Comments for Making Republican Sausage | Eastern NC Now

Whether I'm frying in the frying pan or burning in the fire, it's not a good place to be. The kinds of options being presented are a brand of politics similar to the type of threats found in extortion games or mafia protection rackets. I don't see much future in a Republican Party offering this as standard fare. Beaufort County Republican Party infrastructure needs reformation badly.

Conservatism will exist with or without the local Republican Party, but it would be nice if primaries weren't more vicious and more conniving than general elections. As crazy as Beetle is, local conservatives are probably more hated by some 'fellow' Republicans than by her. Think about that.

Even with this insane political situation bubbling in the local caldron I have plenty to be thankful for on this Thanksgiving 2025.

Commented: Thursday, November 27th, 2025 @ 8:55 am By: Van Zant

It seems like an "out of the frying pan into the fire" situation with the House primary. We have an incumbent who stands firm on conservative principle in the legislature and takes leadership roles in stopping liberal establishment crap, but has thrown his weight around within the local party in ways that have not helped local conservatives. We have a challenger put into the race by the worst of the worst RINOs in Raleigh who could thus never be trusted on what he would do in the legislature even if he regurgitates what the consultants tell him to say in the primary. On top of that, his sponsors are even worse than our present incumbent in throwing their weight around in their own local parties to push the liberals and gut conservatives, so why would we believe their recruit here would not do the same if he got in?

Commented: Wednesday, November 26th, 2025 @ 8:50 pm By: Conservative Voter

What we want out of the legislature is conservative policy. We get that by electing people who vote conservative principles in Raleigh. We DON'T get it by electing the placeman of the biggest establishment liberal RINO goober in Raleigh, Phil Berger and his anti-gun sidekick Jimmy Dixon. Policy matters a whole lot more than someone's hurt feelings over something.

Commented: Wednesday, November 26th, 2025 @ 7:30 pm By: John Steed

IF someone is in state government, like a state legislator, the place they are going to have the most impact is at the state level, not at the local level. Performance there is what matters most. Looking at what happens within the GOP locally matters to a point, but it is tunnel vision when considering the overall impact on the conservative cause.

Similarly, when I look at a county commission or school board race, what those candidates think and do on state matters are not a huge concern, because the main place they have real impact is locally. If someone is a solid conservative on the county commission or school board, I could easily overlook something like their working for an establishment dud like Whatley or Murphy. For them it is what they do locally that matters most.

Commented: Wednesday, November 26th, 2025 @ 4:33 pm By: John Steed

Wondering if borderhawk attended the county convention this summer?

Commented: Wednesday, November 26th, 2025 @ 9:30 am By: Jeff Williamson

This Jonathan Russell character can resign whenever he wishes, however, he just canNOT receive any additional taxpayer monies until an investigation is conducted as why and how this has come to pass.

I know enough about local government to sense improprieties may be afoot, and if I, as a Beaufort County Commissioner and as a City of Washington tax payer, cannot see a purely proper governing path to this, arguably speaking, additional fleecing of the City of Washington taxpayers, I will raise a mighty and sustained objection, and I will object to the lengths of my ability to do so.

Commented: Tuesday, November 25th, 2025 @ 1:01 pm By: Stan Deatherage

Washington needs a forensic audit of its books. Maybe we need to get the state auditor involved. Either they or an outside attorney needs to look into this severance scam and get the city's money back.

Commented: Monday, November 24th, 2025 @ 6:28 pm By: John Steed

Washingtonian, you are trying to put my words in Kidwell's mouth. Those are my words, and I stand by them. Internal party matters here matter a whole lot less to the impact on our lives than what is done in the General Assembly. Turning over positions in Raleigh to strengthen the likes of Phil Berger and Jimmy Dixon is nothing short of an attack on conservatism.

Oh, and if you have your nose out of joint on local internal party matters you might want to talk to a conservative activist in Rockingham County (Berger) or Duplin County (Dixon). You will find a LOT MORE heavy handed manipulation in those local parties by Berger and Dixon than anything Kidwell has been accused of here. And they are the ones who have anointed this Berger Boy challenger to Kidwell.

Commented: Monday, November 24th, 2025 @ 1:22 pm By: Conservative Voter

When one is local, and having their small town local toes stepped on by big shots, it doesn't feel like small potatoes. If we local people are small potatoes to Kidwell, then that is another reason to vote all the scoundrels out.
I wonder if recent poster, "RoadKill" has thought of filing an ethics complaint to the NC Legislature.
**All small potatoes around the World UNITE! ;-)

But the truth is: When the top dogs of a SMALL community begin to think of the locals as small potatoes, is it any wonder that this
disrespectful attitude spreads like wildfires into all the Govt's Departments, to include the regional offices of the State of NC's Departmental Agencies located in Washington,NC.
We really need a reset!

Commented: Monday, November 24th, 2025 @ 12:46 pm By: Washingtonian

Having talked to some sources in Hyde County, where the Berger recruit against Kidwell is from, I am told that when he was in Hyde County, Berger's recruit was a big time Marc Basnight Democrat. Since he has come to Beaufort County, he seems to have re-registered "Republican" but has anybody EVER seen him at any type of Republican meeting or event? He appears to have the same sort of background as Frankie Waters or Randy Walker. We have seen this movie before and we know how it ends.

Commented: Monday, November 24th, 2025 @ 11:15 am By: Rino Hunter

Kidwell's lifetime conservative score on the Civitas index is the BEST in the legislature. He stands strong on conservative issues in Raleigh and the record shows it. As chairman of the House Freedom Caucus, he is one of the top leaders of House conservatives. That is why he has a target on his back from liberal establishment "Republican" power bully Senate boss Phil Berger and why Berger's henchman, liberal anti-gun establishment hack Jimmy Dixon recruited this so-called "well regarded" chnllenger. Only the establishment could call him "well regarded".

The Berger Boys are trying to take out 6 conservatives in House primaries to intimidate House members to not stand up against Berger. Anyone who participates in that is nothing but a liberal and an opponent of conservatism. Kidwell is just one of Berger's targets..

I don't agree with everything Kidwell has done in local party politics, but that is small potatoes compared to Berger's scheme to castrate conservative influence in the legislature.

Commented: Monday, November 24th, 2025 @ 9:42 am By: Conservative Voter

Washington: You are right - "all politics are local." I say that oft repeated phrase far more than once every month.

Commented: Monday, November 24th, 2025 @ 9:21 am By: Stan Deatherage