Tea Party Activist Takes Over New Hampshire G.O.P.

[cali]

DERRY, N.H. — A rancorous fight to lead the New Hampshire Republican Party through next year’s presidential race ended Saturday with an upset victory by a conservative activist backed by members of the Tea Party and other grassroots groups.


Jack Kimball, a relative newcomer to party politics who ran for governor last year as a fiscal and social conservative, beat Juliana Bergeron, who leads the Cheshire County Republicans and was backed by former Gov. John Sununu, the outgoing state party chairman.

The race was closely watched as a sign of how much influence Tea Party groups will exert here in the lead-up to New Hampshire’s first-in-the-nation presidential primary, tentatively scheduled for Feb. 14, 2012.

Mr. Sununu said Ms. Bergeron was a proven leader and fundraiser who could unite all of the party’s factions. In a strongly worded speech before the vote, Mr. Sununu said he was worried about divisions within the party and warned that its leaders must not alienate more moderate members and independents, who make up about 40 percent of the state’s voters.

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http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/23/us/politics/23hampshire.html

[egressingsparrowdrop]

1. Good.

The more of those folks in the spotlight, the better.

[Dappleganger]

2. NH used to be a nice place to live for moderates.

Now it's full of nut-jobs.

[GreenPartyVoter]

8. I recall reading that there was a planned influx of "libertarians" to the state. That had to

have messed things up good.

[Warren Stupidity]

10. all 6 of them?

We already had a bumper crop of resident racist white suburban male loons.

[billybob537]

3. I don't want to insult my neighbors to the north

But I think the more exposure the TEABAGGERS get the better for us. And the more things they control, The more things the can drive straight off the cliff.

[Chipper Chat]

4. They are poised to take over Indiana as well.

They have initiated a movement to primary Richard Lugar who has been our senator since the 80s. Probably with Mike Pence or one of several anti-abortion/gay rights nutjobs from the southern part of the state.

[WCGreen]

6. They want Pence to be president...

he's one of their choices, it seems...

[Warren Stupidity]

5. The new state legislature is a friggin joke but I ain't laughing.

For example they are pushing a bill that would make it a felony to enforce a federal law that is at odds with a state law.

Another gem exempts made in NH guns and ammo from any federal regulation.

[elias49]

7. Lest we forget the legislature just voted to allow guns in the capitol

No need to check your handgun at the door of the State House.
Oh no! Not in the "Live Free or Die" state.

My God, how childish.

[Buns_of_Fire]

9. Maybe this will encourage Half-a-Governor Mooseburger to jump in.

If the teabaggers have grabbed control of the NH party, she might see it as "friendly territory" to catapult her to frontrunner status right off the bat. It obviously wouldn't hurt Bachmann, either.

Now THAT would be a debate worth watching!:silly: