Posted on 07/23/2007 10:06:39 AM PDT by kellynla
In 1994 Republicans took back the house for the first time in four decades. Many credited a political action committee named GOPAC, headed by Newt Gingrich as being a key resource in the GOP victory.
Through campaign seminars, workbooks, audiotapes, and fundraising GOPAC dedicates itself to educating and electing Republican officials to state and local offices.
“We were good at in the 80s with Reagan, and in the 90s with Bush 41, but since Clinton the dynamic has changed. As I like to put it, Bubba went back home to the South and it changed the political dynamic,” said Steele. “We had a pretty good short game in the past, but our long game really suffered as a consequence, in other words, we never built the bench. We never built the farm team, so when the Reagan era Republican candidates who became elected officials reached its max, there was nothing of back fill, and that’s where we are now.”
With political dynamics changing all over the country and technology playing a key roll in campaigns Steele now has an opportunity to teach candidates how to adapt to these changes – build a “farm team” – and once again help GOPAC create a permanent majority.
Steele told HUMAN EVENTS that adapting to 21st century technology was the “jump off point” for his new chairmanship with GOPAC.
“The material, the training sessions, and the packets that we hand out, all of the stuff that involves words needs to be updated and reflective more of what’s going on in the contemporary political body politic as opposed to 25-30 years ago,” said Steele
“You need to be able to take advantage of the internet, blogs, mp3’s, ipods, cds -- all of that comes into play -- so candidates need to be armed to the teeth with this relevant equipment, as do organizations like GOPAC in order to communicate with them.”
Most recently GOPAC held a session at the Young Republicans National Conference in Florida. Steele said GOPAC was there to “set up a booth and get information out to encourage people to think about running, and to put on a training sessions for those people that are committed to run in ‘08 to sort of get them jumpstarted."
Steele told HUMAN EVENTS that GOPAC has an immense opportunity to teach our officials how to learn from the mid-term election loses and understand the new dynamics in place.
“I think that from my perspective, what makes GOPAC so important in this era is that our opponents have figured us out” Steele said. “They have Rahm Emanuael who is a political genius… I have to acknowledge our opponent; otherwise, that failure to acknowledge becomes a bigger weakness for me.”
“I told him as much, you figured it out, you sat and you did in 12 years what it took us 40 years to do…You found Blue Dog Democrats to run, who looked fairly conservative on paper who sounded very conservative in their rhetoric and who could eat away, over time, at any support Republicans had in a part of a precinct or district or state. And you won.”
“We have to work with our candidates we have to position them; we have to give them the strength to run which means that in certain parts of the country it’s going to be in the parties interest maybe to run someone who is maybe not as conservative as maybe I am for example,” he said
So GOPAC is back. Their training sessions and financial support made a difference in 1994 and it can be done again now in 2008.
Steele says that by building that farm team, and by getting individuals elected at the state and local levels “individuals who had been groomed and trained to the point in 1994 they could run for the U.S. Congress the U.S. Senate and come out of the desert after of a 40 year journey to a position of responsible leadership -- Now we have an opportunity and in my view a responsibility to get back to that.”
“If you are someone who has thought about running for office, committed to running for office or is currently in office at the state or local level then GOPAC should know who you are,” said Steele.
GOPAC is still in action under new Chairman former Maryland Lt. Gov. Michael Steele. Steele says that “GOPAC is back.” He told HUMAN EVENTS that GOPAC is a grassroots organization that trains future generations of governors, senators, congressmen, state legislators, mayors, dog catchers, and police officers “we play at every level of government.”
“...it’s going to be in the parties interest maybe to run someone who is maybe not as conservative as maybe I am for example,” he said”
This is where we get into trouble. These sorts are what do America in.
I think we are in the era of no compromise. Too much has already been.
And the American electorate is waaaaaaaaaaay past ready for a “down to earth, true-blue conservative” POTUS...and the same type VP to back him/her up!!!
“I believe that the majority of actual VOTERS are more conservative than the “experts” think they are.”
I believe you are correct and have been trying to promote just that thought seemingly forever, but apparently the change last November, due primarily to frustration blinds many to the concept.
“And the American electorate is waaaaaaaaaaay past ready for a “down to earth, true-blue conservative” POTUS...and the same type VP to back him/her up!!!”
“...true-blue conservative”...” Bears repeating.
So the GOP is now in a quagmire of it's own making. It can't even keep it's people employed and is being dissed by the rank and file.
Garde la Foi, mes amis! Nous nous sommes les sauveurs de la République! Maintenant et Toujours!
(Keep the Faith, my friends! We are the saviors of the Republic! Now and Forever!)
LonePalm, le Républicain du verre cassé (The Broken Glass Republican)
The last time I saw Watts was in an infomercial when I was flipping through the channels.
I think he’s done with politics.
Mark Levin for SCOTUS.
Garde la Foi, mes amis! Nous nous sommes les sauveurs de la République! Maintenant et Toujours!
(Keep the Faith, my friends! We are the saviors of the Republic! Now and Forever!)
