Posted on 06/02/2006 3:21:05 PM PDT by ProCivitas
GOP fielding fewer legislative candidates than in 2004 By Steve LeBlanc, Associated Press Writer | May 31, 2006
BOSTON --Republicans are fielding far fewer candidates for the Massachusetts House and Senate than two years ago, and are challenging none of the incumbent Democratic district attorneys.
About 81 Republicans are running for seats in the Legislature, 61 in the House and 20 in the Senate, according to information provided by the state secretary's office. That's less than half of the total number of seats in the Legislature. There are a total of 160 seats in the House and 40 in the Senate.
Two years ago, Gov. Mitt Romney unveiled a team of 128 Republican legislative candidates at a pomp-laden party event at Boston Park Plaza
...Romney's efforts fell flat. Instead of gaining seats, the Republicans found themselves with three fewer seats after the votes were tallied...
This year, the GOP's top priority is holding onto the governor's office... Mark Rowe, acting executive director of the state Republican Party, said the party is focusing more on the quality of their legislative candidates ... "What's going to help us is having Kerry Healey and Reed Hillman at the top of the ticket," Rowe said... Rowe said the 2004 elections were dominated by the presidential election which included hometown U.S. Sen. John Kerry, a Democrat,... In the Senate, all five incumbent Republicans are running unopposed. There are 14 contested races in the Senate, 12 of which include Republican candidates.
In the House, 16 Republican incumbents are facing no challenge from Democrats or other Republicans. Of the 57 contested races in the House, 38 include Republicans.
In 2004, Romney made a very public pitch for adding more Republicans to the Legislature, ...
This time around, he has been virtually absent, ...
(Excerpt) Read more at boston.com ...
For example: check the massgop.com website, and then ask yourself: if you were an actual Republican in Massachusetts what issues would you be advocating for on your website that would likely oust the leftist paracytes on Beacon Hill?
We miss Ray Shamie.
Who can blame them? Americans can't get elected in a communist country.
Where's my map?
The legacy of AIDS Weld's handiwork.
A PING to some other Massachusetts FR folks.
More like Weld's lack of handiwork.
Of course, in 1996 Massachusetts Republicans were decimated and have never recovered.
The State Party is a huge mess. A heard a informal study that found that 80% of the committee members were self-described liberal/moderate Republicans. Thus they suffer with the same problem as the National Democrats. They have no agenda, and nothing to run against the Dems with. Given the choice between a Democrat and a Democrat-Lite, people will choose the Democrat everytime. Ugh I wish I could just barge in on them and physically shake things up.
Give it a few election cycles and you might be able to with little trouble. I can very much conceive of a day not too long from now that there are ZERO legislative Republicans in MA, much like what happened in the south after Jim Crow was implemented in the 1870s-1890s.
Ray Shamie From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Raymond Shamie (1921–1999) was an American politician from the state of Massachusetts. Born in Brooklyn, New York, he was twice a Massachusetts Republican nominee for the US Senate, and served as the chairman of the Massachusetts Republican Party from 1987 to 1991. In 1982, Shamie, a millionaire businessman and metalwork entrepreneur, challenged longtime incumbent Senator Ted Kennedy... In 1984, ... he faced off against Massachusetts Lieutenant Governor John F. Kerry. Though President Ronald Reagan carried Massachusetts in his 49-state landslide over Democrat Walter Mondale, Shamie lost the Senate race to Kerry, 55–45. After his second bid for the Senate, he became the chairman of the Massachusetts Republican Party. He served in that capacity until 1991. He is credited with helping Republican William Weld win the governorship in 1990. The Republican Party has held on to that office through four successive elections.
Ah,1990... when the RayShamie/Conservatives prevailed at long last ... but Pierce should have been the Governor.
How many of those Republicans elected in 1990 withstood the elections of '92, '94, the horror of '96, etc. I wonder. And about how many of the more Conservative ones were betrayed by their leftist "colleagues" in the Mass.GOP delegation and statecommittee. How many 'acquiesced' to Demorat rule?
Nowadays I'm encouraged by some Conservative elements in Massachusetts ... elements that couldcause a renaissance for Conservative Republicans in New England.
But any Republican in Massachusetts (true or nominal, Conservative or pseudo-Republican)will define themselves by their low-cost grassroots organizing and advocacy: e.g., clear, thoughtful, Conservative policy agenda advocacy on their websites and their literature.
If incumbent or challenger "Republicans" don't have clear, bold, Conservative (especially Pro-Family) advocacy on their websites... and distribute it via flyers and tabling and canvassing and radio/newspaper spots, etc...we should inquire 'why not?'
This is the Majority Constituency dispersed among the old Democrats, most independents, and any Republican worthy of the name : Pro-Family, Limited Government, Pro-Stewardship + Eco-Manufacturing, Anti-Corruption. In 2004 the issue/policy item that won massive (aprox. 80%)statewide support was the 'Fathers'Rights/Shared Parenting' referendum.
So, how many of the late lamented 2004 RomneyHealeyCrane candidates featured it in their campaigns? Aprox. none. The squish/liberal pseudo-GOP slate averaged about 28% of the vote. The referendum won about 80%... Oh, and it's still a CURRENT ISSUE.
Likewise, TRADITIONAL MARRIAGE... any qualified/competent candidate running on that in a NORMAL DISTRICT will win by at least 10 points if his/her opponent opposes it. Some districts aren't normal and the Demorats there deserve each other and their representatives .... but about 65% of Massachusetts citizens are fairly normal even if discouraged and confused sometimes.
The Massachusetts Republican Party should stand and fight for them ... but WE are the Republican Party, not the squish/traitorous parasites that often get on the payroll.
"Americans can't get elected in a communist country."
I've always said, if you are ever confused over politics, there is only one thing you need to remember and that is: You can always vote in Communism, but you can never vote it out.
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