The Cold Slap of Power: Scapegoating in the Delaware Republican Party
Defeat, particularly repeated defeats, for political parties can be a time for introspection, reform
and renewal. That is the upside of defeat. The downside often comes in the consequent defensiveness and intransigence from factions within a political party that wish to resist change and maintain the status quo. As should be expected, the factions resistant to change predominantly benefit from the status quo, particularly, in a political party’s case, in the faction’s share of political power.
It becomes necessary, therefore, for the faction to subvert the direction of reform and to create the appearance of reform for the rank and file by finding scapegoats that can serve as the impediments to election victories. Once the scapegoats are identified, they are then purged from the party’s midst. I stressed the word “appearance” because it isn’t necessary for the faction to admit that it has purged the scapegoats for failing to deliver the party election victories. In fact, the faction can even officially deny it has purged the scapegoats because of the party’s failures. The faction can rely on the gradual process of revising the official explanation over time (through non-official and “off the record” forms of communication) so that eventually the rank file “understands” that the purges necessary for reform have already occurred.
After the News Journal reporter Patrick Jackson recently wrote “the buzz around Return Day had state GOP Chairman Terry Strine getting a pass” for the party’s electoral defeats on Election Day, unsurprisingly we read this today:
Members of the GOP State Executive Committee last week voted to back state Chairman Terry Strine's plan to release Chris DuHadaway, office manager at the party's Wilmington headquarters; Ken Grant, its communications director, and David Crossan, the executive director. (link)
As if on cue, we hear the “official” reason for purging these employees has nothing to do with the party’s election failures in spite of the trippingly obvious conjunction, which we are supposed to notice, of last week’s election results, the criticism Terry Strine has received for the party’s failures on Election Day, and his announcement of his intention to run for reelection as the party’s chairperson in the Spring of 2007:
The GOP had a bad year at the polls here -- Ferris Wharton lost to Beau Biden in a nasty race for attorney general, and the party lost three seats in the House.
But Strine said the losses are not the reason for the staff cuts.
"This is in no way connected to the election other than the large amounts of money we spent on the election," Strine said. "I'm sure the haters and professional spear-throwers out there will want to say something else, but it would be misleading."
Strine said the party will look for a new executive director but will use volunteers for the time being to save money and rebuild its bank account for 2008.
The GOP's eight-day pre-election campaign finance report showed a balance of about $170,680. During October's campaign stretch, the party spent more than $580,000 on a variety of services for campaigns across the state, including controversial in-kind expenses to help candidates with radio ads. (link)
I have no doubt the Delaware Republican Party could easily raise the money necessary to cover the modest salaries of these three employees. Apparently the party must think it has the capacity to do so since they have announced their intention to rehire someone as a new executive director. Moreover, with these employees gone, it would be foolhardy for the real reform minded Republicans to continue to press for Strine’s resignation. If he leaves, who will be there to run the ship day by day? Now the party needs Terry Strine even if the vast majority does not want him. Firing these employees has enabled Terry Strine to checkmate the party’s options.
If that isn’t scandalous enough, the wife of the fired Executive Director, David Crossan, reportedly has terminal brain cancer and the Cossans small children at home. I have learned that some Republicans—particularly vicious and reprehensible members of the party—had wanted Crossan o get the axe because they considered him a “charity case.” Apparently, the party is ending the “charity” by degrees:
Strine said the party would continue to pick up the Crossan family's health insurance premiums until he finds a new job. Earlier this year, Crossan's wife, Elizabeth, was diagnosed with brain tumors.
"David and his family are facing a very hard time, and it's the least we can do for him," Strine said. "That's just basic decency." (link)
Given that a young man with small children and a dying wife probably needs income as well as health insurance, then I must congratulate Mr. Strine for telling the truth. Merely continuing the health insurance for the family is indeed “the least” the party can do for Mr. Crossan and his family. It’s about as “basic” a form of “decency” as I have had the displeasure to witness. That all this comes for the Crossans during the holiday season only adds insult to injury. It’s despicable, of course, but that is what the cold slap of power looks like after it has been administered. Crossan et al must play the scapegoat because the ruling faction in the Republican Party wants to stop real reform within the party, which is just another way of saying that Terry Strine and other members of the party’s hierarchy must keep their positions.
