Rabih Abuismal is new chair of Spotsylvania County Republican Party
This past December, I sat across from Rabih Abuismal at Tito’s Diner in Central Park as he informed me that he’s “done with politics,” and was leaving “for good.”
Based on how that interview went, it looked to be a good decision.
Clearly hurting from the criticism he had taken for openly supporting book burnings, and his performance at school board meetings – frequently walking off stage; complaining about incivility, while consistently supporting the decidedly un-civil Lisa Phelps, April Gillespie, and Kirk Twigg; talking about bringing people together while voting over and again for policies that excluded the wishes of the majority of parents and students in Spotsylvania – Abuismal looked and sounded every bit like a dog who’d been kicked to the curb in the rain and left to fend for himself.
But like Richard Nixon, Billy Martin, and just about every starting NFL quarterback over the past 20 years, Abuismal simply doesn’t know when to say when.
The Advance has learned from three sources that Abuismal has been named the new chair of the Spotsylvania GOP Party.
His selection could mark the beginning of the expansion of the Tea-Party-MAGA-fueled-insanity that Abuismal helped usher in on the School Board. We aren’t holding our breath. Abuismal’s inability to rise above playing the role of victim, to accept responsibility for his own irresponsible actions – as he did with me in December – doesn’t bode well for a party desperately in need of someone who can resist MAGA-ism and Christian Nationalism and return the GOP to its more-respectable roots.
Time will tell the tale.
Retirement, after all, worked out well for Nixon.
I’m more inclined to believe, however, that Abuismal is walking in the path of Brett Farve. Following three (or four, or five – but who’s counting?) retirements, Farve has risen to the level of his incompetence. Today, with all the problems he is facing, Farve probably wishes he’d just stuck with fishing and hunting.
We suspect by Christmas, Abuismal will likely be wishing he’d just stayed away.
Democratic opportunity?
Now would be a good time for the Democratic Party in Spotsylvania to get its act together and start leading.
Based on what we’ve seen, if there were ever a time for the Democratic Party in Spotsylvania, which has been ineffective at best over the past decade, to step up and gain ground with voters – this is it.
The party has a solid line-up of School Board candidates and experienced Board of Supervisor candidates, all of whom are running against the backdrop of two years of what can only be described as a collapsing government.
The stars are aligned in their favor, and Abuismal looks to be no serious impediment to the Democrats recasting themselves as a group with ideas, good candidates, and with a vision for moving forward.
If only they can realize it, and act on it.
November in Spotsylvania just got a lot more interesting.
