by Javier Manjarres
Throughout the county it represents, the Broward REC is commonly understood to be a sort of ‘social club’ for the Republican elites- elites who truly believe that their county GOP is a relevant organization that actually makes a difference. In actuality, this past election cycle has proven once again that the local GOP is like a lazy fat cat without claws that lacks the leadership and ambition necessary to win elections. Both winning Republican candidates Marco Rubio and Rick Scott, along with congressional candidate Karen Harrington did not receive any help from the BREC in their respective races. In fact, the Broward GOP actually asked all these campaigns if they were able to spare their own volunteers to give the BREC and assistance in getting out the vote.
In reality, it is the proper role of the Broward REC to have an infrastructure set up to help and contribute to candidates, not to make demands on their limited resources. These Party failures are unfortunately not limited to this election cycle, as the past two election cycles have seen the same kind of leadership, and the Broward REC has earned the reputation around the state as the weak link within the chain of county REC’s.
Treasurer Richard Lee DeNapoli is running on a ‘make shift’ ticket with Colleen Stolberg, a long time GOP supporter. Just a couple of days ago, word got out that Stolberg had struck a deal to run with the more conservative candidate, Mayor Tom Truex. Sources say that Stolberg fell of the face of the earth and would not return phone calls, only to come back from the dead a couple of days later in an announcement that she would seek the Vice Chairmanship. Does anyone see the problem with this move? This is the sequel to the Crist-Giuliani affair that happened during the 2008 Presidential campaign.
BREC’s voting members should clearly understand that each position should be voted on individually, not as a “ticket”, since members do not have the option to vote for a ticket on the ballot, only for the individual running for the particular position.
R. Lee DeNapoli has been distributing his campaign literature around the county and at various GOP clubs, and he has been promoting himself within this literature by using a photograph he posed for with Senator-elect Marco Rubio. This is a ploy that is shameless beyond comprehension– shameful to the extent that the Rubio campaign’s political director has reached out to DeNapoli and demanded that he stop using this picture of himself and the Senator-elect for his own personal gain.
FYI, our friends down in Miami-Dade, from the top down, are not fans of DeNapoli, and they have not forgotten the disrespect and bias he has expressed in the past.
As noted before, DeNapoli was an staunch Crist supporter who disparaged Rubio at every turn. This ‘Wizard of Smart’ has a long history of disparaging remarks to candidates, and he has even had the gall to tell certain candidates that they cannot win their respective races. DeNapoli has made these remarks about ‘all’ the Republican candidates that ran in FL CD’s 17, 19, 20,23, and even about Congressman-elect Allen West. DeNapoli said this about West way back when it was not ‘cool’ in the party to back West in his 2008 loss. This coming from a man that predicted a huge Charlie Crist victory over Marco Rubio in the Senate race.
But let’s put all that aside for a moment– how can DeNapoli be a just and respected Chairman of the local GOP if he is going to continue to disrespect candidates by telling them to drop out of races, question their motives for running for office and belittle them for wanting to run?
And now one of the kings of hypocrisy is coming out of the woodwork vouching for R. Lee DeNapoli, Chad Lincoln. DeNapoli has been running on this ‘GOP Unity’ kick for a couple of months now, and so has Lincoln. But just a couple of months ago, Mr. Lincoln circulated an email where he requested that a BREC member to be removed, that being yours truly. Lincoln stuck his foot in his mouth and committed libel, FWIW. After his email request was summarily picked apart and ridiculed by a long standing member of the BREC and cast aside like the garbage that it was, Lincoln and DeNapoli protested as to why the BREC hierarchy postponed the following committee meeting. They were furious because their plan to was thwarted to have yours truly removed from the BREC- so much for GOP Unity.
The truth of the matter here is this- DeNapoli is disliked by most of the BREC’s members and activists, and he will not be able to command their respect or be willing to roll up his sleeves to do the hard work to necessary for the growth of the Party.
12 Responses to “DeNapoli is the Broward REC’s Weakest Link”
I recently received an e-mail from DeNapoli asking for my support. I sent a response making many of the same arguments put forth in this article. His response to me was that he personally supported the campaigns of HARRINGTON AND RUBIO. I then stated that personal support had nothing to do with the role BREC had in helping theses candidates get elected. I stated that in fact neither he nor the organization did anything to help promote viable candidates. The organization is a joke, just used for certain peoples own political gains, such as how Chip ran it.
@jerry edelman: you will find that in organizations that have deteriorated to the degree that (based on what I’ve read here at S-T) BREC has, there will be many, MANY open precinct committeeman positions.
A pioneering leader would be well served by seeking support by filling the open committeeman positions rather than engaging in a drawn-out battle for the ‘existing’ REC vote. Kinda like a hostile takeover of the organization. This needs to start happening statewide — conservative tea party activists should overthrow the existing leadership of the county executive committees by recruiting people to both fill open committeeman positions AND to run against sitting committeemen who are simply there for ‘club’ membership.
You cannot discount the importance of controlling the party infrastructure of one of the major parties. Good luck there down south.
