HAYWOOD COUNTY GOP - THE DOWNFALL~

For years, the Haywood County Republican Party has struggled to survive as a functional organization capable of serving its Republican constituency. It has struggled to be relevant to the elected Republican officials who represent the residents of Haywood County. It has struggled to attract volunteers willing to serve as Precinct Chairs, the foundation of any political party, with only eleven Precincts out of twenty-nine with Precinct Chairs (most inactive). It has struggled to attract financial donors, and the donations received have been barely enough to pay the rent and utilities, leaving little to spend on spreading the Republican party’s vision or assisting strong conservative candidates financially with their campaign costs. Unable to perform its very mission as a County political party.

Very few dedicated patriotic volunteers hold the Haywood County Republican Party together and keep the doors open. These are individuals whose love of country inspires them to find the time and energy to contribute hundreds of hours to planning, organizing, and executing the events needed to spread the conservative Republican message and vision. These are individuals who can consistently be depended on to always go above and beyond.

I extend my heartfelt appreciation to each of them and wish to let them know that they are exceptional and deeply appreciated more than they can imagine. Sadly, not even these extraordinary individuals have the power to fix our broken county party. It is broken due to disunity, divisiveness, and dissension, leading to a County Party incapable of accomplishing its mission and mandate.

So, why is the Haywood County Republican Party so fractured, so divided? It is because of just two or three members of the leadership team whose personalities seem to prohibit them from being capable of putting the good of the Party and the Country ahead of their emotional need to be relevant, the center of attention, or noticed because they hold a title—all done with little regard of the cost to the Party.

In my opinion, these individuals are the ones who, whenever their egos are bruised, dissatisfied with a decision, or upset with a fellow member's leadership style, are quick to begin wagging their tongues in the parking lot or on the phone, demonizing them with misinformation, untruths, or relaying statements made by others out of context. It is my opinion that they are the ones who create disunity, distrust, and fracturing within the party and then are quick to insist that we must all come together and unite.

As a result, patriotic Republican leaders with the qualities needed to lead the party to new heights, implement inspiring initiatives to spread conservatism, and grow as a winning political force within the county are driven away. They fear leaders with the courage, strength, and experience to lead the County Party to accomplish its mission effectively and spread the Republican vision, fearing being pushed out as influencers within the party.

Having driven out a Chair and Acting Chair with the qualities to lead and truly bring unity, elections were scheduled for Monday evening. The proclamation was that the individuals they select must be unifiers with the strength and courage to end the divisive actions of others.

The outcome? The group of members who preferred business as usual, avoidance of the election of any individual with the strength and courage to stand up to them, and the spine to shut down those whose behavior is the direct cause of the division and fracturing, they convinced two individuals to run in opposition to the two individuals they feared, putting together a collation of individuals to win the election. And win they did.

I served thirty-two years in senior management positions with the largest health care system in the free world. In those positions, I mentored numerous Health Care Administration management interns, and when transferred to Washington, managed the Department’s Internship program.

That experience tells me that, in my opinion, the elected Chair, a friendly, likeable individual, does not have the personality, strength, or knowledge to lead and interact with conviction and strength. In my opinion, he does not have the passion, temperament, or sense of urgency that the party desperately needs. He will be easily influenced by those who are the problem and are hindering the county party’s ability to grow, unite, and implement the Republican Party agenda.

That experience tells me that, in my opinion, the individual elected as First Vice Chair is a leadership disaster, plain and simple, with a sinister and disturbing personality. In my opinion, she is the epicenter of the fracturing of the county party. Further, it is my opinion that she will drive away quality volunteers, prevent any chance of establishing a positive relationship with our elected officials and registered county republicans, further divide the county party, and will influence and intimidate the newly elected chair into the downfall of the county party.

But here we are, looking at, in my opinion, two years of incompetent and destructive leadership that will be the death of the Haywood County Republican Party. Two years that will, in all likelihood, lead to the dissolution of the existing county Republican party and the need to reorganize and establish a new Haywood County Republican Party.