Doug Gross: Political Pimp
- Friday, May 15, 2009, 7:50
- Constitution Daily
- 1,283 views
- 53 comments
I realize I’ve written about civility in politics a few times over the last week. I also said that when folks go off the reservation we call the platform, I’d take the gloves off. This includes when a certain someone undercuts a Republican candidate for governor every chance he gets.
Who does Doug Gross think he is? In what reality does he think he can anoint a candidate for Governor? And why does Gross think he is the authority on who can win and who can’t? Last I checked the Secretary of State’s office, Gross lost in 2002. You don’t go to the coach that loses to find out how to win. You go to the winner.
Yesterday’s article in David Price’s blog, The Price of Politics, is just the most recent example of Doug Gross trying to be a political pimp. The problem is, Doug has no credibility for the role. Since 2002, what has Doug touched that has been successful? His campaign? Nope. Romney’s campaign? Nope. Anything?
There are few Republicans left out there who have any real respect for the man. And now Gross proclaims from his nonexistent throne of relevance that Bob Vander Plaats can’t win because Gross surveyed Iowa before gay marriage became a reality.
This is just wrong on so many fronts. Gross has no authority on the matter. He’s not elected. He’s not ever been successful as a candidate. His latest attempts at politics in any form have failed. What does he have to offer? A poll that he paid $100,000 for to only survey a few hundred people. Even the moderate fiscal conservatives should be mad about that – he either overpaid $85,000 to the polling firm or padded his own pocket in the process.
So if there actually is a candidate out there getting courted by Gross and his loyal pack of maybe two others, please don’t hook up with him. He’s the kiss of death for any candidate entering the race. Even if a known conservative were to work with Gross on a candidacy, he/she would be dismissed right out of the gate.
Gross is starting a war he can’t win. He doesn’t have the resources, support, or marketing ability to erase his image of someone who is out of touch and way out of line. For Gross it’s time to put the purple fur coat away and quit trying to pimp the Republican Party.
About the Author
Constitution Daily has written 96 stories on this site.
An Iowa based blog with the purpose of giving incentive to those actively engaged in conservative causes. Content will include Iowa and national issues ranging from politics to everyday society, but in every case you will know where Constitution Daily stands. Please feel free to contact me anytime at constitutiondaily@gmail.com.
53 Comments on “Doug Gross: Political Pimp”
Write a Comment
Gravatars are small images that can show your personality. You can get your gravatar for free today!
You must be logged in to post a comment.
What rubbish. Your post is nauseating. Doug Gross is starting no war. Read Price’s article. All Gross is doing is what we are doing daily on these blogs– expressing a sincerley held opinion regarding the future of the party. So Doug Gross has crossed some line drawn in the sand by the self-ordained chosen. My heavens. There are LOTS of people with LOTS of money and people with NO money that recognize Doug’s contributions and insights.To try to marginalize Doug Gross is unimaginable. My word to you who demonize Doug–INGRATES. Moreover, there are lots of people whe feel the BVP and Rants have NO CHANCE whatsoever to win a general. Talk about trying to bring a fractured party together. Good job outta you, CD.
To change the subject, is Nancy lying or is the CIA?
It’s sad when Doug’s supporter can’t even see his own faults. Although, I guess since most of them were Romney supporter, too, that makes sense.
Doug’s poll is seriously flawed given the timing of event that occurred after it. The poll itself doesn’t even support what Doug’s been saying. Supporting traditional marriage is not a losing issue. Over 60% of Iowans support defining marriage as one man and one woman.
Yes, fiscal issues are important too, so the key is to find a candidate who is a solid conservative all the way around on both social and fiscal issues.
Doug is doing much more than just “expressing a sincerely held opinion.” He’s trying to play kingmaker. And, I find it ironic that anyone would say Doug could possibly have a sincerely held opinion given that we’re talking about someone who does polls to find out what his opinions should be.
And I think CD has an excellent point. If Doug really paid $100K for this poll, he greatly overpaid, and his fiscal responsibility card just went out the window. Or, he’s scamming his donors. Take your pick.
Lydia–we are all trying to be kingmakers. However it is beyond the pale when a blogger mocks a person (look at the photo) who has done so much for our party. The yawning gap between the socons and the mods is now wider.
MIE – What has he done for our party other than trying to drive a wedge between Republicans? Almost every chance he has gotten, he’s insulted conservatives. Name a conservative in our party that has done the same. Has King, Latham, even Vander Plaats? No. There was no reason for him to say Vander Plaats can’t win. And how would Doug Gross know that? He’s not exactly been right too many times in the past 8 years.
