Lol 😂 anyone who believed Rabih was done with politics was played.
Look back at his political history. School board was a stepping stone.
Always watch what he does, not what he says. Always.
I agree with Dawn that Rabih Abuismail IS easily swayed. I saw it when he went from “one kid is too many” regarding COVID deaths to wanting to keep schools open because of the lie kids don’t get it within a month.
COVID is now a Top 10 leading cause of death in kids. He and his ilk helped pave the way for that.
(Thanks, Rabih! Thanks for protecting the kids 👍🏻 /s)
People who have known him as he grew up have said he’s more of a follower vs a leader. I see it.
So, who is really the new dictator for Spotsylvania Republicans?
It’s sad Rabih is choosing the path he’s on. It truly is. The longer he follows it, the more likely he is going to end up in court just like his fellow Republicans, Kirk Twigg, Nick Ignacio, and Roy Searles.
I know I am going to come in with an unpopular opinion, but given that the other choice was Roy Searles, I can't say that I am unhappy with how this turned out. I understand that our local Republican party has been pulled further to the right and frequently embraces what I would consider more extreme positions. But as right wing and conservative as Rabih is, he has separated himself from that group. It would have been horrible to see the local Republicans side with people such as Roy Searles, Nick Ignacio, and others, but just maybe we will start to see a return to normalcy. Don't get me wrong I think they have a long way to go. But not electing Roy last night, and rescinding Nick's endorsement gave me some hope.
Yes, Rabih said he was done with politics. I believe his implication was with holding elected offices. He was responding to whether he would seek another term as a school board member or even try running for board of supervisors, neither of which he is doing. Staying involved in politics through his party membership was not what he was referencing.
I do understand that Rabih's politics are heavily informed by his Christian values and that always gives me pause, as I would like to see a clear separation of church and state and want decisions based on good governance rather than a religious doctrine. But I also recognize that although I almost never agree with Rabih's votes on the school board, what may be perceived as his strings being pulled could also just means he listens. Just because he doesn't always land on the side we would wish, doesn't mean he isn't listening. I disagreed with his vote recently on the trans policy and many others. But I also can't ignore that when we were upset about a proposed policy to limit snack donations to once a month, it was Rabih who motioned to table that policy indefinitely. Or that it was Rabih who motioned to remove the 5 speakers-per-topic limit after hearing feedback from his constituents. And when the budget needed to be cut after the BOS didn't give us our $20 million ask, Rabih really led that meeting to a compromise where the minority got about 90% of what they were asking for - more SPED teachers and paras in particular.
I don't agree with his politics. The current Republican party leans into those evangelical Christian values more than I would like. That is why I am not a Republican. But having Rabih as the local chair of the Republican party rather than Roy Searles seems like the party is actually heading in the right direction for itself. It would be weird to think that the Republican party is headed in the correct direction only when they start looking more like the Democratic party. What the Spotsy Republican Party needs is a fundamental change in action -- a denunciation of the extremists who have used their party to mask hatefulness behind conservative values and a renouncement of flashy opportunists who use snark in place of thoughtful dialog -- not a fundamental change in philosophy. And seeing Rabih win out over Searles is a promising sign that the extremism is becoming unpopular.
You raise some excellent points. But one quibble — I would say that the lesser of two evils is still evil. Jettisoning extremists like Ignacio (who didn’t seem to get along with Republicans so well) may be surprisingly heartening, but it isn’t necessarily proof the needle is moving in a better direction. There’s too much other evidence to the contrary.
I agree with you that politicians changing their positions should often be applauded as intellectual introspection and personal improvement, not smeared as proof of “waffling” or insincere opportunistic hypocrisy.
He can't make his own decisions, so who will be pulling his strings? I have my thoughts, but I've already said enough.
Lol 😂 anyone who believed Rabih was done with politics was played.
Look back at his political history. School board was a stepping stone.
Always watch what he does, not what he says. Always.
I agree with Dawn that Rabih Abuismail IS easily swayed. I saw it when he went from “one kid is too many” regarding COVID deaths to wanting to keep schools open because of the lie kids don’t get it within a month.
COVID is now a Top 10 leading cause of death in kids. He and his ilk helped pave the way for that.
(Thanks, Rabih! Thanks for protecting the kids 👍🏻 /s)
People who have known him as he grew up have said he’s more of a follower vs a leader. I see it.
So, who is really the new dictator for Spotsylvania Republicans?
It’s sad Rabih is choosing the path he’s on. It truly is. The longer he follows it, the more likely he is going to end up in court just like his fellow Republicans, Kirk Twigg, Nick Ignacio, and Roy Searles.
I know I am going to come in with an unpopular opinion, but given that the other choice was Roy Searles, I can't say that I am unhappy with how this turned out. I understand that our local Republican party has been pulled further to the right and frequently embraces what I would consider more extreme positions. But as right wing and conservative as Rabih is, he has separated himself from that group. It would have been horrible to see the local Republicans side with people such as Roy Searles, Nick Ignacio, and others, but just maybe we will start to see a return to normalcy. Don't get me wrong I think they have a long way to go. But not electing Roy last night, and rescinding Nick's endorsement gave me some hope.
Yes, Rabih said he was done with politics. I believe his implication was with holding elected offices. He was responding to whether he would seek another term as a school board member or even try running for board of supervisors, neither of which he is doing. Staying involved in politics through his party membership was not what he was referencing.
I do understand that Rabih's politics are heavily informed by his Christian values and that always gives me pause, as I would like to see a clear separation of church and state and want decisions based on good governance rather than a religious doctrine. But I also recognize that although I almost never agree with Rabih's votes on the school board, what may be perceived as his strings being pulled could also just means he listens. Just because he doesn't always land on the side we would wish, doesn't mean he isn't listening. I disagreed with his vote recently on the trans policy and many others. But I also can't ignore that when we were upset about a proposed policy to limit snack donations to once a month, it was Rabih who motioned to table that policy indefinitely. Or that it was Rabih who motioned to remove the 5 speakers-per-topic limit after hearing feedback from his constituents. And when the budget needed to be cut after the BOS didn't give us our $20 million ask, Rabih really led that meeting to a compromise where the minority got about 90% of what they were asking for - more SPED teachers and paras in particular.
I don't agree with his politics. The current Republican party leans into those evangelical Christian values more than I would like. That is why I am not a Republican. But having Rabih as the local chair of the Republican party rather than Roy Searles seems like the party is actually heading in the right direction for itself. It would be weird to think that the Republican party is headed in the correct direction only when they start looking more like the Democratic party. What the Spotsy Republican Party needs is a fundamental change in action -- a denunciation of the extremists who have used their party to mask hatefulness behind conservative values and a renouncement of flashy opportunists who use snark in place of thoughtful dialog -- not a fundamental change in philosophy. And seeing Rabih win out over Searles is a promising sign that the extremism is becoming unpopular.
You raise some excellent points. But one quibble — I would say that the lesser of two evils is still evil. Jettisoning extremists like Ignacio (who didn’t seem to get along with Republicans so well) may be surprisingly heartening, but it isn’t necessarily proof the needle is moving in a better direction. There’s too much other evidence to the contrary.
I agree with you that politicians changing their positions should often be applauded as intellectual introspection and personal improvement, not smeared as proof of “waffling” or insincere opportunistic hypocrisy.