Carolina Journal reporter and former North Carolina Republican Party executive director had a remarkable piece in Art Pope’s magazine today. It could only be described as a hatchet job aimed at Congressman Madison Cawthorn, Republican of NC-14. In one brutal swing after another, Woodhouse eviscerated Cawthorn’s pretensions as a Republican hero and, seemingly, set the stage for an establishment revolt against this 26-year-old fascist phenom.
Establishment Republicans have proven throughout the Trump era that they have a high tolerance for the clowns in their ranks. This nihilism runs all the way to the top, with even the most staid establishmentarians paying tribute to Donald J. Trump. In North Carolina, GOP leaders have long tolerated the rhetorical excretions of state Representative Larry Pittman, who has sponsored bills to institute a state religion in North Carolina and to authorize the state to secede from the Union. It looked at first like Madison Cawthorn would receive the same gentle treatment.
Then Cawthorn got in Tim Moore’s way. The Speaker of the North Carolina House of Representative had cooked up a nice, juicy congressional district for himself so he could grift on the larger stage of Washington, D.C. Cawthorn, however, coveted the district with its penetration of the Charlotte media market. So the young man went east, announcing plans to run in Moore’s new 13th district. Republicans may have found Cawthorn’s clowning around to be a bit amusing heretofore, but this time, when he asked them “Are You Not Entertained,” they answered a firm and bitter No.
Cawthorn’s lobster-like plop into hot water is not the first time a political clown from the Mountains has outlived his usefulness for a party establishment. In the Depression and World II, U.S.Senator “Our Bob” Reynolds from Buncombe County put on a ridiculous show for North Carolinians, roaming the state in a clattering jalopy (even though he was wealthy) and kissing movie star Jean Harlow on the lips. (Consensually.) The ruling Democratic establishment rolled their eyes at him for the most part. But like Cawthorn, Reynolds proved himself to be a Nazi sympathizer, and on the eve of World War II it was time to dispose of a populist demagogue who had clearly become a fascist. An “establishment” politician, Governor Clyde Hoey, challenged Reynolds in the primary and dispatched this Hitler fan with ease.
Is Cawthorn the next Bob Reynolds? He certainly resembles him. Both are authoritarian thugs with yahoo trappings and a dubious affinity for National Socialism who have worn out their political welcome. Dallas Woodhouse has long been the enforcer of the NCGOP. We’ll see if this morning’s takedown in Carolina Journal is the beginning of the end of Madison’s short career.
Alexander Jones is an original contributor to PoliticsNC.
If Democrats hate this guy so much. He must be doing something right, or stand for something they hate. Which is probably Duty,Honor, Country, and God.
I don’t really know or care and I won’t get a chance to vote for him anyway.
Or he is an uneducated fascist grifter that even sane Republicans should shake off their platform. There is that possibility too. Not everybody who runs under the title of Republican is a good guy. This one certainly is not.
THE ARTICLE IS INCORRECT ABOUT U.S. SENATOR
ROBERT RICE REYNOLDS. SENATOR REYNOLDS DID NOT SEEK RE-ELECTION 1944, FORMER GOVERNOR AND UNITED STATES SENATOR CAMERON MORRISON, WHO WAS A CONGRESSMAN RAN AND WAS DEFEATED BY GOVERNOR CLYDE HOEY, THE BROTHER INLAW OF FORMER GOVERNOR OLIVER MAX GARDNER.
He’s a nazi sympathizer and I hope he rots in hell
In view of the fact National Socialism is more a matter of the ugly side of world history then existent in its purest form in modern politics, there are still some among us who mistakenly believe it has merit. I have reference to the Jan. 6 insurrection. I suspect you failed to grasp the point of his article. It’s principles, of uncalled for reference to violence, misinformation and disrespect for democracy and individual rights is a theme that has prevailed in the minds of at least 10% of your (the Republican) party. Although this 10% figure is rapidly diminishing as folks are made aware of the downside of such thinking, there is real concern in the GOP leadership that like a sinking ship, it may suck the Republican Party down with it.
Madison “Cawthorn” appears publicly partially decked out in the trappings of insurrection , attempts to carry a loaded firearm aboard a commercial aircraft conveys a bad image for a party that claims to be the party of law and order.
Why do you say Crawford is a Nazi/National Socialism sympathizer?
Probably due to virtually all of his political positions.
Cawthorn had posted on his Instagram page in Aug 2020 about a trip he took to Adolf Hitler’s mountaintop chalet in southern Germany, Eagle’s Nest. He posted that the trip “has been on my bucket list for years. And it did not disappoint.” He took the trip in 2017, but I believe he himself posted again about it in 2020. Lots of media coverage of this, including https://www.cnn.com/2020/08/13/politics/madison-cawthorn-social-media-post/index.html
It’s hard to say. It could have been Cawthorne’s National Socialist Movement tweet (he later deleted) or his fawning over his visit to Hitler’s mountain retreat.
Why is Tim Moore, a well established NC politician, afraid of Cawthorn?
He isn’t trying to take down Madison he is trying to build up for the next candidate whom is coming to the table his cousin’s wife. Surely anyone that doesn’t see this coming from a mile off already has not been paying attention. Michele Woodhouse will be coming to the table as the next Republican Candidate for Congress for the 14th District and so goes the NCGOP right?
I suppose that is a noble purpose. I most certainly would try to get a relative who I knew to be intelligent and respectful of human life elected to public office if I could convince, this person to walk away from a great job as part of the leadership in a major fire dept located in another state. But I have serious doubt she would be willing to walk away from an excellent paying job, with outstanding benefits and a job she enjoys doing to jump into the quagmire of politics. Even a trained fire person has their reservations about some dangers.