For one thing, Doug’s comments were NOT inflammatory. Where is the insult? You are upset because he has a different opinion than you. READ the article. Why do you castigate him in such a disrespectful manner and expect people not to be upset. Especially those of us who are looking for ways to unite the party. Your portrayal of him as a “pimp” has crossed a line with me. How uttlerly deplorable. You need to retract your statements and apolgize.
MIE,
Maybe if you keep calling me a socon, that will convince me of your point of view. “Talk about trying to bring a fractured party together.” Yes, because the “yawning gap” has nothing to do with the fact that you are calling other Republicans ingrates (I used the word ‘other’ very loosely, unsure of how you actually come down). But I’m glad that you are “looking for ways to unite the party”. Great work outta you, MIE. While you are focused on everyone else dividing the party, your words of wisdom have done a tremendous job of building unity in the party!!!
Great Article. Right on. He’s the LOSER for calling his fellow republican a loser.
Let’s start by commending Doug Gross for his interest and energy, and what I take to be his genuine desire for Republican political success. Even if you and I may (and surely do) define that success very differently than does Doug. But hey, surely we agree with Doug on may more than 50% of political issues. “Can two walk together, except they be agreed?” May we “accentuate the positive”, and not allow the grains-of-sand differences to grind in our shoes to the point where we can’t walk together.
Let’s also put Doug’s situation in some social and historical context, so we understand where he’s coming from. Doug is a first-rate political back-room guy. He represents a once-dominant political faction that suffers waning fortune. “Other who [think they] have no hope” do tend to sorrow.
Social context. Disliking psychobabble as I do, I have never read Elizabeth Kubler Ross “On Death And Dying”. But I understand that Ross produced what people call “the five stages of grief” process: 1) Denial, 2) Anger, 3) Bargaining, 4) Depression, and 5) Acceptance.
Right now Doug deals with his perceptions of the fading influence of the Republican country club set. The champion of these declining “moderates” appears to now sit at the #2 “Anger” stage. Hey, that’s progress: in 2002 he was still at #1, “Denial”. Doug’s a pragmatic guy–let’s offer him some fair deals, and he’ll naturally gravitate to stage #3 “bargaining.”. And the current economic conditions already have lots of his friends reaching stage #4, “depression”. To win union within the party, all we Men of the Right must do is deliver serious prospects of a 2010 win. Most of these guys should then quickly reach stage #5 “acceptance.”
Right now, when we’re reviled (by people suffering understandable emotional and political anguish) let’s not revile back, but rather extend grace. “In essential things, unity. In non-essentials, liberty; in all things, charity.”
Historical context. Doug’s high political skills I admire very much. He reminds me of the great Mark Hanna, sometime Republican National Committee chairman, phenomenal fundraiser, U.S. Senator from Ohio, and reputed “maker” of William McKinley’s political fortunes in the early 1890s. [I think history shows that McKinley won the nation's affections on his own considerable merits, with Hanna helping only in technical, tactical ways, but for this moment let's assume Hanna deserves all the credit.] In 1899 McKinley’s vice president Garret Hobart died in office. In those days no provision existed for replacing a vice presidential vacancy. So when President McKinley sought re-election in 1900 he would name his running mate at the Republican National Convention. As we’d expect, various and sundry Republican Party factions put forward their favored candidates. Anyone getting ‘annointed’ by the President would inevitably disappoint others and their backers. Hanna, of course, had preferences that he thought best for the party. But McKinley very shrewdly avoided antagonizing anyone. Instead he won respect of the rank-and-file because he respected their opinions, and from them he obtained the man they thought would be the strongest vote-drawing running mate. ***McKinley allowed the party faithful to choose his VP themselves. The national convention delegates got to vote for the contenders. *** (Who’s ever heard of such trust today?) The party rank and file chose as VP candidate someone whose political views appalled political expert Mark Hanna. The party chose the candidate they thought was the Best MAN: freshman New York governor Theodore Roosevelt. Who until his death dominated the national Republican Party by sheer force of personality. They disregarded his distasteful ‘progressive’ political leanings. Wise Mark Hanna hated the choice–not least because he lost his influence at the Executive Mansion. (He did get a lifetime Senate seat as a kind of consolation prize.) He also–perhaps rightly!–feared the implications of Roosevelt’s willingness to use government for ends other than those Hanna thought wise. But I think we must say this: the Party knew better than the Party’s boss, about who would best lead them and who they desired to follow.
