No matter hard you and your team may work, after a poor showing, stakeholders often want heads to roll. This could be the case with State GOP Chairman Linda Daves and her staff.
Daves assembled a top-notch staff and those your blogger has enjoyed working with most, in no particular order include, beloved receptionist and most visitor's first point-of-contact, Wanda Shivers, member relations director Todd Batchelor, political director Jillian Decamp, Chief of Staff Chris McClure, and Communications Director/Asst Legal Director Brent Woodcox, among others.
As a party activist since 1985, your blogger has seen State Party "regimes" come and go. Mrs. Daves may choose to step down in the face of mounting opposition.
The News and Observer's Rob Christensen confirmed what many insiders already knew, that former State Sen. Fred Smith was considering a run for the position. Others rumored to be interested are Daves' Vice Chairman, David Sawyer. Sawyer was once considered a "lackey" for former chairman Ferrell Blount, who walked out of a State GOP celebration after another bad election and resigned the next day. An infamous poster went out describing him, in western style, as WANTED by the GOP.
Others rumored to be interested are those expected to have no chance, including perennial candidates Vernon Robinson, Dan Manzell, and Marcus Kindley.
There is also a movement to draft Court of Appeals Judge John Tyson, who was defeated in the primary and will soon be leaving office. Others have called for former Gubernatorial and Court of Appeals Candidate Dan Barrett to make a run, but KCC would strongly discourage that. (Note: KCC is not involved in any opposition candidates's campaign to replace Mrs. Daves, should she decided not to run again.)
If Mrs. Daves decides to step down, KCC could back a successful county chairman, perhaps east of I-95 with conservative credentials, who knows how to run a successful organization. But, if she decides to run again, KCC is unsure how the tables will turn. Daves and company won a tough fight two years ago and could do it again, but it's hard to say after such tough losses state wide.
If Mrs. Daves does not run, your blogger would like to see a true, solid conservative with the toughness of a nasty guard dog, like former chairman Jack Hawke, out there, showing his or her proverbial teeth and attacking all comers and defending the party's platform.
Though not the truest of conservatives, Mr. Hawke was the greatest state chairman of this blogger's political lifetime. (Our appologies to those that came prior.) He never missed an opportunity to use the media, and to attract free media. He held weekly (if not more often press conferences) and he always gave the press something interesting to use. Further, he was the topic of many a conversation, just for the sheer entertainment value. You can't buy publicity like that. Plus, he was smart and he knew what he was doing. KCC will always have the greatest respect for Mr. Hawke and tri3w to learn from him whenever possible.
KCC will keep her ear to the tracks and will keep you informed on how it all shakes out. The NCGOP has to turn right around and pull itself together. Municipal elections come in the Fall of 2009 and we have a U.S. Senate race in 2010.
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