by Dr. Marc L. Sabin, ScD, Corvallis
There is a divide inside today’s Republican Party between traditional Reagan Republicans and ideological purists, more interested in purges than public service and who place Party over constituents.
Kevin Hammons exacerbates that divide with his baseless attacks on the current Ravalli County Republican Central Committee Captain for Precinct 22, Steven Neal.
Steven Neal is the kind of Republican many of us grew up respecting. He shows up, works, volunteers, and contributes. He attends meetings, supports candidates, and helps with fundraising efforts. He invested more than $20,000 of his own money building hand-crafted furniture that was auctioned off at local Republican events to help support conservative causes in the Bitterroot Valley and raise money for local candidates.
Steven Neal is a public servant committed to his constituents. On the other hand, Kevin Hammons prefers to criticize rather than contribute. The difference between Neal and Hammons is the difference between the man who built the barn and the man who shows up later asking for the keys.
Many local Republicans relate that Ham-mons has not attended any Central Committee meetings, has not helped staff Saturday Farm-ers’ Market booths, has not helped raise funds for candidates, and appears disconnected from the practical realities of how local and state Republican organizations operate.
Hammons’ inadequacies show he is not suitable for public office, even as he claims to be the better choice to replace someone who has consistently done the real work for many years.
Most of us are weary of the destructive ideologies and growing influence of the John Birch/Freedom Caucus/AFP extremists. These infect Republican Party politics with loyalty tests, false conspiracy rhetoric, purging elected legislators, and internal warfare rather than on the practical conservative principles Ronald Reagan championed: optimism, persuasion, economic growth, and coalition-building.
Reagan Republicans like Steven Neal believe in attracting people to the party, not driving them away. It is more productive to debate ideas than to demand oaths and purge Republicans who disagree with counterproduc-tive strategies and polices.
Credibility is not earned by falsely demean-ing opponents. It is earned through honesty, reliability, service and accomplishment.
Steven Neal has earned his credibility. He is the kind of man we need to serve the com-munity and accomplish conservative goals. Too many Republicans are fighting each other in-stead of advancing ideas that help Montanans.
It is up to you voters to recognize the dif-ference between someone who talks negatively about the Republican Party and someone who has spent years doing the hard work to support and grow it. There is a big difference between a positive builder and a negative bystander.
Vote for Steven Neal. He, not Hammons, is the proven Republican, focused on serving Montanans.
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