There is a great experiment shaping up in the Republican primary for the 6th Congressional District. Councilman Zack Matheny's candidacy openly tests the premise that a known, recognized liberal/progressive could grab the Republican nomination in a state like North Carolina.
A couple of interesting developments occurred over the weekend. First, he secured the endorsement of the Greensboro News and Record, which is a liberal Democratic newspaper. And in spite of this, the paper reported the very same day that he had been designated as "On the Radar" by the National Republican Congressional Committee. The national Republicans are apparently unconcerned regarding what his politics represents.
It has been clear for months that Matheny is the choice of Greensboro liberals.
Let's look at the man's record during the 6+ years he has served on the Greensboro City Council.
1. He is a big spending, big government politician. He has supported enormously expensive, unnecessary projects such as the downtown greenway, the aquatic center and the performing arts center. He has thereby cost the taxpayers tens of millions of dollars. He has also been a big proponent of using taxpayer monies to prop up downtown Greensboro (and thereby, downtown commercial real estate interests).
2. He aligned himself with a corrupt local political machine. He repeatedly sought and obtained the endorsement of the Simkins PAC. This group is almost exclusively comprised of progressives; and is defined by its racial identity politics. The PAC, in concert with local development-related interests, had controlled local government in Greensboro and Guilford County for many years. The tales of corruption associated with this machine are too extensive to recite in this post.
3. He has openly rejected traditional Judeo-Christian morality. Matheny voted a couple of years ago to support a city council resolution opposing the state marriage amendment. He has previously sought and obtained the endorsement of the Replacements Ltd. PAC-- a local special interest group that espouses the gay sociopolitical agenda. And when Republican conservative council member Danny Thompson sought several years ago sought to require filters on library computers to protect minors, Matheny opposed it-- even though reports of library patrons openly viewing porn had been documented.
4. Greensboro has done poorly on his watch. Matheny claims he is all about jobs and economic development. But in fact, Greensboro has done very poorly. It has had enormous problems with poverty rates and unemployment. Matheny's policies don't work well.
5. There are issues with temperament and character. Check here for a recent example.
The national Republicans might believe that a politician like Matheny should be "on the radar". But here in the state of North Carolina, conservatives ought to reject his candidacy summarily.
Let the Greensboro liberals support him as they wish, and throw their campaign dollars at him. But conservatives ought to be warning voters what he is all about.
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