Comments for Is it good deeds or words that get us past the Pearly Gates? | Eastern North Carolina Now

In truth, there is a lot of middle ground on how the local party used its resources in the last election. There were three major groups of spending party funds, as the published reports to the Board of Elections show. The first one, the $14,000 that has been mentioned, was a very poor use of resources, but the other two were effective. The second set of expenditures was made up of party raised money and second in size, while the last one came from two generous contributors and was around $5,000.

Chairwoman Carolyn Garris played a major role in seeing that the second set of expenditures was used for what it should have been. She took the bull by the horns to head off any attempt to use it like the first round, the $14,000. As a result, the second round provided funds for a get out the vote mailer to Beaufort County GOP voters for the entire ticket, funds for mailings for the two contested school board races, and money for a radio campaign on behalf of the sheriff candidate, Scott Hammonds. That money was directed at local voters. Thanks to a couple of very generous contributors we also got the third wave of spending, which included a mailer on behalf of the sheriff's race, and a radio campaign for the school board candidates. Chairwoman Garris was also very involved in getting all of that accomplished, too.

The diversion of the $14,000 mostly to statewide judicial campaigns was orchestrated by First Vice Chairman Paul Varcoe. There are guesses at who else may or may not have been involved but they are only guesses. Unfortunately, one of the proposals of the orginal committee that was cast aside when Varcoe prevailed was a radio campaign on the issue of crime that had been designed to help both the statewide judicial ticket AND our local sheriff candidate. This would have given both a lot more punch than just writing checks to a statewide campaign committee.

Because judicial ethics rules largely prevent judicial candidates from running on issues, it is always more effective to spend money on their behalf raising issues that they are hamstrung on raising themselves from their own campaigns. This is why the NC Republican Party has a Judicial Campaign Fund, so they can run their own advertising raising issues that the candidates are prevented from raising directly. It is also why many other GOP organizations do the same thing. It is why giving most of that $14,000 directly to the official campaign organizations of each judicial candidate was the least effective way that money could have been spent on those races in terms of trying to do something to actually win those races. And the campaign records show that when those Supreme Court candidates were distributed shares of that Beaufort County GOP $14,000, each one was already sitting on well into six figures of cash on hand, with professional fundraising consultants out beating the bushes statewide for more. They were NOT "out of money" as the county executive committee was falsely told to try to justify diverting the money to them.

The county commission race was not a logical place to spend money because the math dictated that there would be two Republicans and one Democrat elected. The Democrat base vote will always elect one Democrat if only one Democrat is on the ballot. If three Republicans equally divide all of the swing vote plus the Republican base vote, that equals significantly less than just the Democrat base vote. This awful limited voting system guarantees the Democrat that seat as long as their vote is united in one candidate. The only real question in that election is which two of the three on the Republican ticket will join that Democrat. We need to either hope more Democrats file to split their base vote or change the system if we want a shot at winning all the seats.

In my opinion, county GOP efforts contributed siginificantly to at least one of the school board victories and to the sheriff's race victory. We had a first rate candidate in Scott Hammonds, but we had some usual GOP voters with their noses out of joint from the primary. The efforts by the county party and by Rep. Keith Kidwell helped get those voters upset from the primary back into the GOP fold for the general election. The county party funded the early Kidwell ads on behalf of Hammonds, and then Keith got out and raised more money where by election day, his efforts had brought in even more than the party put into it. Working as a team we helped solidify Republican voters behind our nominee.

The bottom line? Are people rightly upset about what happened to that $14,000? Absolutely. But in other respects, did the party spend money efficiently and effectively to elect our local ticket and to turn out local votes for our statewide ticket? Absolutely.

Commented: Wednesday, March 22nd, 2023 @ 10:51 am By: Steven P. Rader

What the last county commission election was about was whether Republicans would regain control of the county commission or whether it would remain captured by the Democrats and their allies. If Deatherage and Dunn won, then we could get a functioning Republican majority. If Langley's stooge Waters won, the Democrats would keep effective control of the county commission. Frankie Waters is no more a Republican than Liz Cheney is a Republican. Waters is an infiltrator who is functionally still the Democrat he was most of his life. He is like the boy who pretends to be a girl to play girl's sports. Waters is a pretend Republican whose role is to get actual control of county government for the Democrats.

Commented: Wednesday, March 22nd, 2023 @ 7:33 am By: Rino Hunter

???? I did not comment on that PAC, only on the local GOP. The commissioners' race had two Democrats, only one of them masquerades as a "Republican", Frankie Waters. Waters is Jerry Langley in whiteface. Not a dime's worth of difference.

Commented: Tuesday, March 21st, 2023 @ 9:32 pm By: Conservative Voter

I heard lots of great radio ads from Keith Kidwell backing Scott Hammonds and received a great postcard from the NC Republican Party backing Scott, but never did see anything from the county GOP. Kidwell and the NCGOP played a big role in helping Scott get elected.

There may have been more than one tranche of money spent, and some of it may well have gone to useful purposes, but writing checks to statewide campaigns that are already flush with money and ignoring local political needs with that $14,000 is not smart politics or a wise use of local money. That is particularly true when a county party officer stands up and falsely claims those campaigns are "out of money" to try to justify it.

