Dendahl's Follies

John Dendahl. Photo credit: Rio Grande Foundation

Lots of talk and reporting these days about the new Republican candidate for governor, John Dendahl. Dendahl reportedly was inserted into the race by 100 members of the Republican Central Committee after J. R. Damron left the race because of what were termed family considerations. I bet. Unable to mount a real candidate running a genuine campaign, NM Repubs have resorted to nominating New Mexico's version of Rush Limbaugh, only slightly smarter, to carry the GOP banner in the governor's race. Spewing all the way. Today, Joe Monahan claims he's been informed that it was Sen. Pete Domenici who "encouraged" the switch to Dendahl for a variety of reasons.

What Dendahl will bring to the race is often well-spoken but ultimately juvenile and mean-spirited pronouncements meant to irritate rather than enlighten. I see the poisonous presence of Karl Rove seeping into New Mexico to ensure a Swiftboat tone to the political dialogue, with the races for governor and CD1 rep garnering national attention.

This is the guy who offered $100,000 to the NM Green Party if they fielded candidates in two Congressional races in 2004. According to an article in the New York Times, "Mr. Dendahl described the money as a political contribution from someone in Washington. He did not identify the donor, but said he was not an elected official or affiliated with the National Republican Committee." Maybe it was Rove himself.

Known for his taunting and name calling, Dendahl was eventually too much for even NM Repubs. He was a primary player in a devisive fight within the Party in late 2003 and early 2004. The battle pitted the forces of Ramsay Gorham against the Dendahl faction that had dominated the Party for about 8 years, with Dendahl as state chair. He was ousted by the Gorham supporters in a heated and nasty internecine fight.

Since then he's been holding forth in gadfly fashion as a weekly opinion page columnist at the Albuquerque Journal, as well as a regular panel member on KNME's Friday night show, 'The Line.' I guess he'll have to give up both those gigs to make time for his Rovian duties in the governor's race. His pet rant topics included anything to do with Bill Richardson, tribal sovereignty, building a huge wall on the Mexican border, English as the official U.S. language and labeling anything done for the common good by government as a communist - Marxian - socialist (take your pick) plot.

Some of Dendahl's rightwingo positions:

Dendahl labels anyone who doesn't agree with him as a communist or socialist. This includes anyone who supports such things as the provision of pre-kindergarten education by the state, establishment of a commuter rail line or maintaining the estate tax.

He's against the Endangered Species Act, minimum or living wage increases, honoring our state's Hispanic and Native American languages, tribal sovereignty, protection of indigenous sacred sites and universal healthcare.

He's for the legalization of marijuana and some other drugs. This is the only case where he and I see eye to eye. However, Sen. Pete Domenici and others in his Party were incredibly riled by this stand, and demanded he resign as State Chair when he publicly sided with ex-Gov. Gary Johnson on the issue. Reports are that Domenici has reconciled with Dendahl because he cares more about battering Richardson than past Party battles.

Dendahl is also reportedly for more tax cuts for the rich, the abolishment of Affirmative Action, completely deregulating capitalism, drilling in the Valle Vidal and on Otero Mesa and nuclear power. Not that any of these positions really matter. It's obvious he isn't in the race to win or put forth a positive agenda, but merely to be the vocal carrier of insults and rants on behalf of BushCo, Domenici and their cronies. What can moderate Republicans around the state be thinking about this coup? Only time will tell.