Whisper Campaign False: Holt Sticks With GOP
Another false whisper campaign against State Senator Jim Holt is out there......This time he answers back.....
By Debbie Pelley (click "comments" below for article).
By Debbie Pelley (click "comments" below for article).
posted by Debbie Pelley at Thursday, December 08, 2005
35 Comments:
Whisper Campaign False: Holt Not Bolting From GOP
In case you didn’t know him, State Senator Jim Holt has been a Republican Candidate in six election campaigns in the last six years. He won five of those races, losing only to incumbent U. S. Senator Blanche Lincoln, who was able to outspend him an incredible 40-1. Even in that race he shocked the pundits with his vote totals- receiving more votes than Governor Mike Huckabee, did in his winning efforts. Prior to and during this period, Holt worked in numerous Republican campaigns, including those of Fay Boozman, Cecile Bledsoe, George W. Bush, Jim Bob Duggar, John Boozman, Tim Hutchinson, Vernon Humphries, and Marvin Parks.
He has supported numerous county committees and attended over a hundred Lincoln Day Dinners and fundraisers. In addition, he worked tirelessly to get the GOP-backed marriage amendment on the ballot. He could fairly be described as a rising star in the party. After all that, you might think his Republican credentials are beyond question. In Holt’s mind they are; which is why he has found amusing a whisper campaign floating the rumor that he is bolting from the Republican Party to the upstart Constitution Party.
“The rumors are laughable. First the whisper campaign was I wasn’t running for Lieutenant Governor, even though I made my intentions known right after the 2004 elections and announced on March 12th, 2005. I have no intention whatsoever of leaving the Republican Party.” Holt said, “What makes me a Republican is our conservative values and those values must be the center of all that we do. My Republican roots, and loyalties, run very deep.” While acknowledging he has friends and supporters in other parties, Holt respectfully disagrees with them about the best way to advance conservative ideals, “I have some friends and supporters who are conservative Democrats who think they can best advance conservative ideals in the Democratic Party. I respectfully disagree. I have some friends and supporters in the Constitution Party who think that it is the best vehicle to advance conservative ideals. I respectfully disagree. It is clear to me that I am in the right place to do that in the Republican Party.”
So, the rumors of Holt switching are false, but what about the fact that his Campaign Director in that U.S. Senate race, Jason Sheppard, is now the chairman of the state Constitution Party? “Jason Sheppard worked fulltime for a most of a year without pay.” Holt said, “Jason is a very capable man. He has an engineering degree and could have made $50,000 that year instead of working to serve a Republican candidate for free. And he did a terrific job. Should I have refused his offer of help because he was a member of another party? Would the Republican Party have been better off if Jason Sheppard decided to devote a eight months fulltime to advancing another party instead of helping a Republican candidate? I say no. That is narrow thinking. Let’s use wisdom. If we get into this mindset that we should only accept help from those that are in the Republican Party then we are going to lose. I have people that are members of the Democrat and Libertarian parties working for our campaign as well. If we reach out we can win.”
Sheppard’s account backs up Holt. “One of the few things Jim and I disagreed on was which tactic was the best way to reform our government. He believes it's within the Republican Party, and I believe reform would ultimately come faster in bypassing intra-party opposition." So why would Sheppard work in a Republican campaign? He explains that "I didn't view it so much as Their-party-versus-Our-party. We really are principle above politics, and here was a sound candidate who needed the help. And he is such a great human being." Sheppard feels that, in hindsight, it was a good decision. "I think that the conservative cause was furthered, no matter what party labels were involved." he said.
Holt’s current campaign director, Mark Moore, is also from the Constitution Party. Moore claims he is not trying to recruit Holt to switch. “Frankly, a CP candidate, if they could even get on the ballot, would lose a statewide race. Jim Holt is a friend of mine. So is Bobye Holt. I love their children. I am not going to do anything to hurt him. For me this transcends political parties. It is about friendship. And it is about the country. Jim is one of those rare ones who can resist institutional pressure. It does not matter what label he has. He will do the right thing regardless. “
Moore also noted that other Republicans had reached out to members of other parties. “Governor Huckabee has endorsed and given to Democrats. Jim is not giving help to people in another party; he is getting help from them. It’s not a sign of betrayal to help someone else, and especially not to get help from someone else. I think both men are loyal to their party.” Moore surmised.
