It’s time for new leadership in N.C.’s 11th Congressional District

It seems that by now we should all grasp Rep. Shuler’s accomplishments and gravitas after his four years on the job and the tremendous amount of national media attention he’s received. I have seen some of the “big win” items that Shuler lists on his website. I’ve learned about his “mountain values,” and I’ve been monitoring his public statements.

I actually feel that Shuler sincerely believes he is doing God's work on our behalf. Indeed, he and many of his supporters might one day publicly claim as much. As a taxpayer and citizen, for some reason, I like to see politicians actually prove their various activities are beneficial for the greatest number of their constituents.

It may be that one day soon we will all catch the Shuler vision and internalize his infectious sense of humor and finally see the upside of Shulertarianism or whatever. Until I wake up to all that, I feel citizens of North Carolina’s 11th Congressional District should consider new representation in the U.S. House.

I've written something I call the "Citizen Memorandum Regarding the Shuler Stratagem" (citizensfornc11.tumblr.com ). I helped lead the way for Shuler, but now I have limited interest in politics these days. I especially hope I never have to read anything about Shuler or have to try to track him forming thoughts on TV. Few of us can afford to spend time on such things. There’s one exception: Shuler’s 2012 Democratic primary concession speech.

Good luck if you want credible representation for the district you live in.

— Grant Millin
Asheville

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23 thoughts on “It’s time for new leadership in N.C.’s 11th Congressional District

  1. Same Sam

    I also would like to see Schuler’s concession speech in 2012. IMO the only reason he was reelected in 2010 was because he is so pro-gun, didn’t put his party affiliation on flyers he mailed out just before the election touting his pro-gun stance, and acts like a conservative sometimes. Hopefully, once WNC fully internalizes the damage he has done to this country by voting for Obamacare, they will show him the door and elect someone that has more sense.

  2. Ashevegasjoe

    Shuler didn’t vote for The Affordable Healthcare Act (called “obamacare” by brainwashed robots). He also didn’t vote for the repeal, which is what most conservatives dislike. He takes the easy way out on every vote. I have written him several times to voice my displeasure in his inability to vote with Dems on key issues. He would rather pander to conservatives, who in turn vote Republican– great strategy. If the GOP would put forward a decent candidate, Shuler will be kicked to the curb. Shuler has managed to anger both conservatives and liberals–brilliant!

  3. Same Sam

    Shuler didn’t vote for The Affordable Healthcare Act (called “obamacare” by brainwashed robots).

    A smug liberal labeling as brainwashed robots those who call The “Affordable” Healthcare Act Obamacare is amusing. I’m sure the root of such careless excess is an emotional reaction to the feeling of being threatened by others who don’t validate their worldview. It’s perfectly clear that smug liberals are content with deceitful speech as long as it furthers their agenda (and isn’t uttered by conservatives), and the mindless regurgitation of worn-out slurs against those who see through their lies.

  4. Grant Millin

    The only reason Shuler was elected at all was because the Democratic Party establishment recruited him and has presented him as the only alternative since. Shuler actually benefitted greatly by ex-Speaker Pelosi’s courageous work on ethics reform. In October 2006, ethics reform was the major concern of Americans. That played against Taylor, and by then Shuler had his walk on role. All that had to be done by 2005 and early 2006 was find an ex-NFL player and real estate investor to fit into the supposed status quo NC 11 political calculation.

    Easy shmeesy breezy.

    I supported him, because Taylor, Mumpower and Miller were the alternatives. At first I had hopes for Shuler, but four years is enough to judge a politician. We all deserve a more meaningful formula for developing leaders and success criteria set.

    It was MX that titled this LTTE as “It’s time for new leadership in N.C.’s 11th Congressional District”. I actually titled it in my original submission as simply “The Shuler Stratagem”. While I appreciate media covering my thoughts, and it’s a relatively minor quibble, “It’s time for new leadership…” sounds pretty urgent.

    Editor’s note: Mountain Xpress does not endorse the following strategies >

    What I mean by putting out the image of someone else winning the 2012 NC11 Democratic primary right now is that such an actuality will take time. [Btw, I would not mind a smart, ethically and morally engaged person winning the NC11 via GOP or independent labels. I just don’t see who that candidate would be. Most Republicans and independents seem to want to take us into the past.] Starting right now to move in that direction will be necessary because there’s a lot to do.

    One glaring issue is that there’s no primary candidate, obviously. The idea of Citizens for NC 11 [ citizensfornc11.tumblr.com ] is that the citizens take the lead rather than characters like Clinton, Emmanuel and the Petersons. It is possible that citizens can gather their resources, define some of the principles they want a congressional candidate to hold, and be ready to encourage and support a genuine moderate with a good head on their shoulders to represent our will. That might really encourage a good person to come forward.

