I have been silent on this issue, but can now come forth with an opinion/explanation.
Of course, removing Kate Brown would be a good thing, but at what cost and to what benefit?
(And this is important but will remain an open question for now – in this ORP sponsored effort, is there an ulterior motive?)
First of all, the hurdles to reach the required number of signatures in 90 days, followed by a referendum vote in our favor would be near impossible. Why? Because of the inevitable management problems that will embroil the establishment-led Oregon Republican Party that has a decades-long legacy of failure. There is no paid staff. The chairman is part-time. There is no staffed office. There is minuscule voter-engagement. Many of the counties are in disarray because of lack of leadership from the state party organization, and there is a profound division in the most basic premise: does the state party really support our President? Until this last January, the answer to that question has been an unquestionable “no.” And now, support seems perfunctory. Look at the website. Cartoonish, with many information links not working and much information sorely outdated.
And second, there’s already another recall effort underway. Considering this factor alone, is this not a recipe for chaos and failure?
And there’s this: In the slim chance we win a recall ballot measure, Democrat progressive Tobias Read, our current State Treasurer, would replace Kate Brown…and who’s to say he won’t be worse than her? Then, as governor, Read would come up for general election in 2022 as a more or less entrenched incumbent and by definition would have a huge advantage against a Republican challenger.
And during all this time, we Republicans will be distracted, running in frenetic circles, and not getting ready for what we need to do to take back the legislature so we can at least slow down Kate Brown’s onslaught in her last two years.
The “why” details may vary, but I am not alone in my stance. See Bend Bulletin newspaper article attached.
Certainly, ORP leadership knows how unlikely it is that this effort will succeed, and certainly they realize that even if it did succeed, that it will do no good. Of course they know this!
So why are they doing it?
In politics, behind every move, there is always a strategy…and sometimes that strategy has a damn diabolical motive. I could elaborate more here, but I won’t. The timing isn’t right. Maybe later. For now, you can draw your own conclusions.
Having said that much, we urge our fellow Republicans to sign whichever recall petition they desire, even if it’s just a feel-good move. But then, let it go and join us in focusing on the only goals that really matter and in which we can actually succeed: making headway in the next elections including delivering seven electoral votes to Donald Trump and at the very least, removing the Democrat super-majorities in Salem. THESE two goals are what Diana and I are strategically focusing on.
It’s not for-sure, but if the ducks line up for us the way we need them to line up, there will be much more coming to the forefront on or about August 1st. Stand by. -sam