UPDATE! SWAC Girl has a dazzling Ronald Reagan factoid that I think is relevant to this post. See here.
We have it from reliable sources (here, here, and here). Top Republicans are stepping all over themselves to endorse Bob Marshall‘s opponent. Why? Given the magnitude of Marshall’s accomplishments, how come GOP big shots want to endorse someone else? Marshall is popular with rank and file Republicans (see here). Why are the big shots going elsewhere? Well, consider this statement from Marshall’s website.
“I didn’t take an oath to play on a team,” Mr. Marshall said. “I took an oath to defend the constitution of Virginia, and I was selected to do so by my constituents. So my first loyalty is to my constituents. It is not that I am annoyed with people; it’s just that my allegiance is to the citizens of Virginia. If that gets me in trouble with leadership, I will smile and deal with it another day.” (from here)
Endorsements do make a statement. When respected people endorse a person, we can assume that they have found that person worthy of their trust. When respected people endorse his opponent, we can assume they have found that opponent more worthy of their trust. However, we cannot assume that that opponent is more worthy our trust. We must also consider the context.
Where are Marshall’s loyalties? He has not played on their team. Instead, Marshall has played on our team. Marshall has fought to protect the constitutional rights of the citizens of Virginia, not the ambitions and pride of its leadership.
The latest example of why top Republicans do not trust Marshall is that thoroughly rotten transportation bill, HB3202. Because the bill was unconstitutional, Marshall fought it. Democrats and too many Republican big shots, however, backed the bill. That included such notables as Speaker William Howell and Virginia’s Attorney General, Bob McDonnell. After McDonnell had said HB3202 was constitutional and Howell had gotten it passed, Marshall took their bill to court and proved otherwise (here). Such men do not like to be embarrassed.
In spite of their mistakes, Howell and McDonnell still retain power; they still deserve considerable respect. Few ambitious Republicans want to get on their bad side. Yet given their own biases, when top Republicans endorse Marshall’s opponent, the rest of us should just smile, shake our heads, and wonder at the stupidity of human ambition and pride. We should recognize he works for us and support Bob Marshall.
The convention that decides the Republican nominee is coming up. If you want a Senator who works for you, and not the big shots, go here to Marshall’s web site (here). Check out the instructions for the Republican convention. There is no time to waste.
