Bring Me the Head of Michael McDonald

(Chuck Muth) – Some 25 years ago I listened to Rush Limbaugh for the first time.  My immediate reaction was: “Hey, somebody’s saying exactly what I’ve been thinking.  I’m not alone!”

While certainly not comparing myself to the great El Rushbo, apparently my last Muth’s Truths calling for Nevada Republican Party Michael McDonald to resign had a similar effect.

Turns out I’m not the only one thinking this way.

A sampling of the ton of email responses I’ve received on this matter (names withheld to protect the innocent)…

• “Thank you for this truth! As a Central Committee member I plan to fire him.”

• “I have been preaching the removal of McDonald for three years at the Washoe County Central Committee. They look at me like I’m nuts. Thank you for getting your opinion out there.”

• “Dear Mr. Muth: I totally agree with your commentary regarding the Republican party chair. He is, and has been, a liability for the state party from the beginning.  The party has slowly destroyed itself from within.  The fighting among the factions is disgusting and a turnoff for loyal Republicans and former Central Committee members.   McDonald must go for sure.”

• “I rarely agree with Chuck but in this instance, he is spot on. It’s time for a change and it’s not personal.”

• “The Reid machine still runs the state. McDonald is just one of the soldiers. Egos, lack of communication, lack of leadership and the list goes on. I tried to become involved, but due to the above-mentioned I gave up.”

• “Mr. Muth you are spot on with your commentary I couldn’t agree more!”

• “For too long, this party has been drifting from a statewide perspective by a person who should have been perceived as ineffective as far back as at least four years ago. Michael has lost the mantel of leadership and respect, and is too far gone for any hope of recovery.  If there was ever a good time for a real scrubbing of the state party’s infrastructure, now’s that time.”
  

• “I think you’re right in the idea that we need new leadership and direction for the Party here in Nevada. Thanks for your work, knowledge, experience and care for our great state.”

• “I believe Trump’s connection to McDonald is due more to his political usefulness and longevity than respect or political alliance. McD could not deliver for Trump in 2020 and has lost again. Nevada is a laughing stock to the country.”

But in a front-page story in this morning’s Las Vegas Review-Journal, Jessica Hill writes that McDonald is digging in his heels and refusing to leave.

“McDonald said he is not going anywhere,” Hill reported, “and that the future of the Nevada Republican Party is bright.”

I’m not a doctor, but I believe the medical term for this is “clinical delusion.”

In any event, and to be fair, not everybody is on the “Bring Me the Head of Michael McDonald” bandwagon.

In defending his four straight losing seasons and three straight losing presidential elections in Nevada, McDonald’s shrinking number of supporters point to Republican Gov.-elect Joe Lombardo’s win over Democrat incumbent Steve Sisolak in the governor’s race.

One pro-McDonald message that was posted on my Twitter feed read…

“I agree w/ NVGOP chairman @McDonaldNV that under his brilliant leadership #Nevada is the ONLY state in the nation that FLIPPED a Blue state governor Steve Sisolak (D-NV) into a red Republican governorship, when #LasVegas Clark County sheriff JOE LOMBARDO (R-NV) won.”

Of course, that “brilliant” comment was posted by Eddie “(Insert Goofy Nickname Here)” Hamilton.  So…consider the source.

His ridiculous argument is like if the Houston Texans’ football coach, Lovie Smith, said the future of his team was “bright” because they beat the Jacksonville Jaguars back in early October even though they haven’t won any of their other 11 games this year.

Secondly, Lombardo won DESPITE the failures of the Nevada GOP, not because of them.  He won’t say it.  I will.

In addition, McDonald’s executive director, who has no choice but to defend the performance of her boss, told Hill that the Nevada GOP…

“…had about 60 events per week during the midterm campaign, between phone banking, door knocking and different events with committees. In the midterms, Republican turnout exceeded Democrats’ by 3 percent.”

First, GOP turnout is almost always higher than Democrat turnout in non-presidential election cycles, even without a “red wave.”

Secondly, if the party actually executed such successful phone-banking and door-knocking, why did it get crushed with so many losses – including the U.S. Senate race and three U.S. House races?

Either it didn’t do what it claims to have done, or it did it badly, or what it did was the wrong thing to do. Either way, the failure rests with the party chairman, not the party’s staff and volunteers.

In wrapping up, let me give you all a word of caution…

Last year, after writing that I thought Sam Brown would be a stronger general election candidate for the U.S. Senate than Adam Laxalt, Donald Trump’s hatchet man, Ric Grenell, came after me; accusing me of being “disloyal” to the former president who had already endorsed Laxalt.

And the McDonald camp is already using the same nonsensical tactic to try to defend their embattled party boss.

Political consultant Rory McShane – who, I believe, lost the races of GOP candidates Michele Fiore, Jim Marchant and Sam Peters and has done paid contract work for the Nevada Republican Party (not disclosed in the story) – told Hill that…

“Michael McDonald is one of the best state chairman in the country…and I hope he doesn’t spend one minute of energy on these anti-Trumpers.”

You see…if you think the Nevada Republican Party has been a failure over the last four election cycles…and think it’s time for a change in leadership…you’re an “anti-Trumper.”

Bullschitt.

Just because some Nevada Republicans think for themselves and disagree with Trump on an endorsement in their home state does NOT make them “anti-Trumpers.”  Period.

But this shameful and absurd attack on Nevada Republicans who dare to say “the emperor has no clothes” has worked in the past.  Laxalt beat Brown in the GOP…and went on to lose the general election.

I guess we’ll have to wait and see if this tactic will work again in saving McDonald’s bacon.

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FAMOUS LAST WORDS

“Chuck Muth is too classy to say it, so I’ll say it: Michael McDonald is loser, was a loser, and always will be a loser. @ChuckMuth is right on target here! The @NVGOP needs to rid themselves of this loser asap… or guess what? We’ll continue to lose.” – @LiberalsLeaving

Mr. Muth is president of Citizen Outreach, publisher of Nevada News & Views and blogs at MuthsTruths.com.  His views are his own.