On this historical lesson we may say: the collective “wisdom of crowds” may be “wrong”. But history shows that the crowds often know better than their ‘betters’. Doug, you have every right to seek for ‘alternatives’ to Bob Vander Plaats (my own preferred candidate). But be aware: any candidate you anoint must pass muster both with vast numbers of John Q. Republicans, today, and with history tomorrow– not merely with a single circle of the ‘right people’ (whether Republican or Democrat or No Party) on a merely temporal basis.
“And now Gross proclaims from his nonexistent throne of relevance that Bob Vander Plaats can’t win because Gross surveyed Iowa before gay marriage became a reality. ”
I don’t have any authority on the matter either, but I don’t see a way for BVP to win. The man is a non-starter. A dud. A bore. Culver would walk the dog on him in the general.
And where does your authority to say that he will win come from, anyway? Have you been elected to public office? Have you been a successful candidate? What do you have to offer?
CD, I am very disappointed with this post. Doug’s been in Iowa Politics for years, and when Doug was involved we were winning (remember how we had Branstad for 16 years, Ray for 12 years, the Iowa Legislature for many years?) I understand that Doug’s own campaign didn’t succeed (though he did beat BVP), but why does that mean that we should completely disregard what he says? He’s a bright guy, he has a proven track record, and frankly, he’s right–if we make the 2010 election about gay marriage, and demand a such a high litmus test from our candidats, then we’ll be out of power for decades. Doug is also right about BVP–not only can he not win (I think Doug knows a little something about this), but he is the drunk uncle of the Republican Party– a complete embarassment to the party. We should not run him as our candidate; rather we should run FROM him.
I’m not sure if Bob is my ideal candidate either, but I find Bob a lot more likeable and sincere than Doug ever was. If Bob is the drunk uncle at the family reunion, Doug is the guy you don’t bother to invite in the first place ’cause he’s just a little too creepy.
mr moderation: what exactly has doug gross done for the party? please tell me.
“…frankly, he’s right–if we make the 2010 election about gay marriage, and demand a such a high litmus test from our candidats [sic]…”
Oh, yes, expecting Republicans to defend traditional marriage – the very bedrock of our society – is SUCH a HIGH litmus test.
People with no moral standards shouldn’t be allowed to vote – they don’t have the country’s best interests at heart.
who is the last iowa republican candidate doug gross helped and supported? dont you have to go back to 2002 to mr doug gross? i think thats right. the guy is an ego maniac.
Mr. Branch: Let me just scratch the surface–he worked tirelessly and successfully for two of our most successful Repub candidates–Rob. D. Ray and Terry Branstad. He has been in the forefront of forging new relationships between the party and traditionally democratic constituents. Look what he did with the Jewish community. He subjected himself and his family to the brutalities of a statewide campaign. He has spent countless hours traveling the state (time he otherwise could have devoted to a lucrative law practice) promoting the wise use of public funds and economic development. I have been especially impressed with the time he makes for young people interested in the party. I can go on and on.
Mr. Branch is correct. The only reason that Mr. Gross is attempting to find his “ideal” candidate is so that he can assuage his ego. He is quickly becoming an embarrassment to the party.
my question mr moderation is who in the last…oh…lets say 15 years has he helped other than himself? the answer is no one. didnt he also lose the managing partner slot at his law firm? and the jewish community? huh? marvin pomerantz was like a father figure to him. explain to me what catholic doug did? this is the same guy that conducted a shakedown on that prison deal to put money in his pocket. now he shakes down medium size donors for $5k a pop and puts it in his pocket. the guy has not changed. it always has been all about doug. it always will be. thats why his lack of helping other iowa republicans in the last 15 years is not surprising.
thanks al. the only thing i would add is that he is not only embarassing the party…he is also embarassing himself. if someone reading this is actually doug’s friend…tell him he is destroying himself. he looks like an idiot. whether dressed like a pimp or not.
MIE: “He has been in the forefront of forging new relationships between the party and traditionally democratic constituents.” While never missing a chance to drive a wedge in our party.
You need to look at this as has he hurt or helped our party more in the last decade. As you know, I think he’s doing more harm than good by far.
Good grief. In reading these comments one would think that the rank and file don’t have minds of their own. What is it? Is Doug Gross some Svengali pulling the strings on hapless mortals like us? Get real. He IS just like us. All he is doing is weighing in on the message issue just like the rest of us. That’s what I like about him. He has the courage to look at the noisy extremes of our party and call it like it is. Keep up the good work, Doug. There is a vast silent majority that appreciate everything you have done for the party and especially for the State.
no doug gross is not a svengali. he is an arrogant, disconnected know it all. he has become part of the circus. hell he is the lead clown of the moderate movement.
MID,
No offense, but what in the last seven years has Mr. Gross done for Iowa or the Republican Party?
