YOUR COMMENTS

To Sue in Manchester: 90% of the campaign's problems stem from the extremely poor management of his campaign. It's a relevant issue to raise. For him to blame party leaders and activists for staying away from his campaign, when they did so largely because of his lack of judgment in choosing a campaign manager. reflects poorly on him.
- Jerri, Derry

I hardly think this is 'sour grapes' on Joe's part. Joe is not that kind of person. He is correct to point out that the GOP had no business basically supporting a Democrat (which is what it looked like they were doing) who not only has raised taxes 25 times, but because he is mathematically challenged, now has caused a possible $800M-$1Billion STATE DEFICIT! To boot, his aides are trying to blame that on the GOP! WHAT NERVE.
I don't give a hang if you disliked Joe's campaign manager, sounds like crying little babies to me. Joe is the far better alternative and this governor should not have been allowed to keep his job for one more minute after the terrible record he's had. He has been worse than Shaheen -- an absolute nightmare for businesses and individual taxpayers.
- Sue, Manchester

Ever since the Republican party hung Bob Smith out to dry I have been a registered independent. Principle means nothing to the people running the party and it is evident with those they pick to give support and money to and those that they don't.
- stuart, meriden, Nh

Don't feel bad Joe, it wasn't just you they failed. The Republican party has failed the entire country.
- Mike Lane, Manchester

No one likes a sore loser.
- LJC, Manchester

Joe Kenney should be the next GOP chair. Republcians would be smart if they pushed for him now. I had never met the man, but I heard that when I did, I would like him. The people who told me Joe Kenney was a good man, tough on principles and a person who really reflected the republican agenda were correct. Joe Brigss and I had him our our Wednesday night call in show. Kenney was supposed to there for a half hour. He was so impressive we kept him for an hour and a half. I did not know what to expect when he came on, but he was terrific. Honest, full of integrity, smart and knew his stuff. Joe Kenney turned me into an ardent supporter. I hope he sticks around for a long time. Republicans will come back from this mess. They will come back because Joe Kenney is a republican and a born leader, and he is not giving up. The more you learn about Joe the more you feel good about Republican values. Joe Kenney v. Ray Buckley. Bring it on.
- joekelly, manchester

There are many reasons for the fall from grace of the Republican party and our state GOP has some of that blame.
Bottom line is I agree they sold out to Lynch because they like a lot of people went by the polls and what the media said.
If a real effort had of been made I think Lynch would have had a lot tighter race and could have been defeated.
His lay back and take no responsibilty for anything and look at me I gave the pledge is getting him re-elected.
Everyone fails to see the policies he is advocating and mostly at what cost to the taxpayer. I don't think Senator Kenney is about sour grapes as much as he says it the way it is and was. If the state GOP thought they had a better candidate then put one out there.But to leave the guy high and dry and not help him is just another reason why the moonbats are taking over this state.
As long as we sit back and do nothing and accept Status Quo then things will not change.
- Bill B., Pelham

I think the Republican party in NH is being run by MA Democrats.
- CK, Candia

I give Sen. Kenney great respect for his willingness to run for office and represent the Republican Party and the values of limited government and personal freedom. He was willing to step to the plate and carry the party's banner.

However, it is inappropriate to expect that the Republican Party should provide any campaign with the basics such as a field staff, office and phone lines. Those are the responsibilities of the campaign to supply and deliver.

The role of a political party should be to add to the resources of a functional campaign, not to furnish the basics to campaigns that cannot supply these themselves.

The changes in ballot form, campaign finance restrictions, open primaries and many other factors have reduced the role of political parties and shifted the focus to candidates. The days of smoke-filled back room party decision-making are over.

That means that candidates have to take more responsibility onto themselves and expect less from parties.

As Shakespeare wrote in Julius Caesar, "It is not in the stars, dear Brutus, but in ourselves that we are underlings."
- Greg Moore, Manchester, NH

Sounds like a sore loser and sour grapes. Did Sen Kenney ever think that maybe his "fellow Republicans" support Governor Lynch because they believe he is the best person for the job? There's a difference between supporting your party and being blindly faithful to your party. It's more than obvious that the NH people (the people Sen Kenney wants to represent) believe strongly in Governor Lynch. What ever happened to supporting the best candidate for the position...whether they are in "your" party or not? It's this kind of partisan division that makes so many Americans disenchanted with the political system. How about saying "I congratulate Governor Lynch and look forward to working with him and others in NH's legislation to get NH's issues addressed" instead of continuing to throw jabs after you've already lost? Sen Kenney has now blamed just about everyone except himself. I watched the debates between Sen Kenney and the Governor and all I pulled away from it from Sen Kenney was "state employee cell phones and vehicle leases". Are you kidding? That kind of narrow thinking doesn't fix big problems. I saw on TV a nervous man (Sen Kenney) fumbling over his words. I am very thankful that he is not running the show in Concord.
- John, Exeter

The NH Republican Party has been in failure mode since 2002. I knew it was when NH GOP regulars savaged Benson behind his back. Unity what unity, Cullen has to go along with that horde. I personally have not funded the GOP nationally or on the State level since 2004....why because the the Republican Party has walked away from the values that I can support. I think McQueeg is a democrat, and our NH GOP has zero leadership as demonstrated in 2004, 2006 and now 2008.

