North Carolina Tea Party Doesn’t Fit in the GOP “Big Tent”

The old time Republicans in North Carolina have decided that after all their crying for a “Big Tent”, what we have just isn’t big enough for the Tea Parties or the Tea Parties’ candidate, Tim D’Annunzio.

In a move reminiscent of a Hillary Clinton Bimbo Eruption Control Effort, North Carolina GOP leaders have unearthed Tim’s 1995 divorce and his estranged wife’s ravings**.

Republican officials are working to derail the campaign of a tea party-supported candidate in North Carolina – circulating documents from the man’s messy divorce that depict him as a pot smoker who has called himself the Messiah.

It’s a risky move for state and national party leaders trying to harness the power of the tea party movement without letting it spin out of their control.

Tim D’Annunzio, a congressional candidate in North Carolina’s most competitive district, has run an anti-establishment campaign with vows to dismantle entire branches of the federal government. His ideas have drawn support from tea party activists, and he has raised more money from individuals than his GOP rival while also contributing more than $1 million to his own campaign.

Republican leaders in both Raleigh and Washington, however, are worried about his electability in November if he wins a primary runoff next month. They’re publicizing court documents about D’Annunzio’s past legal, martial and business troubles and denouncing him as unfit for office.
h/t @politicalinsidr

The Charlotte Observer once described this campaign with a headline that read “8th District GOP candidates target Rep. Kissell, not each other” but since D’Annunzio, the front runner, failed to receive the necessary 40% for the nomination, the NC GOP has joined second place finisher Harold Johnson(33.1%) in attacking D’Annunzio (36.8%).

“Mr. D’Annunzio has disqualified himself by his background, his record and his behavior,” said Tom Fetzer, North Carolina’s Republican Party chairman. He said the GOP embraces the tea party but doesn’t believe a person with such a checkered past should be the party’s nominee.

From Carolina Politics Online

I see… The NC GOP “embraces the Tea Party” until it decides it has to interfere because they know who’s “more electable.”

D’Annunzio yesterday called for Fetzer’s resignation…

On Monday, Republican congressional candidate Tim D’Annunzio fired back at GOP leaders who’ve spoken out against his controversial campaign, demanding that the chairman of the North Carolina GOP step down.
“Chairman Fetzer broke the Plan of Organization of the Republican Party by speaking against my candidacy,” he said. “I am officially calling for Chairman Fetzer to step down. He should resign the position.”
Carolina Politics Online

It’s a campaign going into a June 22nd Runoff for the Republican Party Nomination in a nationally watched battle. That’s guaranteed to get ugly, that’s politics. But when the State GOP violates its own rules to get “their guy” elected, that’s NY 23 all over again. The North Carolina GOP doesn’t want to hear what the people of North Carolina want. They’ve already made up their minds and it’s not a candidate who describes himself as “a conservative running as a Republican.”

Its this guy…

The rabid left is already crowing over the NC GOP eating their young and what they see as a pending Kissell victory. I won’t link to Kos, you can search there at your own peril.

Hey, NC GOP, our vow is “Conservative in the Primary, Republican in the General” and I proved it in 2008 while I held my nose and voted for your squishy candidate. How about you STFU and let us have a primary?

**If you ever meet one of my ex-wives don’t believe a thing they say. I was never abducted by aliens.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Steele Should Resign, NC GOP Chairman says (blogs.wsj.com)