John Ross Hendrix, who lost in the 13th district GOP primary on Tuesday to Vernon Robinson, says he cannot support Robinson in the general election. Hendrix says he has changed his party registration and is now a Democrat.

Says Hendrix, "It was not a difficult decision. On election night, I was asked if I could support Robinson in the general election. I answered  'In no way, shape, form, or fashion.'"

More from Hendrix: "If Vernon Robinson represents the direction of the Republican party, then I wish to have nothing to do with them ever again. It seems to me that being a conservative Democrat could be one helluva lot easier than being a sane and rational Republican. I have issues with all parties, including the Libertarians, but I feel that should I chose to enter the battle again, I could be more effective as a Democrat. My core philosophy has not changed, but it could be adapted to the Democrat platform with just a turn of a phrase or two. My attitude about 'tax and spend' will remain a hard negative."

"I have differences with Brad Miller (I wouldn't have entered the Congressional race otherwise), but these differences are small compared to the danger Vernon Robinson poses to this nation. Thus I have endorsed Miller for the November election."

Robinson is not the only area Republican giving Hendrix the creeps.

"What really tore it for me was the invocation at the 13th district convention, delivered by some by some lunatic state senator whose name I forget. This was Saturday, April 29th. The prayer was so blatantly partisan and polictical that my wife and I nearly threw up. It was disgusting. No true Christian would ever offer up that kind of garbage. I was reminded of the Imams calling their people to Jihad. It was all we could do to stay there until I had the chance to deliver my speech."

Thanks to billg, who tipped me to Hendrix' move after Hendrix left a comment at his new blog.)

Comments

[Connie Mack Jr]

Congrats John! As Pogo said! I look into the mirror and dang! The enemy is my former party.

I can't wait until Brother Vernon runs into that part in the bible where it says " Come out of the Republican party and be save from the Pope" * 1st Monty chapter 3, verse 4

[chip atkinson]

Thank the Lord that guy lost! What a wimp! If I were in a race with Robinson as a Republican, I'd do what Virginia Fox did... fight back. She's conservative and tough and she let him have it.

I believe Miller will win this race because of Robinson's campaign. I think it is fair for him to label Miller as a liberal, but stupid to do so in a manner that makes conservatives embarrassed. Unfortunately, I don't have his ear.

[Gate]

What a wuss. The GOP does not need crybabies like him, we need real Republicans who are comfortable with themselves.

It sounds like he did not agree with the GOP to begin with, and is using the campaign and the convention as excuses to leave. The GOP did not defeat him, the voters did.

This guy seems like some sort of unelectable weirdo extremist, saying no party is good. Probably one of the weirdos who supported Dean.

[Fred Gregory]

I said all the above about Hendrix on an earlier post. He was a RINO and a hypocrite. Good riddance. He will be happier with the liberals.

[jsykes]

Fred:

I am a lifelong Republican and I am feeling alienated by the right wing of the party. Lincoln did not save the Union and cement the GOP's place in history so small minded people with single issue mantras could ruin the future.

I think I would have become a Democrat long ago if not for Massachusetts liberals making me hold my nose and Terry Sanford's over night flip flop on John Tower's nomination.

I have to agree with Mr. Hendrix that it is getting harder and harder to remain a loyal Republican. Each time in my short life that a Bush man has been in the White House talking about taxes, I have bought it, only to watch oil prices skyrocket and working people suffer.

I'm not buying it any more.

We need some moderates, even a moderate party as Friedman suggested, because wing nuts on both sides are crippling thoughtful government at the local, state and federal levels.

[Fred Gregory]

jsykes,

Say, I have no problem with honest, sincere moderates in the GOP. Some of best Republican friends think I am over the top on many issues.

Remember we are a " Big Tent " party but what I can't stomach is a phony RINO like Hendrix whose ideology and concepts of governance are not even remotely aligned with the most centrist wing of the Republican party. No sir !

Aren't you ecstatic about the local and state pols in charge who keep hiking taxes.

Even the non-partisan City Council of Greensboro is dominated by calm but liberal Democrats who never saw a Dept. budget increase or a non-profit request they didn't like. Really ! Aren't the moderates in charge ? That's what I thought. Terry Sanford, ha. Now there is a name that will live forever in the tax raisers hall of fame, with his temporary ( what 40 years ? ) tax on food to help the " chillureen ".

Good grief you arne't over John Tower ? Have you forgotten Robert Bork ?

If just the Kennedy's are holding you back your core beliefs must be shaky.

[Connie Mack Jr]

John! As you can see the local repub attack dogs jump at you as a traitor.... Repub attack dogs! Which part of the Constitution and Bill of Rights upsets you the most?

By the way repub attack dogs! How do you like your new Orwellian code name now?

