The conservative group Buncombe Forward released the following statement in response to the Buncombe County Republican Party Executive Committee’s recent decision to strip longtime member Don Yelton of his leadership responsibilities as precinct chair:
A Kangaroo Court in Dodge City
Monday’s BCGOP Exec Comm meeting was not about Don Yelton’s words and deeds against his party. It was about a man who is fed up with members of his party dictating what he can do and say. It was about a group of people making judgement against one man, a man who dared to speak out against what is going on in the Buncombe County Republican Party. Don Yelton has given thousands of dollars and thousands of hours of his time to the BCGOP over many years. He deserved better than this.
When we walked into the BCGOP Exec Comm meeting Monday night we could see that persuasion would be pointless. People’s minds were made up. People talked in hushed tones. The mood was more like a lynching than a trial. The crowd behaved like frightened ranchers in a 1950s cowboy TV show. They were animated and looking for the sheriff, played by Henry Mitchell, to conduct this lynching.
We listened to an audio recording of a TV show where Don Yelton spoke truth to power. The “proof” that Don deserved to be lynched was his interview of a young man, who wanted to run for office as an Independent. Don apparently was asking his listeners if they would want to help the fellow get enough signatures to be on the ballot as an independent in the general election. The fellow did not get on the ballot, therefore can not challenge a Republican candidate.
Don Yelton’s only offense was calling out the hypocrisy of Henry Mitchell to a group of Henry’s peers. Don dared to challenge the bizarre actions of the county chair on a public TV show.
Former party chairs, Chad Nesbiit and Robert Malt appealed to the mob to not split the party over this issue in this election year. In the end, Don Yelton was expelled from the BCGOP Exec Comm.
The people of the BCGOP better wake up. We Republicans don’t need lynchers we need workers in this election year. Does this action or any of the other bizarro actions taken by this Exec Comm make us stronger or weaker? Who were all of those people who “confirmed” themselves as precinct chairs Monday night? We didn’t know half of the people that were there. It was a stacked kangaroo court against Don Yelton.
Where have the campaign workers gone? Who is manning the Victory Headquarters? Who is working on the Governor’s race, U.S. Congressional races, State Legislative races, County Commissioner races and the School Board races. Kathie Lack, Linda Humphries, Diana Kantor, Dorothea Alderfer, Ed Osada, and several others are all gone from the Exec Comm. This is what happens when the incompetent try to control the competent. Atlas shrugged Monday night at the Skyland Fire Department. We shall not put anymore effort into supporting a party that is dysfunctional and predatory. Robert and Gary resigned from the BCGOP Exec Comm after Don’s lynching. Dorothea resigned in April. More folks will follow.
We will be spending our time, money and energy on getting good conservative candidates elected to local offices. This is our last word about the BCGOP. As far as we are concerned Henry Mitchell and the BCGOP Exec Comm, by their actions, have made themselves irrelevant.
Buncombe Forward will be interviewing volunteers for the upcoming general election.
Gary M. Shoemaker,
Board Member, Buncombe Forward
Robert Malt
Executive Director, Buncombe Forward
Dorothea Alderfer
Board Member, Buncombe Forward
Gary Slattery
Board Member, Buncombe Forward
For more on this issue read the below posts:
Buncombe County GOP kicks Don Yelton off committee for ‘party disloyalty’
Don Yelton defends himself against charges by BCGOP leadership
Buncombe GOP tables security amendment, moves to kick Yelton off committee
“This is what happens when the incompetent try to control the competent.”
Wait. What?
“Atlas shrugged Monday night at the Skyland Fire Department.”
Man, I’d have paid good money to see that. Don’t forget Ann Coulter scratched her Adams-apple, Ronald Reagan rolled over in his grave, and the Baby Jesus shed a single tear.
Like I said, I like Don, but c’mon. Hyperbole much?
Welcome to the Unaffiliateds, Mr. Yelton.
How many races did Republicans win in Buncombe County while Chad, Robert, Don, and Gary ran things?
Perhaps it’s time for a change.
Must stifle laugh…shouldn’t make fun of trouble in Gomperville…must stifle laugh…
The local wingnuts have bigger fish to fry than this spitting match among themselves now that the Supreme Court, Inc. has upheld the constitutionality of the heart of Obama’s health care overhaul, the individual mandate.
Watch the Court, stacked by Bush with political lackeys who gave us Citizens vs. United, morph into a sinister cabal of pro-Obama Muslim Socialist sympathizers.
Err, make that ‘Citizens United’.