Letter writer: Council primary reveals ‘Progressives in Name Only’

Graphic by Lori Deaton

As a conservative Republican long lamenting the political opportunism of RINOs (Republicans in Name Only), it is comforting to see the progressive movement catching up.

Asheville’s City Council election reveals that PINOs (Progressives in Name Only) are a burgeoning phenomenon. Like your authentic conservative counterparts, you good folks on the left now have a matching opportunity to wring your hands over candidates who talk one thing to get elected and do another when in office. That’s what opportunism is all about — going with the temptations of convenience, reward and power over principles.

Hate to break this to those authentic progressives still attempting to steer Asheville left, but you’ve already lost. A quick glance at our blooming skyline and campaign donor trails reveals who’s really in charge.

Contrary to the spin, the money-power thing has no more to do with conservatism than progressivism. The Republican Party’s core principles center on America’s traditional success equation of liberty, opportunity and responsibility hitched to the same wagon. Political intrigue, crony capitalism, corrupt attorneys, opportunistic politicians and others who manipulate that formula are as deadly to my movement as yours.

For now, West Asheville remains a haven for working folks much like it was in generations past. Most of the rest of Asheville is in the hands of the people with the money. Pretty amazing how things — for the left as surely as the right — always circle back to the same color of green.

— Carl Mumpower
Asheville

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12 thoughts on “Letter writer: Council primary reveals ‘Progressives in Name Only’

  1. Lulz

    LOL, it takes a special kind of intellect for anyone who claims to be a lefty loonie to think that Asheville is progressive lulz. Lefty loonies can live in big houses, use lots of energy and resources, travel all over, and yet accuse everyone else of being against climate change LOL. And those big houses that they remodel and repaint as soon as they move in create pollution too; that’s if they don’t tear them down first lulz. Then they use this term privilege a lot but why is it that they, who have easy lives and are the most privileged of all, don’t think it applies to them?

  2. SomeoneWithCents

    Wow, someone has sense in this world. Shame you didn’t win in the primary… better luck next time.

  3. James

    Give it up Carl, you lost. It’s time to move on and find something new to occupy your time. Running for city council was a waste of your time: Asheville’s demographics are not what they were when you used to get elected. The voting majority in the city limits now is the most radical, far-left base of the democrat party and those people see republicans, conservatives and tea party people as a bigger threat than islamic terrorists. I think you’re also wrong about the content of this letter. The voices of moderation and reason are about to be extinct on the city council of Asheville. Asheville will always have beautiful mountains, Biltmore and nice Art Deco architecture but I predict that in five years, it will look a lot like San Francisco with drug addicted trustafarians all over the downtown and surrounding neighborhoods.

    Taxpaying citizens with pro-family values, you need to seriously think about moving – life is going to get progressively worse for you (pun intended) if you stay in the city limits of Asheville.

    • Lulz

      LOL, have you seen the lefty loonies on the county level? It’s not any better nor is someone unaccountable to the taxpaying citizen and that’s the county manager Wanda Green, liable for all the lefty loonie things happening there lulz. Which she has more control over than most think. And why any person has so much control over the purse, is appointed by the commissioners, and does not ever have to seek approval from the taxpayers is a farce like no other lulz.

    • Big Al

      Five years? Downtown is ALREADY overrun with drug-addled dreadlock-clad white trash. Not to mention the loud, drunken, vomiting yuppies and smelly bums. I predict that we will have a hotel room surplus shortly as word gets out that downtown Asheville is no longer safe for foot traffic during warm weather.

  4. The Real World

    Well said, C Mumpower….and it is, oh so, true. As an independent, I have had conversations with so many Democrats over the last 20 years and remain astonished at how devoid of basic reality so many are. Utterly and blindly brand loyal….as their favorite elected officials sell them out and they don’t even notice.

    At least many of the Repubs are willing to acknowledge and lament the short-shrift from their own as I heard several do 10 years ago when Bush Jr was spending billions like a fool on at least one needless war.

    You’re right, the dollar always wins in the end. It’s time to throw some cold water in the faces of those who just aren’t getting that. At least you’re trying.

  5. ashevillain7

    If they’re ‘progressives in name only’ then doesn’t that mean they are more like you, Carl? And weren’t you running a “because balance matters” campaign? You wanted to be the single red stick figure in the middle of 6 blue stick figures. Now that you didn’t get elected, those blue stick figures aren’t quite as blue? Interesting.

    I guess we can also wring our hands (or not) over candidates who talk one thing to get elected and do another when rejected!

  6. OneWhoKnows

    Don’t bother voting for a one of the six ‘progressives’ running for council…none of them are qualified and do NOT deserve
    ANY votes…boycott the council election…you won’t know the difference…

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