A Voice from the West

While I don’t have a ton of GOP sources in West HoCo, I am fortunate to know Clive Hammerjets*.

Clive, while not a Republican himself, could best be described as possessing a set of beliefs that are unobjectionable in more conservative circles, somewhat akin to Jack’s from Oscar Wilde’s “The Importance of Being Earnest,” as revealed in his conversation with Lady Bracknell:

LADY BRACKNELL.  …What are your politics?

JACK.    Well, I’m afraid I really have none.    I’m a liberal unionist.

LADY BRACKNELL.  Oh, they count as Tories.  They dine with us, or come in the evening, at any rate.  Now to minor matters…

Clive knows a number of Republicans from out there, socially, and his take-away is that more than a few local GOP activists are viewing 2018 as a lost cause – and are taking the opportunity to look out for their own personal/political interests.  They may say the right things in public, or to each other’s faces, but behind closed doors (and after a pop or two) they are disparaging certain Republican office-holders/seekers (so much for Reagan’s Eleventh Commandment, eh?) and are focused on calculating what is best for them, as individuals, in 2018, 2022 and beyond.

Does this mean that a significant percentage of Novotny voters – eager for change - might take a pass on casting a ballot for Senator Bates in November?  The District 5 primary got ugly, and some Republicans are not thrilled at the prospect of Yungmann being their standard-bearer on the Council (much less him holding onto the seat for four years…or longer).  Can Ziegler and Bolen ride a Blue Wave over Kittleman and Miller in 9A? Flanagan’s primary GOTV operation looked creaky, and the smart money is on Watson to knock him out in 9B.    

Of course Republicans have demonstrated a tendency to be fissiparous in the past…but they usually fall in line for General Elections.  I am not 100% certain this will be the case across the board in HoCo in 2018.  This means strong candidates such as Katie Fry Hester, China Williams and the aforementioned Natalie Ziegler, Steven Bolen, and Courtney Watson are operating within a climate favorable for Democrats this cycle.  We must make the most of these opportunities.  Hard work and compelling messaging are vital success components.  And a divided, Trump-led GOP definitely helps.

Coming up soon: we will turn to the East for another look at District One.

In solidarity.

* Possibly not his (or her) real name.