Comments by Van Zant | Eastern NC Now

It's actually the opposite of what TBT is saying. The county commission is presently being controlled by an alliance of two recent Democrats with two still registered Democrats. That gives this coalition a four to three ruling majority. The Beaufort County Republican Party backs the two recent Democrats that changed to Republican to get elected. The misinformation is coming from TBT.

Commented: Tuesday, January 6th, 2026 @ 10:25 am By: Van Zant

Clearly, some of the party leaders do not abide by the plan of organization and operate by pushing their own personal agendas using the party as their platform. These party officers have disrespected the committee as a whole and have gone rogue - so far with no consequences. These atrocities must be addressed if the Beaufort County Republican Party is to retain any credibility. This is corrupt behavior. The violators need to answer for their crimes and receive punishment for their violations of trust.

Truely, there are major issues with abuse of power, maturity, ethics, fair play good sense, and a community mission within the confines of the party. And let's not forget outright dishonest hatefulness, oftentimes directed toward a long and growing list of native conservatives. At this time the Beaufort County Republican party is an embarrassment.

If good people on the committee do not find a way to address this monstrosity, this local institution should be shunned by honest people forever. If it comes to that, look at the harm done to the people of Beaufort County. It's bad enough now. It is imperative that confidence be restored for the good of Beaufort County. Isn't that what we all should be working for?

Obviously, some of the people involved are not in it for the right reasons. Such people must not be allowed to hold power without the rights to that power. In fact, no one has the right to usurp power.

Commented: Tuesday, December 30th, 2025 @ 4:34 pm By: Van Zant

Speaking of PACs: The Beaufort County Republican Party operates like a PAC instead of like a political party. Executive Committee? Just ignore them! They are a completely rogue outfit.

Commented: Sunday, December 28th, 2025 @ 8:27 am By: Van Zant

"Birds of a feather flock together" - Yes, we can see what is being talked about. We can also see another flock of birds that is not being talked about. That flock is systematically at odds with many of our local conservative officeholders. Are we to believe that one race should get all encompassing priority while sacrificing all other conservatives? That is insane. Why are many of us needlessly being put in this position?

Why is one conservative and his hateful flock actively at odds with all local conservatives? This makes no sense. Conservatives are being sold the notion that everyone should sacrifice themselves for this one office. Voters are being asked to abandon every conservative save one. That's madness. We are to self-sacrifice everything for this "deity." Why are we being told to do this?

Commented: Saturday, December 27th, 2025 @ 9:45 am By: Van Zant

CV: I'm 100% with commercial fishermen. Still, there are things I do not understand.

Does a good voting record in Raleigh give someone license to do ANYTHING back home? The offender would do himself a political favor by concentrating on his job in Raleigh and ceasing his Beaufort County political machine activities. As long as he holds a knife to the throats of local conservatives, local conservatives have strong reasons not to support him. Why does he insist on doing it? Does he feel threatened? Is it a deep-seated hatred of native conservatives? You tell me. I'm not a psychiatrist.

Commented: Friday, December 26th, 2025 @ 1:52 pm By: Van Zant

I heard the Beaufort County GOP meeting was a disaster. According to a long-term member, even the items already on the agenda were handled incompetently. The example he gave was the election of Board of Elections recommendations. He said it was done in a manner he had never seen before and was not done seriously. Even worse was the situation where relevant business was not on the agenda and was blocked from being allowed on the agenda. His summation was, "they are the mafia, except that there is more honor in the mafia."

With the influx of unsavory individuals on this committee in leadership positions many good and decent people have left. I'm guilty too. Good people need to come back. The Beaufort County Republican Party has hit rock bottom.

Commented: Tuesday, December 23rd, 2025 @ 4:38 am By: Van Zant

I remember a year or so back Mr. Hickman told the board about the Gadsden flag patch in a Colorado school incident where a student was suspended, and I think there was a lawsuit and the school system had to backtrack fast. Evidently, all that didn't mean much to five of the members. It is good to know there are four on the board that understand the importance of this issue. Still, it is disappointing that the board majority is a long way from free speech protections. I hope you can help them understand.

Commented: Saturday, December 20th, 2025 @ 7:48 pm By: Van Zant

Look for more of the same with both the North Carolina GOP and the Beaufort County GOP.

Commented: Saturday, December 20th, 2025 @ 7:37 am By: Van Zant

W: Our local government is like watching re-runs of Mash where Radar O'Reilly keeps getting Colonel Blake's signature for stuff he has no clue of. The local officials have forgotten how to lead.

Commented: Thursday, December 18th, 2025 @ 10:43 am By: Van Zant

How ironic that these hateful leftist goons want to convict Christians of hate speech.

Commented: Sunday, December 14th, 2025 @ 10:33 am By: Van Zant

How come this Republican majority county commission always elects a Repub that was a Democrat before he ran for office as Chairman, paired with a Democrat as Vice Chair? With this Republican majority, has a Republican EVER been allowed in a leadership position. This is OK with the local Republican Party?

This is simply one-party rule that is opposed to any Republican aligned with the Republican Party platform. If it meets the definition of fraud, perhaps it is.

Commented: Monday, December 8th, 2025 @ 7:57 pm By: Van Zant

CV and RH: Steve Rader and Charles Hickman both have pretty impressive resumes. Just looking at the Republican Party resume part, I know that both are former Republican Party District Chairmen. There's plenty more. I know that off the top of my head. I wonder just what could these self-proclaimed "true Republicans" have against them.

Commented: Saturday, December 6th, 2025 @ 4:11 pm By: Van Zant

The attacks leveled against Ms. Davis show just how much resistance there is in this county to public officials that do more than just go along to get along. Davis is being harassed for doing the job she was elected to do. Thanks to the Conservative Club for recognizing her efforts.

Commented: Tuesday, December 2nd, 2025 @ 11:00 pm By: Van Zant

RH: That's what my Methodist friends told me.

Commented: Sunday, November 30th, 2025 @ 4:35 pm By: Van Zant

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

Jeff: I heard about that. I've also been talking to some of the old timers. This stuff has been going on for a while despite promises back then of "bringing the party together" by some of the characters that are still around today. That turned out to be practices that reduced the ratio of conservatives on committees. By around 2019 that changed to just banning conservatives outright. The reality is, there are Republicans in this county way more interested in fighting conservatives than anything else.

I'm aware of similar issues in other counties and other places around the country, but I think Beaufort County has an especially virulent strain of this destructiveness.

Commented: Wednesday, November 26th, 2025 @ 8:19 pm By: Van Zant

CV: I hear you. I just don't understand the constant antagonization and the ongoing internal feuds against local conservatives. Is this some kind of agreement made between out of state chums that just don't like local folks, or is it something else? Whatever it is, it is harmful and disrespectful to our community.

While I agree with you on Kidwell's voting record in Raleigh, I do not agree with you about local politics being "small potatoes" and "petty." My home is the most important thing to me. I want MY choice of local representatives, and I do not want the people hating me to choose for me.

Commented: Monday, November 24th, 2025 @ 10:38 am By: Van Zant