The American Spectator : The GOP's Not-So-Friendly Fire

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The GOP's Not-So-Friendly Fire

By David N. Bass on 5.26.10 @ 6:08AM

How to lose in a winnable district.

Larry Kissell has got to be lovin' it.

A Democrat from the conservative-leaning Eighth Congressional District in central North Carolina, Kissell has spent the latter half of his freshman term wringing his hands. His fundraising numbers are dismal, he faces reelection in a wildly anti-incumbent year, and his liberal base has all but deserted him. To beat him, Republicans had only to field a qualified candidate.

There's only one problem: they can't. A six-way primary in early May led to a splintered result with no clear winner. Since then, the GOP appears eager to do everything in its power to ensure that Kissell has an easy ride going into November.

It's factious squabbling that could end up crippling the party's eventual nominee. A runoff election is slated for late June between businessman Tim D'Annunzio (who won 37 percent of the vote, just short of the 40 percent needed to avoid a runoff) and former sports broadcaster Harold Johnson (who won 33 percent).

Depending on the final results, the GOP might have shot itself in both knees and feet. That's because state and national Republicans have ripped D'Annunzio and rallied to Johnson in recent weeks, even though D'Annunzio was the top vote getter in the primary.

The reason can be summed up in two words: he's crazy. "What [D'Annunzio] could do to the party as our nominee is secondary in my view to what he could do to the country if he got elected," Tom Fetzer, chairman of the North Carolina GOP, told the Charlotte Observer Sunday. "If he got elected, for crying out loud, that would be a disaster."

Never one to be outdone, D'Annunzio has called on Fetzer to resign. But Republicans have good reason to be wary of D'Annunzio's colorful past, which includes a bitter child-custody dispute, a trespassing conviction, an admission that he took drugs, and some unorthodox beliefs.

"In Hoke County divorce records, his wife said in 1995 that D'Annunzio had claimed to be the Messiah, had traveled to New Jersey to raise his stepfather from the dead, believed God would drop a 1,000-mile high pyramid as the New Jerusalem on Greenland and found the Ark of the Covenant in Arizona," the Associated Press reported.

GOP operatives see such claims as dynamite in a potential match-up between D'Annunzio and Kissell --- who, for all his political trouble, has a squeaky clean personal record.

True to form, the dominos have begun to fall. Two of the three Republican governors to serve in North Carolina since Reconstruction have both endorsed Johnson. As has Robin Hayes, the Republican who held onto the 8th district for four terms before Kissell beat him in 2008.

The problem is that D'Annunzio, despite his past, remains popular with a good portion of the Republican electorate, even if he doesn't curry favor with the party bosses. If he prevails in the runoff, the party's establishment will appear laughable as they tread water on their past statements.

That factor alone could doom the GOP's chances in this swing district, where the party has the best shot in North Carolina of offing an incumbent and contributing to a takeover in the House.

Republicans are betting the farm -- and the cars, savings bonds, kids' trust account, and everything else -- on a Johnson victory in June. If nothing else, it shows how eager, even desperate, they are to avoid a D'Annunzio candidacy. That factor alone might give primary voters pause before they pull the lever for D'Annunzio.

But the strategy could backfire, too, particularly in an election season dominated by mistrust of incumbents and party regulars. Polls show the revulsion isn't confined to one party, either, so an establishment endorsement could miscarry easily.

D'Annunzio is playing off that. Even before the May 4 primary, he had cast himself as an outsider, once holding a machine-gun fundraiser. Now, he's even more eagerly claimed the mantle of party outsider. That could benefit him in the runoff.

Regardless of who wins, Republicans have done irreparable harm to their chances. Whether that will be enough to ensure a Kissell victory remains to be seen. If the tidal wave of anti-Democrat sentiment continues into the fall, a heated primary in the spring and early summer won't mean much. If Democrats' political fortunes are less dire, it could mean a lot.

About the Author

David N. Bass is a journalist who writes from the Old North State. Follow him on Twitter.

Letter to the Editor View all comments (30) | Leave a comment

Jeff R| 5.26.10 @ 7:15AM

"In Hoke County divorce records, his wife said in 1995 that D'Annunzio had claimed to be the Messiah, had traveled to New Jersey to raise his stepfather from the dead"...

So, the North Carolina GOP has a nominee who has claimed to be the messiah, and the nation has a president some claim to be the messiah.

Why should Democrats have a monopoly on the messiah racket? D'Annunzio needs his shot at walking on water and the such. And if he resurrected his step dad (okay, he didn't, but practice makes pefect), maybe he can resurrect the economy, because Messiah Obama ain't doing it.

trscy| 5.26.10 @ 12:03PM

Don't be ridiculous, the President never said that nor does he have that belief. Sheesh, I thought the people who read this publication where serious minded...

Thom Burke| 5.26.10 @ 2:33PM

trscy, the above comment by Jeff R plainly states, "some claim (him) to be the messiah." He didn't say Obama said it himself. Can't you 'sheeshers' read? Try Googling "Obama is Messiah" and you'll see 'some' 1.5 million hits including a Youtube by Louis Farrakahn declaring that Obama is the voice of the Messiah.

Your modus operandi is apparent and typical of your sort: misconstrue, misinterpret, then ridicule.

Wally| 5.26.10 @ 2:50PM

Link to claims please. Not including World NetDaily or Farrakhan please. The label of messiah was put upon President Obama by the right.

Just fess up that a good portion of the right wing is insane and you will feel better.

Deborah Barton| 5.26.10 @ 7:42AM

I'm a tea partier and a local conservative activist. I'm president of a local Republican Women's club, but that in no way means I'm a 'party leader'. (I fought the state party leaders over their votes to keep our primaries open, for instance.) I'm as disdainful of RINOs and establishment Republican types as any, if not more. I don't give two hoots about Tim D'Annunzio's marital history. What I DO care about is nominating qualified, electable candidates to beat Democrats. Realizing 'electable' is often GOP establishment's code for 'not TOO conservative', Harold Johnson seems to be plenty conservative enough. D'Annunzio, on the other hand, has proven himself to be a hothead in this primary, and a self-proclaimed 'religious zealot' (Christians: discernment is called for, here. After reading his blog, "Christ's War", my discernment tells me he's unstable. At the very least, his theology is unsound.) His latest radio ad came off as paranoid and delusional: "they're ALL slamming me - what are they all afraid of?" Okay, I'll bite: I'm afraid he'll win the nomination and be exposed by the Democrats as just what he is: an unstable, fringe candidate. Yet, according to you, we locals who have the most to lose running an unstable fringe candidate are supposed to sit on our hands while he walks away with the nomination? Sorry - our party has been there, done that already - and the result was Barack Hussein Obama.

David Williams| 5.26.10 @ 8:11AM

If this writer is typical of Republicans in NC-8 I'd say we can leave the primary selection process up to them and feel confident they will pick the best candidate for the general election. It seems a bit preemptory to be talking about knee-capping and foot shooting.

Michael L. Hauschild| 5.26.10 @ 11:16AM

It is the knowledgeable and engaged people such as Deborah that make the tea party a force to be reckoned with. To today’s electorate “tea party” is a lower case adjective, much preferable than to the ignoble “Capitalized” noun and acronym, RNC.

Wally Sandaber| 5.26.10 @ 2:54PM

Ya know, supposedly the Tea Party is nonpartisan. Your blatant statements that you only hope to elect Republicans puts a lie to that claim. And for goodness sake, this is the state that re-elected that unrepentant racist Senator Helms for years. You guys are already known as nuts. At least you are not South Carolina!

martin j smith| 5.26.10 @ 7:51AM

I think it is important to have ( unlike the Democrat Party ) frank debates on issues in primaries-provided they are done on a civil and emotionally contained level. It is my impression --and I stand corrected if wrong-that,speaking generally at least in Conservative blogs a lot more angst and defensiveness than is necessary. To some extent the Rand Paul bruhaha comes to mind. In his case he made two errors that can be corrected . One was to go on an MSM interview unprepred and the other to assume he could off the ccuff talk his version of Libertarianism. In the race in North Caroline I agree with the notion that looking for the best candidate & the most likely to WIN ( remember that one ? )--that means the candidate with the most assets and fewest liabilities. That should be the winner.

Purpleguy| 5.26.10 @ 1:15PM

Rand Paul made the same mistake as Sarah Palin did for her MSM debut. The difference is that HE has thought through a lot of issues and only misspoke from lack of practice, while she has nothing to offer except to purvey bumper sticker politics to the crowd. He can practice his delivery and improve quickly, she needs to go back to school and study.

Sean| 5.26.10 @ 8:07AM

Don't much know about these two candidates. Do they differ much on policy? I don't particularly care about divorce records where one party has a huge motive to make crap up. To a lot of Republican establishment being conservative is crazy so I will withhold judgement.

loulou| 5.26.10 @ 9:44AM

Sean, I agree. I have no confidence in the Republican establishment.

Louis Jenkins| 5.26.10 @ 8:35AM

D'Annunzio remains popular. His achievements are astounding. ie, he built a business and then sold it for gazillions. Yes, his past is a myriad web of beliefs, but should that have bearing on his future? Should he have to pay for his past? As mentioned above, we already have one Messiah in the WH, what's another ?

Petronius| 5.26.10 @ 9:59AM

GOP leadership cares only for the power and money they already have. The thing they do not want above all is honest people for constituents.

erp| 5.26.10 @ 10:26AM

Can Republicans ever stop infighting and just play to win. Put up the person best able to beat the dem. That's the simple task before us in every single race. If we don't do that, the left will win again because as we've just seen with the health insurance scam bill, they stick together no matter what!

