Submitted by Ryan Oca, Glenville
While it is clear to us all that our national government has become polarized unlike any time in recent memory, how many residents of Greenwich are aware that a far-right brand of toxic politics has landed right here in our town government? Although this made national news in a widely circulated New York Times article last November, recent developments suggest the local far-right is not stopping its march to effect local policy and achieve goals that are contrary to the best interests of Greenwich.
For instance, a lot has been made of the recent tumult in the Representative Town Meeting at which a vote was taken to approve a half-million dollar grant for voting infrastructure. The vote was disputed as “faulty” by local Republicans. Now its result is being subject to a motion to “rescind” the vote that already happened. Calls by the local right of voter fraud, rigged elections and faulty equipment echo those heard nationally by Republican candidates who were unwilling to accept defeat in free and fair elections. These falsehoods have been strongly supported by the local Republican Town Committee, which is populated with far-right members.
The local RTC continues to operate as though its party won last November’s elections, ignoring that they actually lost three state legislative seats to Democrats. A first in the history of the Greenwich Republican Party.
RTC Chair Beth MacGillivray epitomizes her party’s hard right direction as well as the dysfunction and destructive messaging that has plagued it since she assumed her position. Chairwoman MacGillivray’s Twitter page is a case study in how not to behave on a public platform. She has retweeted things that any employer would find troublesome, unless of course you work for the local RTC.
Some re-tweets include comments regarding;
• Conspiracies involving Arizona gubernatorial election claims by losing Republican candidate Kari Lake that 25,000 votes “popped up” for her opponent
• A particularly disturbing post by @Ratspitt accusing President Joe Biden of “grooming” his longtime wife and current First Lady when she was a 13yr old girl
• A post implying that the January 6th insurrection was actually just a protest
• Comments alleging the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, headed by former director Dr Anthony Fauci with supporting fetal organ trafficking
In what kind of society do we live that the Chair of a major, local political party in an influential and internationally respected town like Greenwich can publicly endorse these kinds of inappropriate and bizarre personal views comfortably, without any reprimand from her party or its leaders? This is how troubling the national and local Republican Party has become and it is right here in our backyard.
Where are local Republican leaders to condemn this type of behavior? Surely they will claim to have been aloof to it. But now that they are aware, will they have the backbone to denounce their party chairwoman for embarrassing the party they elected her to lead? Republicans’ indifference to this type of behavior has become all too common in the era of MAGA politics. They should be held accountable. It is important that Greenwich voters know the truth about the local Republican party leadership. I hope they remember it in November.
Examples:
