelby County Republican Party Steering Committee unanimously passed a resolution endorsing the write-in candidacy of Dennis Bertrand for Congress in the 8th Congressional District and repudiating the candidacy of James L. Hart. Hart is a candidate of hate who does not even claim to be a Republican and who said "It's true that I don't represent the ideas of the Republican Party" in a June 26 article in the Commercial Appeal.

The 8th District includes northwestern Shelby County, southwestern Montgomery County, and the entirety of Tipton, Haywood, Madison, Crockett, Lauderdale, Dyer, Gibson, Carroll, Benton, Humphreys, Dixon, Houston, Stewart, Henry, Weakley, Obion, and Lake counties. The communities of Frayser, Millington, and Shelby Forest are located within the district. While it has been represented by John Tanner and other Democrats for a very long time, it is one of the fastest growing areas of the state for Republican activity and George W. Bush pulled even with Al Gore in 2000 within the boundaries of the district.

SCRP Chairman Kemp Conrad said "I am pleased that Republicans in the 8th district now have an opportunity to have a real Republican candidate if they are willing to step up and write in Dennis Bertrand to be the Republican nominee." Bertrand will need to get more write-in votes in the August 5 primary than Hart does in order to be the Republican nominee for the November 2 election. Conrad said that "The Republican Platform states that 'We denounce all who practice or promote racism, anti-Semitism, ethnic prejudice, and religious intolerance' and we will not sit idly by and allow one man to tarnish our Party name."

Bertrand, an Army veteran, has worked in the insurance and financial services industry for fifteen years. He currently works with American International Group as a Financial Services Advisor in northwest Tennessee. A copy of the complete resolution as passed by the Committee is below:


--------------------------
A RESOLUTION TO SUPPORT REPUBLICAN DENNIS BERTRAND IN HIS EFFORT TO DEFEAT CONGRESSMAN JOHN TANNER

Whereas, a candidate named James Hart has filed as a Republican in the Eighth Congressional District who supports a racist and elitist view of man,

Whereas, Hart espouses the same brand of socialism advocated by Adolph Hitler and says that he believes that some races are "favored" over others and wants to "compete with Jesus Christ and Buddha for the destiny of man.",

Whereas Hart himself said in a June 26 Commercial Appeal article: "I think they have every right to oppose my campaign and to have another candidate. I think it's true that I don't represent the ideas of the Republican Party.",

Whereas, it is of the utmost importance for Republicans to unite around a strong Republican candidate to go against Congressman Tanner,

Whereas, a good conservative Republican candidate has stepped up to the plate to redeem our Party name and take on Congressman Tanner;

Whereas TeamGOP, a respected grassroots Republican activist group in West Tennessee has also endorsed Bertrand and asked other Republicans for support,

NOW THEREFORE, be it resolved by the Shelby County Republican Party that we strongly oppose the un-American and evil beliefs espoused by James Hart.

We agree with Dennis Bertrand that we "cannot in good conscience allow a candidate like James L. Hart to represent the Republican Party from the 8th Congressional District in the November General Election."

We urge all 8th district Republicans to unite behind Dennis Bertrand and cast a write-in ballot for him in the August 5, 2004 election.

This resolution shall be sent to all appropriate media outlets and Republican Party Chairmen in the Eighth Congressional District.

[Ryan]

So they went against the overwhelming will of their constituency? 83% of the vote went to Hart and they still decided to endorse a write-in candidate? I'm not sure if that move should be applauded or condemned.

[Dionysos]

Originally posted by Ryan
So they went against the overwhelming will of their constituency? 83% of the vote went to Hart and they still decided to endorse a write-in candidate? I'm not sure if that move should be applauded or condemned.

The local party leadership stood up and said they didn't want to be represented by a racist. What's condemnable about that?

That press release came out a week ago, it's possible a large percentage of the votes were absentee before that came out. Even Hart has said - as was mentioned - that he doesn't have much in common with the Republican party. I hardly see this as a condemnation of the Republican Party, at least of the relevant administration.

[Ryan]

Originally posted by Dionysos
The local party leadership stood up and said they didn't want to be represented by a racist. What's condemnable about that?

Well, to start with, it's completely un-democratic.

[Dionysos]

Originally posted by Ryan
Well, to start with, it's completely un-democratic.

Endorsing a candidate is undemocratic?

[Ryan]

Originally posted by Dionysos
Endorsing a candidate is undemocratic?

Aren't the primaries set up to decide who gets the party's endorsment?

Originally posted by Ryan
Aren't the primaries set up to decide who gets the party's endorsment?

Political parties are private organizations used to promote their candidates for office - they could choose to nominate a candidate by fiat, vote, trial by ordeal or pulling a number out of a jar if they want and it does not in any wy subvert the democratoc process of electing a person to office.