In addition, Mr. Gross had his opportunity to win the Governors office. To lose and then say another candidate has no chance of winning is ludicrous. He has absolutely no basis to make that argument. If he thinks that he is so right and everyone else is so wrong why does he not run again?
Defending traditional marriage is fine, but if that all we talk about, we’ re going to lose. And by the way, as part of the under-30 generation, that is ultimately going to be a losing issue: ten years from now, people aren’t going to care about the marriage issue. Doug understands this. And the more BVP keeps talking about that issue, the worse it makes Republicans look, since he obviously doesn’t understand government, and that crazy idea that a court can delcare a law unconstitutional, and that the governor cannot issue an executive order that is unconstitutional. Again, we shouldn’t run this moron, we should run FROM him.
by the way, how badly do you think doug screwed all the iowa first foundation donors on this $100k poll? i think we should run a contest and you can place bets on how badly you think doug is screwing them…how much is going in his pocket. go to: slimelawyersthatscrewpeople.com and place your bet.
grant me this — if you think bob vander plaats looks like an idiot obsessing about the issue because its all he talks about — how about doug gross? he is a clown too. an ass clown is an ass clown. no matter if you are mr mvp leadership or mr iowa first foundation.
Mr. Branch: I would be careful. Your comments are bordering on defamatory.
To Al: Doug Gross had his chance to run, and didn’t win. He therefore has no basis for saying that another candidate (the drunk uncle of the Republican Party) can’t win. Yet Doug beat the drunk uncle in a primary in 2002. So Doug does have a basis for saying that the drunk uncle can’t win.
CD: How ironic. You of all people criticizing someone for driving a wedge in our party. Look no farther than your post.
mr moderation are you a lawyer?! cool! wouldnt it be great if doug gross sued a commenter on a blog? that would be the continuation of a great fall from grace. and by the way, can you not call someone an ass clown?
PCR,
For starters that is not all that BVP is talking about. It is only what the media is covering.
Secondly, BVP had the executive order developed and authored by CONSTITUTIONAL scholars. So if it was unconstitutional they would have let him know. As for your assumption that defense of marriage is a losing proposition, you are dead wrong. Get out of Polk County and you just might find that there are a hell of a lot of Democrats fuming about this issue and ready to cross party lines to stop it.
Mr. Branch: Reference your slime lawyer comment. This type of commentary has no place here or anywhere.
oh and mr moderation…by looking at the 527 reports filed by the iowa first foundation is appears that “Gross Schwarm LLC” is paid a healthy consultant fee by the organization. looks like it started back when the RGA gave the iowa first foundation money to run ads against chet culver in 2006. do you think “Gross Schwarm LLC” also got a kickback from the media buyer or just took the fee? I digress. Anyways…that is the same LLC…”Gross Schwarm LLC” that was paid by Romney for President. How much was that? Like $8,000 or $10,000 a month? mr moderation..go check it out for yourself..there is a handy dandy little website you can view it on that the irs hosts. but…you sound like a lawyer or a wannabe lawyer…you maybe already know. enjoy.
BVP’s comments on an executive order trumping a Supreme Court decision is reason alone to disqualify him from office. His position shows such an abject and fundamental misunderstanding of our system of government.
PCR,
I do not recall BVP disparaging Gross run at Governor and that he actually supported him. Some kind of stand up guy that Doug Gross is.
Tell me this if Gross was in this for anything other than to stroke his ego why he is doing it so publicly. He is an opportunist plain and simple. I feel ashamed that I supported him in 02.
Al: First, I don’t know who these lawyers are that developed the executive order, but 1) they are certainly not from this state, and 2) they are wrong. When the Supreme Court says a law is unconstitutional, the governor can’t enforce it by executive order (it’s meaningless). Trust me: I have taken Con Law (but all you really need is high school government to understand that). As far as Doug Gross is concerned, I think he is genuinely concerned about the Repulican Party! We’ve lost two straight election cycles, and yet we are in the best position in while to take back the Governor’s Office and at least one chamber of the legislature. Yet with people like BVP running their mouths, we are going to see 4 more years of the Culver-Gronstal-Murphy show.
Polk County Republican — i just want to add that with people like doug gross also running his mouth…the party is also equally marginalized and turned into a 3 ring circus. one ring, doug. another ring, bob. the last ring are the rest of us that think they’re both marginal characters in the future of our party. its no longer 1999. back then doug was a wealthy lobbyist and power broker. he was like a son to the biggest republican donor in the state. bob…well..thats when he started running for governor the first time.
