Posted on 03/12/2013 12:12:30 PM PDT by mdittmar
The outgoing chair of the Louisville Young Republicans says he lost his seat to a Tea Party activist due to publicly supporting Senator Mitch McConnell’s re-election campaign.
James Young had served as the group's leader since last year, but lost re-election to Louisville Tea Party Vice President Andrew Schachtner this week.
The chair position was the only contested seat in the group's elections Monday.
Young says he didn't begin to receiving threats of opposition until he began defending McConnell on this station.
"I'm very confident my appearance fueled some ideas in the minds of people looking for opportunities," he says. "There was an instance where I was specifically told through other individuals that ‘hey there are some people very upset within Tea Party organization that view you using your position to support Senator McConnell' and influencing others to do so."
Much has been written about the gulf between McConnell and Tea Party groups throughout the state. In several news stories, Young pushed back against talk of a primary challenge against Kentucky's senior senator.
Schachtner admits hearing rumors about displeasure with Young's leadership over those comments, but McConnell had little to do with the young Republicans decision to elect a new chairman.
"That might have been the timing," he says. "I think I have a lot of to bring to the table for the Louisville Young Republicans. I want to focus on precinct organization, getting young people into positions in the Republican Party and getting them in places where they can effect change in the future. And to work on fundraising."
Asked if he supports McConnell's re-election bid, Schachtner told WFPL he does "on default" because the Seante GOP leader is the only one running. The 24-year-old conservative adds he would have to reevaluate any decision if a primary challenger entered the race.
"I am a Tea Party guy, and that's my philosophical background. I am still waiting to see what the race is going to look like before I make any final decision on who I support or who I oppose," says Schactner.
Local Tea Party leaders dismiss Young's assertion that McConnell was the chief reason for his loss and argue the ouster was more about an attempt to change the group’s by-laws.
"I don't think anybody should believe there is some weird Tea Party conspiracy to overthrow the young Republicans. If it were that I'd be aware," says Louisville Tea Party President Sarah Durand, who voted for Schactner in Monday's election. "What (James Young) took heat for was I think him wanting to change the rules to endorse in a primary, and they've never done that before."
Young denies any attempt to make those changes, but did argue the group should officially support McConnell until a primary opponent emerged. Both Young and Durand agreed "quite a few" Tea Party activists who are registered Republicans showed up to vote, however.
"I do believe if I were to have kept quite about Senator McConnell, if I would not have appeared on WFPL, if I wouldn’t have answered questions from reporters about the importance of young Republicans getting involved for Senator McConnell, I do believe I would have went unopposed and I would have been re-elected," says Young.
Back the King of compromise at your own peril.
WHAT DIFFERENCE DOES IT MAKE??!
Are there no editors any more?..........
I once mingled with the Jefferson County Young Republicans about 14 years ago. I wonder if it is the same group.
-PJ
I don’t blame the editors,gotta be able to put a sentence together.
The word ‘quite’ was used instead of ‘quiet’.............
Five “would haves” and a “went”. Obviously the editors would have went to lunch.
Quite........
“I do believe, had I kept quiet about Senator McConnell, had I not appeared on WFPL and answered questions from reporters about the importance of young Republicans getting involved for Senator McConnell, I would have gone unopposed and been re-elected,” says Young.
Now doesn’t that sound a bit more someone you might like as a leader in the GOP. English as a first language. I’m all for it.
I’m quiet sure they were on break.
-PJ
Maybe they quit........
I suppose I could do a better job of proof-reading my corrections. Mea culpa.
If McConnell gets primaried, Ashley Judd may become senator. Right next door in Indiana, Mourdock lost to a Democratic non-entity.
Ashley Judd is hot.
Maybe 20 years ago.
Hell, Kentucky would be better off by bringing Jim Bunning out of retirement. I was rather fond of Sen. Bunning despite (or maybe because of) his reputation of not suffering fools gladly.
While I'm not expert. I suspect this is true. The bylaws change would have put them outside the National YR Federation. That would be enough to cause a one to be voted out.
Plus if it was a legitimate take over, they would have probably taken down more than just the chairman. A smart coup doesn't leave one with a board full of your opponent's people.
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