By Dianne Wyss, the current President of the Shenandoah County Republican Women; a member of the Shenandoah County Freedom Caucus and the County GOP Committee.
Republican women should support Scott Sayre for 6th District Chair.
The rift between the GOP Establishment and the Grassroots Conservatives is taking a new form here in the 6th: the enlistment of women to serve as fronts for men who want to exercise power behind-the-scenes.
Patsy Walker, the pleasant but under-qualified wife of former 6th District Chair Wendell Walker, has become the leader of the district GOP Women, using the family’s political muscle to push aside the competent and respected Cher McCoy.
In this role, Mrs Walker will have a vote on the District Committee equal to that of an actual GOP Committee Unit.
Now, Jennifer Brown, the fiancée of Roger Jarrell, who is a known GOP operative, is running hard for District Chair, trying to replace the competent and respected Scott Sayre.
It would be nice to know more about Brown’s GOP bona fides, because it looks like she is another pleasant but under-qualified consort of a powerful man. She chose not to address our Shenandoah Republican Women’s meeting when offered the opportunity, and she did not return the information questionnaire we sent to all the candidates for 6th District Office.
So we have few concrete facts about Brown. Does she have a job — she has been in school so long that one suspects her occupation is ‘professional student’. How is she spending the money she is fundraising? How will she fund her chairmanship – will the 6th District Republicans fund her? She has not been a Unit Chair or an RW President, so what is her management experience?
We do know that Jennifer is the Social Media Chair of the 6th District, and that the District is invisible on social media. Twitter is the main channel at present, and the number OF tweets sent out over the past year is – ZERO. This does not bode well.
This is the 21st Century. The 6th District has many women with records of accomplishment and with experience in GOP unit management, legislative activism, and issue advocacy. Among them are Donna Moser, Cher McCoy, Nancy Stone, Karen Kwiatkowski, and 6th District Leader Anne Fitzgerald, who serves here and at the State level.
These women stand on their own. They do not need to be propped up by their partners.
The situation is disheartening. Patsy Walker and Jennifer Brown appear to be pawns in an attempt to con women into supporting GOP Establishment power in the 6th District.
Furthermore, they have been actively disrespectful to the grassroots, and will find it difficult to gain the respect and cooperation of the grassroots conservative activists in the District.
We need proven leaders – men and women – who deserve respect and can unify our sad Old Party. Scott Sayre has been implementing an action plan to return power to the local committees and away from the top down outdated style that RPV and the Establishment wants – where they keep all the power.
Given everything at stake here, the choice is clear – Scott Sayre for the 6th!
On behalf of the Republican Women of Shenandoah County,
Dianne Wyss
18 comments
Why are they fighting over who is ” 6th District chair”? Why do we do these things in Virginia? Isn’t the purpose of the party to win seats in the fall? I guess I am a Pollyanna
Clearly you feminist commenters triggered by the word “consort” don’t even know the definition of the word. And just what exactly is sexist that a woman cannot be a pawn in a con game? Surely, you’re not daring to say women are excluded from the cons of the political arena? And furthermore, your feigned indignance to an Op-Ed just shows how you despise the liberty of speech after all. Feminism has destroyed the Republic and you’re examples of the ignorance as to why this is so.
Well said! By their logic they should be 100% behind Cynthia Dunbar but they are not!
A thoroughly nasty article. Very sexist and vile. Shame on TBE.
I noticed in one of Jennifer’s recent mailings (not sure if Roger drafted it or not) that she was going to organize and reach out to units in the 6th. The funny thing is, that’s exactly what Scott has done, with efficiency, energy, and caring leadership. Scott has performed extremely well — and the District was able to end the Incumbent Protection Act to boot! I’m very proud to be part of the future, and while I wish all parties good luck and Godspeed, I’m sticking with Scott.
Dianne Wyss is a great American and patriot. Not to mention a good friend. For people like Craig Storrs and other cyber bullies to call her sexist is disgusting.
This is a ridiculous attempt at a character assassination of two people who have attempted to put country before themselves. Patsy Walker has done nothing to warrant this attack, neither has Jennifer Brown. This is incredibly sexist and I hope that TBE’s editorial staff realize that. Despite philosophical differences between the author and Mrs. Walker and Ms. Brown, I would have hoped that we were beyond stooping low enough to this level of character assassinations.
Actually Craig, it is not anything like that. It is a valid observation, based on not just the past few months of campaigning but observations over several years.
One hopes Ms.Wyss get her own house in order.
Perhaps a good beginning would be the empty
Website of the Shenandoah County Republican Women .
Perhaps it’s a work in progress …
Ms. Wyss should concern herself with her own
Bonafides , and worry less about Jennifer Brown
Ms. Wyss might remember that
Those who want respect , give respect.
The rest of Ms. Wyss rant is really beneath comment.
This sexist character attack on a well-qualified Republican candidate is beneath the dignity of the Shenandoah County Republican Women. The author has disgraced her club and should resign.
Disclaimer: I live in the 5th and really did not want to get dragged into this nonsense.
I’m the previous past Chairman of the Lynchburg Area Young Republicans and current Executive Director. Just wanted to state my extreme disapproval of the tone of this article. Though I do not know Mrs. Walker very well and have rarely supported the same primary candidates has she and Mr. Walker, but I have always respected their passion. This article is a despicable and unnecessary slanderous character assassination on two very passionate women who I do have respect for and have contributed a lot to the party in various ways as two individuals equally created in the image of God with unique talents and experiences.
I plan to write a longer reply to this and will submit that to TBE, but suffice to say: these are the kinds of articles that destroy the Republican Party’s reputation and ability to build bridges and voter coalitions.
Please do write a longer response. One is certainly deserved.
Will do.
Here is the link to my joint op-ed response: https://bearingdrift.com/2018/05/17/knight-raymond-plea-sanity-need-bridge-builders-6th/
The blatant sexism in this op-ed is disheartening and has no place in the Grand Old Party. Stating that because of their significant others Mrs. Walker and Ms. Brown are unqualified is unabashedly wrong and absolutely insulting.
Furthermore, by placing it under The Bull Elephant Staff rather than the individual author, Ms. Wyss, shows that this is the consensus opinion of the Bull Elephant Staff. Frankly, I believe that the Bull Elephant owes Ms. Brown and Mrs. Walker an apology.
“she is another pleasant but under-qualified consort of a powerful man.” Are we talking about Cynthia Dunbar again?
#dunbarisawackadoodle
Absolutely disheartening that you would discount Jennifer Brown. Obviously you have no social media skills since she plasters news, radio shows, op Ed’s and more every single day. She’s the new generation. Vote for her and get over yourself.