Time for change, yes, time to change to Party leaders that stand for NH and traditional NH values, not some wishy washy focus group consensus. Zero Leadership=Zero results.
- Bill, Rye

I am glad Joe Kenney was willing to run for Governor.

He might have done better if he had done weekly columns in the Union Leader and the Manchester Express to increase his name recognition. He might have wanted to comment on lots of articles on the Union Leader website and the Nashua Telegraph website that included mentions of his website to increase his name recognition.

Hopefully, several Republicans and several Democrats will run for Governor in 2010. Hopefully, lesser known parties will do more to get their candidates known.
- Ken Stremsky, Manchester, NH

It should be no surprise to Joe Kenney that the Republican Committee sat on it's hands in his race, the answer is an incompetent Chairman in the person of Fergus Cullen who was praised for the great job he did by the next Republican to be booted out of office. The snooty silver spooned Judd Gregg has not been able to see below his nose since his first election and of course he fits right in with the folks in Rye. The Republican's big umbrella is so full of leaks that there is a need for a new one, one that will give equal consideration to women when they run for major elective office. In all the phone calls i got in the campaign all were from Democrats with the exception of Jeb Bradley. The Republican Party in NH has not been able to handle the fact that the Democrat party is now able to beat it and they out organized them, gone are the days when the GOP can just count on saying who they are they have to get out and get their votes to the polls and not just leave it to chance. Judd Gregg will find that out real quick his days of easy re-elections are over with, The Lone Republican Ranger will need a lot more than a few Tonto's to keep his seat.
- Richard L. Fortin, Manchester

Okay Joe. I like you but come on you can't blame this all on the party. When has the party ever given their nominee an office? Coburn had his own office in Manchester. He had his own staff. Why? Because he had his own money. You had no business running with no $$. Coburn would have made a better candidate then you because he could have thrown in $500,000 of his own money. This year he probably would have gotten over 30%. If you would have listened to Fergus and fired your vile angry campaign manager perhaps eveyone wouldn't have been scared to come near you.
- Phil M, Manchester

What was wrong with Joe's campaign was his campaign manager. If anyone ever met her, even for one minute, they would know what I mean. For months, many people in the party urged him to get rid of her, because she was repelling supporters faster than Joe could win them over, but it never happened. From the tenor of some of these comments, she's very busy today posting cheerleading and misleading, comments. I know most people wish Joe well, but to blame only others isn't the quality of a leader.
- Michael J., Ossipee

Thank you Sen. Kenney for trying to stop the slide to a state income tax Lynch and his ilk are pushing us towards.

The GOP has lost its way nationally and here in NH. They have failed Conservative Americans.

THAT is why the Dems won in landslide victories across the country.

THAT is why the GOP couldn't raise the money the libs could.

THAT is why the Conservative base stayed home on Election day.

When all the analysis is through the GOP will see that while the U.S. had record numbers of voters come to the polls, the Conservatives were under represented because they stayed home. If only the egos of the GOP power brokers can be supressed long enough for them to see the light vs. blame the Dems.

Ask the NHGOP how the meeting went where Fergus tried to revise the State's GOP platform. Under the premise that they needed to "better align ourselves with the National GOP" they tried to foist upon NH's conservatives a watered down Democrat agenda! Suffice to say, ole Fergus and the other yes men and women had egg on their face.

If the GOP wants to win again then get back to the GOP roots! Get back to Conservatism with a capital "C". Make Reagan proud instead of causing him roll in his grave.

The GOP got what it deserved both at a National level and at the State level.

I pray to God our Nation and our State will survive their foibles.
- Bob, Bashua

Joe,

You are an admirable person that tried to do an honorable thing and made some very bad decisions. You send mixed signals when you say that you were trying to rebuild the party and then you go out and hire the most abrasive and egotistical person in the party to run your campaign.

There were a number of Republicans that were completely turned away by her attitude, which became the attitude of your campaign. Many of us were left scratching our heads about who was really trying to become Governor: Her or You?

