Another loss for the "base"?

I hate elections. But whether I like them or not, elections happen anyway. Hating them makes about as much sense as hating gravity, because elections are a form of undeniable reality.

Last week, while I was away at sea, an election happened which I've watched closely, and discussed repeatedly: a guy named Vernon Robinson, billing himself as a new Jesse Helms for the ages, ran for Congress on a vehemently outspoken anti-homosexual platform. He came in first place in a crowded primary election, and last week lost a (Republican primary) runoff election to Virginia Foxx (a staunch conservative he painted as Hillary Clinton).

At a time when I was trying to mind my own business by enjoying a little Grateful Dead nostalgia, Vernon Robinson's campaign broadsided me with hate-filled political mailings, which so offended me that I reprinted them in this blog. I found myself drawn into the race whether I liked it or not, because the cynical stench behind the Robinson campaign was too foul even for my low standards. It's bad enough to pit blacks against homosexuals in the "culture war" but to use such divisiveness to fuel and escalate war between libertarians and social conservatives is just beyond the pale.

What I wanted to know then (and what I still want to know now), is who -- or what -- is behind this?

There's certainly money, pouring in from somewhere. And Robinson -- using that outside money -- outspent Virginia Foxx by a ratio of nearly ten to one:

Political experts said they weren't surprised that Foxx won, despite the fact that Robinson raised far more money. According to a campaign report filed Aug. 5, Robinson raised more than $307,000 between July 1 and July 28. Foxx raised about $38,000.

Robinson used the money in part to buy 600 spots on Time Warner Cable.

"We had money to burn," he said.

But Dennis Grady, a political-science professor at Appalachian State University, said he wasn't surprised at the results because of the way the two candidates raised their campaign funds. Most of Foxx's money came from within the district and much of Robinson's came from outside.

"That's a pretty good indicator of your ability to get out the vote," Grady said.

Fred Goins, the precinct's chief election judge, said that after a while, voters grow weary of all the negative campaign advertisements, such as Robinson's ad comparing Foxx to Hilary Clinton.

Are these out-of-state people who gave money to Vernon Robinson the "Republican base"?

I think it's a fair question.

Either they are or they are not the Republican base. (In fairness, the question may be aggravated by the fact that they will claim to be the base whether they are or not.)

The fact is, reality struck: their guy couldn't win in North Carolina. So, while it might not be fair to say they're the Republican base, I don't think it's unfair to characterize them -- once again -- as losers.

posted by Eric on 08.24.04 at 09:23 AM





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This is the same "Republican Base" that sent that famous gay-basing Christofascist Alan Keyes from Maryland to run against Barak Obama - in Illinois!

The loonies are not an isolated fringe anymore.

Raging Bee   ·  August 24, 2004 11:01 AM

While outside money will doubtless pour into the Keyes race, the decision seems to have been a local Illinois one, by disgruntled Republicans.

http://www.classicalvalues.com/archives/001301.html

I still can't figure out what it is that constitutes the "base." Words like that that can't be defined and cause endless arguments. People argue about what "the Republican base" wants, but what they're really arguing about is the definition of the base. I prefer specific arguments to code language, but the world of politics does not work that way.

Eric Scheie   ·  August 24, 2004 11:54 AM

I would like to see Vernon Robinson or Alan Keyes or the like -- including Jesse Jackson, who has also chosen to be a gay-basher as well as an anti-Semite -- debate with Deroy Murdock. Or with Tyron Garner.



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