Claude Pope: An Unacceptible Vision for the NC GOP | Eastern North Carolina Now

    Publisher's note: This is Wyatt's first opinion on politics, and in it he has waxed hot and true, and who should he take on in this maiden flight - none other than the chairman of the NC GOP - Claude Pope.

    Claude Pope, Chairman of the N. C. Republican Party, embarrassed himself and the Republican Party last week in a press release in which he called for the termination of host D. G. Martin from WUNC-TV. Not only did he embarrass the GOP by making it look like, once again, that the Establishment in Raleigh cannot withstand any criticism, but he did so without checking his facts first. Worse still, he revealed an unacceptable vision of what his job is.

    WRAL-TV has the story and you can review it by clicking here.

    As WRAL reports, Martin immediately apologized for offending the GOP and made no excuses. An official with WUNC pointed out that Martin is not an employee of WUNC and did not report his comments on his show on that station. In other words, Martin's comments that offended Pope were not connected to WUNC except that Martin coincidentally works at WUNC.

    Whether he is paid or not is not the issue. The issue is that he was not acting in his capacity as a member of the WUNC team when he made his comments. It is regrettable that Mr. Pope could not have distinguished the roles. But even if he were offering his opinion on WUNC, that is no reason for Pope to try to stifle him. Mr. Pope apparently sees everyone through a filter of "if you're not for me 100% you are The Enemy."

    But this is not the first time that Mr. Pope stereotyped individuals with this "guilt by association" thinking. He recently acted against a nominee for a Republican political office because the individual is associated with a publication (our partner the Beaufort Observer) that has published material critical of GOP leaders, never mind that it has also published more complimentary articles than critical ones. The GOP Establishment pulled the same stunt in a dispute within the Craven County GOP. In that case the Establishment also took a "sit down and shut up" approach - or more aptly put: "don't meet to discuss your grievances." And then there's former Chairman Robin Hayes's now infamous YouTube rant at the national convention to the North Carolina delegation in which he crudely conveyed the same message: "support your leadership ... regardless ... or shut up." And he, as does Mr. Pope apparently, defines support as never being critical. And then there's the "rules imbroglio" and on and on it goes.

    Mr. Pope apparently is not interested in honest, frank and candid discussion and debate of issues and is not willing to go head up in debate with critics, but rather seeks to impose censorship on those who might have a difference of opinion from his. That is not only regrettable, it is unacceptable for the supreme leader of a state's political party. One would think Mr. Pope would welcome debate as an opportunity to get his message out.

    In a very real sense, the issue here is not Mr. Martin's assessment of the GOP led Legislature. It does not matter whether he published his opinion in a tax supported medium, any more than if a person who works for Legislative leaders as a state employee defends his/her bosses, but rather the more important issue here is whether our top leaders are mature enough and secure enough in their positions to be willing to engage in a public debate. And whether they have enough confidence in their positions to welcome debate.

    Mr. Pope is wrong and foolish in his myopic view. He seeks to suppress disagreements and in doing so draws a stark corollary to precisely what Mr. Martin was saying - that the problem in Germany during the rise of Nazism was totalitarian suppression of dissent. (If that is offensive to Mr. Pope, we will welcome his responding with a rebuttal and will provide him equal space. Actually we will more space - all he could ever need.)

    No, Mr. Martin did not and does not owe either the Republican Party or "the people of North Carolina" an apology (as NCGOP spokesperson Mike Rusher is reported to have said). Rather it is Mr. Pope and Mr. Rusher, who owe Mr. Martin and the GOP an apology for making the GOP look insecure and myopic. In other words, Mr. Pope embarrassed the GOP by looking childish.

    But this issue is much bigger than a difference of opinion over respective assessments of the last legislative session.

    It goes to the vision Mr. Pope has of the Republican Party's leadership in North Carolina government. His failure to use this opportunity to focus the message on the really constructive things the Legislature accomplished, and what more needs to be done, we fear exposes a real weakness in his view of the world.

    In a free society dissent is not suppressed. It is welcomed. It is used as a way to get a party's message out.

    But to subscribe to that mindset, one must have confidence in the people. One must have a healthy confidence in the people that if they get the correct information then they will discern the truth. It does not appear Mr. Pope has such confidence in the citizens of North Carolina. And while we'll save elaboration for another day, Mr. Pope's myopia does not bode well for his bringing the TEA Party and unaffiliated voters into the GOP tent. Many of these people register unaffiliated simply because they have disagreements with both parties. Communicating to them that "it's going to by my way or the highway" is not a winning strategy for the GOP.

    Mr. Martin may back down, but Mr. Pope can count on us not doing so.