Moore also noted that when Republican State Senator Dave Bisbee had a chance to be elected President Pro Tem of the Senate, at least half of the Republican senators struck a deal with the largest Democratic faction to vote for a Democrat. Holt was one of the few Republican Senators to stick with the Republican Bisbee. “I don’t get how anyone could question Jim’s loyalty to the GOP with a straight face.” Moore said.
But didn’t Jim Holt speak at a Constitution Party event in 2003? “Yes, and I would speak to a Democrat group as well.” Holt said, “I speak with lots of other groups that are outside that 35% traditional Republican universe. Reaching out is the right thing to do. We can’t always preach to the choir, we must take our American ideals to the people regardless of party. We have the truth and we must share that truth with every person. I am trying to serve as Lt. Governor and keep that office in Republican hands.” Holt said that his 2003 speaking engagement was just before he became a state-wide figure. “Right now, I am struggling to attend all of the Republican functions I have been invited to speak to. It was not that way in 2003.”
What about SB1112, the “equal ballot access act”, sponsored by Holt? The bill was blocked in committee. Wouldn’t that bill have made it easier for third parties to get on the ballot? “Federal courts have ruled since 1996 that our ballot access laws are unconstitutional.” Holt said. “This is a slam-dunk. When someone takes us to court on this, we are going to lose. It is wrong to have two standards for ballot access (one for independents and a much steeper one for new parties). The average citizen knows that is unfair.”
But if another party gets on the ballot, couldn’t it hurt the GOP? “Or it could help the GOP.” Holt countered, “Or it might not make much difference.” Even if the requirements for ballot access had always been where SB1112 tried to set them, only one new party would have made it to the ballot in one election since the current ballot access laws were passed in 1977. That would be Ross Perot’s Reform Party, who the courts ordered put on the ballot anyway.
Holt said, “I’m an analyst by training. A new party is not the true threat. A bigger threat is that a growing proportion of the population is losing confidence that we are a just and fair people. I don’t just mean they are losing faith in Republicans. I mean they are losing faith in everyone in government. They expect us to behave in a manner that protects our party’s own interests rather than protecting the rights of the people. I say, let’s prove they are wrong about the Republican Party of Arkansas. We are magnanimous”
“If we let go of our own narrow interests and focus on being just and fair to everyone, in the end the party will be better served too. It is as simple, and as hard, as doing what you know is right even if you can’t see how it would immediately benefit you. It is a scriptural principle, if you hold on to your life you will lose it, when you let go, that is when you truly find it.”
Jim’s campaign website is www.jimholt.us .
It is a shame those "backing another horse" are expending so much effort trying to sabotage the campaign of another Republican instead of simply making the case for their own canidacy.
Coalition politics are alive and well. I would never vote for Holt, but he's not an imbecile. So he spoke to the CP; big deal. The nature of coalition politics requires a candidate who has failed to win a statewide election to reach out to fringe parties like the CP for support, since any voter can vote in ANY primary(as long as you don't try to vote twice, like the erstwhile mayor of Eureka Springs). Holt is a fringe GOP candidate who needs all the support he can muster to make a decent run. At least Holt didn't stab Bisbee in the back like Dave's fellow GOP Senators like Gil Baker. It was a treat to see Gil make such a fuss at a NW AR political meeting about Bisbee's wife's attendance. Much like Stalin marching in the funeral procession of his chief henchman, Beria, who was liquidated on his orders.
I still don't see how people think Holt is fringe. I guarantee that we agree about 90% of the time with him. What I see him as is not willing to "kiss the ring" so to speak. Someone with a lot of nerve to stand up to the "big dogs" and not back down just because they don't like him because he doesn't "play by their rules". Arkansas needs someone who let the "people make the rules" not an agenda promoting, self willng, arrogant bunch of sophisticates who think they are God.
