Lauren Cooley, the 23 year old musician who lost her bid to become chair of the Broward Republican Party (BREC), ran crying to the liberal media to complain about her defeat. In a New Times article, Cooley once again demonstrates her skill at self-promotion. The article, published Friday, comes nearly two weeks after Cooley lost to Robert Sutton.
“I find that most young people aren’t liberal but apathetic about politics,” Cooley told The New Times. “They don’t dislike Republicans; they just don’t know what they stand for. I want to change that.” Cooley claims to be a defender of free market principles, however her knowledge of the free market seems limited to pop culture favorites. “We’ve all heard that Republicans are greedy, white old men,” Cooley points out. “I’m a Republican because I love the free market. If we didn’t have it, we wouldn’t have iPhones, Starbucks, Netflix, and other products that we love.”
That’s right Lauren, Republicans defend the free market so twentysomethings can text about binge watching Pretty Little Liars while sipping over-priced coffee at the corner Starbucks. This so-called leader of millennial movement cannot think of any other giants of American industry?
The New Times did report our findings regarding Cooley’s social media skills. While she claims to be a social media expert, REDBROWARD exposed her lazy social media timeline.
“Her critics bash her social-media prowess. The conservative Red Broward blog points out that she doesn’t tweet about politics and that most of her followers are fake followers-for-pay accounts. (She did, however, tweet about the Republican debate last week.) ‘Despite touting herself as a millennial social-media guru, Cooley’s social-media accounts seem better-suited to an 80-year-old BREC member,’ the blog stated. ‘Too much self-promotion, not enough action. BREC needs better.'”
In fact, since her defeat on October 26, Cooley never mentioned BREC on her Twitter account until Friday. Most of Cooley’s tweets were solicitations for her employers, Lifezette and Susan B. Anthony List. Other compelling tweets included, “Where should I celebrate #NationalSandwichDay?” and “Avocado toast @Warsaw Coffee Company.” Will sandwiches and avocado toast get Republicans elected in Broward County?
#NOPE.
In a Facebook diatribe the day after her defeat, Cooley called her fellow Broward Republicans insane. Cooley said Sutton’s victory “embodies the entitled, stodgy, lazy mentality” of the Broward Republican Party.
In today’s New Times, Cooley takes another swipe at the Broward GOP. “Cooley remains unfazed. ‘I can be 23 and run against the good ol’ boys in the Republican Party. I’m committed to this.’”
As REDBROWARD exposed two weeks ago, Cooley’s inept campaign team started this “good Ol’ boys” meme to attack Sutton. In reality,it was Sutton, a Broward high school teacher, not Cooley who received the grassroots support.
REDBROWARD showed Cooley’s supporters were tied the Republican establishment and Democrat insiders.
Even though Cooley has only been a member of the Broward Republican Executive Committee (BREC) for a handful of months, she had the backing of Mike Rump, president of the Republican Business Network (RBN), his wife Dolly Rump, Karin Hoffman and lobbyist Ryan Reiter. Both Rump and Hoffman had failed bids to lead BREC.
Rump sent an email claiming “BREC Chair Candidates Smacked With ‘Good Ol Boy Politics’ & Unfair Election.The unintentionally hilarious part of email is Rump’s claim that a “good Ol boy” network is backing Cooley’s opponents.
Rump is well acquainted with one of Broward’s top good Ol boys, Steve Geller. Rump is president of the Florida Association of Public Insurance Adjustors (FAPIA). Geller is the lobbyist for FAPIA. Rump’s Facebook page is filled with pictures with Geller. Some wonder if Rump will support Republican Chuck Lanza’s bid for the Broward County Commission District 5 seat. Lanza is running against Steve Geller.
Dolly Rump claimed Acting Chairman Robert Sutton had “threatened” Cooley if she didn’t withdraw from the race. Sutton vehemently denied it. In a conversation with REDBROWARD, Cooley said there was no threat whatsoever.
Another behind the scenes backer of Cooley’s campaign is Ryan Reiter. Now a lobbyist, Reiter spent the last two years pushing the Children’s Services Council on Broward taxpayers. The group, a favorite of Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman-Schultz, will continue to collect tax dollars and send them to groups such as Hispanic Unity, a local affiliate of La Raza.
In a recent newspaper article, Reiter said his mentor is Judge Ari Porth, a former Democrat legislator. Also, even though he leads the local Young Republican club, Reiter is chummy with Congressman Alcee Hastings and other local Democrats. In fact, Reiter was the longtime roommate of Coral Springs Commissioner Dan Daley. He recently left the GOP to join the Democrat party.
Both Rump and Reiter spent time on Facebook promoting Cooley’s campaign. Reiter and Hoffman are members of Jeb Bush’s Broward campaign team.
Insiders believe Cooley will run for the vice chair position which opened up when Sutton won the election. Will Cooley seek support from the “lazy” and “insane” Republicans? Will she tweet about it?
Stay tuned.
Lauren Cooley
