You mean there's no conspiracy to bring down the mighty Mike Protack? Dana must be crying in his Cheerios this morning.
Well done. Well played. The College Republicans have gone from non-existent to significant in little time.
Don't try to honestly defend your actions to Dana. I have found he skips right over it, picks out three or four unattached words and repackages your statement.
As I stated before, I respect Mike Protack as a person and his right to pursue his political goals. I also, believe in the political process and unfortunately that process includes attacks candidate’s character. I’ve never seen a candidate stay focused on his or her issues without any kind of negative attack on their opponent.
Mike Protack is well aware in politics comes criticism and if elected it goes with the job. I believe he was asking for an undistracted convention process so that he could share his message. Those who dislike him from within the party most likely would have continued that dislike without the rhetoric. Mike spent 10 years in the United States Marine Corp not being a Marine myself just worked with a youth program within the Marines called, The Young Marines for 8 to 18 years old boys and girls, one thing is clear Marines have perseverance and never say can’t.
Personally I think prior to any party convention the candidates need to stay focused on their message about who they are and what they have to offer the party. Poll taking and criticism of the other person seeking party’s endorsement only distracts from their own message and causes internal party conflicts. This process should be about the message and goals of the candidates. I was very disappointed to see Ting’s so-called Vietnam college protest enter the process, which was a character assassination attempt.
As for the College Republicans they were drawn into the in-house conflict and learning from the adults around them they reacted in the same way. I’ve watched these kids year after year help out with various events. However, the future belongs to them and we can’t deny the adults running society have been screwing up their futures for years. They will be paying the debts of the misdeeds of today’s politicians.
We hear so much about the constitution but yet we need to remember its existence was born out of rebellion. As for my son when the DAR in Leedstown , VA. put a call out to all descendants of the signers of the Leedstown Resolutions protesting the Stamp Act of 1765 to gather for a reenactment I made dam sure my son was there to represent his ancestor who alone side Richard Henry Lee rebelled against King George the 3rd. I’ve dragged this kid from town to town to make dam sure he know his responsibility to his ancestors. Freedom in this country was not free as somebody stood up and died for it or just stood up and said no more!
The College Republicans need to stand up and take an active role in the political process and if it means throwing some mud back so be it. God forbid if they are out protesting the war in Iraq in which 30 years from now they would be criticized for not supporting America. These kids democrats or republican need to stand up and take what’s theirs before the expert politicians screw their future even more ! America is folding in upon itself and these kids needs to unfold it.
Dana should be given some credit for being the
Sorry got cut off on last post!
Dana should be given some credit for being the wise grand-daddy of bloggers as without debate and counter-debate the world would be stagnate. So he throws a bone out there for the opposing dogs to fight over, good for him! We don’t need a bunch of lazy fat dog on the porch licking their butts. Nice game of fetch Dana keep the bones coming.
I say again -
The real story here is what was on the piece of paper distro'd at the Convention...
The College R's should have come up with something a little more clever than griping about Protack's comments to an "ultra liberal website"... seriously - for starters - the blog - with which I am not affiliated in any way - but do enjoy perusing (and I am a Republican) - is fair and straight - including (what I read as) its undeniable voice of support for Wharton over Biden - so crush that up with some weed and smoke it - seriously - if not just for the sake of some political hijinks inspiration - what you should have done was used Protack's own words - instead of your own - to bust his rocks (if that's what you intended to do) - nothing is so powerful as a man's own stupid words - its politics 101 - "your words sir, not mine" - the College R's should have stood up and taken it head on - (This is what he said - this is why he's wrong)
Protack has given y'all too much ammo to go making shit up about him blathering to an ultra left website - who cares about to whom he blabbered - but geezus - at least tell us what he said that was so offensive -
Jan Ting is legit - don't F___K him up with stupid shit -
Cheers
If I thought this was going to hurt Jan in any way, it wouldn't have happened. I seriously doubt this is a negative for him. This whole thing is 2000x bigger on the blogosphere than it was in "real life."
Ryan, I read your blog often, and am impressed with your interest and knowledge of politics.
I am wondering about a few things in regard to the convention.
You wrote that you "kept a lid on it until Saturday morning" and used the letter "to make a splash" at the convention.
