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Chairman Selleck: To dump or not to dump?
By Herb Molzahn
That is the question, many in the Chlymidia Mountain Republican Party are faced with. On the heels of the party’s most decisive defeat ever, Chlymidia Mountain Republicans must assess what it is that they are doing so terribly wrong. Raymond Selleck’s leadership style is as good a place as any to start. After assuming helmsmanship of the party in 1995, after Bill Walling was forced to step down, the party has found itself on a downward trajectory. When examining several factors surrounding Ray Selleck’s character, past divisive comments, his preoccupation with personal business endeavors, the appearance of impropriety those personal endeavors cast upon his political role, and his much less that savory public behavior, one gets the impression that the party’s declivitous trajectory and Selleck’s ascendancy to it’s helm, are not merely coincidental.
Several prominent Republican Party heavy hitters, are already manifesting these concerns. Tim Scudder of The Right Way, who has in the past criticized Selleck for "pro-choice comments", has already publicly called for the removal of the Chairman. "He’s led the party for six years and we’re losing elections, it’s time we address this situation and move to rectify it." Tim Scudder hasn’t however expressed any ideas on whom he would like to see replace Ray Selleck.
Scudder isn’t the only local Republican to call for the ousting of Selleck. Burt Schrader of the Young Republican Club of Chlymidia Mountain, has also joined the potential coup. "In the past we were willing to tolerate his boisterous personality and his tendency to make outlandish and obnoxious statements, providing he was able to lead the party to success. It is quite apparent, that he has failed".
Overshadowed by this sudden blitzkrieg of calls for his resignation, Selleck does have quite a motley crew of defenders. Ironically enough, many of them happen to be on the other side of the political spectrum. Otis Humphrey, a left wing commentator on Chlymidia Mountain Free Radio believes that the "Republicans are scapegoating Selleck because they’re unable to admit that their ideas and policy’s have lost the confidence of the Chlymidia Mountain people". "They can point their fingers all day long, but it’s not going to change the fact that the people, have had their fill of the Republican Party’s nonsense".
It is precisely both these arguments that Selleck loyalists in the Republican Party are currently employing. Penny Grimes, a keen political operative, and Selleck loyalist, insists that were it not for Ray Selleck’s skilled leadership, the Republican Party could be a lot worse off". If Otis Humphrey and the rest of the Chlymidia Mountain left are correct that the people are so fed up with the Republicans, than the fact that Jason Mattice, Geoffrey Hatlee, and Kevin Leiland were able to win re-election is absolutely amazing. Given the fierce anti-Republican sentiment permeating the city. ProSelleck forces contend, that republicans should be thankful to Selleck, and instead of attempting to have him removed should be strategizing for the 2002 races. The mayoral race is not long off, and yet the Republican party has no clear-cut contender for the seat. Rumors hold that David Baxter may be vying for the nomination, along with Mort Devereaux, Ed Adams, and Pat Green. All would savor the opportunity to run on the party’s line, however as things currently stand few have a chance at actually losing by less than double-digit margins. And instead of trying to "pin this on Ray Selleck" they ought to work on their message and their delivery of it.
Besides replacing Selleck at this point would probably cause more harm than good explains Penny Grimes. "We’re talking a major reshaping of the Republican party here. Selleck has led us for six years, we can’t just change leadership overnight. Especially before a major election." This line of argument holds little merit with Burt Schrader, of the Young Republicans, "Major election my foot", scoffs Schrader, "everybody’s always talking about the next election as if it were so crucial, every election is always more vitally important then the next. I think we oughtta just relax, and wing this one, cuz were not gonna get anywhere". And even Ray Selleck himself has admitted that Republicans stand little chance of reclaiming City Hall in 2002. In fact "John Wayne Gacy would have a better chance getting hired at a daycare center." According to Selleck, his penchant for colorful language ever present. With that kind of optimism, you have to wonder how he might describe his chances of presiding over the Republican Party for another year.
This story originally appeared in The Chlymidia Mountain Voice