Rogue Republicans Abandon Their Post (Booth) at CC Fair!!!   Republican School Board candidates Danny Blanton and Ronnie Grigg, along with Democrat Candidate Meghan Hoppes man (and woman) the abandoned Republican Post!!!   Report and observations by Robert A 

Robert A travelled to the Cleveland County Fair this past Sunday evening. Mostly to observe and reconnoiter. Robert A has a general pattern that he typically runs and observations that he typically makes when he goes to the Cleveland County Fair. And talks to as many people as possible along the way. Robert A has visited the Cleveland County Fair many times since he was a child with his parents, with friends, with girlfriends, with his own children and on his own. Robert A has seen many changes to this so-called Agricultural Fair over the years. Some changes were good. Some changes are not good at all. Once there were two versions of the Cleveland County Fair. One Fair for White folks and another completely separate Fair for the Black folks. This article is NOT about that.

 

Presently, Robert A arrives to the Fair from North Post Road heading South. He takes the first Fair parking entrance and takes a left into the entrance. Robert A parks in a conspicuous location so he can easily find his way back to his vehicle when he returns. Robert A has learned the hard way that there must be a thousand white trucks that look the same when the parking lot is full and it is dark. Robert A walks to the trolley pickup spot and rides the trolley to the back entrance to the Fair. Often talking to people on the way.

 

Robert A already knows that the Commissioners have given the Fair $167,500 without any financial justification and has heard that the NC General Assembly (Speaker Tim Moore) has given the Fair another $1,000,000. AND, the Fair has cut out free admittance for senior citizens. As Robert A is now officially a senior citizen AND Robert A’s and other Cleveland County tax-payer’s dollars were part of these giveaways. Taking away that Senior Citizen’s benefit does not sit well with Robert A. Right from the start.

 

When Robert A reaches the entrance ticket area and informs the attendant that he is a Senior Citizen, he is told “$5 dollars please.” As Robert A slips a $20 under the glass, he is told that Senior Citizens and Children’s tickets are half-priced. Robert A quick; y calculates in his head that the General Admittance ticket prices has increased 25% and his savings for the Senior Citizen’s ticket are actually much less than 50%. Robert A wonders just how much of that increase in ticket price was inflation or just greed on the part of the Fair Board and Commissioner Fair Board Member Kevin “Mad Dog” Gordon. The $5 ticket price is actually $5 more that at the last Cleveland County Fair, when the price for Senior Citizens was $0. Robert A vows to himself that if he runs for Commissioner in 2024 and wins, He would refuse to sit on any other Board. As, to do so, would automatically mean he would be in an instant conflict of interest. Who would he be representing? The taxpayers’ best interest or the other board’s best interest?? From Robert as perspective, these other groups want Commissioners on their Boards as a way to suck up on tax dollars. Those other Boards will be disappointed when Robert A refuses to sit on their Boards. They would be even more disappointed when Commissioner Robert A would require all their financial statements, as well as how much their organization actually benefitted Cleveland County before he voted one red cent to any group seeking funding from Cleveland County taxpayers. But that is a story for another day. Closer to the 2024 Commissioner Elections.

 

So, Now Robert A is within the Fair Grounds. All the way on the back side. Robert A looks at some tractors and some old time bath tubs on the way to the animal exhibits. Robert A starts on the left side. Looks at the exotic animals, follows the crowd out the back side and over to the back door of another space row of exhibits. And out the front door. Robert A notices the “Poultry” building is shut down.

 

Robert A remembers back about 30 years when he took his kids to the Fair. When going through the Poultry building, a big red hen had just laid an egg. That big red hen was so very proud of her freshly laid egg, she was “clucking” at every person that went by. Robert A, his kids and everybody else was impressed by that hen that was so proud of her egg. When Robert A saw the Poultry, building was now shut down, it saddened him. Even a big red hen, with a brain not much larger than two peas, had sense enough to put a high value on her freshly laid egg. So much value that, given the chance, that big red hen would hatch that egg into a chick. Never to think about aborting that egg. That she had a constitutional right to abort that egg, just because she could. How is it that a pea brained big red hen had more sense than some people he knows. Women AND men.

