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A 'new' Tabor wants to herd Forsyth GOP into one tent
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Published: May 3, 2009
Five years ago, when Nathan Tabor was running in the Republican primary for the 5th District congressional seat, Forsyth County District Attorney Tom Keith said he wouldn't vote for him for dogcatcher. Now, with Keith's blessing, Tabor has taken on a job that some might liken to herding cats -- serving as the chairman of the Forsyth County Republican Party.
"Let's start fighting the Democrats instead of fighting each other," said Tabor, a 35-year-old veteran of fiery campaigns. "I have really reached out over the years to build bridges back with people." He describes himself as "gentler, softer, more agreeable. I'm not a candidate here; I'm not having to say I'm better equipped or have more experience."
Forsyth County went Democratic in most races in last November's elections. Like their counterparts nationwide, Republicans here are searching for new ways to sell their party to voters. Tabor has the Facebook savvy and youth they'll need to do that -- if moderates aren't scared off by his past stances.
Tabor, who lost in primaries in the 5th District and for state Senate, has been a right-wing fighter. In 2005 he beat potential Democratic candidates to the punch by registering Web site names that they might have likely used -- and having his conservative blog spot pop up when people clicked on the sites. In his 2006 book, The Beast in the East River, he describes the United Nations as "a thoroughly corrupt organization."
Tabor, a Kernersville businessman, was elected in late March to a two-year term as party chairman. Keith and another former adversary of Tabor's, Vernon Robinson, were among those who nominated him. Tabor said he's now working with both men for the good of the party.
Keith noted last week that Tabor is skilled in computers and direct mail, and said that he and Tabor had "settled their differences." Keith declined to comment when asked if his decision to nominate Tabor may have been influenced by the fact that Jerry Jordan, who ran against him in the 2006 primary for district attorney, also wanted the role of party chairman.
Tabor said of the GOP, "Everybody is welcome, but it's kind of like walking into a restaurant. There are certain things that are going to be allowed in the restaurant and certain things that are not." For example, he said that "Gays are welcome in the party, but the party platform states that marriage is between a man and a woman."
For Tabor, that's nuance. He cut his teeth on the 5th District primary, in which the candidates fought to show who could be the most conservative. Tabor, who graduated from the Rev. Pat Robertson's Regent University, was endorsed by Robertson and the Rev. Jerry Falwell. Tabor said that he was also endorsed by fiscal conservatives, such as Art Laffer, President Reagan's economic adviser.
At one point in the 2004 5th District primary, Tabor said he had proof that the campaign of one of his opponents, Vernon Robinson, was behind an e-mail smear campaign against him and asked Keith's office to investigate. Robinson denied involvement. Keith said his office was being manipulated by the Tabor campaign, and made the "dogcatcher" comment.
Virginia Foxx won the race. Tabor came in fifth.
He then ran in the state Senate primary, in which Pete Brunstetter accused him of being inexperienced and he suggested that Brunstetter's law firm was sympathetic to illegal immigrants. Months after Brunstetter won, Tabor accused him of not being conservative enough.
Tabor said those days are behind him. "People change, opinions change, relationships change," he said.
He still listens to Rush Limbaugh's radio show, he said, but he doesn't always agree with him. "I take things now with a kind of grain of salt," Tabor said. "I don't react to everything."
The various factions of the Republican Party -- including social conservatives, fiscal conservatives and moderates -- need to realize that any Republican is better than any Democrat, he said.
Republicans need to stop "shooting their wounded," Tabor said. "We field dress, eat them and move on. And Democrats have this tendency of saying, ‘I really don't like what you did, don't do it again, but I'll jump in and help you …' "
He's planning for the Winston-Salem City Council elections this fall, hoping his party will win voters who are, among other things, frustrated with the Dell layoffs and the stalled progress at the new baseball stadium. Then comes the 2010 midterm elections, in which Republicans hope to take back Congress. Before the 2012 presidential election, Tabor hopes to win another term as chairman. But he said that's the only race he'll enter for a while.
"I have an agreement with my wife and daughter -- it will be another eight to 10 years before I run for office again."
■ John Railey writes local editorials for the Journal.
He can be reached at 727-7357 or at jrailey@wsjournal.com.
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