Much as we hate to admit it, Ted Danz is not a friend to the Tea Party. Recent published reports on his GOP ties and issues with the "all to familiar" antics of the ingrained Two Party system have made Danz an insider, not the outsider he claims to be.
We find no difference between the "way" Danz does business than the way Tonko does business. A wink here, a nod there , a backroom deal here and slap on the back there, Danz has shown himself to be just another political party hack willing to make deals for the office. Danz is Chairman of the Guilderland Republican Committee and Vice-Chairman of the Albany County Republican Committee I'm at a loss as to how he can portray himself as an "outsider". His attempt to align himself with the Tea Party is only smoke and mirrors. The only thing the Tea Party means to him is votes. What the Tea Party stands for and what the Tea Party wants will fall on deaf ears if he is elected.
Ted Danz running for the 21st Congressional Seat is a lesson to be learned in "politics as usual" whether it's the GOP or Democrats his actions to lock out any third party candidates is typical "business as usual". Although we seem to associate ourselves more with the GOP and a "conservative" approach, the Tea Party has to remain independent of the two political "factions" and his actions speak louder than words.
We received a call from people supporting Danz and the call was an attempt to "bully" the Tea Party and "strong arm" what we say, what we do and who we can support and not support. It was a blatant attempt to make the Tea Party "tow the line". Fortunately they ran straight into Mimi who, if you haven't figured it out yet, doesn't like being bullied or strong armed.
I placed a call to the person representing Danz's who made the call to Mimi. Our conversation was amicable and he admitted he was the one who challenged Joe Sullivan's signatures to stop him from "taking votes away from Danz", in essence it was political hardball from the Albany GOP. Everyone surrounding Danz is part of the GOP/Republican party and from my conversation all they do is present Danz as a grassroots conservative when he is around the Tea Party and behind close doors in Albany he is just part of the same old GOP/Republican machine.
Although we won't endorse candidates, we do let our members know who is running. We feel a vote for Danz is no better than a vote for Tonko. We need change not a Democratic Hack or a another GOP Hack. So far the only candidate that has shown a true grassroots campaign is Joe Sullivan.
As we conclude our vetting on possible candidates, we'll keep all the members informed.
Political hardball is exactly what this is, and EVERYONE does it. There were 35 separate Orders to Show Cause filed in Albany County this past July. All of them were attempts to knock candidates off the ballot - Republican, Democrat, Conservative, Liberal... This tactic can hardly be considered "strong-arming" by the supporter of a candidate, it is only one move in the game of politics. Sullivan could have done the same.
ReplyDeleteIf you truly want to defeat Tonko this fall, Sullivan needs to bow out of this race because his candidacy does nothing more than support Tonko's campaign for re-election.
Is Joe Sullivan even a tea party supporter? I found this statement on his blog: "So what to do? Endorse Tonko? Endorse Danz? (barf) Sit out the election? Give up? Sit in and play a game where the deck is stacked? Attend another Tea Party rally and listen to the same old speeches presented by the same cast of players.
ReplyDeleteThe one held at the State Capitol yesterday
was more like a sparsely attended wake."
http://lonerangeralbany.blogspot.com/ tabbed "Right On - Write In..."
I think he's just using us.
Ted Danz became chair of the Guilderland Republican Committee and Vice-Chair of the County Committee last year to try to change "business as usual in the local republican party (he's no longer the Chairman). There is nothing wrong with a guy getting involved to try to make a difference. I give him alot of credit!
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, "politics as usual" and " this is the way it's done" sucks and people are tired of it especially after the RINO Dede Scozzafava for the 23rd District debacle.
ReplyDeleteCutting out the Conservative Candidate didn't help. If we have more than TWO people running, we have a choice. Now we have only two, Forcing people to vote for only two people wasn't our idea of an election. Ted campaigns against "politics as usual" and what happened, he's involved in "politics as usual" It doesn't play well with voters.
Sullivan has no line to run on! His name will not appear on the ballot, so how does your support help him? You are wasting your time and our time by supporting a non-viable "candidate."
ReplyDeleteCutting out the Conservative candidate? Are you kidding me. If he was THE Conservative candidate he'd appear on the Conservative line, right? Now he's running around begging people to write him in on his internationally read blog. For a blog read so internationally, why is there only a handful of comments on it? I think the only time it is read internationally is when Sullivan is out of the country. The guy is an ego-maniac and should wake up and come back to reality. A vote for Ted Danz is 100% a vote for the people. Ted is the epitome of a Conservative both fiscally and socially and in my eyes the ultimate Tea Party Candidate.
ReplyDeleteDan Szabo Jr
FulMont Tea Party Patriots
If Sullivan is so lame, why go through the trouble of getting him off the ticket? Both parties are so afraid of a third party candidate "stealing" their votes.
ReplyDeleteThe Hoffman/Scozzafava mess in the 23rd District is till pretty fresh. The "GOP" picked candidate threw her votes to a democrat. She was the "best" candidate too.
I guess there is a difference between Tea Party Patriots and Tea Party Nation.
As we said, when it comes down to it we pick the lesser of the greater evils to defeat Tonko. Hell of a way to vote isn't it. looks like Albany style politics didn't learn a thing from the Hoffman/Scozzafava mess
I wish I could offer a compassionate ear to your plight, but the only places I have heard any of this is on this blog, at the SC Tea Party rally this past weekend, and from some ridiculous chain e-mail that was circulating last week. Every other place in every other circle is touting Ted Danz as the quintessential Conservative and Tea Party candidate. As far as splitting (not stealing) the Conservative and Republican votes in this district, all I have to say the only other person (besides the half dozen Sullivan supporters out there) that wants you to write in Joe Sullivan's name on your ballot this November is Paul Tonko.
ReplyDeleteI rest my case. There are only two people, two parties to vote for. As I said the lesser of the greater evils.
ReplyDeleteI don't think anyone expects Danz to unseat Tonko (even with the dozen or so votes) People in this longer than you and I have been saying the margin will be 3 to 1 Tonko because Danz got in too late.
The email wasn't a chain letter, it was our alert to our email list and members. With all due respect, you Danz people are so caught up in conspiracy,backstabbing and eliminating any third party you can't see any way or any other opinion except your own. Unfortunately The ALbany GOP thinks like the Dumocrats, "if you're not with me, you're against me"
Not much of an independent Tea Party but definitely part of the GOP/Republican machine. Might as well call it the GOP Party and leave the Tea out