Personally, I like Jeff Roe, the political consultant.
He called me the night before Ted Cruz announced his run for president. I was honored, frankly. As Senator Cruz’s campaign manager, Mr. Roe had much bigger fish to fry that night. I’ve heard that Jeff holds no grudges. He genuinely cares about the opposing candidates even while he viciously destroys their careers. I have no doubt Mr. Roe has many great qualities as a person, and I know he has amazing talents as a political operative and strategist. Plus, we had a mutual friend in Chip Gerdes. It’s hard not to like friends of Chip.
But I won’t vote for any candidate who hires Roe. That included Ted Cruz. (I would have voted Libertarian or abstained if Cruz had won the nomination.)
Jeff Roe likes to be known as the dirtiest political operative in the business. “Politics ain’t beanbags,” is his catch phrase.
Roe’s M.O. is to release sleazy, personal attacks (often completely false) the week before an election. (Ask me about Rodger Cook sometime.)
Roe’s victims include voters and opposition candidates. But the people most harmed are the candidates Roe represents. (Ask Ted Cruz about voter violations.)
Under the ridiculous claim of having a fiduciary responsibility to his candidates, Roe will do anything to win an election. Anything at all. There are no limits. No morals. No ethics. No line he won’t cross.
This election cycle, Roe’s Axiom consultancy is working for Matt Doell, the terrible school board president who seeks higher office in Jefferson City.
Doell probably thought the race would be a cakewalk. That’s because the incumbent, Kirk Mathews, decided not to seek re-election about two weeks before the filing deadline. Doell, with backing from unions and hot-shots, started the race with a huge bank account for a state house candidate. I’m sure he expected that his drooping money bags would scare off potential candidates.
But **Doell was wrong as usual. **
Dottie Bailey, an activist and mortgage banker whose name is on the Wall of Honor at the Heritage Foundation, jumped in.
Dottie Bailey jumped into the race because many lifelong conservative activists begged her to run. We didn’t want to lose Speaker Tim Jones’s old seat to RINO with sinister ties to the teachers' unions.
Dottie jumped in and knocked on over 4,000 doors. She knocked on doors on the hottest days of the year while balancing her job and her family. She attended teas and coffees and luncheons. She called donors and supporters. She worked her rear-end off.
Now, with five days to go, Dottie gets blindsided by sleaze from Roe and Doell.
**Matt Doell sold his soul. **
Jeff Roe’s fiduciary responsibility turns his candidates into sleaze merchants. His latest victim is Matt Doell. Win or lose (and Doell will be losing), Matt Doell’s neighbors in Eureka know he’s the kind of guy who resorts the lowest filth in order to win. He would sell his grandmother for a seat in the Missouri House of Representatives.
Who will Doell sell out if he gets to Jefferson City? (Don’t worry. Doell’s losing.)
My instincts tell me Doell’s demons are throwing these Hail Mary’s because they know they’re in trouble. Doell didn’t run very hard. **Dottie Bailey ran like an Olympic gold medalist. **
In a desperate attempt to drive people away from the polls (because nobody wants Doell), they trash Dottie personally. Not for her positions. Dottie’s positions on issues are 100% in line with the district. Not for being lazy. Dottie is the hardest working conservative activist I’ve ever met.
Doell and Roe went after Dottie for living her life 15 years ago. Just like many of us.
As one voter put it after seeing Doell’s disgusting mailer:
I am sickened to read the crap he [Doell] sent me in the mail. His 1.8 million dollars [sic] of my tax payer money is offensive to me.
The $1.8 million (which was actually $1.2 million. Buts what’s a few hundred grand between Rockwood School Board members?) refers to tax money Matt Doell misspent (along with others) as a board member of the Rockwood School District. (Read about it here.)
The great news is that voters are showing the perfect response to Doell: disgust, nausea, anger.
Even better news: Voters and vent their anger August 7 when they all vote for Dottie Bailey for Missouri House.