Walter Curt resigns from RPV

Norm at Tertium Quids reports "Trouble at RPV" ... the Richmond Times-Dispatch reported on Tuesday that Harrisonburg businessman Walter Curt had resigned as RPV's top fundraiser:

Walter Curt says in a letter to chairman Jeffrey M. Frederick that he is leaving his voluntary post as finance chairman because the party is in bad shape and has defied efforts to fix it.

"Unfortunately the problems of structure, power projection, consultant interference, interpersonal difficulties, years of internal malaise, luddite attitude, leadership, and unity of purpose stand in the way of any hope of success," Curt wrote.

Norm's post on Saturday referred to an article in the Weekly Standard that calls Virginia Republicans "happy." Norm's remarks after reading the article:

... there is one surprise -- the notion that Virginia Republicans are "happy."

A commenter responded to his post and I think it is worth posting here what was said because it is thought-provoking:

Oh, where to begin...

Happy? I'm not and I know many others who aren't either.

The first step in correcting a problem is admitting that there is one. That part is obvious.

The next is getting honest with oneself and properly identifying the problem. Tom Davis, and so many others are simply delusional in my not-so-humble opinion.

The bottom line for republicans: they've abandoned their principles of limited government, low taxes and freedom. Period. Some good republicans received the axe due to Bush and his Big Government Adventures, and an essentially complicit republican congress. That's a shame, but they didn't speak out against it, they made no effort to hold anyone accountable and they didn’t distance themselves from it.

That crap in DC rolled right outside the Beltway and all over Virginia.

We used to talk about eliminating the Dept. of Education but republicans installed NCLB instead. We used to be the party that ended wars, now we start them and keep 'em going 'till the military is worn out and the country is broke. We used to talk about personal responsibility, now we have way too many republicans embroiled in scandals and too many congressmen think We the TaxedtoDeath are a bottomless ATM.

During the past 8 years, with republicans manning the helm, we've grown government, not shrunk it. No one has shown any leadership to speak of explaining and demonstrating in a positive way how republican principles are American principles. Instead of being at war with Big Government, we've been at war with Democrats as though this is some football championship.

People are hurting. Republicans have simply not addressed this in any meaningful way. Jobs have been shipped overseas, illegal immigration is out of control, our wealth has declined, our economy is in shambles, the debt grew precipitously this past fall and what do republicans do? Obsess about gay marriage and abortion, the former of which wouldn't even be an issue were the government not involved in every little aspect of our lives.

All this trying to appeal to this group or that group is a ridiculous waste of time. Freedom, be it personal or economic, appeals to everyone. My grandparents immigrated here in the late 1800's with little more than the shirts on their backs to this shining beacon of Liberty that was (and yes, I said was) America with its streets "paved in gold".

In Tidewater, only the blind could have missed Obama's tax cut signs. Republicans missed the boat entirely; even allowing the Democrats to co-opt the low tax message.

Of late, it seems republicans stand for nothing. For Heaven's sake, McCain would make a good Democrat! Where was his limited government message? In fact, where was his message at all except for suspending his campaign and running to DC to campaign for government bailouts. And we wonder why people think the republicans are the party of rich white guys?

Republicans who were supposed to be representing us forgot that and instead decided that they are our "leaders" and arrogantly decided what was best for us rather than listening to the wishes of those whom they represent.

Blaming Obama's fund raising for republican losses?? Gimme a break! I know of at least one republican presidential candidate who raised a truckload of money because of his message, a message that used to be standard with republicans. Incidentally, a large group of young people were shunned by the party for daring to support their candidate of choice. They will only be won back by a winning message.

In general, republican ads have been completely negative, again, warring against the Democrats rather than giving people something to vote FOR. I, for one, am sick of the negative ads and would be interested to hear if republican candidates could even articulate a small government, low tax message.

And bipartisanship? Oh, please again. If someone thinks the Democrats have such good principles please, please join them. I thought we were supposed to be republicans for a reason. We should stop compromising our principles for political expediency and votes.

Bottom line: if we don't return to our principles, learn to articulate them properly and give people something to vote FOR-- things that will actually improve their everyday lives-- we will continue to lose.

Bob McDonnell would do well to start explaining how we could remedy Virginia's economic situation with sound, traditional republican principles such as lower taxes and less regulation.