August 4, 2008 - 5:31pm
Jarody drops House run at behest of Republican Party leaders
By Jessica AlaimoA Republican former state House candidate said he was pressured out of running by leaders of his party because of politically incorrect online comments he had made on various Web sites.
Jarody, a 24-year-old from Augusta who only goes by one name, planned to run for House District 57 against incumbent Patsy Crockett (D-Augusta). GOP Party Chairman Mark Ellis and House Republican Leader Josh Tardy convinced him not to.
He withdrew, but in retrospect regretted the decision.
"I was a Ron Paul person, I was used to not getting their support," he said.
It is past the deadline for replacement candidates, so Crockett is now unopposed.
His withdrawal initiated a buzz on the blogosphere this weekend, with posts on the Christian Civic League's Web site, conservative forum As Maine Goes, liberal forum Turn Maine Blue and political blog Maine Politics. The links for the CCL and AMG are no longer available.
The league supported his candidacy because of his pro-life and pro-family stances.
Jarody said Ellis and Tardy produced printouts of politically incorrect comments on Web sites such as Life of Debauchery and Outraged Americans. Jarody said they warned him that the Democrats would use these for "dirty tactics," and the party would not back him up.
Most of the comments in question came from several years ago, when he got involved with online trolling - a practice where one posts outrageous comments solely to enrage the other posters. He did this under his own name.
"I pretty much was an Internet troll for quite awhile," Jarody said. "I said anything and everything that was offensive and politically incorrect. I didn't mean any of it."
Recently Jarody has been a poster on As Maine Goes. While posting on controversial issues such as gun control and the elimination of the state of Isreal, his posts were less outrageous.
He said the party leaders told him that voters would not be able to differentiate between what he meant and didn't mean, and it could make the party look bad.
Ellis said that asking Jarody not to run was nothing personal.
"I respect Jarody as an individual and I don't want to do anything that will harm him," Ellis said. He later added: "We really are a big tent in respect to people's views. However his commentary online was something I don't think any party would support."
Jarody said that he feels disavowed from his party. He plans to fulfill his obligations on both the Augusta Republican Committee and the Kennebec County Republican Committee, but when 2010 comes around he does not know if he will remain in the party.
"The question is," Jarody said, "can I really support a party that won't support me?"
Article Tools
Contributors
Wally Edge
Rob Tornoe
To view more cartoons by Politicker.com editorial cartoonist Rob Tornoe, click here. >
Adam Cote
I attended my first political "house party" in 1994 when I was a senior in college. It was hosted by one of former U.S. Sen. George ... >
Chris Cinquemani
It’s crunch time. Less than 30 days remain until we head to the polls to vote for President down to School Board—unless you’re joining ... >
Poll
How close will the Allen-Collins race be?
Within 2 points
15%
Within 5 points
8%
Within 10 points
15%
Within 15 points
23%
Wider
38%
PolitickerME Partners
| Politicker INTERACTIVE | |
 |
The Pindell Report Keep up with the races in your state |
 |
Lawmaker Profile Follow the funding of your representatives |
 |
270 to Win Predict the road to the White House |
Top Tags
Most Active Stories
- UPDATED: ‘The first dude’ in Palmyra
- Todd Palin heading to Northern Maine
- Photos: Todd Palin visits Maine
- Tornoe's Toons: The 'First Dude' comes to Palmyra
- Video: Palin event introductions
- Schumer: Dems ‘closing in’ on Collins
- Carey’s casino PAC left in debt
- Negative mailer raises concerns in SD 30
- Fed up with Taxes raises $2.1 million, spends $1.7 million
- Jackpot!
- Brokeback Sheriff
- Campaign: ‘Huckabee has not wavered’
- Kucinich fans encouraged to continue their support
- First day back in the House: 5 sworn in
- Cianchette commits to free trade, reducing narcotic supply and re-learning Spanish in confirmation hearing for ambassador post
- Attack of the Ronulans
- Ron Paul supporters?
- The Republican Response - The Unabridged Version with Translation
- Rove: Obama's inexperienced; Biden's a 'big, blowhard doofus'
- Small island, big names: How North Haven produced two prominent politicians
Quote of the Day
October 10, 2008
"If that's not personal, I don't know what is."
-- U.S. Sen. Susan Collins on fliers circulated by MoveOn.org that depicted her with blacked-out teeth.
-Associated Press, 10/9/08
Recent Press Releases
Syndicate
Where are all the folks
who were OUTRAGED that Democrats would rather not have someone they didn't even nominate run?