    Most importantly, we need to support such candidates (or more than one hopefully) coming forward in the next 3-6 months. That’s not early thee days by any means. A longer campaign need not exhaust the personal resources (emotional and well as financial), provided there’s a solid support system for him/her. But in order to win, a longer campaign is necessary.

    Everything’s happening via social media regarding what, if anything, CfNC11 might become. Citizens for NC 11 is about solutions for the 11th Congressional District, North Carolina. If you have positive solutions please communicate with CfNC11 through Facebook [ http://tinyurl.com/4rpl2tc ] and Twitter [ http://twitter.com/CitizensforNC11 ] to learn more. There is no fancy website. If an acceptable board with some fundraising capacity forms and wants CfNC11 to be a 501c3, 501c4 or 527, that’s great. But right now there is no organization. There is no outside funding.

    Citizens for NC 11 literally means the citizens are ‘for’ our congressional district in a positive manner (one would hope so). I have always wanted to see people-driven campaigns locally and candidates in much more of a servant leader role. Most critical, most of us should already know our candidates. The time of back room conversations that produce the status quo candidate should be over. We certainly ought to at least recognize the deleterious results of ‘candidate-via-clique-stratagem’.

    I hope the public turns the idea of CfNC11, or something like it, into positive solutions. Such a regional movement need not be focused only on beating Shuler and I hope is something we can all rely on well into the future.

    While not the first person on the scene, I helped expand this movement of generally questioning and offering alternative conclusions in the face of our local political regimes, but others will have to do the work. I sacrificed a lot regarding Taylor and cannot do that again. It really just takes a little effort and resource sharing here and there. If we wait for emergencies to pop up, then it’s a struggle. You get burned out fast because most of the factors are already immutable. The long game is how leaders think.

    Shuler simply was not the result I had hoped for. I literally gave him books to read on subjects like healthcare policy and other issues. Shuler seems too rigid, too bent on a serving a loud minority, and simply unable to reasonably extrapolate when faced with complexity and uncertainty: All bad signs in a government leader.

    Thanks,

    Grant

  5. Grant Millin

    Hey Ashevegasjoe and Same Sam,

    The minimalizing slur ‘Obamacare’ actually refers to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), in most cases.

    Beyond that, you both seem to want an improvement over Shuler’s representation. I encourage dialogue that includes actual solutions.

    I too have to control my desire to talk down to those whose value to American political, policy and innovation analysis I otherwise question. I suggest we all take a deep breath and trying doing things differently. It may be less exhausting as well. We’ll need the extra energy going forward. – G

  6. Same Sam

    The minimalizing slur ‘Obamacare’ actually refers to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), in most cases.

    IMO associating Obama’s name with anything creates a self-minimalizing slur. That’s just the nature of the beast. No, seriously, do you really think Obamacare is a slur? Oh my, my. Where was this sanctimonious etiquette and decorum from the left when Bush was Prez? (not that I’m anything close to a Bush fan)

    Here’s the self-evident solution for ensuring Schuler isn’t reelected – Don’t vote for him.

    And finally, when you say “We’ll need the extra energy going forward”, what do you mean “we”, Kimosabe?

  7. Grant Millin

    “We” can be us, Same Sam. I won’t say more than that. We’ll keep it simple (not that you need to be spoken to in simplistic terms). Good?

  8. “I feel citizens of North Carolina’s 11th Congressional District should consider new representation in the U.S. House.”

    I couldn’t agree more. Vote for Dr. Dan Eichenbaum for District 11.
    ………………………..

  9. Grant Millin

    Dr. Eichenbaum seems to say some things a lot of people would agree with. I’ve seen him on URTV and have reviewed his website. I see some online TEA Party notes that he is going for the NC 11 seat again in 2012. You seem to be confirming that as well, Tim.

    Maybe I’ll be on an open dialogue panel with him one day as part of my Citizens for NC 11 experiment.

    G

  10. Ashevegasjoe

    Sam,
    If my post struck you as “careless excess”, I’m guessing you enjoy hyperbole. Thanks for not refuting any of the corrections I made to your erroneous post. For the record: opposing world views don’t threaten me, they interest me, and I prefer the term “liberal elitist”, it’s way more euphonious than “smug liberal”.

  11. Bjorn

    Today Shuler voted with the Republicans (golleeee Surprise, Surorise, Surprise!) today to defund Planned Parenthood. It’s time to elect a Real Democrat. Not a Democrat in name only when a business deal might benefit them. I’ll vote next time for ANYONE, but him!

  12. Grant Millin

    I would be the last person to discount Cecil’s esteemed ethical, political, or policy analysis capabilities simply because he (or anyone) is an atheist. But he has been on national media confirming that he’s an atheist.

