Old Constitution Leader wins an office in Maryland

[salex]

So, a former Constitution Party leader, co-founder with Howard Phillips, Doug the Tool's Dad, has dumped the Constitution Party for not being conservative enough and run as a Republican in a local election has won a county Council seat in Maryland prospect.org/article/gops-neo-confederate-theocrat-wins-council-seat-one-richest-us-counties

The Republicans did talk him into dropping out of The League of the South (at least officially). Whether moving from Presidential Candidate for the Constitution Party to County Council Candidate for the Republican party is a downward move or a lateral move is anyone's guess, but the result is, he brought his ideas and ideals into an actual office.

Since it was the fear of politicized Christianity and Dominionism that brought me here, looking for information on the internet I have drifted, being amused by internet clowns and their horrible antics and home grown patriarchy and misogyny. But Lorken and the King of Cabinetry are diversions that may be keeping me from looking at the man behind the curtain.

So, given that we are in the next election cycle (starts as soon as the last one ends) and the 2016 presidential election is ramping up as we speak, this small win in Maryland bugs me. This may be because I have seen what is happening in Kansas and can't imagine it happening across the nation.

After an election night filled with far-right victories, it’s hard to dub any single winner the most extreme. But Michael Peroutka, newly elected to the Anne Arundel County Council in Maryland, would have to be in anyone’s top five. Peroutka is a radical Christian Reconstructionist and southern secessionist. He says “so-called civil rights laws†are not valid because “there is no such thing as a civil right.†He says promoting evolution “is an act of disloyalty to America.†He says of Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy, “The reason he hates God is because he thinks he is God.†He thinks gay people are out to “recruit your children†into their “deathstyle.â€

Remarkably for someone who has just become an elected official in Maryland, Peroutka argues that since state legislators have passed laws like marriage equality that “violate God’s law,†the Maryland General Assembly is “no longer a valid legislative body†and none of the laws that it has passed are “legally valid and legally enforceable.â€

- See more at: .rightwingwatch.org/content/neo-confederate-republican-michael-peroutka-wins-maryland-election#sthash.7L7WqMRm.dpuf

So, if this is the wrong forum for political talk, point me in the right direction, because I see the rantings of the people on my Fakebook acct and I see nothing remotely like it from my real friends and relatives on my real facebook account, so I sometimes get the idea that most of my friends simply dont' even know the wackos exist. I don't want to become Conspiracy Theorists Salex... but I do want to be well versed on any candidates who are quietly involved in dominionism, theocracy, etc.

[Four is Enough]

Just one county over from me. Peroutka is a major tool.

[browncoatslytherin]

woooooooow. i wonder if he realizes he's a walking parody of himself. like, holy shit, i would have sworn something like that was satire straight from the onion or the daily currant or something of the like.

[Four is Enough]

Maryland's General Assembly meets for 90 days, beginning in January. The schedule is always crowded and not all of it gets done.. this asshole is going to filibuster or something, trying to repeal the laws.. and make a lot of sound and fury, signifying nothing, but he is going to tie up real legislation and put Maryland in knots. How on earth did they elect HIM?

[Coco]

I was holding out hope that these terrible people (the bigots from the 1960's era) would die out but it's looking less likely, esp. with the gap between rich/poor growing. And if they keep their kids separate from mainstream media it's more difficult to influence the next generation about other cultures.

[NachosFlandersStyle]

Good god. Stuff like this always scares me-- not because I think this guy is going to take over the country starting with county zoning regulations, but because it goes to show how opaque democracy can be. How many people do you think voted in that county council primary? How many people even noticed the race on their general election ballot? How many just checked the name that had an ® next to it, having no idea that it belonged to an openly theocratic white supremacist?

State and local politics is crawling with folks like this (although he's a pretty extreme example). People who would never be elected if there was any actual public awareness of and participation in their level of government. But instead most people don't even know they HAVE a county council, or even a state representative or attorney general or whatever. And then they wonder how the place where they live got all wacky.

[hoipolloi]

Doug Phillips Is A Rapist was a big fan of Peroutka's and talked him up bigtime in Doug's Blog and elsewhere.

In fact, Doug's support for Peroutka, to the pointing of telling people men that they should vote for Peroutka and not Bush, led to more trouble for Jen Epstein, who disagreed & wrote Doug about it (jensgems.wordpress.com/category/jens-story-06/):

These two articles [at the VF wesbite] were designed to show that voting for either Kerry or Bush was a sin for a Christian. Since this was just days before the [2004] Presidential election, and since I was growing tired of hearing from the pulpit each Sunday how we needed to vote for Peroutka, the Constitutional Party candidate, I was glad for a chance to respond. Since Doug Phillips sometimes points out logical fallacies of other Christians, I took this opportunity to carefully point out seven logical fallacies in Doug’s little voting scenario as well. While I was at it, I responded to Bill Einwechter’s article on why we should vote for Peroutka as well. Not wanting to embarrass Doug Phillips by sending it to his personal assistant, I sent it privately to Doug’s own email instead, with my husband’s full blessing. This did not go over real well, starting with Beall Phillips immediately sending me an email in which she said, “I purposed to bring to your attention those areas of continual sin about which we have appealed to you.â€

[salex]

Good god. Stuff like this always scares me-- not because I think this guy is going to take over the country starting with county zoning regulations, but because it goes to show how opaque democracy can be. How many people do you think voted in that county council primary? How many people even noticed the race on their general election ballot? How many just checked the name that had an ® next to it, having no idea that it belonged to an openly theocratic white supremacist?