Purpleguy| 5.26.10 @ 1:31PM

"If we don't do that, the left will win again because as we've just seen with the health insurance scam bill, they stick together no matter what! " - that's a laugh. Every Republican opposed the bill, multiple times, while NOT every Democrat supported the bill multiple times. Democrats are like herding cats, while the Republicans just fall in line.

martin j smith| 5.26.10 @ 10:33AM

Petronius: Your state in my view is inaccurate. Yes just as in the Democrat Party there are some in it for themselves. But unlike the democrat party, there are far more members that in my judgement care about this country in a way that I comprehend.
Thus, the two parties are not exactly like at all.
In case there is any confusion the goal this comeing election and 2010 and 2012 is to WIN.
Anyone who is not interested in winning in my view is a WINO --"Winning is not an option"type
That is the goal--or should be. Sometimes a less than perfect candidate wins a primary--still what do you want more years of Obama or a chance to stop it or even roll back legislation ? I knw where I am. Win first, argue later.

canuckistani| 5.26.10 @ 10:46AM

Amen. Purity comes through the platform creation that the caucus will rally behind. It's their votes that count in congress, not their views. If the caucus can be rallied to swing right on important legislation, then who cares if they are not "ideal"? Reps are sent to do the wet work of the people (work most of us would have to park our ethics and morality at the door to complete).
I like the analogy when people complain about lawyers....until they need one. Pols are the same.

Wally| 5.26.10 @ 2:59PM

"If the tidal wave of anti-Democrat sentiment continues into the fall...,"

What "tidal wave." The one created by Rupert Murdoch and Roger Ailes on Fox News? The one created by Freedom Works, the Dick Armey lobbyist funded group that astroturfs the tea partiers?
Or are you talking about the poll numbers of Congressional Democrats and Obama, which are respectively pretty good and bad? If so, maybe you should mention the poll numbers for corporate whores like Boehner and the Republican congressional group whose numbers are ABYSMAL. The only wave is in the money that goes from Wall St. and Health Insurance industry lobbyists to the American Spectator.

Wally| 5.26.10 @ 3:07PM

Ooops, sorry, Obama's are good and Congressional Demos are bad. Repubs? Still Bad.
RCP poll averages Obama 46.9 - 46.6 Fox 45-46; WSJ 50-44.
Recent CBS Poll - Demos 37-54, Repubs 33-55

No tidal wave boys. CAN U STOP MAKING STUFF UP?

A Balrog of Morgoth| 5.26.10 @ 4:07PM

No wishful thinking there. Nope.

Wally| 5.26.10 @ 5:30PM

Wait you are right.
Republicans: We are SURE we will kick ass in November.
Democrats. We DID kick ass last November and the polls look like distrust for both parties is the same.
Republicans. Hah! Wishful thinking those elections and polls. We depend on sound "Tidal Wave" talk.

Nick| 5.26.10 @ 3:44PM

The American people can't stand the Democrat Socialist Workers' Party.

The anti-dazi tidal wave is going to sweep out dazi control of the congress, and give the Republicans a second chance. They had better have learned their lesson.

Rich Rostrom| 5.26.10 @ 9:39PM

This looks like yet another example of party organization failing to do a critical job: vet all candidates and insure that the rank and file know which ones are nutcases or scumbags.

Illinois Democrats screwed up - they paid no attention to the Lieutenant Governor race. This allowed millionaire pawnbroker Scott Lee Cohen to buy the nomination with a media blitz. After the election, when Cohen's vile personal life was exposed, they had to bullyrag him into resigning, and pick a substitute.

Republicans screwed up too. The six-way primary for the 8th Congressional District was won with 34% by Joe Walsh, a flake who is personally broke. He stiffed his campaign staff, who are now suing him for back pay.

I don't say that the party insiders should have a veto over nominations; but they should take out the obvious trash. They have the resources for "due diligence". We can agree to disagree respectfully about real issues or who is the best among serious candidates, and still join together to keep out stealth whackos.

greta| 5.26.10 @ 10:57PM

@ erp
exactly! The Pubs had an easy win until Rand Paul became the candidate. There's no way he'll win, and so another Dem is handed victory. It's imperative we put Pubs in the Senate and Congress. We need to be practical or we're done for.

cu_mr2ducks| 5.27.10 @ 7:53AM

Just watch the man speak. Then evaluate him. It came quick for me. Watch/listen to him first.

RCV| 5.27.10 @ 7:13PM

The dialogue on this site reinforces my belief that the Tea Party movement will do more damage to the GOP than to Democrats. We saw that in the upstate NY election earlier, and it's repeating itself in many districts and states. It will deny the GOP a senate seat in Florida - Crist will be elected as an independent, as will Bennett in Utah should he choose to run. Rand Paul is already self-destructing.

Nick| 5.27.10 @ 7:55PM

RCV,

Your knowledge of American politics is lacking. Your beliefs about the Tea Party movement are delusional.

NY-23 kept a RINO from taking that seat. A conservative will take it back in November.
Crist doesn't have a chance.
Bennett was rejected by the party activists as well as the rank and file Republicans.
And Rand Paul is doing just fine.

Eric Lang| 6.4.10 @ 9:58PM

" ... had traveled to New Jersey to raise his stepfather from the dead".

I suspect this attempt failed (to my knowledge, many have tried, none have succeeded). Maybe Tim should have tried a seance with his stepfather first. Many people who have gone on to their Eternal Reward do not like having their peace disturbed, and have no interest in returning to present-day Earth.
Anyway, I guess this guy makes Rand Paul look like Abraham Lincoln!
GOP to Tea Party: Another fine mess you got us into!