    Please don’t feel that all Christians want to just exclude people for personal business that is otherwise not prosecutable (expect on the ‘prosecute’ wish lists one could imagine of groups like the Center for Christian Statesmanship), but Cecil would be hard to support as a Member of Congress.

    I could probably come up with a few other reasons. One being he may have no interest in dealing to DC politics and hanging out up there.

  13. bill smith

    [i]Hopefully, once WNC fully internalizes the damage he has done to this country by voting for Obamacare, [/i]

    You mean damage to the debt, which it will reduce, right?

    Or do you mean ‘damage to the credibility of those who claimed it was going to bankrupt our country’?

  14. bill smith

    [i]do you really think Obamacare is a slur? [/i]

    Do you really mean to imply you don’t intend it to be, in the same way the Republican drones called the health legislation introduced under Clinton “HillaryCare’???

  15. bill smith

    [i]Cecil would be hard to support as a Member of Congress. [/i]

    Would he? Often a more progressive candidate running can help encourage the more ‘centrist’ candidate to pay more attention to those on the left instead of pandering to those on the right who don’t vote for him anyway.

    He wouldn’t likely win any time soon, but he could frame the debate further to the interests of the people.

  16. Grant Millin

    Hey Bill,

    It might be hard to get an NC 11 majority behind Cecil in the primary… AND the 11/12 GOP contest.  Does Cecil say and do things that a whole bunch of people around here DO appreciate?  Yes.

    I don’t adopt each and every thought and policy any politician puts out (don’t imagine anyone does, even most GOP folk).   But Cecil is someone I actually rate pretty high.

    I don’t know if Citizens for NC 11 will help, but Cecil was the first person I invited to get input from.  He only posted a comment on the CfNC11 Facebook Page, but I am always interested in what he has to say and I replied to his post…  in relative agreement.

    Like a lot of us, Cecil tried to be supportive of Shuler.  I have publicly endorsed Shuler at least once myself.  (Albeit, my voice is pretty minor in such matters.)  Everyone wanted make sure we didn’t end up with a Taylor, Mumpower or Miller representing us; and the recent Dem primary challengers haven’t gotten the job done.  We were willing to meet Shuler halfway.  But Shuler has turned out to be JACW (Just Another Culture Warrior), and JACWs cause serious harm and disruption.

    Now we all have to come up with a plan for creditable representation.  I encourage folks to ask local politicians to get involved right now in this effort to get NC 11 back on track in a significant, serious manner.  

    A LOT of people will have to admitt to falling for The Shuler Stratagem… especially the people who wrote the plan for Shuler (i.e. Clinton, certain local power brokers… conservatives and environmentalists both).  

    Patsy Keever just made it to Raliegh, but she’ll be able to run for Shuler’s seat next year.  David Ganntt just endorsed Shuler, but I would think he’d make for a good, genuine moderate candidate.  

    Cecil has every right to run as well.

  17. bill smith

    Why did you address that screed to me? It doesnt really seem to relate to my points, except in the most vague way.

  18. Bill Fallstaff

    I like Rep Shuler just fine, as do the majority of voters in his district. Transplanted “progressives” notwithstanding. The politics of Chicago and Massachusetts are not reflected here in the South. Now, before you liberals get on your high horses, consider that people are not relocating to Chicago, New Jersey, New York and points northeast. They are leaving those regions for HERE simply because your liberal politics has not worked in your home areas. We know better. God, family, community, libertarian politics. So please, just relax and pay attention to our local traditions. We will show you why the South has remained a good place to live.

  19. Ashevegasjoe

    Hey Bill,
    I’ve been in the south my whole life, my great grandfather farmed in Georgia. If you want to talk about tradition, please realize there have also always existed liberals. There have been people from the south who bucked the status quo, fought for integration, ran the klan out, and currently don’t want to be labeled with a broad brush. Not all liberals are transplants, and liberal policies like social security and medicare are pretty popular in the south.
    Also, people are moving here because it’s a beautiful place to live, not because they’re fleeing failed political states.

  20. Brad Burleson

    Mr. Fallstaff – I was born and raised in Banner Elk. I’m a Democrat, as are my parents and as were my grandparents. Local traditions have nothing to do with any political party. tight-knit families arent made by a D or an R by their names. I was always taught to say Sir and Ma’am and to respect others beliefs even If I dont agree with them. None of that has jack to do with having a D or an R as your political party. I was raised to be a good neighbor, no matter where your neighbor is from. Could be NJ could be GA. The south has remained a good place to live despite those who might try to make it all about politics, cause guess what, it isnt.

  21. I’ve been in the south my whole life, my great grandfather farmed in Georgia.

    My great grandad lived in Cades Cove, does that get me a pony?

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