Former Sen. Ben Nighthorse Campbell, Northern Cheyenne Tribe, told Indian Country Today that he was unable to make it to the Republican National Convention this year because schedulers of the event only gave him two days notice beforehand that they wanted him to attend.
RNC planners had wanted him to give a speech on tribal issues and to talk about the importance of the Indian vote. But Nighthorse Campbell was already scheduled to be at a business summit and other meetings.
"I just couldn't make it," Nighthorse Campbell said with a sigh. "I just had other commitments by that point in time."
For that matter, why didn't he contact the schedulers himself? This attitude that he had to wait for an invitation like a belle at a ball is ridiculous.
If it was important enough to Campbell, he would've found a way to be there. Period.
Which isn't to excuse the RNC's planners. Obviously, they should've invited Campbell weeks or months in advance. But these are the same people who projected an image of Walter Reed Middle School, not Walter Reed Army Medical Center, behind John McCain. They aren't the swiftest boats in the ocean.
Writerfella here --
ReplyDeleteBen Nighthorse Campbell was a three-term US Representative from Colorado between 1987 - 1993. Campbell originally was a Democrat, who then ran for the US Senate in 1993 and won. He switched his party affiliation to Republican in 1995 and STILL was re-elected as Senator from Colorado in 1998. He then announced in 2004 that he would not run again for the Senate because he intended to run for Governor of Colorado in 2006. Yet, on January 4, 2006, he abruptly announced that he would not run for governor after all. Thus, he is at this time out of office. QUESTION: if most Natives are Democrats as is claimed on this blog, which would go a long way to explain his original Democratic elections and re-elections, how in the hell did he get re-elected as a REPUBLICAN Senator in 1998? This of course presumes that Native votes would have had meaningful effect on his elections. But then again, who's zooming whom?
All Best
Russ Bates
'writerfella'
Colorado's Native population makes up only a tiny portion of the state's electorate. It didn't play a significant role in electing Campbell.
ReplyDeleteCampbell was a conservative Democrat who became a moderate Republican. It's not surprising he won each time in a centrist state such as Colorado.
You can find a long list of party switchers in the posting below. I presume many of them were reelected as members of their new parties.
Party switching in the United States
Writerfella here --
ReplyDeleteThe current wisdom is that, if one is Native, Native votes ostensibly keep Natives in office. Ben Nighthorse Campbell, therefore, was elected by other-than-Native votes, no matter which party he espoused. Aha, ancient Chinese secret...
All Best
Russ Bates
'writerfella'
No, the current wisdom is that Native votes can make a difference in states with tight races and sizable Native populations. That's because most Indians are Democrats and a large bloc of Democratic votes can decide a close election.
ReplyDelete