Remember the tea party movement? Way back in 2010, while conservatives were rising up to oppose the Bush bailouts, the Obama stimulus plan, and Obamacare, some people were fed up with the Republican party and re-registered to “decline to state”. Santee Mayor Randy Voepel was one of those guys — Voepel made a very public statement about leaving the party:
In an interview, Voepel, 60, said his change of heart came after the selection of Sen. John McCain as the Republican presidential nominee in 2008, but records showed he re-registered this year. He said he hasn’t been pleased with the local GOP either.
Read that emboldened line again and look how GOP Chairman Tony Krvaric responded (in 2010):But Krvaric said that rather than criticizing the organization, people with ideas and energy should step forward and help. He said that the party had seen more volunteers and more excitement than any time since George W. Bush first ran for president in 2000, and said he planned to run for another term as party chairman this month.
As for Voepel, Krvaric said that there’s always been a natural ebb and flow of people complaining the party is either too moderate or has been “hijacked by conservatives.”
Read that again, “people with ideas and energy should step forward and help” and ask yourself this, “Who stepped up to help after Randy Voepel threw his ‘more conservative than you’ temper tantrum?”
Leo Hamel did:
-In 2010, he gave over $4000 to The Senate Conservatives Fund, Rand Paul, and Mike Lee (last year and this year’s Lincoln-Reagan dinner speakers).
-In 2012, he gave $10,000 to the Republican Party of San Diego County and $2500 to last year’s Lincoln-Reagan dinner speaker.
-In 2014, Leo gave $6000 to the Republican Party of San Diego County, $6000 to the Congressional Victory Fund, and over $6,000 to Congressional candidates Larry Wilske and Carl DeMaio.
-This year, he has already given $2500 to a local Republican candidate for Congress.
Randy Voepel gave $250 to the local GOP, in April of 2015, one month before he announced his campaign for Assembly and re-registered as a (get this) REPUBLICAN. Voepel didn’t raise one dime for the local GOP nor did he back tea party candidates when they needed him most — when the going got tough, Voepel got going.
If you are keeping score, here is how it breaks down since 2010: Voepel $250, Hamel $35,000 plus
It’s not even close. Ask yourself, “Which one of these two will focus on building the Republican Party? The business man who donated $35,000 to win some races, or the local Mayor who leaves when things get tough?”
Remember who your friends are. Endorse Hamel for Assembly.