Two Quick Opportunities to Keep My Resolutions
The virtual ink wasn’t even dry on my last post (my 2017 Political New Year’s Resolutions) when I was afforded the opportunity to test my commitment to them. While this post is out-of-cycle for me (I usually write on Wednesday), I felt I could achieve some quick success and follow-through on two of my commitments.
First I had resolved to call out those who use divisive and less impactful issues to spin up supporters (Resolution #2: Outrage Ain’t Policy and Resolution #7: Focus on the Big Things). In those two I resolved “to push Republicans to not be the party of emotion and ‘feelings’ but the party of real solutions to real problems” and “support candidates who focus on the big issues, and resolve to avoid tit-for-tat tangents into things best left to the people to solve” respectively.
Imagine my surprise when Virginia Delegate Bob Marshall (R-13) introduced (pre-filed) the “Physical Privacy Act” to address the pressing (sarcasm here) concern of restroom access in government buildings. The act seeks to “ensure that all restrooms and changing facilities located in such building provide physical privacy from members of the opposite sex” and goes into detail about who can do what in which restroom, including the micromanagement of these facilities such as providing that individuals “may enter a restroom … for members of the opposite sex (i) for the purpose of performing maintenance or custodial services if the … area is not occupied by a member of the opposite sex; (ii) to render medical assistance … (iii) during a natural disaster or emergency … or (iv) to provide assistance to a minor or person with a disability…”
Yeah, you read that right. With all the issues we need to address here in Virginia, Bob Marshall wants a law to ensure that maintenance people don’t enter a restroom unless they are sure nobody from the opposite sex is in there (well maybe unless there is a hurricane or something).
So I’m calling this out as ridiculous. And of course, so did the Democrats. How helpful.
I do not appreciate the Democrats trying to politicize this transgender issue, and I personally believe people should use the bathroom that corresponds with their genitalia. I prefer, however, that these decisions be left to the judgement of local management, subject to approval or disapproval from those citizens affected. Yes, freedom can be messy, but we conservatives believe in limited government. Unfortunately the left cannot help itself, and seeks to make everything into a legal case. We should resist their strategy without sinking to their level. Unfortunately Delegate Marshall played right into their hands and now we’ll be hearing about LGBT issues all year.
Great job.
Next I read an email from candidate for Governor Corey Stewart. In keeping with my “Resolution #9: The Eleventh Commandment,” I have to call Stewart out, too. In that resolution I committed to “call out any primary candidate who personally attacks their Republican opponent…”
Mr. Stewart, who apparently thinks divisiveness is the way to achieve the governorship, addressed the news that Democrat Tom Perriello is now seeking the Democratic Party nomination for governor. Mr. Stewart welcomed Mr. Perriello to the race, but then could not help himself, ridiculously stating, “Perriello will be right at home with his fellow globalists Northam and Gillespie, who will sadly carry on the tradition of selling Virginia to the lowest bidder across the Pacific…” and “D.C. insiders like Ed Gillespie have made their choice clear: Ed Gillespie puts profits for the connected class above the economic and physical security of Virginians.”
Finally, Mr. Stewart chucks this beauty: “Gillespie, being so closely aligned with Democrats, is out of step with good people of the Commonwealth.”
Of course all of this is unmitigated bull excrement, yet Stewart offers it all without fact or even the most basic argument. The idea that Ed Gillespie is “closely aligned with Democrats” should surprise Democrats, as Gillespie’s conservative bona fides, principles, and policy positions make that statement impossible to defend. That Ed would put global interests ahead of Virginia’s is just crazy talk, and again is offered with no substantiation, which is as expected because there isn’t any.
So I’m calling him out.
Instead of offering real policy solutions to real problems, Mr. Stewart asks for our vote based on unsupported personal attacks on his Republican opponent. I like Corey Stewart personally, and we have always been on friendly terms, but in my humble opinion, he shows a lack of respect for the primary voter, and his campaign apparently thinks we are too stupid to know what he is up to. Perhaps if they would actually address some issues, people might listen. As long as they just attack, he deserves the paltry support he has so far achieved.
I know that primary politics can be rough, I’m not naive. That said, I find it hard to stomach the kind of false, juvenile, and ridiculous bomb throwing like that contained in the regular emails I receive from the Stewart campaign, this being only the latest. In fact, I cannot remember a single email that made an impact on me based on Stewart’s policy positions. If the campaign thinks this is how you win supporters, I believe they are going to learn a tough lesson. I certainly hope so.
So there, two resolutions met already, and it is only January 5th.
Happy New Year!
