A Commentary by Tea Party Patriot
In a statement yesterday Mesa County Republican Party bosses tried to disconnect with their scandal ridden House Dist 54 candidate Jared Wright. They distanced themselves, when you read between the lines of their official statement by telling Wright he’s on his own. And he can’t expect any help from the local Republican Party in any efforts he may undertake to rehabilitate himself with voters.
Wright, who has clearly been identified by the media reports as a bad apple in the barrel has a hard row to hoe now that he’s been picked out randomly from the Mesa County barrel full of rotten apples. All the other apples want nothing to do with him now that he’s brought the attention of the voters, and God forbid, the media on the smell emanating from the barrel.
But there’s a larger problem in the barrel than the now infamous Mr. Wright. There are whispers and rumors and even a few shouts that the problem isn’t with the apples, but rather in the barrel itself. There’s a lot of talk from the conservatively inclined side of a third party and a popular protest vote in the coming election with Mr. Wrights opponent (Libertarian Tim W. Menger) achieving bipartisan rock star status.
From the Democrats, because they don’t have a dog in the fight and they’re smelling blood in the water, and having renewed pipe dreams of “shellacking” the Republicans in the heart of their Colorado stronghold. Independents are flocking to Menger because his candidacy represents the center mass between the two polar opposites whose only product has been uncompromising paralysis. And the conservative side has fallen in love with him because he is the essence of fiscal responsibility and because he has the courage of his convictions and the grande’ coconuts enough to announce publicly his plans to campaign for the seat without raising or spending any money.
And it’s working. Homemade yard signs and PC printed bumper stickers taped on the inside of the back car windows of locals are announcing Menger as the “people’s pick” and are showing up in growing numbers. Say what you will about Menger but no one can deny the man has Chutzpa and all the negative publicity surrounding his opponent has brought his name front and center to the attention of the great unwashed who see him as one of their own; their come from behind “Rocky” and who the indigenous Irish residents are now referring to as “the lad”. All that’s missing is the cape and the ability to leap tall buildings in a single bound.
But the truth is somewhat more humbling. Mr. Menger is the embodiment of John Q Public, who threw his hat in the ring so that his Libertarian Party would at least be represented in the HD 54 race, something the Democrats are currently and redundantly kicking themselves for neglecting. Mr. Menger can only be described as a reluctant candidate who hasn’t wavered (with all of the attention) in his original intent to run the most frugal campaign in living memory.
What seemed impossible only a few short months ago is taking on the air of a boots on the ground reality now that his campaign has caught fire, the voters have caught fire and the Republican anointed candidate has burned to the ground.
This is the stuff political Cinderella stories are made of; and the stuff that sends career politicians into rehab and if we’re lucky, one of the side effects just might be redemption of our political system by the barrel.
Forget lemonade, when you’re handed a barrel of rotten apples it’s time to use the Menger method and make some hard cider or stomp those rotten apples into applesauce, just waiting to be “canned”.