As chairman of the Hamilton County Republican Party, I must respectfully disagree with News Free Press Editor Drew Johnson’s editorial appearing in the Wednesday October 4, 2012 paper. Having been a lifelong resident of Chattanooga, I am astutely familiar with the history of the Chattanooga Times and Chattanooga News Free Press and their political positions. The Times has always been the editorial voice of the Democratic Party while the News Free Press has always espoused the values of the Republican Party.

Lee Anderson served well as the conservative Republican voice for the Chattanooga area. 

While Mr. Johnson makes some good political points, his endorsement for the Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson, all in the name of sending a message to Washington, is not the type of responsible journalism we Republicans have grown to appreciate. As Republicans we look to the right side of the TFP to give us food for Republican thought. Clearly, Mr. Johnson would closely align himself with the values, beliefs and platform of the Libertarian Party.

I would strongly recommend to the ownership of the Chattanooga Times/News Free Press that they create a third editorial column for Mr. Johnson to exercise his freedom of speech and press to give his Libertarian points of view. Additionally, I would recommend seeking out a qualified editorialist for the News Free Press who would carry on the traditions of Republican values as has always been produced from the right side of our Chattanooga paper.

We, as Republicans, support our chosen candidate Mitt Romney for President of the United States.

 

Marty Von Schaaf 

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While I respect Drew Johnson's right to endorse Gary Johnson, the Libertarian Party's candidate for president, his choice did surprise me quite a bit.  By endorsing an obscure third party candidate, Drew's judgement as an opinion writer must be called into question.   

Clearly, he must understand that his endorsement for Mr. Johnson is, in effect, a de facto endorsement for Mr. Obama regardless of whatever marvelous traits Mr. Johnson, the candidate, might possess.  I would expect Drew to have more of a big picture view of the upcoming election, but it seems that he is stuck down in the weeds playing small ball.  One has to wonder if he, in his prestigious position as opinion editor for the Free Press, wastes his precious endorsement in such an important election, what other nonsense will he shovel in our direction in future editorials.   

I suspect being in the same room as Clay Bennett is having some kind of deleterious effect on his thought processes.
 
Jim Nelson