Could you have sent the letter to convention participants ahead of time so they could explore the accusation and form an opinion for themselves?
If that wasn't possible, why not at least include the offending comments and the source, so participants would have a better chance to form their own opinion of the situation?
It seems unproductive to spring an undocumented accusation at the last minute. I would feel cheated as a convention participant.
If other leaders of the party had sprung some negative accusations at the convention, concerning Jan Ting, wouldn't you feel cheated not having a chance to explore the matter thoroughly for yourself?
I don't know your true intentions, but it does seem a bit underhanded. It also seems unnecessary, given your indication that the majority of the republican party already supported Jan Ting.
I have never attended a political convention and so have no reference for what goes on there. I can only imagine that underhanded tactics are a normal occurrence in any political realm, but for me that doesn't make it right.
I am also wondering if there was an opportunity for the candidate to confront the accusation at the convention?
Also, I'm not sure that I would agree with your assertion that "you never attack something that viciously if it isn't true".
I have no preference for either candidate, I don't know enough about either of them, but I think when anyone feels wrongly accused of something, it's only natural to want to defend yourself.
I hope you won't be offended by my questions. From what I know of you from reading your blog, I still feel that you are a fairly open and honest young man. I have the impression that you always try to do your best. And that's all any of us can do.
Could you have sent the letter to convention participants ahead of time so they could explore the accusation and form an opinion for themselves?
I would have gladly, if I could afford postage and had the time to mail it (the interview was up on the Thursday before the Saturday convention).
If that wasn't possible, why not at least include the offending comments and the source, so participants would have a better chance to form their own opinion of the situation?
It seems unproductive to spring an undocumented accusation at the last minute. I would feel cheated as a convention participant.
The original version of the letter had it on there, but the one or two CRs who helped me revised it felt that no one would read a letter that long (it is a long quote), and that people would assume the quote was taken out of context.
It was also suggested we reproduce the full interview that Protack gave (which I would have loved to do), but we wanted the focus to remain on what he said to us, and to have people read it.
Hindsight is 20/20, and questions are always welcome. I feel I have been pretty forthcoming with this whole business. I wonder where Dana, who was not at the convention, is getting this stuff. Is it a delegate? Someone allied with Protack?
Also, Protack had anti-Ting literature on the tables at the dinner on Friday night. So he essentially did to Ting what we later did to him.
Once Protack had a fife and drum corps enter the room - Ting should have countered with a bunch of pot smoking hippies entering from the other side yelling "Hell no we won't go!"
That would have shut his airline pilot face up.
Also Ryan and the other CR's would have some solidarity with the hippies since they are not about to sign up for Mr. Bush's war.
As much of a Democrat as I am (and trust me I am way to the left) Some of these comments piss even me off! The CR's had every right to be pissed about what Protack said to an "ultra-libral" blog...
When any politician takes for granted what voting age, college educated, young people who are the future of this country (on both sides that is!) think or say, then he deserves to have a letter distributed to those he is trying to win favor with...
I commend the CR's for standing up for what is right... all to often in every election both parties tend to ignore the 18-24 year old group... maybe it's because they themselves are too far removed from the age groups... but no matter, no one has a right to bad mouth a group of people--especially potential supporters...no matter where they say it.
in every election both parties tend to ignore the 18-24 year old group.
...kinda like the 18-24 year old Republicans are ignoring the US Army recruiting stations.
Get bent, Jason. I spent my 18th birthday doing KP duty at Ft. Leonard Wood, Missouri.
Oh, G, don't let him get to you. It's just another Jason-ism with no basis in fact.
Well, that was the point, DT. I left out the fact that I enlisted during peacetime, over 20 years ago. Any statement without context or background (like Jason's usual broad brushing) should be suspect by nature, but is all too often simply accepted as truth if stated vigorously enough.
Thus: Iraq is on the brink of Civil War! The CIA created crack cocaine to poison blacks! The Army destroyed the Pentagon with a cruise missile! Diebold stole the election in Ohio for George W. Bush!
"The trouble with our liberal friends is not that they're ignorant: It's just that they know so much that isn't so."
- Ronald Reagan
I do know one thing. It will be a cold day in hell when Ryan enlists.
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