 

Then Robert A goes through the horse and pony areas that were sparse on the horses and ponies. Then into the “Livestock” area where there were no livestock at all. So much for an “Agricultural” Fair.

 

Now Robert A heads up the Midway. Eating spots here, there and everywhere. Finally, Robert A sees Barry McKee from Fallston helping run a fruit and vegetable booth. All kinds of fruits and vegetables. Pickled eggs, Honey, etc. Finally, real agricultural stuff. Although it was the ONLY agricultural stand that Robert A saw at the Fair. Robert A bought a bottle of water from “Horty,” saying he wasn’t going to carry a big jar of pickled eggs all around the Fairground. That he would buy his produce and stuff from Horty’s place in Fallston. And urges everybody else to do the same. Robert A then heads on up the Midway toward the Water Wheel.

 

As Robert A approaches the Exhibit Halls, he notices the Gazebos along the way. Sheriff Alan Norman had one. Then another one. Then the Gazebo with Danny Blanton and Ronnie Grigg for School Board signs. Robert A immediately understands that the Rogue Republicans have driven Blanton and Grigg for School Board candidates away. On their own. To their OWN Gazebo. Actually, it was a smart move for Danny Blanton and Ronnie Grigg to have their own Gazebo. It is on the outside of the Exhibit Hall with much more exposure to the people travelling up and down the Midway.

 

School Board Candidate Danny Blanton tells Robert A that he should go into the Exhibit Hall and take a look at the CCS School’s exhibits. Blanton continues, “I am not going to say another word to you about those exhibits.” “Go see for yourself”. Just like Robert A likes to say. “Then come back and tell me what you think.” So, Robert A goes into the Exhibit Hall and looks closely at every single one of CCS Schools and other exhibits.

 

Every one of these exhibits had the theme “A New Beginning.” Robert A was immediately puzzled and confused. The words “New” and “Beginning” have somewhat similar meanings. Later, when writing this article, Robert A googled “What does the phrase “a new beginning mean?” And, all Hell breaks loose. There is no one size-fits-all definition. “A new beginning” has as many meanings as there are people on this earth, So, Robert A will simply NOT go there. Especially since Danny Blanton’s suggestion to look at the different exhibits was clear. Crest High School’s effort in constructing an exhibit was, at first glance, totally lacking. Their whole exhibit area was covered with blank white paper. A bushel or so of dirt was dumped in the center on the floor. And several puny looking flowers (Mums) were planted on the top of the pile of dirt. Only one word was used (twice) in that exhibit. WATER, with an arrow pointing to the flowers. All the other exhibits were clever and wordy to no end. However, the Crest HS exhibit, considering that there is an infinite way to interpret “a new beginning” was just as good as any other exhibit. But won no ribbons. There was no “E” for effort in the judging. And, there was no “E” for effort displayed in the CHS exhibit. Although there could have been lots of thought. Robert A, observing that the Project Theme “A New Beginning” is not representative of the “thinking” or “culture” at CCS. “New Beginnings” typically applies to some sort of “change for the better.” And as long as Robert “Luke: Queen is the CCS School Board Chairman, there is NO chance of any change for the better on the horizon at CCS.

 

 

Then, Robert A passed by the Cleveland County Democrat Party Fair Booth and it was on!!

 

The Democrat Party Fair Booth is located in the Fair Exhibit Hall in a much better travelled area than the Republican Party Booth. It has been that way for as long as Robert A can remember. It is almost certain the Fair charges more for that better located booth and the cheap-ass, lazy and rogue Republicans refuse to support their local candidates as well as the Democrats do theirs.

In 2022 the Democrats did not put up opposition candidates for a number of local offices. With the shape our Country and County is in right now, most of Cleveland County voters will not vote for Democrat candidates on a bet. Robert A is leaning that way himself. The only thing that might save some Democrats from defeat in the 2022 Elections is the stupid (un)civil war amongst the Republican School Board Candidates. The Rogue Republican supported candidates and the People’s Republican Candidates. Danny Blanton and Ronnie Grigg.

An Uncivil war caused by the likes of Rogue Republicans Dennis Bailey, Robert “Luke” Queen, Kevin Whisnant, Wes Westmoreland, Ron Humphries, David Allen, Pam Keller, Guy Smith, Kevin “Mad-Dog” Gordon and others. Just because they can’t tell Dr. Danny Blanton and Dr. Ronnie Grigg what to do. My opinion, learned long ago, is the Cleveland County Rogue Republican Party’s so-called leadership would rather have a Democrat in office than a Republican that won’t kiss their collective asses. (PS: Another lesson I learned a long time ago is this: both parties, especially the Rogue Republicans, school and indoctrinate their candidates to: “Tell the voters what they want to hear. And, when you get elected, do what you want.” The Rogue Republicans elected to the School Board in 2020 (Robert “Luke” Queen, Joel Shores, Ron Humphries, Rodney Fitch and Greg Taylor) are proof positive that saying is 100% correct!!

So, Robert A is now walking down the incline at the Cleveland County Democrat Party booth at the Cleveland County Fair; noticing that there are not that many stacks of campaign literature. Of course, this is because many local and state offices do hot have Democrats running for those offices. County Commissioners, Sheriff, District Attorney, Clerk of Court, several District Court Judges, State Senator, State House of Representatives being good examples.

As Robert A reaches the bottom of that incline at the Democrat Party Booth, he pauses. There are big pictures on the booths “side” wall that he did not see as he was walking down the incline. The pictures were in shadows and it took several moments for Robert A to bring them into focus. The pictures at the top were Democrat School Board Candidates. Democrat candidate Megyn Hoppes was furthest away and the one mostly in the shadows.

Noticing that Robert A had paused and was looking at the Democrat candidate’s pictures, the ladies in the Democrat Party Booth came over and asked if these were the candidates that Robert A was going to vote for? Since Robert A had just previously publishing an article about ALL the Democrat School Board candidates “Boycotting” a candidate’s forum in Fallston, Robert A replied that he would NOT be voting for any of them. The ladies asked why and Robert A stated that they had boycotted the historic school board candidate’s forum in Fallston. The Democrat ladies replied that “they had somewhere else to go.” Robert A wouldn’t have any of that. He replied that they had snubbed the voters and attending candidate’s forum during election times was always priority Number One.

About that time Democrat School Board Candidate Meghan Hoppes had just walked down that incline behind Robert A and had heard part of the conversation.

Ms. Hoppes informed Robert A that she was Democrat School Board Candidate Meghan Hoppes and she had NOT boycotted that candidate’s forum in Fallston. Robert A immediately replied, “YOU were not there! NONE of the Democrat Candidates were there!” Candidate Hoppes acknowledged that there was a previously scheduled meeting with Democrat campaign supporters, her objection was my term “boycott” and that she had received a copy of my article, but had not read it yet. Robert A suggested to Candidate Hoppes that she should read that article. That he had clearly explained in his article that he had researched the Democrat Party Website. There were NO entries about any major Democrat Functions at the same time as the candidate’s forum in Fallston and that the CC Democrat Party Chairman had stressed to the Party, candidates and all, the importance of winning elections. And that not showing up for candidate’s forums was a “snub” of the voters. AND, that any candidate’s supporters should recognize that and be glad to reschedule any such meeting that conflicted with a candidate’s forum. If they were really interested in winning elections.

Editor’s Note: Ms. Hoppes is a first-time candidate for the Cleveland County School Board. Perhaps a first-time candidate for any elected office. The other Democrat Candidates for the CCS School Board are incumbents, with voting records in office and SHOULD have known better than to miss a candidate’s forum. It is possible, however, that the incumbent Democrat School Board candidates were afraid that their voting records over the years on the School Board would be exposed at that INDEPENDENT School Board Candidates Forum held in Fallston. And talked Ms. Hoppes into “boycotting” that School Board Candidates Forum held at the Historic Stamey Event Center in Fallston on September 27, 2022.

During Robert A’s conversation with Democrat School Board Candidate Meghan Hoppes, Ms. Hoppes mention a discussion with Republican School Board Candidate Ronnie Grigg at the Fair. Robert A interrupted and said, let me tell you what happened. The whole story.