I sincerely hope that you stay involved in politics and play a real role in the future rebuilding of the NHGOP.
- Mike, Manchester

Joe had earned my respect but lost it with this column. Candidates should stand and fall on their own merits and Joe is looking to shift blame to Fergus and the Party for not doing what he should have done for himself.

It is absurd to say that Joe should have been provided staff from the Party. How much did he raise for them? Where was he when they needed help.

Sounds like sour grapes to me.
- Frank, Concord

Joe has earned and deserves our appreciation. His campaign had to have been very lonely and frustrating as he watched some members of what used to be the Republican party more interested in being seen as nice guys by the democrats than taking the issues to them. Are these folks going to blame the forthcoming state income tax on Joe or Lynch? One wonders.

Wally Stickney
- wally Stickney, North Salem, NH

Senator Kenney can hold his head high for having run an honorable race, centered on the issues. He provided a sorely needed, moderate Republican alternative to the now-exposed-through-second-term radical platform of his opponent.

There was a large groundswell of untapped outrage that under different circumstances may have carried the day. Elections are ultimately about ideas, and Kenney is correct on many of them. He is a dedicated public servant who leads by example and is a true asset to our citizens. I would like to thank him for running. Hopefully, he will continue to provide a strong voice for the sentiment that inspired his campaign.
- Steve, Manch

Joe,

Thank you for running for Governor against the "go along to get along" incumbent Democrat. You showed yourself to be a great candidate. I too am disappointed with the GOP statewide and national. The party has lost its way and is allowing the Democrats to distort who the Republicans are as a political party. I hope you run again in 2010.
- gr chase, Exeter

I am glad Joe spoke out. It was obvious the party could have cared less that he ran. It was the "invisible" campaign as most GOP old guard threw in the towel even before the primary, in the tank for Lynch. Where was the outrage and fire and brimstone railing against the spending spree in Concord? And to have old man Sununu come out after the election and lambaste Lynch in defense of his little boy who lost his race, rather than use some of that vitrol before the election to help Kenney, is prima facia evidence that Joe Kenney never got a fair shot from the GOP "regulars".
- John LInville, wolfeboro

The State Republican Party has failed us for some time. They have continued to allow the conservative values that define New Hampshire to be eroded by being asleep at the wheel. The same can be said about the National Party as well.

It time for a tea party.

'Live Free or Die'
- John, Nashua

What does a party stand for if it won't support its own candidate. Governor Lynch is far from being a god and can and should be criticized by his opponents. If there is any reason for Fergus Cullen to step down it is the mishandling of this race. Lynch could have been softened up by a few attack ads instead of allowing him to win by more than 70 percent.
Joe Kenney put on a great performance at the debate and raised a lot of important issues in the campaign. The fact that Joe Kenney got almost 200000 votes on a shoe string should show the state GOP leadership that the Governors race is worth pursuing.
- Chris, Merrimack

Joe Kenney was an excellent candidate but because of tribal voting by political party enthusiasts, he couldn't have won. Democrats in their sweeps have damaged the state financially. It used to be a state that could do subtraction. It's sad for all of us. Government is too intrusive and too expensive. Taxes everywhere in this state...don't be fooled.
- Jeff Kassel, Manchester

Fran obviously did not spend much time around the McCain camp. They had an internal policy that you had to bring in volunteers and then they would add you to the script for only that night at only one location. Unless you were sununu. Bradley and Horn also complained about this stupid stupid policy. Republican volunteers made hundreds of calls that did not benefit Bradley or Joe It was really selfish and stupid. It is not a federal legal issue. They added them in only here and there and counted volunteers brought in only once then you were considered a McCain person and would not be counted the second night. This hurt everyone else at the top of the ticket and was a very selfish thing for McCain and Sununu to do.
I know Joe mentioned that some elected officials did stand by him. I know he has thanked Frank Guinta and Ray the Wiz for their loyalty. He's right about the rest of the Lynch lovers
Harriet
- Harriett, Bedford

While I agree that Joe should have had a heck of a lot more support than he did, the comment about the calls from the McCain Victory HQ not mentioning his race could be due to federal election laws and the disclosure laws about who paid for the message. This may have precluded mixing a message about both federal and state races.
- Fran, New Hampton

What is wrong with Republican colleagues supporting Lynch? While it is one thing for the GOP organization to support the candidates it puts forth, it is another to be somewhat offended by people supporting a certain political candidate of either party. While approval rating somewhere in the 70 percentile, Governor Lynch is a very popular person in this state. It seems a bit absurd to feel betrayed or left alone because you lost by a wide margin. People seek an alternative when they are not happy with what they have. It's clear they were happy-- you maybe have been the best alternative out there but an alternative wasn't needed. Get over it.
- Josh, Salem