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As a an independent voter in Harford County I was interested to read Chris Meekins op-ed in which he blamed the Republican Party's trouble on moderates and liberals in the party ("Republican moderates to blame for party's troubles," Nov. 5).
Mr. Meekins and other conservatives in the Republican Party have decided that they know who is a "true Republican" and who is a "RINO" (a Republican in name only). His group came into the 1st District and ran one of the most negative campaigns I have ever seen to unseat Rep. Wayne Gilchrest. Mr. Gilchrest was called all sorts of negative things by Mr. Meekins in that campaign. Now Mr Meekins blames Andy Harris' loss in the general election to Mr. Gilchrest's failure to endorse Mr. Harris after Mr. Meekins called him every name in the book.
Mr. Meekins' mud-slinging campaign continued in the general election. Even though I am a fiscal conservative, I did not vote for Mr. Harris because I was extremely turned off by the negative campaign that he ran, and I found his positions on many issues to be much more conservative than I am.
If the Republican party wants to win in a general election, it needs to have candidates that appeal to a broad spectrum of residents in the district and not just the conservative base of the Republican Party. I believe that this campaign of ideological cleansing by Mr. Meekins and others only weakens the Republican Party's chances of success in the general elections. Mr. Meekins also needs to accept the fact that when you dump a ton of mud and innuendo on a loyal Republican official for ideological reasons, it is unlikely that he will support you in a general election.
Lynn Garrison, Bel Air
Send your comments to talkback@baltimoresun.com.
Mr. Meekins and other conservatives in the Republican Party have decided that they know who is a "true Republican" and who is a "RINO" (a Republican in name only). His group came into the 1st District and ran one of the most negative campaigns I have ever seen to unseat Rep. Wayne Gilchrest. Mr. Gilchrest was called all sorts of negative things by Mr. Meekins in that campaign. Now Mr Meekins blames Andy Harris' loss in the general election to Mr. Gilchrest's failure to endorse Mr. Harris after Mr. Meekins called him every name in the book.
Mr. Meekins' mud-slinging campaign continued in the general election. Even though I am a fiscal conservative, I did not vote for Mr. Harris because I was extremely turned off by the negative campaign that he ran, and I found his positions on many issues to be much more conservative than I am.
If the Republican party wants to win in a general election, it needs to have candidates that appeal to a broad spectrum of residents in the district and not just the conservative base of the Republican Party. I believe that this campaign of ideological cleansing by Mr. Meekins and others only weakens the Republican Party's chances of success in the general elections. Mr. Meekins also needs to accept the fact that when you dump a ton of mud and innuendo on a loyal Republican official for ideological reasons, it is unlikely that he will support you in a general election.
Lynn Garrison, Bel Air
Send your comments to talkback@baltimoresun.com.
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If the Republicans were smart, they'd purge the party of Andy Harris and his right wing minions who LOSE SAFE SEATS. If I'm not mistaken...prior to 2008, we had TWO safe Republican seats in Maryland...
Wayne Gilchrest was a good humble public servant. Until the GOP comes up with an alternative that is not as arrogant and smug as Andy Harris, I have 3 words... KRATOVIL FOR CONGRESS.
Listen to relmy, he/she has the right idea!
Proud2beRINO (11/09/2009, 10:55 AM )