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Nov

13

Message to GOP pols: Sticks, stones may break bones, but name-calling makes you lose


The disrespect, marginalization and haughtiness shown by older GOP politicians in New Hampshire toward people who take the initiative to change what they think they could do better is appalling and obvious in this example of Republican contempt gone wild.

Vanessa Sievers, a Dartmouth College junior, was not content to wait tables or make coffee as a side job. Instead she ran for treasurer of Grafton County, N.H., and won, unseating the incumbent and unleashing a war of words.

The current county treasurer, Carol Elliott, 68, called Ms. Sievers, 20, a “teenybopper” in an interview with a local newspaper, The Valley News, and said she had won only because “brainwashed college kids” had voted for the Democratic ticket.

…

There has been no love lost between Ms. Elliott and [the person who suggested to a group of Dartmough students that they consider running, county registrar of deeds, Bill] Sharp, who contends Ms. Elliott would not tell him how much money was in a county account linked to his office. In the Valley News interview, Ms. Elliott called Mr. Sharp a “buffoon.”

…

The county Republican chairman, Ludlow Flower, however, does not think that new media or college students belong in a county race.

“College students are not involved in local things at all,” Mr. Flower said. “They’re only involved in Dartmouth College. They don’t buy property here, they don’t pay taxes here, so they’re not concerned with how the treasury is handled.”

I guess that’s another version of who is a “real” American and who isn’t?  That tuition they pay, the utilities they use, the food they eat and the jobs they fill to pay for school are also evidence that they’re not concerned with how the treasury is handled?

Sigh. This kind of outcome might be another reason why, as much as some right-wingers in Ohio don’t like it, Kevin DeWine is trying to sound a new tone because this old one just ain’t gonna translate into wins for anyone.

Meanwhile, score another coup for the influence of social media on elections:

Ms. Sievers beat Ms. Elliott by 586 votes out of about 42,000 cast, and won big in Hanover, home to Dartmouth, and Plymouth, home to both Ms. Elliott and Plymouth State University.

…

Ms. Sievers’s big investment in the campaign was a $51 advertisement on Facebook, which she paid for with her own money.

“I took advantage of new media, and she did not,” Ms. Sievers said.

The GOP has a long, long way to go.

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By Jill Miller Zimon at 1:50 pm November 13th, 2008 in Campaigning, Elections, Politics, Republicans, Statehouse, Voting 

Comments

4 Responses to “Message to GOP pols: Sticks, stones may break bones, but name-calling makes you lose”

  1. 1 Kenya on November 13th, 2008 2:10 pm

    This is hilarious. The only reason she can find for losing was “brainwashed college kids”. How about she wasn’t doing her job? She ran her same campaign even though she was dealing with young voters who are more interested in politics than ever before.

    Even though this is a town it reminds me of my condo board (i.e. Ms. Elliott would not tell him how much money was in a county account linked to his office). Just this week there were emails going around my condo community about grassroots change.

  2. 2 Jill Miller Zimon on November 13th, 2008 2:18 pm

    That is fantastic, Kenya re: the condo!

    Do you know what?? You are reminding me that in my own town, we’ve been using email to great success with a much older demographic but still with success in communicating and organizing in a way that this much more slow to change community never has before. And the old guard is completely flummoxed by it – the mayor even sent out a letter maligning this very blog in a phrase that said disparagingly, “while some bloggers say…” something along those lines. I wrote him and said, you know – just use my blog’s name if you mean me! lol oy

    Anyway – as I wrote earlier, I was interviewed for an article related to some of these things we’re recognizing – it is a new age – it really is and we’re talking to each other and learning and improving that which we think needs to be improved.

    That’s totally democratic! I love it.

    Thanks again.

  3. 3 Modern Esquire on November 13th, 2008 7:14 pm

    And, of course, there was Liddy Dole’s “godless” ad which clearly backfired and led to her defeat.

  4. 4 Oengus on November 13th, 2008 7:33 pm

    it’s not a town it is a county…

    I have to wonder how much has to be done as far as book keeping, for less than five hundred a month? Then how long is the term? The young lady graduates in what less than two years…then what? Does she intend on staying in NH?

    The liability, condo liability got recent review with legislation, based on liability for the resources or capital the management controls. A board that does not keep up with or understand what keeping up with means, the costs in realty and then management that may not as well, the funds to do what needs to be done and what goes where and for what. The law now requires a condo and it agents in management take full responsibility and liability, they have to hire a third party and pay them to conduct an assessment of the environment. Do you have the money to do what needs to be done and with respects to that money do you retain and have access to enough. Are you managing well or not, nothing grassroots about that…it’s now a legislated obligation. Fail and you neighbor can file a lawsuit on you.

    This young lady will she have liability? Will she be responsible with the money? Who knows? A county treasurer can be held accountable for the money, they can be charged with mismanagement of public funds…I would even say that some times they have been set up to take falls.

    I guess it does not matter, she can use that position in the future and leverage it into a another political position? Maybe? It’s definitely controversial using a large student body to win a position. More about rattling the status quo than a sincere interest in the local government.

    A large university could take control of local government in this manor, not such a bad thing if they are sincere and diligent about the responsibilities those position entail.

    If the county residents takes issue with that, then they will have to register and vote, the majority rules and nothing can restrict votes, can it, can they require or restrict voting? I do not think so…

    If that county and it’s administration is GOP and she walks in good luck, she will have set her self into a hornets nest…they may be calling her on the nights of her exams with all kinds of contrived issues. Then holding her responsible to address them.

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