“The rumors are laughable. First the whisper campaign was I wasn’t running for Lieutenant Governor, even though I made my intentions known right after the 2004 elections and announced on March 12th, 2005. I have no intention whatsoever of leaving the Republican Party.” Holt said,
Where did Holt say this I don't believe second hand sources.
Is it on his website?
"Holt has been a republican candidate six times in the last six years..."
All that tells me is that he is a perpetual candidate and, should he win Lt. Gov., would be announcing for ANOTHER race the very next year. What about working at the job you were elected to do? If you don't really want the job for the long term, why run in the first place? Just another rung on the ladder to climb?
they are counting primary and general election
Jim Holt said it. You can believe it just as if it came from his campaign. Debbie Pelley and Jim Holt have been allies a long time.
That is counting primary elections. He ran for State House and won it. After that I think he ran in his only unopposed race- not sure about that. Anyway, redistricting opened up a new Senate Seat right over his house seat, so it was only common sense to run for the Senate.
Then his last election was for U.S. Senate and he did the party a favor to drain Lincoln of $6.7 million that could have been used by other dems to win other races.
He wants to work with Asa for eight years, win the hearts and minds of more people to his ideas for government, help elect conservative Christians (and he actually specified Republicans though they are not always the same) to the legislature, and then, should he serve the people well as Lt. Governor, run for Governor. He has told me that flat out.
Hi Ar1836!
Holt got 70% of the Republican Primary vote in a three way race not two years ago. How do you call him a "fringe candidate" in the GOP primary?
I'd say the other two candidates who split 30% of the vote would be closer to that- except that one of them won about ten elections in a row as sheriff of the county that traditionally has 30% of the state-wide total Republican Primary vote all by itself- and Holt walloped him in that county too.
OK. He's a fringe candidate PERIOD. When he actually wins a statewide general election, I'll quit considering him fringe. Notice I didn't call him a lunatic fringe candidate. That wouldn't be fair to him. He's no Ralph Forbes, but it seems he taps into the same sentiments as Ralph back when Muskie beat him in the GOP primary. That's the whole problem with right wing populists like Holt; they tap into sentiments that are frighteningly common and all too familiar.
Xenophobia in the 20th Century was largely unfair and self-righteous at best in a nation of foreigners. Jailing Japanese Americans and setting a limit of 12,000 Jews for entry into the U.S. and deliberately keeping the numbers well below the 12,000 figure in internment in Buffalo, NY camps were black eyes on America during WW II. You can say it was a Dem who did these things, but an astute regional historian will know that those actions are consistent with the beliefs and potential actions of GOP faithful today. I believe he's a Christian Dominionist and that group of people, as long as the nation grows into a Christian theocracy, really don't care one hoot about preserving our pluaralist democratic traditions for posterity. If you want to help your fav candidate over the hump, you better address that concern. I know a number of "born again" Christians who wouldn't vote for Holt because of the same fears and their belief he's actually a GOP fringe candidate and most of them are GOP members. They buy some of his beliefs, but stop short of casting a vote for him because of the perceived baggage. Whether they are fair characterizations doesn't matter to those who choose to vote against him. Politics rely heavily on perception.
Jim Holt will win the primary without a runoff. Stop the back-biting and get ready for the battle in the general election.
What baggage? I don't know one thing that his opponents have accused him of that is true. Can you name one? The media even admitted that he gave over his entire files to them to comb through and his ssn and they couldn't find one thing against him. All they can try to paint him as is being ignorant. But anyone who knows Holt and has ever met him finds him to be very intelligent and very strategic. I think that because his critics can't figure him out is why they find fault with him. It drives them crazy that they can't manipulate him like all the rest of the politicians. But that might be the key right there.... he's not a politician, he's a genuine, sincere, gentleman who cares about this nation and the people of it. God bless anyone who can take a beating and keep coming back to fight the good fight of faith.
Go Jim! Keep fightin', we need you!
I will vote for you anytime!
Today's message brought to you by the flavor Grape (Kool-Aid).
