Interview with Kenny Golden: Opinion of GOP, Tea Party

I recently had the opportunity to interview Kenny Golden, independent candidate for Congress in the 2nd congressional district of Virginia (currently represented by Democrat Glenn Nye). The interview is fairly long, so I’m breaking it up. You can read Part 1 here. Enjoy.

Blue Virginia Question

What attracts you to today’s Republican Party and where do you differ? Same question for the Democratic Party.

Kenny Golden Answer

I am not really attracted to either party at this time. I think the partisanship that the two parties have developed over the past few years has been detrimental to the country. There is a severe shortage of statesmanship in Washington. It’s time that we do what is good for the country, rather than what is good for a particular political party.

Blue Virginia Question

Given that you’ve been a Republican for many years, why are you now running as an independent?  Do you believe the Republican Party has shifted to the right in ways that make you uncomfortable?  Or, are there other reasons for leaving your long-time partisan home?

Kenny Golden Answer

Actually, I am running as an Independent because the Republican Party strayed from its values. Under President George W. Bush, government expansion and spending were anything but Republican in nature. Spending was out of control under his watch along with then Speaker Dennis Haskert. President Bush could have taken action to stop it, but never once did he exercise his veto authority during his entire tenure in office, the first in over 200 years to attain such a record.  Thus, spending went totally out of control and, unfortunately, it has worsened under our current leadership.

Blue Virginia Question

What is your opinion of the “Tea Party” movement?   Do you agree with conservative writer Michael Gerson, who wrote recently in the Washington Post that the Republicans’ alliance with the “Tea Party” people means they are “RID[ING] A MASSIVE WAVE TOWARD A ROCKY SHORE?”  Whether you agree or disagree with Gerson, please elaborate on your views regarding the “Tea Party,” its philosophy, its tactics, and its alliance with the Republican Party.

Kenny Golden Answer

I supported the original aim of the Tea Party. The really sad part is that it would not have been needed had the GOP not strayed from its purported fiscal policies. I, like many others, felt no one in Washington was listening to the plight of working families. That taxpayers were being viewed as a continual source of revenue for bloated federal programs was frustrating.

Where the Tea Party can derail itself is to get involved in non-fiscal issues. It has been successful in getting the Washington’s attention in the realm of fiscal issues and should remain a movement focused on just that. Otherwise, its purpose blurs into other movements of a similar nature.

I have no problem with their tactics. Giving people a voice in the political process is good for the country. There were no violent demonstrations, no one was hurt, and the march in Washington was known for the fact that there was little or no litter left behind. These are not radical fringe groups as some of the media has tried to portray the group. The far majority are working men and women concerned with their own financial well being as well as that of the State and Federal Governments.

While it’s true there has been interaction between the movement, its various offshoots, and the GOP, there have been Democrats endorsed by the movement. I think it’s true that many of its members are frustrated Republicans, but it also has appealed to many independents. The latter fact is a good indicator that it is not a radical fringe movement.