In today’s political world we are seeing blurred lines between the two major parties. It is evident today as we see endorsements pour in for a Democrat running as a Republican in a Tennessee State House Republican race in the 27th District.
Nationally, the collective silence from GOP elected reps at all levels supports the theory that the R’s and D’s are becoming one party.
The lack of resistance to tyranny displayed recently by Obama and other Democrats by our elected leaders speaks volumes of their allegiance to a blended system of government where “reaching across the aisle and sitting there” is the expected norm and preferred.
The end result is a maturation of a system that rewards turning a red blue situation into a purple one leaving a blended party to represent we the people.
This scenario puts our republic at a great disadvantage and leaves us with no real representative type of government that separates different political ideaologies.
In Chattanooga with the Hamilton County Republican Party choosing to back a true Democrat who has chosen to run as a Republican we are seeing this type of politics personified and accepted.
Candidate for the 27th District state representative seat Patsy Hazlewood is a perfect example of this type of blending that is destroying the fiber of our country.
Mrs Hazlewood has chosen to enter this race as a spoiler propped up by Bill Haslam, Claude Ramsey and the Chamber of Commerce against a true conservative Republican.
Tommy Crangle, the true GOP candidate is happy to brag of his distinction as a one-party candidate representing the values of his constituency. With Tommy Crangle you know you are getting a true Republican GOP candidate, his opponent, the opposite.
Candidate Patsy Hazlewood entering this race as a true Democrat in a Republican race speaks volumes of the direction the establishment GOP has chosen to pursue. In conservative land we call these candidates RINOs a label many choose to avoid in the strongly red state, she appears to run to it!
Bill Haslam has propped candidate Patsy Hazelwood up as a state leader by assigning her as a regional director of the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development for three years. She was also organizer and founding director of Capital Mark Banking and Trust and also served for many years with AT&T.
Claude Ramsey has endorsed her for the Tennessee state representative, 27th District. Hazlewood had this to say about Ramsey, in an article found on the Hamilton County GOP website recently. “I am grateful and honored to receive Claude Ramsey’s endorsement. He is one of our state’s greatest Republican leaders, and I admire his commitment to job creation and education in our region— a commitment I will continue on behalf of District 27.”
Ramsey quipped back with his assessment of her on the HCGOP site, ” Citizens deserve a proven leader and a representative they can trust to faithfully serve their interests in Nashville. Patsy Hazlewood will do just that. Patsy is competent, qualified, and ready to serve.”
Only one problem with this scenario. As we draw the line inside a republic that begs for party indifference and separation necessary to balance the powers of a potentially tyrannical government one thing stands out as a truth. She is not a Republican running for this state GOP seat, She is a Democrat.
Mrs Hazlewood has been called by the GOP as “politically flexible” with “no political obligations.” She has recently described herself as a “Conservative and a Republican.”
Her voting record paints a much different picture.
In four previous primaries back to 1992, she has voted on a Democratic ticket, three of which were Presidential primaries of which she cast votes for Obama, Biden, Clinton, Edwards, Kerry and Brown. To date, her voting record in local and state races is unknown but if party allegiance directs her as it did in four primaries, I can assume the Democratic ticket was punched.
It has even been reported that she has written a letter to the Hamilton County GOP requesting the status of her political affiliation, seeking confirmation of her GOP status and her true allegiance to the GOP.
This does not make her apolitical with no political political obligations, this makes her a RINO with the assumed long-term intent to swing the state blue under the guises of a Republican.
These actions and acceptance by high-level GOP elected reps such as Governor Bill Haslam and Claude Ramsey supporting her as a GOP candidate is disturbing. “Staunch Republicans” supporting and endorsing a “registered Democrat” for a GOP seat leaves many questions as to their direction of our state and their leadership decisions made that affect its citizenry.
My assessment is this. What is really a Republican or Democrat in the state of Tennessee and what values are represented when we endorse our leaders of tomorrow that are aligned with the opposite party?
Where does the line blur stop? Why do we continue to ignore past party affiliations and associations in the name of politics?
Sure this is America and we can vote for who and when we want. Mrs Hazlewood can vote as she pleases, but when the lines of demarcation no longer exist and GOP party seats are won by Dems we yield to a tyrannical mindset where accountability is extremely difficult to establish.
The Rs and Ds are rendering a political fruit that will die on the vine. This blending is dangerous and will only create deeper division as true independents and conservatives will only levitate towards a truer color that represents our values and interests.
I know Tommy. I had the pleasure of fighting along side him in other arenas. One of the qualities that stood out for me was he was always consistent, nice, a true gentlemen and represented his GOP Party proudly and without waver.
If you want a Democrat in a Republican State House seat then by all means vote for Patsy Hazlewood in the 27th District.
Donny Harwood