Commented: Tuesday, March 21st, 2023 @ 2:37 pm By: Conservative Voter

Hello Conservative Voter, thanks to the Beaufort County Republican Party, the citizens celebrated a successful election. Hood’s PAC used almost all the funds they raised to attack fellow Republicans and to reimburse himself for copies, etc. Didn’t work too well for them. The Republican Party donated money to the candidate for sheriff, Supreme Court candidates, school board candidates, and had boots on the ground from beginning to end. You know you are spreading misinformation and not the whole story. It’s unfortunate that Stan has tied himself so closely with Hood, but time will tell the impact on each one. I would suggest responses be screenshot. Wishing everyone a good day. God bless. Hood would not even pay $10 for a plate of bbq to support the Republican candidate for sheriff.

Commented: Tuesday, March 21st, 2023 @ 2:09 pm By: Conservative in Red

Donna: It is still Deatherage, I am still a native of Beaufort County, and I am still a Conservative county commissioner.

There are NO glitches in this comment section of this proprietary Symbiotic Publisher. All members can edit their comments, and delete them as well if they do so wish.

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Commented: Tuesday, March 21st, 2023 @ 1:08 pm By: Stan Deatherage

Big Bob: I can't speak for "The Hood" (yes really), but I do not "suffer fools gladly;" not in this sorry political climate where fools abound.

If that equates to "sporting above average egos," you might better up your game.

Commented: Tuesday, March 21st, 2023 @ 11:20 am By: Stan Deatherage

Donna: The truth of the matter is that my name is Deatherage not Deathridge / Stan Deatherage ... and always has been.

I am a Beaufort County Commissioner for 7 terms, and I am a Conservative, with a voting record as such. We have two Conservatives on the Beaufort County Board of Commissioners.

Neither one of us aspire to 'Communism.'

Once again, the name is Deatherage; I am from Beaufort County, North Carolina.

Commented: Tuesday, March 21st, 2023 @ 10:57 am By: Stan Deatherage

Sorry Mr Deathridge, nice communistic move like the left trying to dumb down truth. Fix the glitch with your program. I only posted 3 comments and each was different with the last saying that Mr Richardson is going to be prayed for everyday. Have an awesome day!

Mr Richardson, yes, your comment is scary, I agree. So do you mind telling us to whom you’re spiritually accountable?

Commented: Tuesday, March 21st, 2023 @ 8:33 am By: Donna

I was going to use an alias but I figured why bother!! Last time I made a comment I used an alias and everyone knew who I was and had my name published because of the person running this papers bias. Hood, I read your comment and I have important comments. #1: You are talking flippantly about “The pearly gates” when you yourself said that I follow a “mythical creature” who you referred God to. So please… don’t use God & Godly mentions or referrals of Him in your political spins!! You only talk about “religious things” when you want people to have a reverence for you and your opinion. You’re loosing your grip on people whose eyes are being opened to you. When I read part of this I agreed, educating people on the importance of local politics was awesome. Hats off to you. But that quickly turned to my head spinning from the “crap” & lies you’re telling people about the only true BC Republican GOP in NC. I have attended these meetings & it was NOT stated like you said. Stop lying!

Commented: Tuesday, March 21st, 2023 @ 6:34 am By: Donna

Commented: Monday, March 20th, 2023 @ 12:48 pm By: Donna

Again with the lies and misinformation to try and benefit yourself. The Beaufort County Republican Party supported all Republican candidates during the past election. I saw the Beaufort County Republican Party at the Board of Elections working for all candidates. I saw your PAC out there only supporting the ones you wanted. You were attacking fellow Republicans and smearing their names with nasty banners and articles. I’m surprised charges for party disloyalty charges have not been brought against you. I pray that God will come into your heart and remove the hate and anger that resides within you. The citizens of Beaufort County are getting sick of your lies and nastiness. You just want people you can control to do your dirty work. It is my hope you will not be re-elected as commissioner. As you said, you are older than President Biden. Time for new leadership and someone that actually cares about the citizens in this county.

Commented: Monday, March 20th, 2023 @ 1:27 pm By: Conservative in Red

Mr Richardson…. Please, walk no run towards the Altar of Forgiveness that God has provided for you. He loves you and desires the truth to live in you. You are made in His image and He loves you Hood Richardson since the day you were conceived. If you chose to have truth and the good of the people in your heart, you’d be a man of integrity I’d stand behind who represented the Kingdom of God and for the good of all.
I pray that the above happens.. and guess what? God has placed you in my heart to pray for everyday. Open the door…. He’s knocking.

Commented: Monday, March 20th, 2023 @ 12:58 pm By: Donna

I am wiling to allow Republicans to make their own decision about who is lying and who is not lying. All they have to do is use common sense, and keep their eyes open.

There is no doubt the Beaufort County Republican Party is infested with liars. Make up your own mind as to who they are.

No one has to believe me. Make up you own mind.

Commented: Monday, March 20th, 2023 @ 12:06 pm By: Hood Richardson

I am not lying.

I have already had conversation about the difference between ignorance n stupidity as it relates to this article

As for religion, we should run at it, not from it.

Commented: Monday, March 20th, 2023 @ 9:24 am By: Hood Richardson