Nap time?
outraged?
Over what? Asking Jarody to step down? Tom Allen did that to Hoffman, Hoffman said no. Maine Democrats sued.
I don't see Republicans suing anyone over ballot access, do you?
Exactly
what are you talking about? The Dems kicking Hoffman off the ballot? That's nothing like this. In this case the GOP was worried about the image their nominee might convey, not whether an independent candidate would steal votes, and therefore using Stalinist tactics to remove him from the ballot.
I would have no problem with the Dems encouraging embarrassing people not to run under their banner.
TBYP - Think Before You Post.
Sad really
Maine Politics has found what the state GOP must have - listen to his advice.
Irony
It's simply breathtaking that a comment that calls Democrats "Stalinist" for pursuing their legal case in the courts ends with the words "TBYP - Think Before You Post."
Except when it comes from PatrioticDelegate, who is apparently completely insane.
Yup
Apologists for Republicans strong arming candidates came out exactly as expected!
Thanks for not disappointing guys. I knew you could handle this dittohead moment!
Magic City Morning Star (Millinocket, ME) Article
Maine GOP Forces Augusta Legislative Candidate to Withdraw
Pro-Life Republican Jarody (DiPietro): Leaders "Pressured Me Out" of Race
www.magic-city-news.com/State_18/Maine_GOP_Forces_Augusta_Legislative_Ca...
August 4, 2008
um, ya right
anyone who equates the party asking a candidate to step aside with a party using the courts to get a candidate thrown off the ballot isn't playing with a full deck.
You guys are soooo predictable
You do not disappoint. The knee jerk reactions are exactly as expected.
Must be because strong arming a young candidate into quitting is much better than requiring a candidate to, you know, actually obey the law and NOT swear false affidavits.
lol
Splat
Ellis said. He later added: "We really are a big tent in respect to people's views. However his commentary online was something I don't think any party would support."
Online commentary??? Who in their right mind goes online to find comments that are less than inflamitory, without predjudice, and represent both sides of an aguement?
Sorry, Just should have let this ship sail into the sunset on its own. It's as if the G.O.P. has some sort of unskoken litmus test for those seeking support in seeking office.
There has to be somebody behind all this diggng, (oh if they're a Paulist, then they've posted on those conspiracy websites).
Man, just once I'd like some of these party "leaders" to take a look in the mirror and ask themselves if they see who they thought they would have feared thirty years ago.
Um, Cranky
maybe you should read the opinion of the law court. They made it explicitly clear there was no fraud on the part of Hoffman. The also made it explicitly clear that the lack of fraud doesn't bar the court from reaching its conclusion even though the conclusion overturned precedent and practice.
bGoogle
What's an "unskoken litmus test?"
Unspoken
If the tent is so big Ken, who really gets left out?
Those that can't raise enough (read... have their own personal warchest), don't bother to attend county meetings, or those whom you find their private personal conduct to be less than stellar.
There's this document Ken, that starts "We the people..." Perhaps you should read it soon.
bGoogle
Who's Ken?
Ellis and Tardy are
Ellis and Tardy are disgusting hypocrites.
On one hand, they feign outrage over some egregious words written on the internet.
On the other hand, they enthusiastically support a President who is a war criminal that has caused death and injury rising into the millions, and they support a nominee who is celebrated for his part in the genocide of Vietnamese people years ago.
If either man had a shred of integrity, he would speak out against the people already in power who have actually committed massive crimes against humanity.
I won't hold my breath...
Uh David Hughes
I never said Hoffman committed fraud. Is your case so incredibly weak you really needed to create your straw man argument out of thin air so you could pretend you bested me? That's just sad and pathetic.
Hoffman signed a statement on a petition swearing he had witnessed all signatures on that petition when he himself admitted under oath that he had not and knew that he had not!
He swore a false affidavit. He may have honestly thought it was OK to do so which kept it from being fraud, but he still did it.
Bet you're all about law and order when you LIKE the law!
FedUpMainer
LOL!
Obviously, you've been holding your breath far too many times for far too long.
The brain damage is starting to show.
Nah
I'm just about law and order whether I like the law or not.
If the laws were enforced more frequently I think government would be better.
DERP DERP DERP
THIS ARGUMENT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE ARTICLE
maybe the party was shown
maybe the party was shown some video footage of jarody anally raping himself or they got his teen sex offender history.
Post new comment