By Guy Page
Lee Zeldin was a longtime U.S. Congressman before he ran for governor in New York and almost defeated Democrat Gov. Kathy Hochul. But perhaps more important in the long run, Zeldin galvanized the candidacies of Republican challengers to longtime Democratic members in the U.S. House of Representatives. With his help, N.Y. Republicans flipped four seats in the Congress – enough to push the GOP caucus into the House majority.
Zeldin spoke to the Chittenden County Republicans at a dinner in South Burlington last night. Beforehand, Vermont Daily Chronicle asked him, ‘what can Vermont do to become a more Republican state?’ His answer appears below, with minor edits for readability:
“I think that it’s important for the Republican Party to be earning the support of Independents and Democrats, by not pandering but telling people what our ideas are.
“Republicans didn’t earn a red wave nationally in 2022. I don’t blame Democrats. I blame Republicans for why there was no Red Wave nationally. Red Waves are created by telling people what we stand for, by letting people know what they are investing in by voting Republican.
“There are a lot of Americans whose votes are up for grabs. They’re independent-spirited, they have issues that transcend blind partisan loyalty. They want to know what you could do for them and their family. They’re concerned about their American Dream, they might care about safety or the economy, their kids, education, border security, foreign policy – their top issue might vary.
“But in 1994, when Republicans had a Red Wave nationally, Newt Gingrich wanted to become the Speaker of the House, Haley Barber was the chairman of the RNC, and they had this Contract for America. Candidates were talking about it. The media knew what was in it. Voters and volunteers had their favorite parts of it. They couldn’t wait to see it implemented.
“I feel like at the end of 2022, that was missing. And if you want to have people open up their their heart, and their trust, their faith, if you want a movement, momentum, enthusiasm, energy that’ll create a wave – it’s not just about saying ‘Joe Biden’s bad, the Democratic party’s bad, vote for me.’
“So for anyone here in Vermont trying to do your part in our corner of America, to be able to move things forward, I would say it’s not about brilliantly articulating what you’re against. I would say that the magic is brilliantly articulating what you’re for.”
Categories: politics
There are those of us that stood up and requested that the party stand for something but the party itself chose to opt for the “big tent” idea and instead shrank in numbers again. This is a failure of leadership period.
Deeply corrupted Nassau County, L.I., NY political hack. Sorry, but why in the world is the VT GOP using a New York State election loser to promote the Republican Party in Vermont? And “With his help, Republicans flipped four seats in Congress”? How exactly did Zeldin “help” the other candidates – one of whom is apparently a notorious liar – as if we don’t have enough of that in public office today?
Nassau County is a cradle of deep-seated demagoguery run by soulless politicos and is akin to the Democrat’s Chicago or Tammany Hall. The LAST thing the Vermont GOP or Chittenden County GOP wants to do is emulate this organization and its proteges. Again, absolute power corrupts absolutely, and Democrats AND Republicans have both been complicit in destroying this nation.
That being all said – no candidate can brilliantly articulate anything until the “free” press in this state decides to free itself and cease being a political propaganda machine for the DNC, AND until the Vermont GOP begins expending more MONEY, learn to ORGANIZE properly, and lends full SUPPORT to all GOP candidate’s campaigns……otherwise virtually no one will hear these articulations.
My truth meter spun around uncontrollably while reading this comment. One thousand percent yes.
I lived it – born & raised. Anyone can choose evil over good. This is precisely why one ought to place their faith & trust in God – not government; sorry, Bernie.
Zeldin is the product of a machine, no more. While he would have been an improvement for NYS above Hochul, political patronage & nepotism & corruption would have all still continued. Our entire system is broken, and our founding father’s nightmare come to fruition – now seemingly beyond repair. While most of us didn’t necessarily cause our downfall, most did little or nothing to prevent it as we saw it crumbling.
Jon, you ran and ran hard to try to change things in Chittenden to no avail, as I once did in Nassau County. At least we are warriors. At least we go down as one without fear, and with the knowledge that this union was once worth defending. Those who are responsible for this destruction shall go down too – into depths I’d prefer to not even think too much about.
This chap has “brilliantly articulated” how little he understands about Vermont politics, and I would urge, politics in general.
Did Becca Balint win because she “brilliantly articulated” what she stood for? Or was it the million dollars of fraudulent FTX crypto-cash she illegally conspired to have spent on her behalf?
What about Orange Co. Senator Mark MacDonald who handily polished-off the (by the way, truly brilliantly articulate) John Klar? Did he brilliantly articulate his vision for his constituents? I’ve never once heard him say anything remotely brilliant.
Let’s get real. Who wins in Vermont has got very little to do with brilliance. Can anyone name a single Democrat in Vermont who won by being brilliant? Okay, maybe Bernie Sanders has done it. He has been steadfast in his support of Communism for sure and many in Vermont find that to be quite brilliant.
Likely a bit of both, when it comes to Balint.
Lee Zeldin is from Suffolk County
Until the fraud and corruption in both parties is dealt with and prosecuted, do not expect anything to change here or in other States. The good news is fraud has a limited shelf life and they expose it themsevles . They cannot keep this illusion going as it is spinning out their control – desperation breeds contempt. There is no better display of “contempt” then what we see coming from government and corporate tryrants here and abroad.