RIPNO's = Republican In Pope Name Only

[John Ross Hendrix]

Now, isn't that special. Vernon's attack dogs calling me a wuss, a wimp, and a rino. Robinson has published a list of blogs so all his Brown Shirts can keep up with what's being said and put in their two cents worth.

Let' face a couple of facts folks. I'm 56 years old. I can remember when the Democrats were supported whole heartedly by the KKK. Those were the days when the Republican party had brains, but little influence. I have never been anything but Republican. 30-40 years later, the flip flop is complete. I guess it was a mistake for me not to flip with them.

Wimp, eh? Wuss, eh? Which one of those name callers has had the balls to put their asses on the line to do something instead of yak yak? Which one of them has risked income, domestic felicity, and personal reputation to keep this country from flushing itself down the crapper? Were it not illegal in this state, I would invite any of them to chose weapons and field for a short interview.

Wimp, eh? Wuss, eh? Which one of them has stood in a cloud of tear gas and fought hand to hand with cops who didn't like the First Amendment? Which one of them has served in the military during time of war? Which one of them has earned the Silver Wings? Which one of them has pinned those Wings on their son's chest? Which one of them has sat at a Thanksgiving dinner table, looking at an empty place setting, and wondered if their child was alive or lying dead on a battlefield in Iraq?

Oh yeah, why aren't you in the military protecting your country instead of sitting comfortably at home punching keys? I attempted to re-enlist after 9/11 but they turned me down because of my age. I have the letter to prove it.

Do you like the idea of Homeland Security breaking in your house with no warrant and copying your hard drive while you are at work? Support the right-wingnuts. Are you ready to be disappeared if you displease them? Think about Argentina. When you go to Barns & Noble, be sure to wear a baseball cap with brim pulled down low and pay cash. Stay out of the public library.

Do you think 911 is all the protection your family will ever need? Lean left. Think it's OK for Wal-Mart to turn your family farm into a parking lot without your consent? Lean left. Want to sue McDonalds because you have stuffed your 10 year old kid with so many super size fries that he has clogged arteries and is big enough to wear Vernon's hand-me-downs? Lean left.

Don't like my political philosophy? Read the Constitution and the Bill of Rights and then tell me where I am wrong. I'll listen.

My web site will stay up. You can e-mail me from the link there.

John Ross Hendrix

[Fred Gregory]

John F. Hendrix,

Yes I called you a RINO, a taxonomically correct term and hardly abusive, but dueling ? Have you gone around the bend . Your rant gives every indication of that. So in turn you stoop to calling those who express legitimate differnces with your brand of politics , Nazis ( brown shirt ). Real class.. Not ! BTW show me where i said anything positive about Vernon Robinson. You are long on bravado and short on good sense. You clearly would be a bomb thrower if you ever were elected to any public office, which ain't gonna happen anytime soon if you are actually this thin skinned and go ballistic over comments on a local blog. If you can't take this little bit of heat then you don't deserve the public's trust On second thought there may be an opening for you but it will require moving to Rhode Island. Here is some news from Wonkette:

DrivingWhileKennedy

[Gate]

I never said anything about Vernon Robinson. What I did say is that you obviously have no mainstream political leanings at all as you don't seem to like any political party. And that you sound like a sore loser that got beat. If you were a decent candidate, you might have beaten him. But obivously you were not.

I am a mainstream republican, conservative, yes, but not some sort of zealot. Once again, you sound like some sort of crazy Howard Dean person. Were you the crazy guy on the Pelosi documentary with the beard who kept writing people in Iowa about the quality of the water in New York City?

Dude, if you were electable before, you sure aren't now after your diatribe. Enjoy your political retirement.

[Bubba]

"Do you like the idea of Homeland Security breaking in your house with no warrant and copying your hard drive while you are at work? Support the right-wingnuts. Are you ready to be disappeared if you displease them? Think about Argentina. When you go to Barns & Noble, be sure to wear a baseball cap with brim pulled down low and pay cash. Stay out of the public library."

Wow! Thanks for the warning, Mr. Hendrix.

Where did you get your start? As a script writer for Oliver Stone or Chris Carter?

[Gate]

I never knew Barnes & Noble was something we should be afraid of. The Starbucks inside of it is evil, yeah, but Barnes & Noble? Does the government know that we free read? Or once we got chocolate chip cookie stains on Sports Illustrated and did not pay for it?

I think the black helicopters are coming for me...save me, Ed.

[DFL]

Mr. Hendrix, Huzzah!

[John Ross Hendrix]

Wow! This is fun. I can say what I think and not worry about whether I offend anyone. Talk about thin skinned, there are some folks who are real quick to jump and call names when someone doesn't agree with them.

Political retirement? Yup, ya got that right. Saving this country from itself is like tilting at windmills. It hurts you more than the windmill.

