Local Republicans bloodied, unbowed by election results

Friday, Nov. 7, 2008

"Clearly the Republican Party is very disappointed that the voters have chosen rhetoric over experience," said Bruce Wesbury, a member of the Charles County Republican Central Committee. "It's the democratic process, and we all have to live by it so it's not going to get to me. The people are going to get what they elected."

"Right now people are excited by change, but that change is going to be temporary," said Charles Lollar, chairman of the central committee. "We're not buying into divisive politics. At the end of the day we're all Americans and we want to see America prosper."

Lollar said the general election was certainly historic and that should be noted, particularly the participation of young voters in the process.

"The official generational torch has certainly been passed to our younger generation of Americans who truly want to see the kind of change that will make America much more respected and hopefully much more accountable," he said.

Central committee member John Rutherford said the country's economic crisis played a major role in the results of the election.

"The economy showed itself to be the primary issue," he said. "All of the exit polls made that clear. I'm disappointed in the results of the election, but I'm not surprised."

David Bird Jr., a central committee member, said that as a local financial adviser he sees a long, hard road ahead for Obama in curing the economic ills of the nation.

"Based on all of the expert opinions that I've read and heard you can't build the wealth of the poor by tearing down the wealthy," he said. "You can't take away from hardworking Americans and give it to folks who are not as fortunate."

The results of Tuesday's election will not impact what is going to happen in the local 2010 election, Bird said. In 2006, local Republican incumbents were swept out of office by their Democrat contenders.

"In 2006, we had the war in Iraq; it was the driving force in the election," he said. "Today, the action of our current board of county commissioners speaks for itself. It's a stand-alone issue. I hear a lot of favorable comments about replacing this board in 2010 and I don't think national politics is going to impact that."

"I expect to see some big changes in 2010," Wesbury said. "The county commissioners aren't looking out for the needs of the citizens. They've done a terrible job. There's going to be a great opportunity to take over some seats down here in 2010."

"I don't believe that this election is going to impact our local election a lot," Lollar said. "The leaders in Southern Maryland have already signed their own death warrants. The county commissioners aren't holding themselves accountable. We're going to see new faces in Charles County in 2010."

Charles County Commissioner Samuel N. Graves Jr. (D) disagreed that the county leaders are not addressing the citizens' needs.

"We're doing the best that we can with the funds that are available," he said. "I think that we're doing a good job."

Charles County commissioners' President F. Wayne Cooper (D) said he believes the voters do not select a candidate strictly on party affiliation.

"I never take any election for granted regardless of who is in the presidential office," he said. "I hope that people will re-elect me because I'm doing a good job.

"I think that citizens, both locally and nationally, are fed up with negative politics," he added. "I'm tired of all of the bashing. I just want to deal with the facts."

The Republican Party has got to get its act together on a national and local level, Rutherford said.

"The Republican Party has got a lot of soul searching to do," he said. "We've got to make a more concerted effort to get back to the party's conservative roots, and the Republican Party in the past year has not been a good steward of that philosophy."

nmcconaty@somdnews.com