I have always been active, even when it was not a popular position. In my precinct when Charlie received 51 statewide he got 5 in 15U. Face it .Broward is an uphill battle especially when being a Republican was like being a pariah.My poor tires!Even Mickey Mouse running against Meek could have won, so if Charlie was the Republican candidate without Rubio he would have won by a larger margin without the three way.Also face the fact that even though I am relieved that Scott won as a Republican it was too close for comfort when it could have been a landslide for McCollum and we had to sweat it out.I am still getting chided by people who I have almost converted from extreme liberal Dem because of the strides made by Jeb and then Charlie in education,eluding to the Scott scandal. Now they are using this against R’s,instead of being R converts.They were almost converted and now all the inroads I have made through personal devotion to education are eroded,being a scarce Republican in educational circles.If you look at the Senate races,Portman,Kirk ,Blunt, the old guard WON. The Tea party candidates O’Donnel,Angle and Miller LOST.And they lost us the majority in the Senate.The election results were essentially giving the R’s another chance and it has finally dawned on the electorate that the Dems want gov’t control and socialism and the American people are rugged freedom loving individualists.West also WON,but the RPOF gave assistance too late in the 2008 campaign,despite the immense support given by Chip and BREC.My son and I worked so very hard for West first time around.I kept asking for help but no one listens to where I want the party to go.CHIP WON his election,Now we finally have an R in a high profile position in Broward.Also, David Rivera WON,but in Miami Dade where trashing Republicans by other Republicans doesn’t have the same impact as it does in Democrat stronghold of Broward.Harrington LOST and although I love her I believe that Lowry had a better chance-especially if the Republican party would have been united for him instead of being fractured between Harrington and Milo.I also love Tom Truex but face it ,he also LOST his election to Paul in Davie further entrenching Dems in Broward county.Also, after making hundreds of phone calls and walking miles in the past ,I have found that sometimes this really annoys people and maybe the overkill is counterproductive.It seems that the national mood drives elections.
Truex lost in re-election because the party did not support him. This DeNapoli character comes across like a shaddy wiesel and insecure. I feel Truex will better represent Republicans in the party
Everyone knows DeNapoli dislikes Rubio! He had told me himself. He took those pictures just for political gain. PATHETIC!!!
So again I gotta ask, what can ordinary, everyday, run of the mill Republicans in Broward County that have nothing to do with the ‘country club’ or the ‘hierarchy’ or the executive committee do to keep this DeNapoli shyster out of office? Where do I gotta go to vote or voice my opinion?
I am a member of BREC and believe me I do not feel like an elite person.Or a country club member.I often feel that the more aggressive members,like the tea party types railroad me and do not respect my views.In the first West campaign and at meetings ,I have been told to shut up and when my son,who is very knowlegable tried to talk he was treated very rudely.I will have a difficult time choosing between Richard and Tom, as I like both. I am too low on the totem pole to have heard any nasty gossip.I am glad that Rubio and Scott won because I am a LOYAL Republican, but neither election could be considered a win because of the brilliance of the tea party. Again, Mikey Mouse running as a R could have won that Senate seat.We lost the others in NV,De and Ak because those candidates ,unlike Rubio, who was a least credible were so far out that even a rebellous electorate could not vote for them.Also, Scott won due to early voting before that damaging ad sank in for Sink.Just because a person has a view other than tea party before the primary he should not be ruined .This is really beyond the pale.I hate primaries and really wish we got back to smoke filled rooms where credible candidates and not just popularists are chosen.Where a lifetime od deciated service will be rewarded.
Richard is only for Richard and will only divide us!
Joy the GOP is supposed to back the candidates that win in the primary before the primary back whom you wish. But do it in private you want to put in yard signs great, bumper stickers great, but voiceing a opinion about any candidate stinks. Keep your personal opinions of GOP candidates to your self…I am sick and tired of the GOP eating its own young…..wise up as to the Tea Party folks we are the ones who got Allen West and Marco elected and damn near got Karen elected…we did not run around bad mouthing other candidates because we liked someone better we gor behind the entire ticket something we better learn how to do….we must return to our roots of small government, fiscal responsibility and zero earmarks………when we stray away from those goals we become followers of turn coat politicians like Charlie Crist…….BREC is supposed to help not hinder……
We all know this guy Richard and he is HORRIBLE for BREC.
Javier, way off base this time my friend. When our party was sitting in the mess of 2008, it was Richard DeNaopli and ONLY Richard who came up with an educational program and analysis. He brought all BREC together and helped develop the precinct Committee persons training program. Absolutely not Javier. This is the kind of Conservative, thoughtful leadership we need. Leadership which has the credentials and organizational skills to develop BREC into what it needs to be, a political machine capable of changing the culture of Broward county from a democrat controlled semi-socialist state into one with a strong a vibrant Republican Party. And to attack Colleen Stolberg??? Where does that come from? There is no greater Republican! Find any candidate who has not benefited from her political work. You are so far off base, you’re in another ball park.
Electric Jack, My son and I backed Allen West back in 2008 when it was not popular. The elite party types at the DCCRC
turned their backs on us when my son tried to give expert advise on the West campaign and the party elite told me to shut up at those meetings.They were nowhere to be seen when Allen spoke at one of these meetings and I was heartbroken at the lack of audience.I am very conservative just like the tea party types but I do not hate all incumbents and respect experience. Party”elites”Perry,Toomey,Rivera,Kasich,Blunt ,Portman,Brown-back,Kirk and CHIP WON their elections. McCollum is up there using his immense expertise to save us from the last socialist takeover-Obamacare.Thank God we have some good representation, not just for the party but for our country most of all.Even Chris Christie is a so called elite insider. As much as I love all Republicans Rubio, Scott and West have not been tested. I just hope we are as enamored with them two years from now when they have been confronted with really tough decisions and the reality of politics-they now represent all Floridians not just the party base-remember Obama-it is easy to talk when you are on the outside.Those nutty people(to quote Karl Rove) cost us the Senate. I want people who are intelligent and serious dynamic candidates to represent my party.Colleen is a great Republican and a great person. She should be able to chose her position without the disparaging remarks. I see nothing awful with her position. I do not know Gene very well but I do know Richard and Tom and I like them both but we sorely need a Vice Chair like Colleen.She knows more than I ,so I think her position on the matter causes me to chose.
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