Republicans party at Bennett’s Vineyard | Eastern North Carolina Now

    The Beaufort County Republican Party held its first-annual Pig Pickin' and Wine Tasting Fundraiser at Bennett's Vineyard in Edward, about 20 miles southeast of Chocowinity, Saturday afternoon. A crowd of 100 drove the distance to see the beauty of the vineyard, mingle with their candidates, enjoy bluegrass-band Carolina Still, participate in a wine tasting and, in true southern style, pick the pig.


    Bennett Vineyard is a 112-acre working vineyard with 45 acres of muscadine and scuppernong grapevines, owned by Republicans Buddy and Helen Harrell. In the midst of the vines is a clearing with a bed and breakfast and a barn, where the crowd gathered to eat, drink and bask in their shared political philosophy.

    Carolina Still provided the main show, but many local candidates gave impromptu speeches before the party wound up. Between sets, Republican candidate for Beaufort County Sheriff Donald Dixon, Republican Beaufort County Commissioner Al Klemm, Republican candidate for N.C. House (District 6) Bill Cook, Republican Beaufort County Commissioner Stan Deatherage and Republican candidate for the U.S. House (District 12) Greg Dority all took turns at the mic.


    During his speech, Cook referred to Beaufort County's 10.1-percent unemployment rate and said that helping the jobless find employment was to be his primary focus, if elected.

    "Our unemployment in North Carolina has been above the national average for the last 10 years. We've got to fix the stuff," he said.


    Dority was confident that Cook, a political newcomer, could win his district. He said he felt just as sure of the other Republican candidates' electability, primarily because of the wave of discontent with the Democratic Party, which, instead of pulling the country out of recession, is taking it down for a double-dip.

    "We're going to be sitting here 53 days from now, and I can assure you, this will be the biggest election tsunami you've ever seen in your lives," said Dority. "This is a 100-year political cycle, and it is going to be big."


    Deatherage said that the Republican Party needed to get back to its core conservative ideology to bring the country out of the recession and move it forward to a sustained recovery.

    "In the past, Republicans have veered off the straight and narrow. And, for whatever reason, they didn't keep the country's thoughts first--they thought about their district," said Deatherage. "We've got to think about how we can right the ship in America, in North Carolina and in Beaufort County, and we're going to have to do it not by helping special interest, not by helping the folks back home; but by doing what's right, by keeping government small and trying to exist as a country of individuals who are trying to do their best. And the only way we can get government off our backs is to stop begging government to help us."


    Republican candidate for N.C. Senate (District 1)Hood Richardson and Republican candidate for U.S. Congress (District 1)Ashley Woolard were not at the fundraiser, as they had prior obligations.     Tickets to the fundraiser were $15 apiece. Republican Party Chairman Larry Britt said that the money collected would go into the Republican Party general fund. He did not have a total amount to report.

    "We're only carrying enough money to make it to the Reagan Day dinner in February," said Britt. "All our other money will be spent on candidates or other projects, like early voting signs."

    The Harrell's donated the location, the wine and an 85-pound pig for the event. They said that next year they hoped to at least double the crowd and cook two pigs.