State and local politics is crawling with folks like this (although he's a pretty extreme example). People who would never be elected if there was any actual public awareness of and participation in their level of government. But instead most people don't even know they HAVE a county council, or even a state representative or attorney general or whatever. And then they wonder how the place where they live got all wacky.

A couple of years ago, my state congressperson retired (moderate republican aka a liberal in KS)

An acquaintance ran for the seat as a democrat. She was unopposed in the primary. Her republican opponent was a tea party/conservative who won the 3 way republican primary.

He was a complete unknown, but the money thrown at his campaign was huge. I was getting daily mailings from his campaign during the primary. Oddly enough, each mailing contained the same exact information (I used to say the same 3 paragraphs) and that was also all that was on his web site or facebook.

Since I didn't like the people who supported him, I told my acquaintance that I'd do some research on the guy, since no one knew anything about him. I spent a lot of time and found almost nothing. His only source of income appeared to be one small office building and a more or less defunct consulting company that didn't have a web page.... He had been divorced 20 years previous in another state, he had one new report that quoted him talking about the importance of reducing taxes that was from 6 months before the primary, a lawsuit that had been settled 5 or more years previous with the consulting company and one speeding ticket. not even sure he had a degree, but he did list that he was a Christian.

The Jewish Woman Attorney with years and years of public service and experience didn't stand a chance. Even though the demographic in our district is highly educated, highly compensated and includes a lot of 40-60 year old women who support women's rights and are pro choice, that Damn R in front of his name won the day. He ran unopposed this year.

And I still don't know anything about him other than he toes the Brownback/Koch line.

[NachosFlandersStyle]

A couple of years ago, my state congressperson retired (moderate republican aka a liberal in KS)

An acquaintance ran for the seat as a democrat. She was unopposed in the primary. Her republican opponent was a tea party/conservative who won the 3 way republican primary.

He was a complete unknown, but the money thrown at his campaign was huge. I was getting daily mailings from his campaign during the primary. Oddly enough, each mailing contained the same exact information (I used to say the same 3 paragraphs) and that was also all that was on his web site or facebook.

Since I didn't like the people who supported him, I told my acquaintance that I'd do some research on the guy, since no one knew anything about him. I spent a lot of time and found almost nothing. His only source of income appeared to be one small office building and a more or less defunct consulting company that didn't have a web page.... He had been divorced 20 years previous in another state, he had one new report that quoted him talking about the importance of reducing taxes that was from 6 months before the primary, a lawsuit that had been settled 5 or more years previous with the consulting company and one speeding ticket. not even sure he had a degree, but he did list that he was a Christian.

The Jewish Woman Attorney with years and years of public service and experience didn't stand a chance. Even though the demographic in our district is highly educated, highly compensated and includes a lot of 40-60 year old women who support women's rights and are pro choice, that Damn R in front of his name won the day. He ran unopposed this year.

And I still don't know anything about him other than he toes the Brownback/Koch line.

Yup. Many of our small-time elected officials have no deep knowledge of government and are running on their 20 years experience running a Waffle House or whatever, plus their ideological purity on issues like abortion and gun rights that will rarely be relevant to their office (unless they decide to make them relevant by wasting time introducing ridiculous bills and mugging for the local news cameras). But surprise, most of the business of being a local politician has to do with building codes and utility rates, boring stuff that requires a more serious and patient mind than your average tea party windbag possesses.

[RachelB]

Good god. Stuff like this always scares me-- not because I think this guy is going to take over the country starting with county zoning regulations, but because it goes to show how opaque democracy can be. How many people do you think voted in that county council primary? How many people even noticed the race on their general election ballot? How many just checked the name that had an ® next to it, having no idea that it belonged to an openly theocratic white supremacist?

State and local politics is crawling with folks like this (although he's a pretty extreme example). People who would never be elected if there was any actual public awareness of and participation in their level of government. But instead most people don't even know they HAVE a county council, or even a state representative or attorney general or whatever. And then they wonder how the place where they live got all wacky.

There is a theonomist who has run repeatedly (so far unsuccessfully) for judicial positions in Minnesota-- his deal is that he will uphold the bible, first and foremost. He will uphold the constitution only insofar as the two are not in conflict. Which ought to render him unfit for political office, but he gets votes.

UGH.

[fun2beme]

Just one county over from me. Peroutka is a major tool.

We're practically neighbors! I live in AA county.

[FloraKitty35]

Just one county over from me. Peroutka is a major tool.

Just on the other side of the bridge from the county I work in, yipee.