Open Letter to Genesee County Republican Party

The Michigan Partisan

State House Withdrawal Letter

In light of recent events, namely being called to active duty, I will have to withdraw my name from the ballot for the 49th State House race this November. It is with deep regret that I came to this decision. This was not an easy decision, but my commitments to the Army will prohibit me from even running as a "passive" candidate. It seems every week in the Army Times there is a piece about mixing politics and military service. Though no case was exactly like mine, I still have no wish in being "that guy" which they write about next time.

Now that is out of the way, I would like to impart my two-cents about this year's contests. A historical trend factors into off-year elections. The President's party suffers from a mix of reasons, voter angst over the President's party is the number one reason, so we are told. Like every election, off-year elections are settled over a plethora of reasons nationally. Despite President Reagan's high personal approval rating in 1982 and 1986, Democrats picked up seats in the House and control of the Senate in the 1986 contest. 1990 fared better for the GOP but a slumping economy hindered any possibility of gains. Then, of course, under President Clinton, in 1994 we had our major national gains. These victories, allowed us to take control of Congress and usher in majorities in state races across the country.

The 1994 results were, and still are, passed off as the result of Clinton's first two years. Gays in the military, tax increases, heath care "reform", the assault weapon ban, and the debacle in Somalia no doubt contributed to Representative Newt Gingrich's strategy. However, the focus of the Republicans in 1994 was on themselves, not Clinton. The Contract with America was about how Republicans would do things differently when leading the country. It was not about the President's ineptitude at leading the country. As reporters get giddy at a 1994 repeat in reverse, just notice the Democratic game plan is solely on President Bush. 1998 Speaker Gingrich openly predicted 20+ pick up in the House. We lost 5 in the House and broke even in the Senate and with that lost any chance of removing President Clinton from office.

The real problem in 1998 was the Republican attack against the President and not focusing on themselves and how Republican ideas solve issues that plagued the nation. When parties focus on the President and not themselves they appear to be on the offence, but in reality are playing a very dangerous defensive game. Like a sports team playing catch-up without remembering the game plan or basics, they will look disorganized and overreaching. Just remember 2002 and 2004 elections. Republicans broke tide and scored major pick-ups even as "experts" predicted the opposite. We ran on issues and ourselves; the opposition ran on, or more succinctly, against the President.

Which direction will the Democrats run this year? The Republican Party still is in danger of running against the Democrats. For a party in power to essentially say, "The reason you should vote for me is because of them," is a show of weakness, not only in results of leadership but in attainable goals for the future. This does not mean not to run against Democrats, the Rove strategy is exactly that, on how the Democrats refuse to take the threat of Islamic Terrorism seriously, take illegal immigration seriously, take the economic turnaround (minus Michigan) seriously. On these issues we have an alternative to their liberal ideology. They, in turn, will label us war-mongers for wanting an aggressive campaign against terrorists and a peaceful Iraq. They will call us racists for supporting welfare reform to bring dignity and hope for millions and even debating immigration reform and honestly trying to deal with the illegal situation brought about the racist label. They will call us hypocrites because we preach tight budgets and still vote for any and all federal spending (ok, they may have a point there). We will be called zealots and homophobes who are in support of faith based charities and values. Ignoring their own party's ethical problems, they will link any political scandal to the GOP. None of that is new, and being a Republican I have gotten used to it, but it still bothers me. But how can one expect maturity from a juvenile party?

I am not Nostradamus, but it is my belief 2006 will look a lot like a reverse 1998 not a reverse 1994. Or maybe even a replay of 1998 with the Democrats making minor gains. Representative Pelosi is picking out furniture for her Speaker's office and liberal groups are seriously gathering to plan impeachment against President Bush. This President has defied the system; he was the first Republican President elected that lost the New Hampshire primary and he won Congressional seats in his midterm election. Under Bush, the Republican Party increased votes as the number of overall voters increased, throwing conventional wisdom out the door. He has been "underestimated" for over a decade.

The Time issue following the 1998 election had this passage:

"On Tuesday, voters got the chance to send Washington their own message. It was two words: Shut up! So the election that was supposed to be another G.O.P. blowout ended with a gain of five House seats for the Democrats, no change in the Senate and the morning-after spectacle of dumbstruck Republicans. They will still rule the next Congress, but with nothing like the headlong confidence they brought there after their triumph in 1994, when they knew in their bones that they were the party with a direct channel to the majority will. What most Americans these days appear to want is reasonable safeguards for a personal well-being that they otherwise wish to pursue without interference... They also want a Congress that operates effectively on those matters and a President who's a bit like a mayor, a ground-level problem solver, even if he has his own jet."

Like the Republicans in 1998, the Democrats in 2006 will run against a President with a fervent intent. But we do have good things to run on with only improvement to look forward to this summer. Though spending and still a failure to come up with some plan dealing with illegal immigration are setbacks, the exploding economy (minus Michigan) is really the untold story of the year. Much of President Bush's low poll numbers stem from the Iraq War. Bad things do happen there, but many great things are not reported, glossed over, or laughed off. That is truly sad. My friends and our countrymen there are risking life and limb to build a free and peaceful multi-ethnic country, and that is no easy task. It is my belief that we will see a drawdown of troops this summer, though not by much. The Democrats will say Bush is afraid of the election. That absurd claim is as frivolous as them claiming they support defending the country while at the same time they are against checking IDs at the border. The reason for any drawdown is that the Iraq military, day by day, is improving in numbers and quality. Training an army is not just throwing a uniform on someone and handing him an AK as he picks up his first paycheck. It is a long process and we are beginning to see signs of the Iraqi government stepping in to take control of many areas. Only in that way there will be peace there. Then some reality will return to Bush's poll numbers.

Lastly, in the Time article I mentioned above there was this paragraph:

"There were Republicans this year who got it. Texas Governor George W. Bush, the (very) early G.O.P. front runner for the 2000 presidential race, is so intent on classroom issues he's done everything short of writing his agenda on a chalkboard. But for the most part, it was Democrats who could talk the talk in '98, just as it was Republicans who sounded most plausible on things like budget cutting and welfare reform in '94."

Talk the talk, be optimistic and be true to Republican beliefs and principles. The rest is in God's hands.

Take care and I'll see you in a year (or two),

Page W. H. Brousseau IV