Grass Roots....
AAA started a conversation yesterday based on Chairman Carey's appearance on the Jason Lewis radio show yesterday. Chairman Carey said (in response to a caller asking about RINO's that don't follow the platform) that the people passing the platform are the same people who nominate these RINOs. AAA got upset, saying that the Chairman "blamed" the grassroots. I responded that technically, the Chairman is correct and that is where the discussion got going. Into that discussion, we need to interject a few interesting points.
"The first rule of politics is, "take care of your base." That doesn't mean you give your supporters everything they want, but if your base isn't happy, you're going to have a rough time. Why? Because they're the people who donate money, volunteer to help candidates, talk you up to their friends, defend you when you're under attack, and, when they're happy at least, they’ll crawl over broken glass to come out and vote for you."
AAA is spot on here - the Chairman is not taking care of the base. The MNGOP base is HORRIBLY unhappy and while the Chairman says he is listening to the base, I have to wonder if he really is, based on his poorly choosen answer to the caller.
"2) Stay Out Of The Primaries: One of the most aggravating things about the 2006 election was the Republican Party’s involvement in the primaries.
The worst example of this was the National Republican Senatorial Committee's insistence on supporting Lincoln Chafee, a left of center Republican who didn't vote for George Bush in 2004, in a tough Rhode Island primary against Steven Laffey. What was the result of that brilliant maneuver? The NRSC lagged far behind their Democratic counterparts in fund raising because conservatives withheld their donations in retaliation and in the end, Chafee still lost. This isn't the only Republican Party screw-up of this sort either. Look at the Arlen Specter vs. Pat Toomey battle in 2004 and the Randy Graf vs. Steve Huffman race in 2006. In each case, the party's interference came back and bit them hard in the behind."
Not much to add here. It goes back to what I said about the GOP being a bottom UP organization. However, GOP leadership (including Chairman Carey) seem to think of it as a top DOWN organization.
"3) Sometimes, It is the Thought That Counts: Rich Lowry once said that, "(Bill) Clinton was in favor of small, popular things. Bush apparently likes to be in favor of big, unpopular things."
This is another area where the Democrats are smarter than the Republicans. The Dems are constantly doing small things to show their base that their hearts are in the right place. It's these little gestures, sometimes even throwaway lines in speeches that help keep their base happy, even when the left isn't getting everything they want."
Again - not much to add and no argument here.
"4) Hang Together Instead Of Hanging Separately: Liberals in the blogosphere have a reputation for being good at organizing and raising money for elections. It's well deserved and I can tell you that from experience, because last election cycle, I started a grassroots conservative group called Rightroots to raise money in the blogosphere. We raised around $300,000 from the right side of the blogosphere in about 3 months which may sound like a lot, but it's chicken scratch when it's spread over 20+ candidates. During that same time period, liberal bloggers raised millions and blew our doors off."
This is a common theme when you hear Congressman Kline's District Chief of Staff (Mike Osskopp) speak. He tells about seeing UAW workers toiling side by side with wealth distribution socialists to get the Democratic candidate elected. Meanwhile, the pro-life folks are fighting fiscal conservative candidates because the candidate is not "pro-life enough". This is not to say that the right to life crowd is not the only conservative caucus to do this....this is simply one example of many.
"5) Attack, Attack, Attack! We might as well change the Republican Party symbol from an elephant to a punching bag because the Republican wimps in DC just refuse to fight back. The base may have no qualms about going after liberals, but when we look for Republican pols on the Hill to show some leadership in this area, we're almost always sadly disappointed."
If I had a nickle for every time I heard a Republican supporter say "If only the President would fight back" I could retire a very wealthy woman! The reason it is said so often is it is true. President Bush is too kind, too determined to turn the other cheek in a city where politcs is a blood sport. To say that the President is bringing a knife to a gun fight is giving him too much credit. The Democrats and their supporters play to win - where President Bush plays to make friends. It's not working Mr. President! Please, please PLEASE stand up for your self and your administration. It is time to turn the money changers out of the temple....not turn yet another cheek.
John Hawkin's closing paragraph says it all.
" C'mon, guys, you don't have to start comparing Howard Dean to Hitler or anything, but how about showing a little moxie instead of cringing, apologizing, and rolling over like French poodles every time the Democrats go after someone? You Republicans on the Hill: the Democrats have spent the last 2 years smacking you in the mouth, taking your lunch money, and pushing you down while you keep hoping people will give you brownie points for being "nice" and "bipartisan." At what point does it dawn on you guys that it's time to go after the Democrats as hard as they're going after you?"
Chairman Carey - are you listening to the base?????
"The first rule of politics is, "take care of your base." That doesn't mean you give your supporters everything they want, but if your base isn't happy, you're going to have a rough time. Why? Because they're the people who donate money, volunteer to help candidates, talk you up to their friends, defend you when you're under attack, and, when they're happy at least, they’ll crawl over broken glass to come out and vote for you."
AAA is spot on here - the Chairman is not taking care of the base. The MNGOP base is HORRIBLY unhappy and while the Chairman says he is listening to the base, I have to wonder if he really is, based on his poorly choosen answer to the caller.
"2) Stay Out Of The Primaries: One of the most aggravating things about the 2006 election was the Republican Party’s involvement in the primaries.
The worst example of this was the National Republican Senatorial Committee's insistence on supporting Lincoln Chafee, a left of center Republican who didn't vote for George Bush in 2004, in a tough Rhode Island primary against Steven Laffey. What was the result of that brilliant maneuver? The NRSC lagged far behind their Democratic counterparts in fund raising because conservatives withheld their donations in retaliation and in the end, Chafee still lost. This isn't the only Republican Party screw-up of this sort either. Look at the Arlen Specter vs. Pat Toomey battle in 2004 and the Randy Graf vs. Steve Huffman race in 2006. In each case, the party's interference came back and bit them hard in the behind."
Not much to add here. It goes back to what I said about the GOP being a bottom UP organization. However, GOP leadership (including Chairman Carey) seem to think of it as a top DOWN organization.
"3) Sometimes, It is the Thought That Counts: Rich Lowry once said that, "(Bill) Clinton was in favor of small, popular things. Bush apparently likes to be in favor of big, unpopular things."
This is another area where the Democrats are smarter than the Republicans. The Dems are constantly doing small things to show their base that their hearts are in the right place. It's these little gestures, sometimes even throwaway lines in speeches that help keep their base happy, even when the left isn't getting everything they want."
Again - not much to add and no argument here.
"4) Hang Together Instead Of Hanging Separately: Liberals in the blogosphere have a reputation for being good at organizing and raising money for elections. It's well deserved and I can tell you that from experience, because last election cycle, I started a grassroots conservative group called Rightroots to raise money in the blogosphere. We raised around $300,000 from the right side of the blogosphere in about 3 months which may sound like a lot, but it's chicken scratch when it's spread over 20+ candidates. During that same time period, liberal bloggers raised millions and blew our doors off."
This is a common theme when you hear Congressman Kline's District Chief of Staff (Mike Osskopp) speak. He tells about seeing UAW workers toiling side by side with wealth distribution socialists to get the Democratic candidate elected. Meanwhile, the pro-life folks are fighting fiscal conservative candidates because the candidate is not "pro-life enough". This is not to say that the right to life crowd is not the only conservative caucus to do this....this is simply one example of many.
"5) Attack, Attack, Attack! We might as well change the Republican Party symbol from an elephant to a punching bag because the Republican wimps in DC just refuse to fight back. The base may have no qualms about going after liberals, but when we look for Republican pols on the Hill to show some leadership in this area, we're almost always sadly disappointed."
If I had a nickle for every time I heard a Republican supporter say "If only the President would fight back" I could retire a very wealthy woman! The reason it is said so often is it is true. President Bush is too kind, too determined to turn the other cheek in a city where politcs is a blood sport. To say that the President is bringing a knife to a gun fight is giving him too much credit. The Democrats and their supporters play to win - where President Bush plays to make friends. It's not working Mr. President! Please, please PLEASE stand up for your self and your administration. It is time to turn the money changers out of the temple....not turn yet another cheek.
John Hawkin's closing paragraph says it all.
" C'mon, guys, you don't have to start comparing Howard Dean to Hitler or anything, but how about showing a little moxie instead of cringing, apologizing, and rolling over like French poodles every time the Democrats go after someone? You Republicans on the Hill: the Democrats have spent the last 2 years smacking you in the mouth, taking your lunch money, and pushing you down while you keep hoping people will give you brownie points for being "nice" and "bipartisan." At what point does it dawn on you guys that it's time to go after the Democrats as hard as they're going after you?"
Chairman Carey - are you listening to the base?????
Labels: Activism, Bloggers and Blogging, MNGOP
posted by The Lady Logician at
9:01 PM
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