Lester Phillip aims to challenge Parker Griffith
About a week ago Jay (aka Reactionary) and I had the opportunity to sit down over lunch with the Alabama GOP’s recently minted Director of Minority Outreach, Lester Phillip. We engaged in a good conversation about the work he’s doing now to help the party and his plan to challenge freshman Democrat Congressman Parker Griffith.
Noting that the Democrats have taken minorities for granted while providing little in the way of lifting their boats I asked what does the GOP have to do to penetrate that voter market. Phillip responded – not quite flippantly – that we just have to ask for it. He elaborated by saying that too many times Republicans have avoided engaging minority communities in an issue based dialog. The Republican platform of opportunity, not dependency, is appealing to all voters, including minorities – it just has to be communicated.
That dovetailed nicely into my follow up point that minorities, particularly blacks and Hispanics, are people of considerable faith and their beliefs often conflict with national Democrat orthodoxy. Phillip pointed out that the leaders in those communities are often the church pastors and clergy. The GOP must win their favor to aid in winning over the community at large and faith issues could certainly aid in that endeavor.
Before long I had to ask about Phillip’s future plans, which I understood included a campaign to represent Alabama’s 5th Congressional district. He confirmed that he does plan on challenging Dr. Griffith. While pointing out that this would be the election in which Griffith would be most vulnerable I also highlighted some of the votes Griffith has cast thus far which are very agreeable. Phillip responded that one of Griffith’s first votes is unforgivable: the vote for Nancy Pelosi as Speaker of the House. That vote, he explained, enabled all of the undesirable legislation emanating from that body and that the Democrats have a sufficient majority so that Pelosi can give Griffith the leash he needs to preserve his reelection chances. I reminded him that Wayne Parker tried to tie Griffith to Pelosi. Phillip responded that Parker came very close to winning and that people probably didn’t fully appreciate at that time what Pelosi would do with an expanded majority and Democrats controlling both the Senate and White House.
I should note that Phillip is very motivated. He is not casually entering the race against Griffith. He knows it will be both expensive – very expensive – and protracted. He made it very clear that he intends to be able to be competitive financially with Griffith and that he will work his tail off to win votes. His background as a pilot in the Navy will certainly help in the military heavy fifth district as well.
From an issues perspective I didn’t find any faults, although we didn’t probe every nook and cranny. He is good on fundamentals – the core beliefs that too many Republicans seem to have forgotten – and is able to explain them on a level that virtually anyone can grasp.
Should be fun to see and hear more from him in the coming months. You can watch a video of Phillip speaking at the Trussville Tax Day Tea Party here.
Great guy, incredibly intelligent and the folks in the 5th congressional district would be represented better with Lester than Griffith. And don’t even get me started on the character difference b/t the two…
I have had a chance to talk with Mr. Phillip on more than one occasion, and every time he manages to impress me. He is a sound conservative He is very good at communicating ideas. He has some excellent ideas for the Republican party. Overall, he is an excellent candidate in the 2010 elections.
And on the Wayne Parker issue, you have to remember that their were many people who came out to vote for Obama, and checked the “All Democrat” box. They weren’t voting for Griffith, they were voting for Obama. Griffith won’t have that in 2010.
I don’t know Lester Phillip, but I hope he is a good candidate. Wayne Parker came off as an empty suit in his atrociously-run campaign (of course, so did Griffith). I hope Phillip will be more credible.
If Parker Griffith is not on the short list of pick ups for the RCCC then they need their heads examined. The budget issues alone and their effect on Huntsville should be enough to turn him out. If Obama and Congress go through with the proposed cuts to MDA, and it looks like ones to NASA are coming, the effect on Huntsville will be highly negative. Griffith’s protestations to the contrary.
There’s a large and somewhat ornery gaggle of morally conservative but union-loving Democrats in the Shoals and Decatur areas who could be swing votes with the right GOP candidate. I keep waiting for the right candidate to click with that voting block because sooner or later they’ll quit listening to the tired union propaganda.
Les Phillip is an articulate, intelligent and sound conservative Republican. He has a great life story (see his website). http://www.lesphillip.com/ and several good podcasts on the Dale Jackson show http://www.wvnn.com/podcasts.shtml 05-08 8:00 AM and 05-07 8:00 AM
I have gotten to know Les quite well in the last couple of months. He is a breath of freash air! Exactly the kind of candidate I was looking for to run in this race. Les Phillip is a name you are going to be hearing a lot in the future. Watch out Griffith (and Washington!)