And now Republican candidate Patricia Stricherz is asking some hard questions about—surprise!—Independent/9-12 candidate Jason Bjorklund. I reprint the following from candidate Stricherz mostly verbatim, with minor edits and added hyperlinkage:
It has come to my attention that my opponent Mr. Bjorklund leans towards libertarian beliefs. Actually, the longer I get to know him the more it is clear he doesn't really know what political party he stands with. During conversations I've had with him he stated that he thought he was a registered Republican but when he went to vote found he was actually a Democrat (his words not mine). Now he is running on the Independent ticket but associates himself with the Republicans, attending the Lincoln Day Dinners, setting up signs alongside Republican candidate, etc. But Ballotpedia has him listed as Libertarian.
The one thing I have learned that is accurate is that he is a grand manipulator. He's good with words, but his actions are a little shady. We do not need a person such as this to represent us in District 8!
Another thing he has personally said to me is that he wasn't interested in running for office but his little group convinced him to. He also wasn't interested in heading up the 9-12 group, but again was talked into it. If it is that easy to talk him into things what will he be talked into if elected?
Until these past couple of weeks Jason was calling me regularly to ask campaign questions, how do you do this or that, etc. Now he won't even look at me when I see him. Why? Because he feels so guilty for the trash talk he has been doing about me, telling voters I am progressive or liberal, etc. So this is a perfect example as to how he uses people to gain what he needs to get ahead. We do not need people users to represent us!
It was my understanding that it is this very type of behavior from political leaders is what the 9-12 project fights against? How can you fight against something and yet display the same behavior? Does he actually live by the 12 values of the 9-12 project, or this just a facade as well?How about the 9 principles?
- honesty
- reverence
- hope
- thrift
- humility
- charity
- sincerity
- moderation
- hard work
- courage
- personal responsibility
- gratitude
Get to know your candidates! what they say to the voters is one thing, what goes on behind the scenes is complelty different. Know their character, visit their personal facebook pages, look at their pictures, this clearly defines their mindset [Patricia Stricherz, e-mail to Madville Times, 2010.09.26].
- America is good.
- I believe in God and He is the Center of my life.
- I must always try to be a more honest person than I was yesterday.
- The family is scared. My spouse and I are the ultimate authority, not the government.
- If you break the law you pay the penalty. Justice is blind and no one is above it.
- I have a right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
- I work hard for what I have and will share it with who I want to. Government can not force me to be charitable.
- It is not un-American to disagree with authority or to share mt personal opinion.
- The government works for me. I do not answer to them, they answer to me.
I had expected both the Republican and Independent in the race to concentrate their fire on the two Democratic incumbents. Perhaps Stricherz, who in the only polling conducted on this race so far is running fourth, is working her way up the ladder, tackling third-place Bjorklund for his Glenn-Beck base first before taking on Fargen and Lange.
I was going to suggest we might see here a manifestation of the Republican establishment rejecting a Tea Party upstart, à la wicca-bunker and science-denier O'Donnell vs. Castle in Delaware. But the local GOP establishment doesn't have anyone in the District 8 House race. Stricherz is on their ticket again, but they certainly didn't rush to fund her last time around, and I don't see signs of that changing this year.
Perhaps the situation is just the opposite: Stricherz is suggesting that Bjorklund is trying to win the favor of local Republicans, while Stricherz remains the more independent, anti-establishment voice. Perhaps by November, we'll see Bjorklund is the Republican favorite, while Stricherz is the outside Tea-flavored insurgent.
Or maybe the local and state GOP will simply say, "It's District 8 House: who gives a rip? We can handle Mitch and Gerry."
Eager readers, you don't get better opportunities for juicy local punditry. What do you think is going on in the District 8 House race? Fire away!
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p.s.: Patricia, being called a progressive or liberal isn't trash talk, Patricia—it's a compliment! :-) I do understand where you're coming from... but I keep wondering if you might feel more at home with us Democrats....
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Update 2010.09.27 05:52 CDT: Candidate Bjorklund rousts me out of bed with a phone call to ask that I remove candidate Stricherz's above comments from public view.
Last year at his house a big sign was posted that said, close this this, "So you didn't like my long grass, how do you like looking at this?" and parked a couple junk cars on the front lawn. Someone must have complained about his grass not being mowed, but the childish reaction made a lasting impact on this voter. We need reasonable people in office.
ReplyDeleteI have to admit I have been wondering about his party affiliation ever since he asked everyone attending the first meeting of his "little group" to wear a brown shirt to show support. Looks like there is still some confusion.
ReplyDeleteWait a minute I thought that Ms. Stricherz was part of his "little group", it seems it just got smaller. I would not want to be a Republican voter in District 8. With choices like these it is probably best to stick with the good Representatives that you already have.
Some may wonder why a candidate would publicize a question to another candidate on a political blog, because, Mr. Bjorklund wouldn't return phone calls.
ReplyDeleteSome may also wonder why a candidate would question the political affliation of another candidate in the first place.
It didn't really cross my mind that it needed to be asked until Mr. Bjorklund refused to allow Republican candidates to set signs in his yard. Considering he has conveniently placed his campaign signs along side of the other Republican candidates, wouldn't you think he would return the favor?
Did Mr. Bjorklund respond to this post? Yep! The next morning (5:30 am, or so I'm told) he called the owner of said blog and asked that this post be taken down.
Which leaves me, as a voter, now asking why so much secrecy over which political party Mr.Bjorklund is actually affiliated with?
Are you hiding behind your campaign signs because you are actually deceiving the voters and don't want it to be known? Are you using the Republican party to gain the needed support as a candidate because as a Libertarian the support just wouldn't be there?
His asking that this post be taken down also leaves one wondering if Mr. Bjorklund is a man of integretity, a man of accoutability or a man with something to hide?
Curiousity sets in, as I wonder as to how Mr. Bjorklund will answer the voters on this burning question. Or will he dodge it all together hoping it won't be pressed any further? Does it really matter?
I would think that it does, considering Mr. Bjorklund takes such great pride in the leadership of his little group and they stand on 9 principals and 12 values.
We're waiting for an answer Mr. Bjorklund!
Patricia Stricherz