Alex Mooney, responding to Red Maryland criticism that his leadership has evidenced misplaced priorities: "I don't even take that seriously," he said. "Ever since I got elected chairman, there have been people criticizing." (Michael Dresser, The Baltimore Sun, November 25, 2012

Alex Mooney, The Baltimore Sun, later in same article:  "I don't think they're (critics) gaining much support. I think it's a waste of time to be doing it. We should get back to fighting Democrats.”

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On Red Maryland I leave the substance of state party political fights to others more knowledgeable, but I have been an expert in rhetoric and logic all of my professional life (about 40 years).  Therefore, I should like to comment on the public dispute between Alex Mooney and those who have criticized his leadership as state party Chairman.

Mr. Mooney has been criticized for sporting a far-right brand of Republicanism, but that doesn’t disqualify him from performing well the job of state chairman.

What does disqualify him is if his priorities are misplaced, his agenda is personal and that such choices led to defeat of candidates and referendums in the recent Maryland elections.

Red Maryland called for Mr. Mooney’s resignation as chairman in an editorial (on which I had no participation) on November 12 titled “Alex Mooney must Resign.”  The main arguments supporting the demand included the following:

1.     His focus on fundraising was motivated for his personal gain to the disadvantage of the Maryland Republican party.
2.     He neglected to raise funds and marshal support for Republican-supported referendums, focusing instead on Roscoe Bartlett’s doomed candidacy.

The editorial is a reasoned piece which deserves substantive response, not ad hominem defensiveness and an irrelevant point about the fact this is just the latest criticism in a long line of criticism.

Anyone who does not see the contradiction between Red Maryland’s material criticisms and Mr. Mooney’s evasive, belittling response is not interested in advancing the conservative perspective in Maryland politics.



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Red Maryland

The Premier blog of conservative and Republican politics and ideas in the Free State, named one of Maryland's best political blogs by the Washington Post

Professor Vatz teaches political rhetoric at Towson University and is author of The Only Authentic Book of Persuasion (Kendall Hunt, 2012, 20130)