LonePalm, le Républicain du verre cassé (The Broken Glass Republican)
“...it’s going to be in the parties interest maybe to run someone who is maybe not as conservative as maybe I am for example,” he said”
Listen kids. Hate to break it to you but I think Michael Steele’s correct. Though true blue conservatives are bluer than blue, we don’t represent everyone on our side of the aisle. He’s talking about the big picture. As we had better do, unless we’re prepared to have you-know-who and you-know-who BACK IN and in the White House effective January 2009.
Think not? Then please tell me who would have become governor of California if we hadn’t run Arnold?
“Listen kids. Hate to break it to you but I think Michael Steele’s correct. Though true blue conservatives are bluer than blue, we don’t represent everyone on our side of the aisle. He’s talking about the big picture.”
First of all, I’m no kid.
Second of all we are looking at the “Big Picture”, and suggest you look again. All we see is a bunch of Leftists’ posturing and postulating. They haven’t any ideas and the American Public can see they are doing nothing good for this Nation. The BIG PICTURE is a Power hungry lot of Socialists attempting to bring about the ruin of our Nation.
There are but two viable political parties. No Ross Perot running at this time. The American voting Public is going to vote for America, NOT for “Pinky and the Brain”.
America is best represented, especially in these very dangerous times by the strength and sensibility of Conservatism.
California and Ahnuld is irrelevant due it’s not America, it’s perhaps three cities in one State, California.
I’m afraid you missed my point. I am, in fact, in total agreement with your positions. Most especially those relative to national and/or homeland security. The mere thought of a surrender liberal in the White House is abhorrent to me. I honestly believe that could, if not would lead to our undoing.
My focus is squarely on winning the general election in 2008. I am pragmatic and realistic enough to realize that’s going to be a highly difficult task, given all the current negatives that should be obvious to us all. Not the least of which is that so-called “loyal conservatives” are threatening to jump ship, or have already done so. At least in their minds.
So, unlike some others, I am prepared to vote for a candidate who may not represent absolutely every single thing that I would like him to. Nor will I defect to the other side. Nor will I stay home and pout on election day. I find all three of those things childish, petulant and profoundly self-defeating.
And you may rest assured that I don’t like fake-conservatives, or Arnold, any more than you do. The only thing I like less is the idea of having a dem in the White House in 2009.
My reference to ‘kids’ was meant as a collegial nod to my fellow FReepers. Happily, I’m not too groAN-up for that.
You left out, “in certain parts of the country...” That makes a huge difference in the meaning of the comments. I still see it as a dangerous idea since what inevitably happens is more and more districts start being called early as must be “moderate” districts (and moderate gets defined more and more to the left). The voters lose out to the strategists. They have less and less say in who represents them because they are told by the strategists what to think before they even get a chance to listen to the issues and understand all perspectives beyond short, quick soundbites. No, I am for shaping things around the principle that the voters should learn to listen long and carefully......then and only then can they choose the candidate who best represents their values. How it turns out is how it turns out. Too much “strategy for the sake of power” and you end up with no values to defend. Only power and representatives corrupted by it.
I just posted this to another thread and hope you will comment on this.
“Our Government due tenure has evolved to a show similar to Thursday night WWF if that is still going on. It’s political theater, but the ending of this current play will be disastrous for America with the current cast of characters.
We really need to Flush The Congressional Bowl at least three consecutive election cycles, and then we must consider term limits, because for example the effects of tenure by such as Kennedy, Byrd, Feinstein, Boxer, and other goofs including several RINO’s.
We also must insist upon leadership change in the Republican Party to eliminate the Moderates whom are RINO’s whom are Liberals that allow anybody to use the title “Republican” for personal political convenience. Re: Bloomberg, Giuliani, Hagel, Warner, etc.
The Republican Party then needs a screening procedure to ensure no self serving Leftist Politico (Lib or Mod) does use the Umbrella of the party for advancing his/her political career, and top it off with a Conservative Oath.
So you’re telling me if the GOP ticket is Thompson/Steele;
you won’t be voting for it?
Yes I think we have a problem in the political ranks of the Republican party right now. The strategists seem to have no principles; but then maybe they do have principles, just not our principles. It is very sad for representative government when you have one party put forth a pack of candidates no one wants. These are the same candidates who received primetime face time at Bush's 2004 convention so you can't tell me there is no strategy to push these candidates by the political string pullers.
Some of the second tier candidates are perfectly fine but they have not received those prep opportunities that gets everyone saying they "can win." Everyone has bought the lunacy that they must select from the "can win" group the strategists have chosen. And who is in that group? The liberals, the "mavericks" and the flip-floppers. I am not signing over my voting rights to the strategists.
Regarding term limits: Great idea only if everyone agrees to it. No one should have agreed to limit their terms until everyone was held to the same rule. We lost some good people that way.
There are plenty of good candidates for VP better than Steele.
maybe so...
and you’re welcome to list them here.
Semper Fi,
Kelly
Possible VPs—Hunter, Huckabee, Tommy Thompson, George Allen, Rick Santorum, Giuliani, and Romney.
and what is it that Steele can bring to the election of the GOP ticket that none of the individuals you listed can?
anyone...anyone...anyone...starts with a “B” and ends with a “K”...anyone? the B...l...a...c...k VOTE!
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