GOP's faithful show enthusiasm during annual Lincoln Day Dinner

More than 250 men and women gathered at Ray's Plaza Banquet Center on Saturday evening for the Cape County Women's Club 45th annual Lincoln Day Dinner.

The club hosts the event to allow the public to show their support for the Republican Party and to meet local and state Republican officeholders.

Cape Girardeau County Clerk Kara Clark Summers was this year's event chairwoman. She said public response for the event was even more enthusiastic than she expected.

"I think a lot of people are interested in what's going on and what the future holds," she said. "They're excited about the elections this year for the county and on up."

Many attendees are repeat visitors, but Clark Summers said there was an increase this year in the number of new faces. According to Cape County Women's Club president Holly Lintner, this year's guest speaker may have played a role in that bump.

David Limbaugh, a Cape Girardeau political commentator and author who writes a syndicated column that appears in the Southeast Missourian, is a "hometown celebrity," Lintner said.

"David is a hometown guy and a lot of people either know him personally and love him, or they've seen him on Fox and want the opportunity to hear him speak," she said.

Limbaugh's speech was one of caution and motivation. Under the presidency of Barack Obama, he said America has deviated down an unsustainable and dangerous path.

He also said he proudly announces himself as a Republican because he believes the party is "the best vehicle to advance the ideas I believe in."

"We can no longer say the two parties have the same goals and are just going about achieving them in two different ways," said Limbaugh, who called members of the Democratic Party who support the president "blindly partisan."

Limbaugh said some may perceive his views as harsh or unrealistic, but he said he's simply being honest. Realizing and recognizing the problems in state and federal government are the first steps to improving them, he said.

"I'm not being hysterical, I'm not being extra radical, and most importantly, I'm not being pessimistic," he said. "I believe we can beat back the threats against America, but not by ignoring or downplaying their severity."

Limbaugh's words brought applause from the crowd and the many local legislators in attendance, which included U.S. Rep. Jason Smith, state Sen. Wayne Wallingford and state Reps. Donna Lichtenegger and Kathy Swan.

Missouri Republican Party chairman Ed Martin, who was the evening's master of ceremonies, praised the speech for encouraging supporters to not just "talk the talk but walk the walk."

The evening also honored party members who personified Limbaugh's message of activism by handing out multiple awards. The Meritorious Service Award was presented to Lori Trump; the Tough Tusk Award to Scott R. Clark; the Bill Emerson Public Service Award to Larry Bock; and the H. Weldon Macke Statesman Award to David Schwab.

srinehart@semissourian.com

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