I wonder if the posts on theiowarepublican.com focused on trying to beat democrats rather than marginalizing fellow republicans, some of the bitterness within the party would diminsh. No disrespect intended but I’m tired of the pissing contests whether it’s on this site or somewhere else.
PCR,
It is obvious that you have never even attempted to find out what BVP was talking about. The EO that was drawn up does not ignore the Supreme Courts opinion. Instead what it was designed to do was place a stay on gay marriage forcing the legislature to take up the issue. It was really an brilliant idea that would have worked if the Governor had used it.
Wayy up there, Prggy wrote:
“People with no moral standards shouldn’t be allowed to vote – they don’t have the country’s best interests at heart.”
Ahh-soo, our next Constitutional Amendment, eh Peggy?
Who would you put in charge of the standards committee Peg? Larry Craig?, James Dobson? Phyliss Schlafley?, Alan Keyes?, Fred Phelps?, Ted Haggard?, Newt Gingrich?, Joyce Meyer?
Carolyn I concur with your opinion. However, I do think it’s healthy to point out when something is hurting our party and I reserve the right to call BS on them. CD, I think you are being a bit harsh here. We don’t need to give our detractors another club to beat us with.
Great post, CD. Don’t back down. Doug Gross using the results of a survey about gay marriage taken before April 3rd is like using the results of a survey taken on on Sept. 10, 2001, that asked Americans how safe they felt. Doug Gross also attacked Bob VP on the WHO news a couple of days ago.
If anyone thinks all Bob VP talks about is gay marriage, I suggest you visit his website and blog which will demonstrate he is attacking other issues. The problem is that when it goes to the question/answer period from the audience the topic always reverts back to the issue of gay marriage. What happened on April 3rd is not just a Republican issue, it is an Iowa issue.
Al, I admt, I didn’t read that executive order, but regardless, the Governor does not have the power to stay gay marriage. The Court has held that denying marriage licenses to same sex couples is a violation of the equal protection clause of the constitution, and therefore, unconstitutional. Regardless of whether the County Recorders deny marriage licenses or whether hte Governor denies the licenses, it is unconstitutional to do so. Therefore, BVP’s executive order is no good.
The language used by some on this post is shameful to the point that perhaps I should look elsewhere to express my opinions. The mocking tone of CD’s post and the commentary it has generated has divided us further. Is it too much to ask that you exercise restraint in your comments and still make a point. I understand that politics is a full contact sport and that we should expect strident language. I just didn’t think it would come from fellow Repubs. With the circular firing squad in place, ready aim and fire.
MIE,
I am sorry if you feel that way. And I am sorry if you think my opinions are divisive. However I am not going to apologize for how I feel. I call it like I see it. Regardless of whether Gross has worked hard for RPI in the past his actions now fuel just one thing, his ego.
PCR,
Perhaps before you condemn BVP you should attend an event to speak with him and discuss his plans. Maybe then you will see that the media does not tell the whole story.
Al: I have no quarrel at all with those that express opinions different than mine. In fact, I welcome them. My beef is the manner in which opinions are expressed. The language used by some on this post is not condusive to civil discourse and serius discussion of the issues. Instead, people, like CD are using inflammatory language and photographs that undermine these goals and divide the party unnecessarily.
There is nothing unnecessary about my article. I, along with many others, have turned a blind eye to Gross’s statements of the last 6 months. He went way over the line saying BVP can’t win. He gets all this free media because the media knows what it is doing to the Republican party. Why he can’t see that, I don’t know.
They way you say what you do is beyond the pale. “Pimp.” Is that how you discuss intraparty politics with your fellow Repubs? I too believe sincerely that BVP has NO chance whasoever to win. Am I a “pimp” as well.
You all are much smarter than I. I don’t have the slightest idea if VP can win and the truth is no one does either.
There is no way to tell the political climate in 10/10.
As big a disaster as Culver & Co. have made of this state, it may be a Republican landslide and the candidate may not be that important.
You should all read Carolyn Williams post carefully. Earlier this year, CD had the great BVP time clock and now it’s moved onto Doug Gross, with an equally memorable image. While it a really amusing distraction on a spring weekend, it is just that – a distraction. Instead fo sniping over whether Doug is worthless or BVP is (i.e, the “who”), let’s move onto the “how.” I see very little of that from this group of bitter democrat posters.
Peggy – it is pretty sic to be the grammar and proofreading police of this blog. We expect you will ask Krusty and CD to spell check as well.
C.Daily’s masthead pic for this essay brings to mind the very first episode of WKRP IN CINCINNATI when we were introduced to the character, Venus Flytrap. A not unsimilar get-up IIRC. Got a good laff remembering that show, thanks.