And that’s strike three

First it was Emmett Hanger.

Then it was Bill Howell.

Now, of all people, Richard Cranwell has come out (well, sort of) for John Hager (Family Foundation via Tertium Quids):

I consider John Hager a friend and enjoyed my years of service with him in the General Assembly. He is a good, decent, hard-working man who the Republicans would be smart to re-elect as party chair.

Less than two years after I first came to Virginia from New Jersey, Cranwell was elected House Majority Leader.  He was easily the rudest, meanest, and most crass politician I had ever seen (and growing up in New Jersey, that says something).  There was a time when I determined my view of Virginia politicians solely on the basis of whether or not Dick Cranwell hated them.

Now, I wouldn’t put it past Cranwell to cause a little mischief, but given how Hager has presided over the loss of the state Senate, yet has done nothing to rein in the tax-hiking ciphers in the party, it’s fairly clear that Cranwell would like nothing better than the status quo.

Besides, even if he thinks Frederick would be bad for the party, lest anyone forget, Democrats alwaysthink limited-government Republicans are “bad for the party.”  Then when said Republicans win, they’re completely shocked.  Democrats have been so busy bribing voters that they can’t understand why anyone would stand on the principles of limited government - especially after so many Republicans have been eager to do the same over the last half-dozen years.

So either Cranwell is reaching out to his establishment buddy, or he’s combining mischievous politics with spectacularly bad analysis.  Either way, his quasi-endorsement of Hager should a clarion call for Republicans to elect Jeff Frederick as Chairman.