Brandi Kruse
Politics • Culture • News
This is the 2024 ticket that can save America – if we let it
Exhausted of politics? This dream ticket is the cure.
September 02, 2022
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Are you exhausted? Are you angry? Outraged? Do you dream of the day you can put your keyboard away and enjoy some political peace and quiet?

You deserve some peace and quiet.

Say it with me:

“I deserve some peace and quiet.”

“I deserve some peace and quiet.”

“I DESERVE PEACE AND QUIET DAMNIT!”

Deep breaths.

In….

Out…

Good.

The first step is understanding just how much today’s politics suck the joy out of us.

The next step is to do something about it.

Even before the 2022 Midterms, the nation’s never-ending presidential election cycle churns in our stomachs like a shot of tequila chased with sour milk.

Former President Donald Trump, deep in drama from the raid at Mar-a-Lago, is all but certain to announce a 2024 campaign. On Truth Social last week, he called for a redo to the 2020 election or for the “rightful winner” to be declared (presumably he meant himself). Meanwhile, President Joe Biden still maintains he’s running for reelection, despite polls indicating that his own party would prefer he didn’t. He delivered a speech in front of Independence Hall in Philadelphia on Thursday proclaiming “MAGA Republicans” as a threat to our nation despite his own party’s Congressional election arm using donor funds to prop up those very same “MAGA Republicans.”

See what I mean? Exhausting.

Do we really want four more years of either of them? Do we really want four more years without a moment of political peace and quiet?

Allow me to suggest an alternative. A 2024 ticket that would not only save America from runaway spending, skyrocketing costs, and increased crime – but would do all of that without the sideshow.

Enter Maryland Governor Larry Hogan and Miami Mayor Francis Suarez.

The case for Francis Suarez as VPOTUS

Don’t let his pretty boy appearance fool you: Suarez isn’t here to be anyone’s eye candy (except maybe his wife’s).

Elected with 86% of the vote in 2017 and 78% of the vote in 2021, Suarez is wildly popular in his hometown of Miami – one of the most culturally exciting cities in America.

But why should a mayor be propelled to the second highest office in all the land?

Put simply, Suarez has no off switch. He has no quit. That’s exactly what we need in a vice president – especially after four years of Kamala Harris.

Suarez’s tenacity is transforming Miami into America’s newest tech hub, luring entrepreneurs away from West Coast cities that treated their economic contributions as a burden. The mayor holds regular “Cafecito Talks” (Cafecito is Cuban espresso) with techies, asking questions about their decision to move to Miami and what their hopes are for the future.

I interviewed Suarez last year about his efforts to build up his city’s tech sector as Seattle looked to tax Amazon to high heaven.

“I don’t want you using this interview to take our tech jobs away,” I joked with him.

“I’m sorry, but I’m going to have to do that,” he quipped.

But what he said next made me realize the extent of his political potential.

“I’ll be president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors in January and we’re going to try to export that winning formula to the rest of the United States. We don’t think it’s a Miami secret. We think it’s one that could be replicated and should be replicated across the country.”

“My cellphone is always available,” he added, “all the mayors have it.”

Imagine that. A politician who cares about the success of others, not just himself.

Oh, and did I mention Miami has a record budget surplus, and the lowest property tax rate in the city’s recorded history?

Did I mention that Miami, which was dubbed the “Murder Capital of America” in the 1980’s now has the lowest homicide rate its seen since the 1930’s? That is thanks, in part, to Suarez prioritizing police funding rather than defunding and supporting targeted stings to get illegal guns out of the hands of violent criminals.

Yeah, not bad.

I’d also note that Suarez is 44 years old – plenty young to serve two terms as vice president and still have enough energy to run for the presidency.

The case for Larry Hogan as POTUS

There is a strong case to be made that our next president should come from the ranks of governors – rather than a member of Congress. Congress is the height of dysfunction and petty political gamesmanship. Governors, while not always above the fray, know what it takes to keep things afloat.

Sure, some Trump loyalists will call Hogan a RINO. I prefer to call him a wildly popular Republican governor in a deep blue state. Joe Biden got 65% of the vote in Maryland in 2020. The same voters continually give Hogan an approval rating above 70%. That’s no easy feat in today’s hyper-partisan climate, especially while holding onto your conservative bonafides.

“But he’s a never-Trumper!” some might argue.

While it is true that Hogan is no Trump fan, it doesn’t consume his every thought or utterance. His focus is where it needs to be – where it must be – on moving forward and helping people prosper.

"I think if the Republicans are to get any power back, we’re going to have to start talking about the issues people care about and not re-litigating what happened in 2020 or denying things that are fact," he told FOX News in a recent interview.

Many of the problems facing our country are challenges Hogan has proven capable of addressing. We could talk about the “Open for Business” motto he adopted his first day in office. Or the jobs he’s added since 2015. Or the tax cuts he’s delivered to the working class.

Hogan is competent and qualified, no doubt. He's also just a genuinely kind, down-to-earth guy (as I discovered when I sat down for an interview with him last year). 

