…………. is at hand. The next 60 days or so should prove to be of vital importance to Iowa Republicans. We have suffered only the most recent, and finally annihilating, defeat. In 2000, 2002 and 2004 Republicans performed poorly in Iowa. Such a performance bucked pro Republican national trends. This year, with the wind in our face, and not our backs, we still performed as poorly, if not more so, than any state in the country.
The Real Sporer has been out listening-and, yes, there are times to listen and times to talk-all over Iowa. I’ve recounted the spirit if not the content of those meetings in earlier posts. Here are some of the conclusions that listening has produced:
· The statistical trend is toward fewer numbers of self identified Republican voters in Iowa.
· Very small percentages of registered Republicans are volunteers/activists.
· There is extremely low morale among the Republican voting base. Two causes are most frequently cited. First, a perception that Republicans in office haven’t performed. Second, a sense of helplessness that Republican spokesman aren’t more aggressive in the big debate with the Democrats
· The rapidly declining real volunteer force exacerbates existing shortages of volunteers/activists.
· Lack of defining principles denies both the voting and volunteer base a rallying point because Republicans respond far more to ideas and principles than the mere partisan loyalty and class based hatred that motivates our adversaries. We must always be more than just not the Democrats.
· Media inaccuracies and bias will continue into the foreseeable future, locally and nationally. The Democrat victory will cause a further short term deterioration in our media image so that we must engage in far more voter education and persuasion than at any previous time since the rise of Reagan. This requires new mediums of communication.
· Lack of activities that create productive results-i.e. something other than phone banking for volunteers to do once they are recruited/renewed.
· The most recent election confirms the need for a bold new program-the status quo is largely irreparable.
After last week’s extensive State Central Committee meeting, I think the last bullet point is the most important conclusion. I have rarely seen such unanimity of opinion at the ‘Ol RPI. The conversation was frank-and believe me, everyone in the room entered with a mind toward changing the Republican dynamic in Iowa-beginning with a restoration of the actual Party as, well, the Party. The hub on the spokes of the Republican wheel, so to speak.
The last five weeks gave us all a time to vent. This period of, well here’s a un-Sporerlike term “catharsis”, culminated in the truly most productive State Central Committee meeting that I have attended since my election in '02. The rubber stamps were tossed in the dumpster as we each shared the county leadership’s frustration and our own frustration over the last two years' visible disaster. We had candid exchanges of view with our legislative leadership, and that candor went both ways-as it should. As I’ve said before, the SCC’s mistake was abrogating control of the Party to others, with predictable results. That abrogation wasn’t done maliciously, everyone one chose to go along to get along, precisely as we have been doing for at least five years. That’s not an excuse, it’s an explanation. It won’t happen again because the wheel doesn't turn if the hub comes off.
Everyone left the room with a working organizational plan, already reduced to writing, that addresses our core weaknesses in a very comprehensive manner. We have scheduled another full SCC meeting for December 30 to further refine the organizational plan. Additioinal elements of a comprehensive plan will be soon forthcoming-sorry I can’t provide more details but I’m sure my readers will understand the need for operational security-but they will be hotter than Microsoft stock before Janet Reno!
We will, of course, have much unofficial discussion amongst ourselves and with others on all of the ideas because everyone has already expressed many good ideas. Feel free to share yours. The passage of time itself ensures that we are all going forward regardless of the road we politically take. We can do things the same way, but even Paul Revere and the Raiders knows "that road leads nowhere ." We’ve all had a good six weeks to steam the kettle, now its time to pour and enjoy a strange new brew-victory.
The Real Sporer has been out listening-and, yes, there are times to listen and times to talk-all over Iowa. I’ve recounted the spirit if not the content of those meetings in earlier posts. Here are some of the conclusions that listening has produced:
· The statistical trend is toward fewer numbers of self identified Republican voters in Iowa.
· Very small percentages of registered Republicans are volunteers/activists.
· There is extremely low morale among the Republican voting base. Two causes are most frequently cited. First, a perception that Republicans in office haven’t performed. Second, a sense of helplessness that Republican spokesman aren’t more aggressive in the big debate with the Democrats
· The rapidly declining real volunteer force exacerbates existing shortages of volunteers/activists.
· Lack of defining principles denies both the voting and volunteer base a rallying point because Republicans respond far more to ideas and principles than the mere partisan loyalty and class based hatred that motivates our adversaries. We must always be more than just not the Democrats.
· Media inaccuracies and bias will continue into the foreseeable future, locally and nationally. The Democrat victory will cause a further short term deterioration in our media image so that we must engage in far more voter education and persuasion than at any previous time since the rise of Reagan. This requires new mediums of communication.
· Lack of activities that create productive results-i.e. something other than phone banking for volunteers to do once they are recruited/renewed.
· The most recent election confirms the need for a bold new program-the status quo is largely irreparable.
After last week’s extensive State Central Committee meeting, I think the last bullet point is the most important conclusion. I have rarely seen such unanimity of opinion at the ‘Ol RPI. The conversation was frank-and believe me, everyone in the room entered with a mind toward changing the Republican dynamic in Iowa-beginning with a restoration of the actual Party as, well, the Party. The hub on the spokes of the Republican wheel, so to speak.