For those of you who don't understand my Barns & Noble reference, try reading the Patriot Act, and the various debates surrounding it. Very enlightening and scary. Some in the Congress tried to have libraries and bookstores exempted from business record searches and it was voted down. The first Amendment was almost enough to protect freedom of the press, but we don't have the freedom to read any more. The nineth Amendment should give us this protection, but nobody bothers to read that one any more.

http://www.hendrixcampaign.com/bor.html

I know it's a big assignment to ask you to read the REAL stuff rather than media garbage or campaign propaganda, but who knows, you might actually learn something.

Unfortunately, there are many people out there who will never let facts interfere with their opinion.

[Bubba]

"Saving this country from itself is like tilting at windmills. It hurts you more than the windmill."

LOL!

"To Dream The Impossible Dream......"

[Jim Capo]

We should all be thankful that Vernon Robinson has kept Mr. Hendrix off the ballot for the real election in November.

Perhaps this should be filed as a case study as to why taxpayers should not be forced to underwrite the candidate selection process for private political parties.

[Connie Mack Jr]

"To Dream The Impossible Dream......* Bubba whistling down the path of a denial in a Black X-man uniform

Babba! Have you consider installing a windmill sat disk dish without a internet tracking service that knows ever move you make to the republican bathroom of Big Brother?

[Bubba]

Connie! Have you ever considered making a comment that actually made sense to anyone besides you?

[Anonymous]

As an unabashed progressive who was once called a socialist by Vernon Robinson at a public meeting in Winston (because I supported the construction of several sidewalks) it is both hilarious and illuminating to see the reaction of people on this thread calling Hendrix an he is trying to convince to vote for him. "unelectable extremist."

I read somewhere this week that the GOP is not a feuding party, but one in which the social uber-conservatives have already won, and the moderate purge is on. You see it in NC with Art Pope, with the national prominence of Mullah James Dobson. If the NC-11 GOP is really happy about the victory of a carpetbagging Robinson, that sends a chill up my spine.

My only conclusion is that the people voting for Robinson just don't know much about him. I think Elizabeth Dole is a phony who does what Bush wants first, and serves NC second, but she's not an embarassment. I don't agree with Richard Burr on most policy matters, but he comes back to NC a lot, has a staff that treated me with respect when I called them despite our obvious differences, and represents our state appropriately.

Vernon Robinson in public office would be a stain on the very SOUL of North Carolina. If you don't believe me, keep paying attention. Listen to what he says, and listen to what it implies about his perception of the voters. His campaign rhetoric degrades the very people whose votes he seeks.

[Gate]

Dang, now I am scared to go to the bathroom. We thought that was the one place a man was safe.

[Roch101]

That Republicans find it necessary to belittle concerns about the overreach of government surveillance in order to protect their party speaks volumes about what the Republican party is becoming.

[Bubba]

"That Republicans find it necessary to belittle concerns about the overreach of government surveillance in order to protect their party speaks volumes about what the Republican party is becoming."

Speaking of overreaching.....

[Gate]

We just ate some beans. No one is going to want to follow us in the men's room now.

[Fred Gregory]

Roch,

The original Patriot Act was passed in the Senate 98 -0. It was renewed on a vote in the same body 89-10.
Those tinfoil wearing moonbats need a little bi-partisan belittling.
You and Hendrix are living in a make believe world of Orwell. Roch, the PA is your friend. The built-in Executive and Congressional oversight provisions have yet to uncover any abuse. The libary bogeyman is just a wishful prtension used by the ultra left to scare the guilible . This crap can't even qualify for urban legend status. Hendrix is a flake but he's the Democrat's problem now.

[John Ross Hendrix]

Bogeyman eh? Read please before you talk.
The amendment that had all the right wingers (Richard Burr among them) spooked:

http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/D?d108:21:./temp/~bd3dVJ::
Roll call vote #339
Check to see who doesn't believe in your right to read in privacy.

http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2004/roll339.xml

I don't know everything there is to know in this world, and if I don't know what I'm talking about I keep my mouth shut. If I do say something, you can believe it. Then there some people who would never let facts interfere with their opinion.

[Gate]

I haven't felt safe in the bathroom since this post started. Not sure if I will ever feel safe in it again.

[Roch101]

"The original Patriot Act was passed in the Senate 98 -0.

Fred, check your facts. That's wrong.

[David Boyd]

It was 98-1-1.

Feingold voted no and Landrieu abstained.

[Fred Gregory]

Wow, Roch, I missed that one badly, huh?

[Roch101]

Just want you to remember that name Feingold.

[Bubba]

Feingold......the same fellow who, along with Senator McCain, gave us the free speech restrictions found in McCain-Feingold CFR?

And you want to talk about that "evil" Patriot Act, the overreach of government surveillance?

What other selective parts of our rights do you support?

It sounds like Roch is auditioning for the Sancho Panza role to Hendrix' Quixote.

Can you sing, Roch?