Robert A began. This was during the evening during a week night at the Fair. Danny Blanton and Ronnie Grigg were manning their independent Republican Gazebo along the Midway, when word got to them that the Republicans had left the Republican Booth at 5:00 PM and NOBODY was manning the Republican Booth.

So, Danny Blanton and Ronnie Grigg decided that one of them would man their Gazebo and the other would man the Republican Fair Booth. It was decided that School Board Candidate Ronnie Grigg would man the Rogue Republican Booth until someone arrived while Danny Blanton would man the Gazebo.

This went on for awhile until Democrat School Board Candidate Meghan Hoppes observed Republican School Board Candidate Ronnie Grigg, alone, at the Republican Party Fair Booth. Ms. Hoppes, as the Democrat Booth was well manned, then decided to go speak to Mr. Grigg.

After a little chit-chat, Fair visitors happened by the Republican Booth. Ms. Hoppes reached out and picked up some of Ronnie Grigg’s campaign materials and passed them out to the visitors. “This is Mr. Ronnie Grigg” said Ms Hoppes. “Mr. Grigg is running for the Cleveland County School Board.” “My name is Meghan Hoppes and I am also running for the Cleveland County School Board.” Mr. Grigg continues to man the Republican Party Booth until 9:00 PM when the Exhibit Hall closes down and NO other Republicans, even the other Republican School Board candidates. ever showed up to man the Republican Booth. Robert A predicts Danny Blanton and Ronnie Grigg will be the top vote “getters” of the four School Board open positions in the 2022 General Elections.

Ms. Hoppes seemed surprised that Robert A, who was not present, would know about this incident with so much detail. And, Robert A as usual, did not reveal his sources.

Now, it was Sunday evening and the Republican Party Booth is full of Rogue Republicans. The Republican Booth is in a straight line of vision from the Democrat Booth where Ms. Hoppes and Robert A are standing. The Rogues, for a long time, have been staring at Ms. Hoppes and Robert A with intense interest. So, Ms Hoppes says to Robert A let me get a picture of me and you. Robert A says “sure.” One of the other Democrat ladies comes around and takes our picture together as we were facing the Rogue Republicans. Clearly noting their frowns. Apparently, Robert A, Ms. Hoppes and the other Democrat ladies have a sense of humor and the Rogue Republicans do NOT have a sense of humor.

Democrat first time candidate Meghan Hoppes and Robert A discussed many issues. Sometimes agreeing, but often disagreeing. Robert A had the advantage of 10 years of attending School Board meetings and reviewing maybe thousands of documents obtained through Public Records requests. And many instances of CCS sources providing information secretly because they were convinced they would be severely retaliated against if their identities were disclosed. In one incident, an innocent person who had never spoken a word to Robert A, was fired only because somebody at the “top” THOUGHT that person had provided Robert A with certain information. When, in fact, they did not.

On some topics, Robert A was certain that Ms. Hoppes was misinformed. And said so. On this, Robert A came to believe that the Democrats have taken great pains to indoctrinate Ms. Hoppes with misinformation, but did not say so. There will be plenty of time to do that later.

Robert A, on many previous occasions has recommended voting only for Danny Blanton and Ronnie Grigg for the CCS School Board. And, at this point will continue to do so, pending the Rogue Republican Supported candidates, themselves, continuing to refuse to make amends to Danny Blanton and Ronnie Grigg for their previous involvement with the Rogue Republicans dirty tricks against Blanton and Grigg. AND renouncing those Rogue Republicans who induced them to participate. For those that just have to mark four names on the ballot, after marking Danny Blanton and Ronnie Grigg, you might think about Ms. Meghan Hoppes. It is for sure that she has a sense of humor. AND, she appears to be “teach-able” when provided with correct information. Although the Democrats will certainly make very attempt to continue their misinformation process with Ms. Hoppes. You can be sure of that. And, if elected. Robert “Luke” Queen, the Rogue Republicans on the School Board and Supt. Stephen Fisher will surely try to keep the misinformation coming full speed ahead toward Ms. Hoppes.

Stay tuned folks. This School Board Election ain’t over ‘til its’s OVER.

And, Robert A will continue to recommend voting ONLY for Dr. Danny Blanton and Dr. Ronnie Grigg, until further notice.