The last five weeks gave us all a time to vent. This period of, well here’s a un-Sporerlike term “catharsis”, culminated in the truly most productive State Central Committee meeting that I have attended since my election in '02. The rubber stamps were tossed in the dumpster as we each shared the county leadership’s frustration and our own frustration over the last two years' visible disaster. We had candid exchanges of view with our legislative leadership, and that candor went both ways-as it should. As I’ve said before, the SCC’s mistake was abrogating control of the Party to others, with predictable results. That abrogation wasn’t done maliciously, everyone one chose to go along to get along, precisely as we have been doing for at least five years. That’s not an excuse, it’s an explanation. It won’t happen again because the wheel doesn't turn if the hub comes off.
Everyone left the room with a working organizational plan, already reduced to writing, that addresses our core weaknesses in a very comprehensive manner. We have scheduled another full SCC meeting for December 30 to further refine the organizational plan. Additioinal elements of a comprehensive plan will be soon forthcoming-sorry I can’t provide more details but I’m sure my readers will understand the need for operational security-but they will be hotter than Microsoft stock before Janet Reno!
We will, of course, have much unofficial discussion amongst ourselves and with others on all of the ideas because everyone has already expressed many good ideas. Feel free to share yours. The passage of time itself ensures that we are all going forward regardless of the road we politically take. We can do things the same way, but even Paul Revere and the Raiders knows "that road leads nowhere ." We’ve all had a good six weeks to steam the kettle, now its time to pour and enjoy a strange new brew-victory.
18 comments:
Its good someone has their eye on the ball.
Encouraging report. Our side must get more aggressive in dealing with Democrats.
I said it on a previous thread, I'll undoubtedly say it later...
The Republican Party is as useless as tits on a suitcase.
Could it be that the reason that a declining number will not identify themselves as Republican (myself included) is because they are no better than the DemocRATS?
MoPed, can you really not see any difference at least morally between Bush and the eight years of the Clinton Administration??? If the USS Cole had been bombed and Bush was president, I can imagine we would have done more than talk.
Mohammed is frustrated and I am beginning to see his points much better now.
Not all Republicans are like Democrats as true volunteers and those believing we have to keep government under control are out there even if temporarily bruised.
Ted is the vision of the future of this party as he will not let liberals run amok and unchecked. Ted knows the real culture of corruption does exist but it is daily in the Democratic Party machine located pretty much everywhere in America. We need to let Ted take charge and replicate his efforts. The Dems don't have an answer for someone like Ted.
Just ask Archie!
-kenbo out!
There is a difference morally. Bush keeps his fly up and Laura is a much classier chick than Hitlery.
Beyond that, there is NO difference beteween Bush and Clinton.
If you're still claiming there is no difference between Republicans and Democrats, you're not paying attention to the agenda of these Democrats who have just been elected into the majority in Iowa.
The statement is absurd!!!
Many Republicans have taken us for granted and once in power fell for the same cool aid schemes the Dems used for over 40 years. We were a little less corrupt and felt some taxes were bad but on the whole we were not as diligent as we should have been.
It is almost like the Republicans are a cheating spouse who happens to still love you while the Democrats are the cheating spouse out to kill you after taking all of your money.
Teddy, You posted this at 3:38pm. Who were you billing at the time for "work"?
I heard Lincoln Chafee on NPR yesterday. He said the Republican Party has been taken over by the old southern Democrats. A very interesting point that appears to explain many things.
8:07:
Not absurd at all. Let's see...
The REPUBLICANS federalized airline security
The REPUBLICANS gave us No Child Left Behind
The REPUBLICANS gave us the prescription drug bill, one of the worst pieces of legislation in history
The REPUBLICANS created a behemoth new federal bureaucracy
The REPUBLICANS went on a spending orgy
The REPUBLICANS gave us McCain/Feingold/Shays/Meehan
The REPUBLICANS refuse to close the borders
The REPUBLICANS have us stuck in a war that they do not want to win
Need I go on?
MoPed
No child left behind is the nuclear pill to than can destroy the NEA. The MSM has successfully convinced you and other teachers that it's bad, but it really had and has the potential to force our teachers to teach subjects other than the reinvention of history they prefer today.
Do more research. You've bought into the liberal game.
The ONLY thing that would force teachers to teach subjects other than the reinvention of history is the threat of the complete destruction of the government education system.
School vouchers are the way to go.
NCLB (besides being written by Teddy the Swimmer) is nothing more than an expansion of the scope of the Imperial Federal Government into areas in which it has no business.
If they teach reading, math, science that is great but the government education system is too far gone to think that NCLB is going to rescue it.
While I disagree with MoPed on vouchers — he is right on track on NCLB. The idea that increasing the (un-constitutional) federal role in education will fix things comes directly from the Democrat's playbook.
When RR was president the principled conservative position was to reduce federal involvement in education and eliminate the Department of Education.
But, I am waxing nostalgic ... today's Republicans have instituted more federal control over education and even Dems complain that we have increased the size of government. Shame on us.
Dave:
Are you for charter schools?
That isn't going to happen here in Iowa for a while. We would have to change the Iowa Code for charter schools to really spring up.
I'm all for destroying the government education system but I think vouchers are the best way to do it right now.
Moped,
Yes, am for charter schools.
As a homeschooling parent who has had children in both public and private schools, I still oppose vouvhers.
Are there any names being floated for Chair, Co-Chair and ED.
a homeschooling parent
For which you should be congratulated.
I am opposed to charter schools in Iowa based upon the wording of Iowa Code Section 256F.4
Charter schools shall:
b. operate as a nonsecterian, nonreligious public school..
3. A charter school shall not discriminate in its studeng admission policies on the basis of intellectual or athletic abilities, measures of achievement or aptitude...
Charter schools would also be under the jurisdiction of local school boards.
So what would be the point of having a charter school in Iowa?
Post a Comment