Cabarrus Cheap Seats

If you’ve been under a rock - Coy Privette was convicted of six counts of aiding and abetting prostitution.  Here’s a rundown of his reactions since and the Party’s call for him to quit.

Since I’m on the Cabarrus County Republican Party Executive Board - I felt that making a statement about the whole Coy Privette situation would be out of line until we worked out our issues as a team. 

I figured now it’s time that I did the obligatory “What I think about the Coy Privette situation” post for the people whose attention I capture from time to time on this blog.

What I believe is somewhat complicated.

On one hand, it’s no secret to people who’ve read this blog that his duplicity, lying, and maligning of good people’s character is the subject of many a post and I believe that I’m fighting the good fight in keeping this political charlatan in check. On the other hand, Coy Privette is a gifted speaker and has a remarkably sharp mind in comparison to most anyone - let alone a septuagenarian. It’s ashamed he has neglected his character - wasting his God-given gifts to allow his appetites to destroy his reputation and embarrass his community, his family, and those who share the same convictions that he does.

On one hand, I believe that it would be amazing to watch someone to go through the repentance process while in the public eye. On the other hand, I don’t sense the least bit of remorse from Coy Privette about what he’s done and I believe he’s just waiting until everyone quits paying attention. This community deserves more than to be represented by a sex criminal who only states he’s sorry in canned statements only to cover his butt.

On one hand, I feel completely sad about what he’s going through and have prayed for him on several occasions.  On the other hand, he brought this on himself and his behavior since his conviction has been completely self-serving.  The honorable thing for Coy Privette to do is to resign, repent, and spend the waning days of his life focused on a new ministry.

Needless to say, I haven’t enjoyed a minute of this. 

What’s more telling isn’t what I believe; but what I no longer believe. Today’s Friday Five: Five Things that I believed prior to this mess that I no longer believe.

5. There’s substantial Christian rhetoric in politics.

There is a lot of Moralism and posturing; but for all of the railing against the gays and the fighting of the culture wars - when was the last time you heard a politician talk about tithing to your local church? When was the last time we heard - as a debate question - one of the fundmental queries of the Bible: “Are we really our brother’s keeper?”

Christianity is ill represented in the American political realm. During this situation my political convictions and Christian convictions were at complete odds; but Coy’s behavior of late has made it easier for me to be at peace with his being completely marginalized.

4. The video at the top of this message is harsh and unfair.

Ben Folds is Winston-Salem native - so he gets a pass in my book for criticizing the hypocritical brand of evangelicalism that isn’t uncommon in these parts. When I first saw this video I found it the lyrics insightful and thoughtful - how Jesus might see what passes for faith in some corners of our community. However, I found the images to be harsh and playing off of tired stereotypes.
After what we’ve gone through, I feel that this video - music, lyrics, images, and overall sentiment are spot on…particularly this line:

Town to town
broadcast to each house, they drop Your Name
but no one knows Your Face

Seriously, take 4 min and watch the video [click here] - I guarantee you’ll feel the same as I did.

3. An individual really has limited influence

Coy’s faction has been politically irrevelant for about 3 years, out of all of the sitting Commissioners he recieved the fewest votes, and not one other currently elected official can be indentified as a strong Coy Privette ally, and there’s been one or two votes since the last election that he was on the winning side of that wasn’t 5-0.

If you could list the articles, letters to the editor, and op-eds over the past few years - most of them would have been from Coy Privette. This is because of the force of his personality, and his ability to manipulate the media. You could easily split the party into two factions - those who kissed Coy’s butt and those who wanted to kick it. Kinda funny how the County’s political reality was held together by one old man’s behind.

The point is that one charismatic individual can make a huge difference.

Don’t believe me? Consider another example.
If Bill Clinton had done the right thing in 1998 and stepped down: would it have been harder for Coy to stay in office?

Everytime something like this happens and the person doesn’t do the right thing - our faith in our institutions erodes a little bit. Character isn’t one important factor in our elected officials - it’s the most important one.
2. I can keep my cool in any situation

A certain board member said something remakably stupid after a long string of manuvering and side-stepping by a small group on the board. By the time it was my turn to speak, I was pretty hot. I don’t remember what I said; but I think I ended it with the Dean Scream.

1. Reasonable people can disagree about anything

I can understand how someone can be an atheist. I believe the many of my Democrat friends are reasonable people who just simply see the world differently than me. I can even listen to someone make a sound argument for Earth being flat.

That all being said, if you’re still politically backing Commissioner Coy C. Privette you either ate too many paint chips when you were a child or you’re just plain stupid.
See y’all Monday.