Don't you see how grossly unfair it is to lump Jim in with the people who interned Japanese Americans in WWII? B-T-W, his last campaign manager is married to a lovely and intelligent ethnic Chinese lady who is attempting to become a U.S. Citizen. Your implications are grossly unfair.
Jim Holt got more votes than Mike Huckabee. That was even though he was outspent 40-1 and had the papers trash-talking him. He is in no way, shape, or form a 'fringe candidate'. Nor is he a racist, nor a dominionist- except in the heart of each believer. I doubt he would even vote for "Faith Based Initiatives" because of his concerns about the state giving tax money to the church. How can that be the position of a "dominionist"? How can a person who wants to REDUCE the size of government be pushing for a theocracy?
Yes, politics rely on perception, so here is what the liberal media and big-money boys do when a populist conservative starts to get traction: They don't challenge them on the issues, because the People are with them on the issues. Instead, they attack the messenger in hopes of derailing the message. They through as much mud as they can. in hopes of scaring people off who agree with the messgenger otherwise.
This is EXACTLY what is going on right now with Jim Holt. The question is, are we going to let them get away with it?
Jim also lost his Home County.
Jim Also recieved 10% less vote then George Bush.
Jim Holt ran for the State House and won both primary and General.
then ran for the State Senate and won both the primary and general
then ran for US Senate won the primary and lost the General
Until It appears on Holt's campaign Website why should we beleive it? Mark Moore is his current Campaign Manager and has said thing that Jim Holt does not beleive. So should I believe what Mark says comes from Jim Holt also
it is on his website
Texan President George Bush was running against Massachussetts-French candidate John Kerry. And he vastly outspend Kerry in Arkansas.
Holt ran against an incumbant also from Araknsas who outspent him 40-1. That is your 10% difference.
As far as Washington County goes, Jim won his district bigtime, but liberal Fayetteville is a larger city than conservative Springdale, and some of Springdale is in Benton County.
It looks like we have found one of the rumor mongers- anon 9:04.
He is still in denial. It is ok 9:04, we all make mistakes, just go to all the people you said that to and tell them you were mistaken and ask them to do the same.
ar1836 at 11:09am,
I'll address you first. Your facts are twisted. Senator Holt spoke to the Constitution Party before he ran (and announced) for U.S. Senate. You said fringe candidates have to speak to fringe groups once they lose a state wide race.
Question: Do you consider Asa Hutchinson a fringe candidate? After all he's never won a state wide race. In fact, he's lost two already.
Question #2: Do you consider Chuck Banks a fringe Candidate? After all he lost his home district when he ran for Congress against Alexander (1st Congressional district - Holt won His third district in the U.S. Senate race - this applies to you too anonymous 9:01am) and a state wide race for Attorney General. As a matter of fact, Banks has NEVER won a race or been in elective office.
Question number 3: I guess this means you're going to vote for Matayo? Who has had only one opponent. Who has has voted for bigger Government and more centralized governmental control?Who barely won his house seat (by around 200 votes) against a guy that was a democrat, then ran as a republican. Who voted to give scholarships to illegal aliens. Who went down to the well of the conservative House of Representatives and spoke in favor of giving scholarships to illegals. Who used his influence to pass the bill, at the Governor's request, at a vote of 63-31?
Then it was up to Senator Holt to kill the bill in the much more liberal Senate. While Matayo led the charge to pass that bill, Holt led the charge to kill it. With the help of others and radio talk show hosts, stirring up the people, they did.
It was still going to pass until Holt requested an AG's opinion and asked if the scholarship bill violated any federal laws. The AG obviously had to rule with Holt and the federal law. It failed the Senate floor by only two votes. It received 16.
Hey anonymous 9:01am and others,
you said, "Jim also lost his home county." You've got to be kidding.
His Senate district is northern washington county. Sue Madison is the Senator for southern washington county, a.k.a. Fayetteville, a.k.a. the university of arkansas, a.k.a. the home of the radical liberals in the state. Bootsie Ackerman, a well-known and well liked Fayetteville activist, lost to Sue Madison even though she outspent Senator Madison by an incredible margin. They even had a 'democrats for Bootsie committee.'
