GOP chairman champions platform

This story appeared in the Antelope Valley Press April 29, 2000.

By RICH BREAULT
Valley Press Senior Writer

LANCASTER - It may be a little hard to find Randy Hall's automotive repair business on the outskirts of Lancaster, but it's not too hard to figure out where Hall stands politically.

"Pretty far to the right," Hall said. "I'm a party man. I agree with and support the Republican party platform."

No question there. Hall is chairman of the Republican Central Committee for the 36th Assembly District.

"I'm what you'd call a `yellowdog Republican,' although I've been called a few other things. Like the time a local talk show host called me an `obnoxious, insensitive, jingoistic, ethnocentric, white, Anglo-Saxon Republican who lives in his own etherdrowned world.' I laughed at that; I thought it was hilarious."

Randy Hall is a 41-year-old Antelope Valley native and a staunch Republican who not only is strongly opinionated, he's willing to voice and share his opinions "almost anywhere and anytime."

If his name is familiar to readers of the Antelope Valley Press, it's not surprising. He's a regular writer of letters to the editor, expounding his, and the Republican Party's, views.

Hall describes himself as a family man with three wonderful daughters and a lovely wife, Susie, who is a special-education teacher.

"I'm also strongly opinionated," Hall said with a smile. "That's why I write those letters and join so many clubs, to ensure my opinions get out as far, and as much, as possible."

Strangely, his mother and father are "union dues-paying Democrats."

"My dad's walked away scratching his head sometimes after talking with me, but my mom's more opinionated than my dad. She'll hang in there longer," Hall said.

Hall became involved in Republican Party politics because his letters to the editor drew attention to him.

"I was handed an application to AVRA (Antelope Valley Republican Assembly) at the fair. I joined, but really did nothing for two years," Hall said. "Then I started going to meetings and was elected fourth vice-president. I put together the AVRA newsletter for years.

"I was approached to be an alternate on the central committee, then after Sondra Threlfall resigned, I moved on to the committee. I ran for the term the next year and I got it. And just recently I ran again and was elected again."

Hard worker
Hall said his goals as chairman are to increase voter registration for the Republican Party, get the central committee's headquarters fully staffed, coordinate activities of various clubs affiliated the Republican Party and find quality people the committee can groom to run for office.

"Voter registration is so important. Republicans are sitting close to 100,000 in the 36th Assembly District, the highest number for a district in L.A. County," Hall said. "With that many Republican voters up here, it gives us clout when we go down to the committee meetings in L.A. That's important - we're a force that has to be reckoned with."

Hall thinks term limits is one of the worst things voters did to themselves.

"We're having to replace good people for no other good reason than term limits," Hall said. "That's why it's so important to find the right people to run for office, so we can continue without missing too many beats.

"With candidate development we can weed out people who aren't good candidates. We don't want to back someone of a questionable background or behavior. Unfortunately, you don't always know everything about a person, and sometimes something comes up after we've already backed a person. We're going to work harder to make sure those surprises don't happen."

Hall doesn't fit the white-collar, monogrammed shirt image of a political power broker. Far from it. He is an auto mechanic who's not afraid to get his hands dirty.

"The Republican Party is the party of the individual," Hall said. "I view the Democratic party as the party of special interests.

"Some people believe we're the party of the rich, but the reason some Republicans are influential and well-off is because they worked hard and put their noses to the grindstone to make money. And when you work real hard to make money, you can use it to move mountains. It's inspiring for someone like me to watch them do that."

Atta boy!
Hall believes Republican Party philosophy encourages people "to be responsible for themselves."

"The party will work with you to open doors of opportunity, but it doesn't believe in just giving things to people without conditions like the Democrats."

And Hall doesn't see the Democrats overcoming Republicans in the Valley anytime soon.

"I'd say right now that the Democrats are a politically inept force in the Valley," Hall said. "I don't see that changing unless there's a great influx of Democrats coming into the area. Besides, we're going to be out there increasing Republican numbers at the same time."

Hall said his party's diversity only makes it stronger.

"We have people on one end who want to ban books in schools. And people on the other end who would make Al Gore proud," Hall said. "But that's definitely a strength because it brings varied talents together.

"Republicans respect life and respect anybody who comes into their lives. Republicans are conservative, have family values and aren't afraid to express their opinions."

Hall said when he voices an opinion, "I 100% believe I'm right."

"It's like believing Jesus Christ is my savior, I believe it with all my heart," Hall said.

"The more I realized the rights and wrongs of issues, the more I studied them. The more I study, the more (my opinions) make good sense.

" I feel I express many people's opinions. I get many more `Atta boys!' than negative comments."

Hall said he welcomes debates on any issue and even has a debate forum on his Internet Web site at www.ptw.com~deagle.

"I accept all people's views equally," Hall said. "But the debates are done by my rules. If they don't like it, they can hit the road.