Chad Nesbitt to head Buncombe GOP ***updated 2 p.m. Sunday with video***

Chad Nesbitt, a longtime conservative activist and one of the founders of the controversial Carolina Stompers group, will now head the Buncombe County Republican party, after winning the chair’s seat at today’s convention.

According to an announcement from the Buncombe County GOP, Nesbitt, who has “major fundraising and organizational goals,” was elected the party’s chair. Nesbitt’s been a prominent figure in local conservative politics for some time, and the Carolina Stompers political group he helped found has attracted no small amount of controversy with its aggressive tactics and tone.

The chair’s seat for the local Republican party has also sometimes been a contentious spot. After two chairs resigned or refused to run for re-election in as many years, Tim Johnson took the position in 2008. Johnson himself then faced a fractious battle over his past when he ran successfully for Vice Chair of the state party. The first African-American to occupy a leadership role in the state party, Johnson then resigned his local spot to move to Durham and concentrate on statewide activities. Nesbitt and the Stompers were vocal supporters of Johnson in his fights with other Republicans.

Robert Malt, Johnson’s successor, has generally kept a lower profile, focusing more on organizational matters. The GOP announcement of Nesbitt’s election notes that Malt will “continue coordinating volunteer training efforts for our voter database tools” and thanks him for his efforts. “Robert is leaving the party with many more precinct chairs, new volunteers in key positions, a full slate of Republican candidates for the 2010 election, and thousands of dollars in the bank account.”

Video taken by Richard Bernier of Nesbitt’s pre-vote speech to the convention is below.

— David Forbes, staff writer

Chad Nesbitt seeking Chairman of the Buncombe County GOP – March 2010 from richard bernier on Vimeo.

 

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31 thoughts on “Chad Nesbitt to head Buncombe GOP ***updated 2 p.m. Sunday with video***

  1. Piffy!

    he cant be any crazier than tim “Waves random piece of paper around vaguely as evidence’ johsnon.

  2. PatD

    Gotta love it. These people really don’t get it. Keep on going Gopers, you are doing a great job.

  3. PatD

    They will win elections because of his marketing abilities. Seriously, he said that. hehe

  4. You reap what you sow and the GOP is in full on harvest season. Chad Nesbitt is the pinnacle of two plus decades of the GOP’s brilliant strategizing.

  5. Bert

    Buncombe Republicans don’t seem to realize that the reason they lose elections is because of their extreme conservatism. Want to know why Bill Russell is the only Republican on the city council? Because he told the Mountain Express his favorite show was the Colbert Report.

  6. ashevillelokel

    So are those glasses a prop to make him look more intelligent …. not that intelligence is associated with the Republican party …

  7. ashevillelokel

    bert …. The Colbert Report is far from being conservative … it a a satire of the ultra-right-wing hosts on FOX …..

  8. Bert

    “The Colbert Report is far from being conservative … it a a satire of the ultra-right-wing hosts on FOX”

    I don’t think you understood my point. Republicans like Russell who say they enjoy Colbert are trying to signal that they’re more moderate.

  9. dpewen

    Chad leading the GOP is like the blind leading the blind … this will not help the GOP and that is fine by me.

  10. entopticon

    This is truly great news for Democrats and third party candidates. Anyone who can take Chad even the remotest bit seriously was certainly going to vote for Republicans anyway.

    Chad as the official face of of the Buncombe County GOP is a godsend for Democrats and progressives, because if there is one thing that will get the left out to the voting booths, it’s Chad.

    Democrats should be dancing in the streets over this news.

  11. Kudos Chad! Of course I back him on some things, like no zoning and cutting parental subsidies like SCHIP, and not on others like cutting contraception funds or banning gay marriage, But he gets high marks for making his positions clear; unlike far too many area politicians and even activists.

  12. Bert

    “cutting parental subsidies like SCHIP”

    SCHIP is not “parental subsidies” It’s a program to help parents who work full time afford to buy medicine for their children. It would be nice if Republicans actually talked to working families with chronically ill children before they spout off their lies and bs.

  13. Piffy!

    I just want the BCGOP to know that although I have never voted republican (or really voted much beyond local elections), I would absolutely vote for a rational, level-headed, true fiscal conservative. But if you keep giving me this reactionary social conservative idiocracy crap, well… let’s just say you have only yourself to blame when people vote for the liberals.

  14. Barry Summers

    As one of Chad’s “socialistic terrorists”, I think this is hilarious.

    I’m reminded of the words of US Representative Felix Walker’s fellow legislators, uttered behind his back during the 1820’s, “Here comes another load of Buncombe.”

  15. The Republican party continues with its strategy of Dumbing Down
    its Leadership to appeal to their low intelligence, homophobic, racist, “we are a christian nation”, blame the government for everything that goes wrong in their lives, base.

  16. Barry Summers

    So are those glasses a prop to make him look more intelligent ….

    Chad is very image conscious. When Asheville Justice Watch was holding meetings proposing a Citizen’s Review Board for the police, we debated Chad & a couple of other conservatives at a firehouse in Arden. I swear Chad was slathered in bronzing gel just like John Boehner.

  17. Piffy!

    Chad is a democratic operative sleeper cell, groomed by his stepfather for decades to play this exact roll and further discredit reasonable conservative discourse for decades to come.

  18. Barry Summers

    This will all be over tomorrow. Very funny, BCGOP. Kudos, really. Fairly impressive April Fools joke, if a little dark & self-mocking…

  19. Ashevegasjoe

    Finally a leader of the BCGOP who isn’t just a Republican in name only

  20. travelah

    He’s your freak show, not mine. I’d vote Democrat before I’d support that slug.

  21. Piffy!

    [b]I’d vote Democrat before I’d support that slug. [/b]

    That pretty much sums up the 2008 elections.

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