Likewise for the state senate, Senator Holt was outspent almost six to one against long time resident and well liked, 35 year State Trooper Commander in Springdale and yet they couldn't beat him. To say that he lost his home county for U.S. Senate is a joke and a deception on your part.
Only an incumbant that spends a lot of money can 'squeek' out a win in all of washington county - like Boozman. And he didn't have the media and others swiping at him.
You failed to point out that Holt won the U.S. Senate primary by 70 percent and he won EVERY (all 75)counties in the primary.
He is considered the most conservative in the senate and Sue Madison the most liberal. She is for taking away our guns, gay marriage, and she is powerfully anti-life. They both come from the same county and represent the same number of people.
You also failed to point out that Bush spent millions and millions of dollars in this state and Senator Holt spent around 100,000.
Not to mention there was much more attention on the Presidential race.
Next you will probaly say that he only talks about one issue.
What another joke. He is more effective at getting out a message for a small amount of money than anyone we've probably ever seen in politics. Give him more money and he'll be able to fight off the perceived negatives that the liberals try to brainwash people with. I guess you probably also believe that Reagan and Bush aren't very smart? Bush and Reagan and Holt all share the same enemies in the liberal arena and just because he's upsetting your quest for power you pile on with the deceptions.
There are People, like yourself, who claim to be 'team players' and 'Reagan Republicans,' who are hypocrites. Reagan said don't speak ill of another republican yet people continue to trash Holt for no reason except he gets in the way of the political machine and your promotion. If you are such a team player why don't you give to his campaign? Banks says he's a team player and so does Matayo and I'll bet neither one of them gave to Holt's campaign. Why? Because they probably didn't think Holt could win, like so many others.
Now, it all boils down to this: The reason so many of you are scared of Holt is you're afraid Holt will get in the Governor's office, and we can't have that. After all, He's not a social elite or puppet. He is sincere and will push for real change. And he doesn't cow tow to the whims of the media, our Governor, or the poilitical elites or special interest groups.
You are for less taxes and government, aren't you?
Senator Holt was rated the NUMBER ONE legislator by the American Family Association, Matayo is toward the bottom. He (Matayo) has grown government and spent more of your tax dollars and voted to give scholarships to illegal aliens.
Senator Holt has stood firm to institutional pressure. We should be praising him. We do Bush when he is attacked, and just because Holt doesn't have the money to fire back you don't think past the nose on your face.
Banks has never been in political office, so we don't know how he is going to respond to the incredible pressure that's at the Capitol. And you are going to trust him to break the tie in the Senate when the pressure comes? There is only ONE candidate for Lt. Governor that WE KNOW we can trust.
Even the liberal papers and Brummet say he is 'too honest for his own good.' people complain about crooks in Government and here we have a man that even his opponents say he is honest and you want to continue to run his name through the mud? All you naysayers don't need to pretend to be so logical and 'above it all' when you spin things just like all the other political hacks out there for your own gain.
Mark Moore said it right, Are we the citizens going to let you deceivers get away with it? I've been watching this garbage long enough and I've yet to see Holt attack anyone. And what he stands for is what 75% to 95% of the people stand for.
Let's see; He put in a bill to show the flaws of evolution. The media spun it as a scopes 3. A poll comes out that 78% of liberal Little Rock agrees that we should teach creation science alongside evolution (even though that's not what his bill did). And now internationally, people are discovering the fallacies of evolution - the same thing in Senator Holt's bill. The list that science itself has proven to be false.
He fought to exempt property tax for homesteads. Everyone I know is for it but the politicians and Bureaucrats who don't want to lose 'their' revenue.
Holt fought hard to pass the marriage amendment and they labeled as an extremist even though it passed by 76%.
Senator Holt has been for vouchers for parents so the parents have the choice where to send their children to school.
Holt scores a perfect 100% with the National Federation of Independent Businesses (a small business lobby) a 100% with the National, state, and county Right to life. Yet you and others try to say he's extreme. What a joke. Polls have shown him later to be right once again; for 95%- 99% of the people say we are taxed too much. 76% say our gun rights should be protected and 78% say abortion is wrong.