But the biggest factor in placing him atop a 2024 dream ticket is that he will force Democrats to run a candidate on the merits.

As President Biden underscored during his primetime address yesterday, Democrats plan to play their MAGA card until the cows come home. Anything and anyone with a tie to Orange Man Bad will be painted as extreme, dangerous, and un-American. That goes for DeSantis, Haley, Whitmer, and even Pence.

Democrats can’t get away with that if Hogan is the GOP nominee.

In fact, Biden himself recently called Hogan a Republican “he can deal with” while on a campaign stop in Maryland. Kind of takes the wind out of their sails if Dems can’t use their favorite talking point to vilify their 2024 opponent, doesn’t it?

It means candidates will be forced to debate the issues and Americans deserve an election that is focused on the issues.

In fact, if I were Hogan, one of my first actions if elected would be to issue sweeping pardons for Trump and Hunter Biden – hell, he can throw in Hillary Clinton and Dr. Fauci while he’s at it. Give the country a clean slate. Put the past political bullshit behind us.

And hey – speaking of bullshit – don’t think I forgot about pleasing the identity obsessed!

Hogan’s wife, Yumi Hogan, would become the first Korean American FLOTUS. A milestone, indeed, although those of us who don’t prioritize physical characteristics know she is much more than the pigment of her skin.

Mrs. Hogan was raised on a farm in South Korea as the youngest of eight children. Her ties to that nation helped Maryland secure 500,000 COVID test kits early on in the pandemic. She is a mother, grandmother, and a dedicated wife who helped nurse her husband back to health after a battle with Stage 3 non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. An acclaimed artist, Mrs. Hogan founded a program at the University of Maryland Children’s Hospital to help young patients channel the healing power of art. Domestic violence, human trafficking, and food security are other issues you could see Mrs. Hogan take up as First Lady.

Doesn’t that sound, dare I say, pleasant?

Timing is also on Hogan’s side as he is term-limited out of office in January 2023. That’s a perfect time to launch a 2024 campaign and means he’ll be free from the distraction of simultaneously trying to run a state.

In conclusion

I realize no one gets exactly what they want with a Hogan-Suarez ticket. There would be a lot of convincing to do to get the Trump base and moderate Democrats onboard. But think of this ticket as going to the gym or eating healthy. You might not be excited about it right now, but you know it’s good for you and you’ll be happy you did it.

I truly believe a Hogan-Suarez ticket is our key to ushering in a long overdue period of political peace and quiet.

Say it with me:

“I deserve some peace and quiet.”

“I deserve some peace and quiet.”

“I DESERVE PEACE AND QUIET DAMNIT!”

Deep breaths.

In….

Out…

Good.

 

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EXCLUSIVE: When being a social media troll comes back to bite you – hard
If you simply can’t help but poke the hornet’s nest, at least make sure your own hive is in order first.
 

 

 

This story has it all. Politics. Conservative infighting. Social media trolls. Lawsuits. A fugitive from justice. Charges of sodomy. And a side of karma, served cold.

Let’s start with the basics.

On March 26, a 24-year-old named Tyler James Crowl was arrested at his dad’s house in Lakewood, Washington, for a warrant out of Oregon. The arrest didn’t make the news in Washington, which isn’t a surprise considering the alleged crimes weren’t perpetrated in our state.

Crowl was wanted out of Yamhill County, Oregon, on three counts of Sexual Abuse in the First Degree and three counts of Sodomy in the First Degree. Both crimes are felonies. According to court records from September 2024, prosecutors allege Crowl “unlawfully and knowingly engaged in oral sexual intercourse with a child under 12 years of age” on multiple occasions and “did unlawfully and knowingly subject a child under 14 years of age to sexual contact by touching her vaginal area and/or upper/inner thighs” on multiple occasions.

While Tyler Crowl would have been a teenager himself at the time of the alleged crimes, Oregon state law says minors under 12 years old cannot consent to oral sex. And minors under the age of 14 cannot consent to sexual intercourse.

The details of Tyler Crowl’s alleged crimes are disturbing. But the way he came to be arrested in Lakewood is the stuff movie scripts are made of.

For those who frequent the bowels of political social media in Washington state, the last name Crowl might look familiar. Eric Crowl, known by the X handle @OutragePNW, is a well-known social media troll in conservative circles. His schtick is attacking Republicans who he deems not conservative enough. In full disclosure, I’ve been a favorite target of his for my reporting on former gubernational candidate Semi Bird. Bird, a Republican, was accused of stolen valor, on top of other documented criminal cases from his past. I found the accusations credible and important enough to discuss on my show.

OutragePNW didn’t like that one bit.

His online posts became so unhinged, not to mention defamatory, I informed my local police department that I was worried for my safety. We had officers at our home a couple times to check in.

1.png?token-time=1744848000&token-hash=08A8qzwyNh1P_xGdASRiY-hEB_Fkn0epz6V44aQtwaU%3DWhile I’ve had my share of social media trolls rile their followers up into a rabid mob, Eric Crowl presented a different kind of security concern – one worth taking seriously.

In 2016, Eric Crowl, then 39-years-old, was arrested in Portland with a cache of weapons including a rifle, shotgun, camouflage, police scanner, and hundreds of rounds of ammunition. Police there had been investigating Crowl for months, after they “noticed him videotaping police outside the bureau's east precinct, often showing up during shift changes and leaving after hearing his name over the police scanner he carried,” according to Portland station KGW.

Crowl was arrested and charged with attempted assault of an officer and unlawful use of a weapon. 

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While out on house arrest, he was accused of violating the conditions of his release by allegedly showing up – with his wife and son in tow – to the home of a federal inspector.

“Crowl and his family were described as ‘aggressively’ staring into the inspector’s open garage and duty vehicle,” according to Portland station KOIN. The federal employee said Crowl was wearing shorts and did not have his court-mandated GPS monitor on.

“The inspector believed the Crowl’s were acting suspiciously and/or conducting surveillance on his home,” according to court documents.

Crowl was rearrested and had his bail set at $1 million. In November 2016, he agreed to a deal with prosecutors and pleaded no contest to a reduced charge of unlawful possession of a firearm in exchange for three years of probation, KOIN reported.

So, what’s the link between Eric Crowl (@OutragePNW) and alleged sodomizer turned fugitive Tyler James Crowl?

Tyler is Eric’s son.

Usually, the misdeeds of family members of social media figures wouldn’t be something I’d jump to report on (regardless of how I felt about that particular person).

But in this case, it was Crowl’s obsession with trolling his perceived political enemies that led to his son’s capture. And that’s a tale too interesting not to tell.

On March 4, Eric Crowl registered a nonprofit with the state of Washington named the Pierce County Republican Party. He immediately started a Facebook page using the name and even held live virtual events on X titled “Pierce County Republican Pary – Media Availability.”

If that sounds weird to you, it is.

There is, of course, already a Pierce County Republican Party. It’s the Pierce County branch of the State GOP and has been active in local politics since at least the 1960’s.

So why would Eric Crowl want to troll his local GOP?

The Pierce County Republican Party and its chairman, Dave McMullan, have been favorite targets of Crowl’s social media attacks. McMullan was an early and unapologetic supporter of Republican Gubernatorial candidate Dave Reichert, earning him the ire of the party’s right flank – and of diehard Semi Bird supporters like Crowl. Furthermore, the county party voted unanimously to ban Crowl from its biennial organizational meeting back in November – in part because of his conduct online.

What better way to make sure you're included than to register an imposter Pierce County Republican Party and put yourself in charge of it?

In response to Crowl’s filing, the legitimate Pierce County Republican Party made a filing of its own – in United States District Court.

On March 23, the PCRP filed a lawsuit against Crowl and his new nonprofit, accusing him of violating the Federal Trademark Act.

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The only thing left was to serve Eric Crowl with the papers at his home in Lakewood.

That job fell to Robert Parker, a local Republican who offered to help.

In advance of doing so, Parker told unDivided he thought it would be wise to see who else was living at the home. He knew of Crowl’s criminal history in Oregon and wanted to be prepared for what he might encounter.

A search of public records from the address showed a Tyler James Crowl was registered to vote there. Parker went into amateur detective mode. He put Tyler Crowl’s name into Google. Up popped a January 6, 2025, blog post from a small news outlet in Oregon. It was a list of outstanding warrants.

“Area law enforcement agencies are looking for the following people who have absconded from the law.”

On the list was “Tyler James Crowl, 23, wanted on warrants for first-degree sodomy and sexual abuse.”

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Unsure whether Tyler would be at his dad’s house, but armed with the information anyway, Parker went to serve the papers.

Sure enough, Tyler Crowl was the one to come to the door. Parker caught the whole thing on camera.

“Mr. Crowl?”

“That should be my father, but yeah, what’s this regarding?”

“That’s for him,” Parker said, handing over the notice of service in a manilla envelope.

“Ok … what’s it regarding if you don’t mind me asking?”

“It’s legal paperwork for him.”

A woman can be heard in the background saying “Tyler, don’t accept that.”

Parker leaves the documents with Tyler and walks away – only to promptly contact the Lakewood Police Department to inform them of the whereabouts of a fugitive from justice.

Within hours, Tyler Crowl was in custody and being held at the Pierce County Jail, where he is still awaiting extradition to Yamhill County, Oregon.

It is unclear whether the elder Crowl knew his son was a fugitive from justice. unDivided has reached out to prosecutors in Oregon to inquire whether they are investigating whether Eric Crowl knowingly concealed his son’s whereabouts.

A text message and email to Eric Crowl seeking comment went unanswered Tuesday. Crowl protected his X account (@OutragePNW) shortly after unDivided reached out for comment about his son’s arrest, limiting his posts to approved followers.

So, what lessons can be taken from this sordid tale?

For starters, don’t engage in sex acts with a pre-teen. That’s good advice for anyone.

Second, don’t be a social media troll. Also good advice for anyone. But if you simply can’t help but poke the hornet’s nest, at least make sure your own hive is in order first.

 

 

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