Now, I am being subjected to cable news talking heads and political internet entities arguing about who was at fault. And of course, it was all President Trump’s fault, the only Republican constantly crisscrossing the country holding rallies for our candidates.

Just another wonderful opportunity to denigrate the former President and hopefully force him out of running for President in 2024. The most productive President, who actually delivered on his promises to the people and actually did make America great again. Unheard of in modern politics.

No folks, it was the Republican leadership in Congress who failed to make the red wave a reality.

Rep. Kevin McCarty, minority leader of the House, who publicly announced he would not hold impeachment trials on any Democrats who had brought so much destruction and harm to our country and citizens. Acts that were literally treasonous, but hey let bygones be bygones and do the Republican thing and not hold Democrats accountable as usual. That went well in winning seats.

Sen. Mitch McConnell, minority leader of the Senate, who took millions of dollars in campaign funding away from Trump endorsed candidates with great potential to win against their opponents. That money was taken away and redirected to support left-leaning Republicans who would show allegiance to him, Republican candidates who openly announced intentions to vote with Democrats. That went well in winning the Senate back.

These are the two individuals primarily responsible for a failed red wave.

But hey, I too bear a big share of the blame for writing an article which was published in the Mountaineer on Oct. 22, 2022, just days before early voting began. The article was critical of these so-called leaders who cared more about their pride, positions of power, and elite status in Washington, D.C., than about winning. My article was written factually, pointing out Republican leadership’s consistent failure to lead on behalf of the people.

This article earned me the wrath of my Haywood County Republican Party Chair, and according to this chair, numerous other unnamed individuals. This wrath preceded my resignation as a county precinct chair. I resigned not because of the severe chastising — I’m not that thin skinned, having swam with the sharks, as the saying goes, throughout my career.

I resigned because this Republican chair of the party sworn to protect the Constitutional rights of every American had the audacity to advise me that as a precinct chair, I had no right to write such an article critical of the Republican Party leadership just prior to the elections.

I have re-read the First Amendment to the Constitution and nowhere in that amendment does it state that an individual forfeits their right to free speech because of political position or any special political event. I will always choose my First Amendment rights over any political position.

Now that the elections are over, I’m hearing from numerous Republican Haywood County party members that the red wave which actually did happen in Haywood County was the result of all the hard work our chair put in on behalf of our candidates. Folks, neither our chair nor our county party had the manpower or will to make any real impact. Rather, the candidates won their elections through their own efforts and with the support of Joe Biden. Aside from a few meet-and-greet sessions and one phone call campaign, we did nothing more.

We did not go out with candidates and actively help, we did not have multiple phone call campaigns, nor did we go to any local groups and speak on behalf of our candidates. We did well this cycle because of Joe Biden and his policies and nothing more. Our ineffectiveness in being a driving force in helping our candidates win in 2024 will remain a problem without profound reform and change in leadership.

We are a currently a county party of approximately 25-30 active volunteers, a number that should be three times as large. We are currently a county party with no diversity program to draw in minorities or young adults; we are a currently a county party with no outreach programs to draw in new volunteers; we are currently a county party with no documented mission plan; we are currently a county party with no real partnerships with our elected Republican officials or with outside conservative group within our county; nor are there any teams or committees in place to lead our county party forward.

Because I write articles addressing this party’s critical shortcomings, I am accused of personal attacks on our chair as a person. I am not attacking the chair as a person; I am bringing to light the failures of our chair to lead our county party in a manner that makes us a viable component of the Republican Party.

LeRoy E. Cossette

Waynesville