By CASSIE LAWVER
My philosophy is: If you have a question for someone, go ask them. When I read an article stating that Sarah Palin called the Republican Party a good ol’ boys network, I had to ask if that statement was true.
I was a voting official of the Alaska State Republican Party this weekend and was in attendance at the Republican State Convention held in Fairbanks on Friday and Saturday. When I read the article in the ADN and Must Read Alaska, I knew I was in the right place to see her as she did have a table set up at the Republican Convention and her name was on the agenda for the Saturday breakfast forum. When I read she thought of the Republican party as the good ol’ boys network I was shocked.
I supported Palin for governor and during her vice presidential run. I admire her tenacity. And honestly, I could see that on a presidential level, a person could take issue with the Republican Party. But Alaska is home and the Alaskan Republican Party is filled with her friends and people who supported her when she ran for governor and vice president. I just couldn’t believe she would say such a comment about friends and supporters. I had to ask her directly.
Friday night, Ms. Palin arrived at the state convention. I thought great, I could just ask her. Boy, I was not ready for what I heard.
I approached Ms. Palin and began by telling her how much I appreciated her service as governor and her run as vice president. Then I told her I read this article and wanted to know if she called the Republican Party a good ol’ boys network. She got defensive and said it is a good ol’ boys club with its backroom deals.
I asked, “What backroom deal?” She just kept saying it is a good ol’ boys club. I told her I was a voting member of the party and have never been involved in or witness any backroom deals, and I asked her to please explain. Ms. Palin stated that no endorsement should be given until after the filing date, (which is April 1 for the special election and June 1 for the regular election.)
I explained to her with ranked choice voting, we in the party were endorsing all Republicans who went through the process. All she said was the Republican Party is a good ol’ boys club and she did not want an endorsement from the party, as her handler took back into the banquet. I never got an explanation on the backroom deal.
Now with rank choice voting in place this year, I do not want to discourage anyone not to rank a Republican. Even though her own actions toward me made her seem like a diva who thinks little about the process, if she is on the general ballot, I will rank her. Ranking all Republicans is important. Remember to vote your one favorite red candidate in the primary and them rank all the red candidates in the general.
Vote red, and rank red, or we could have Al Gross as our U.S. congressman. And then we all lose.
Cassie Lawver is a Republican grassroots activist who lives in Homer.
