Distressed Republican: Upcoming election is national IQ test

    A North Wilmington man who ran for US Senate in 2002 believes the November 2nd election will serve as sort of a “national IQ test.”

    A North Wilmington man who ran for US Senate in 2002 and said at the time he was concerned about the Republican party going too “right wing” believes the November 2nd election will serve as sort of a “national IQ test.”

    Bill Holt says when he ran eight years ago he did so because he was concerned about the GOP’s growing focus on issues like privatizing Social Security and pursuing Constitutional amendments to outlaw abortion and burning the American flag.

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    “I did my best to put that message across, that if we’re going to have just three people from Delaware in the US Congress, that they should be people who represent the whole spectrum of politics in Delaware,” Holt says,  “not just idealogs on the right who want to get rid of Social Security and things like that.”

    Rather than pursue a primary challenge in 2002, Holt dropped out after finishing second to Ray Clatworthy in the nominating vote at the state Republican Convention.  He believes the roots of the tea party were there eight years ago, starting to move the GOP to the right — with the backing of “shock jocks,” talk show hosts and pundits.

    Recently, Holt has kept up with state and national politics, offering occasional opinion pieces and blogs and joining online political discussion forums.

    No matter what happens on election day, Holt says the days after will present a critical opportunity for the GOP, and that he’s interested in one day becoming active with the party again.

    “That would be a good time to sort of preach the politics of reconciliation to see how we could work together,” Holt said.

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