Prentiss County GOP Chair: Is McGlowan A Plant for Childers?
Things in MS-01 just got a whole lot more interesting this morning. As Y’all Politics noted, Prentiss County GOP Chairman Roy Gray recently sent an e-mail to GOP Chairman Brad White and other local party leaders questioning Angela McGlowan after she said she would not support Alan Nunnelee should he be the GOP nominee.
The e-mail raised the possibility that McGlowan was “a plant for Travis Childers,” adding, “Angela has previously stated that she intended to run a positive campaign focusing on the defeat of Travis Childers. Good advice that she needs to heed.”
He called on her to withdraw from the race if she can not support the eventual GOP nominee. “I, for one, believe McGlowan should run her race in a respectable manner, keep her mouth shut and support the Republican nominee whether it be her, Ross or Nunnelee and if she can’t do this we as a party should demand that she withdraw from this race today,” Gray said.
According to the story in Politico, Gray received positive feedback and encouragement from other local leaders.
Update: The entire e-mail from Gray to White and others is below:
I, we, in the first congressional district are in need of your assistance please. Fortunately this is not a common problem we experience in our party primaries but I feel the need to address this problem before it escalates into a much more serious one. The first congressional district candidacy of the “so called” republican Angela McGlowan swerved into the gutter this morning on the Paul Gallo Show and this is not the first time.
She reportedly was on the show to to set the record straight on her “miss-statements” about gun control, however she quickly proceeded to bash Senator Nunnelee accusing him of raising taxes, finally calling him a RINO. Apparently she has never heard of the Reagan 11th commandment. I fear she is possibly a plant for Travis Childers…. SERIOUSLY!
If she is not, she has certainly embarked on a scorched earth policy concerning Senator Nunnelee’s candidacy. She was asked by Paul Gallo this morning if she would support the republican nominee if she happens not to be the nominee. She retorted that she would support Henry Ross but she would not support Senator Nunnelee. Angela has previously stated that she intended to run a positive campaign focusing on the defeat of Travis Childers. Good advice, that she needs to heed.
We experienced this kind of problem in 2008 as we watched Childers keep his mouth shut and win the seat. I for one believe McGlowan should run her race in a respectable manner keep her mouth shut and support the republican nominee whether it be her, Ross or Nunnelee and if she can’t do this we as a party should demand that she withdraw from this race today.
So much for “big tent” ideology in the Prentiss County Republican party. I can’t believe Gray said “keep your mouth shut” what about free speech? Does the Prentiss County Republican Party no longer believe in the 1st Amendment? During a primary is precisely when candidates should run their mouth so that people know what they believe.
I would say McGlowan is the one who is hurting the party. Brad White, Roy Gray and others, on the other hand, are concerned about the party overall- that is there job. In a primary, I understand you may need to criticize your opponent- but McGlowan has taken it way too far. I doubt she’ll step aside, and I don’t guess there is anything the party can do but she has brought nothing but division to the primary and the party.
i think it is interesting that Ross and Nunnelee are not lowering their standards by attacking McGlowan. I am sure there are plenty of things they COULD be saying about her, but have chosen to take the high road. Personally, I liked her until I observed her in a public meeting being rude to folks asking legitimate questions. I just can’t see how anyone could get something accomplished in D.C. if they are rude to the very people they need to serve.
Jake, there is something “the party” can do and that’s vote for one of the other two candidates in the primary. There’s no need to kick someone out or tell them to shut up.
Gray’s e-mail is a joke he says McGlowan should “keep her mouth shut” while he is spreading a rumor that she is a plant by the Childers campaign. His email is the most negative attack I have read so far in this race. Outside of this McGlowan has attacked Nunnelee on the cigarette tax which is certainly ok (although not likely to gain much support as the majority of MS supported the increase) and people have attacked McGlowan for her views on gun rights, also justifiable. At least to me there hasn’t been any real mud slinging to date that would help Childers. What is he gonna say he was against the tobacco tax increase? Comeon.
If you look at the race rationally there is a much stronger argument to be made that McGlowan is a plant for Ross. She obviously has close ties to Ross and has publicly said she would support him. She has said nothing negative thus far which would take votes from Ross while she continues to attack Nunnelee on raising the cigarette tax. So it appears she is angling to take votes from Nunnelee and not Ross. And it appears Ross is following Harper’s playbook and letting McGlowan and Nunnelee go back and forth (through their minions) while staying quiet, staying positive and winning the nomination.
I think a prerequisite for serving as a county Republican Party chairman should be that you know that the word “Republican” has a capital “R”.
McGlowan has done so much damage to her candidacy all by herself that noone really cares who she endorces but maybe a handful of nuts. For a Republican Party Leader to send an e-mail like this does not show well for North Mississippi on a state or national level. Certainly his frustration caused him to write this? McGlowan cannot divide the republican party unless she is allowed to and statements like this only help her cause not harm it.
Random Thoughts you have good points. Although, I’d say Angela is not attacking Nunnelee b/c she is a planted their by Ross. I mean, how could he have influence over a washington insider with perceivably an income much greater than an elected official would ever have? Instead she attcaks Nunnelee because he is the clear front runner. Why on earth would she attack Ross when Angela is presumably in 2nd place? I think Ross and Angela’s friendship is probably about the same as the friendship between Nunnelee and Ross. Just aquaintences that happen to be primary opponents, nothing personal.
*Sorry random thoughts, I meant to say, I think its invalid that Angela is attacking Nunnelee because she is planted there by Ross.*
And Ole Miss needs to Keep Colonel Reb
I actually thought this one of McClowns better stands.
If you do not support a candidate then why lie about it just because you are affiliated with the same party? This is what caused the real Republican to loose the race in New York.
I think the party would be better served in the future to quitely out any posers instead of calling for them to “shut up”. This is the kind of arrogance and bullying that turns people off to the GOP to begin with.
RandomThoughts you are right on with candidates running there mouths in the primaries because we certainly do not want any skeletons turned up by Childers people agianst the GOP after the primaries. Lets get it all out there right now so we can avoid a mistake.