He said the 'liberal' courts are a greater threat to our freedoms than Al Quida. Now, with our property rights being ripped away, the courts saying we have no say as parents to the education of our children, the ninth circuit trying to take God out of our pledge, and a court trying to change the definition of Marriage, (Let's not forget what he predicted with Lakeview) - once again he was right and with the majority of the people.
What has Banks or Matayo done to fight these issues? NOTHING!!!
Sounds like Senator Holt is MAINSTREAM, but active! So what does that make those who try to stop him?
Here's the problem with liberals, elites, and the controllers: they don't mind if politicians talk out of both sides of their mouths as long as when they get into office, they don't do anything about their platform. If they do, the ink flies until that politician comes in line.
For example, why hasn't abortion stopped? Why does our government continue to grow more and more rapidly? After all, the Republicans have been in control of Congress since 1994; It is because the media has had its way with our scared politicians.
It is time to fight back. I'm voting for Holt and I'm putting my money where my mouth is.
I'm sending, and will continue to send him, as much as I can afford. I hope that everyone that sees this will as well.
And as for you anonymous 9:04am,
I looked on the website and it IS on there. Maybe it wasn't before, but maybe now you'll believe.
P.S. And the constant INSANE anonymous of 8:25pm,
Since when is Senator Holt leading anyone to death such as the jim jones Guana tragedy? You are implying evil with no basis. Those people are the ones who were deceived to following someone to the point of death. You must be speaking figuratively. But after studying all the facts,
Senator Holt is the ONLY Republican to win this race.
Senator Holt's campaigns are always about life, liberty, the freedom of speech, the pursuit of happiness, God and our Founding Fathers. How you can compare the two is a mystery and utter nonsense. And we all know who the father of lies is, don't we? To do something which you continue to imply is truly evil. Why would you do something so evil? Tell us. We want to know what facts you have to post something so ludicrous...
There is a blog and Republican establishment conspiracy against Arkansas Watch and Jim Holt. I have been personally told about it and have seen it done with my own eyes.
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
We are all waiting for the other shoe to drop, but if this is anything other than a prank I have no way of knowing it. No evidence, no details, nothing to confirm, nothing to watch out for.
It does explain some things though.
"Matayo has grown government and spent more of your tax dollars..."
How does that line up with Matayo passing his bill to shrink government by merging the Dept. of Health and the Dept. of Human services? Why didn't Holt vote for it? Doesn't sound like a smaller government guy to me. And how about Jim voting for taxes when he pledged not to? He's voted for at least two...one of them very large. How can you be so against the working poor?
it seems to me that when the feds merged all those other departments into the Department of Homeland Security it cost MORE money than the sum of the individual departments added together. It just added another layer- maybe needed for security purposes because speed of information is critical in that business- but it added another layer.
Merging departments at the Fed level did NOT save money and it was NOT smaller government. Show us that it is not the same thing here.
Where does the alleged cost savings of merging the two state departments together come from?
Are you living under a rock?? First, they've already estimated that it INITIALLY saves the taxpayers $2.4 million, and right now it looks like it's going to be twice that much...sorry if you don't like what the experts have to say. And second, he also voted to roll back a $24 million tax credit for the working poor. But the most important thing is this...if you say you'll never vote for taxes and then you vote for taxes (even a beer tax), then you broke a promise to the people. Period.
Don't forget the streamlineing of Adoption Bill That Matayo sponsered and past. It gets children off of Medicare quicker more then likely will keep them out of jail and all the other benefits the children recieve that the new parents will now pay for. that can add up to alot of money
Mr. Toast
"I suppose you think Matayo 'shrunk' government by voting in school consolidation as well! "
If you read the bill it was for the Adminatration only. The local school boards did the rest.
Could anyone explain this vote by Senator Jim Holt HB2653?
anon 6:41am
Which bill is HB2653 and what did it do?
more scholarship increases. was this the one everyone was so up in arms about
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