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The rank and file member is the voter. Their vote is their clout. That’s it. Other than donations and working for a campaign; but this is not party per se. To have more clout, s/he has to get involved in the party itself. It is incredibly easy to begin. Local parties are, in my experience, strongly wanting others and extremely welcoming. From there, those who show aptitude and work hard move - as they choose and their colleagues choose them. And so on up the ladder to state and national. Voting has clout, but if you want to change the party, you have to get involved and get others involved. Otherwise it is complaining from the sidelines without ever being willing to take the field and do the work. It works like everything else, get involved, do the work, make the changes you want.

I don't have a problem with any of that. I'm still not convinced that gets you to where you can prevent someone like Priebus being installed. Hell, in California it doesn't even get you where you can prevent the types of leaders we have in state.

The RNC cannot publicly take sides on any primary election. Individuals can work for one candidate or another but an official of the RNC can’t take sides because the party has to support the winner in the end. There’s no law to this effect, but has been the standard adhered to and wisely so. Priebus didn’t violate it in the primary but did in the general by not supporting Akin. I think this was most unwise and he will and should pay for it with his post and future in party leadership.

Realizing that your comments are being made with the best of intent, I understand where you are coming from. The Priebus/Akin model plays out in my state constantly. Former big players in the state go out and recruit the worst candidates possible from a Conservative viewpoint, and the state leadership falls in behind them. When we vote to over-rule and place a good guy in, they withhold any support whatsoever.

If we have principles as a party, then the party leadership should advocate for people who adhere to those principles. Otherwise why have a leadership?

Both at the state and federal level, our values are being sold out. I have talked to people who are very active with the party, and they share my take on it.

Conservatism is a dirty four letter word to state and federal level Republican leaders. That's why the party is essentially dead to me.

It works to silence my voice. I don't take kindly to that.

Except for this major fault, I think Priebus did a good job.

It’s a finite messy world, it depends on good people to stand up and do good things.

The “party” is comprised of individuals, its values are those of the individuals, its strengths and weaknesses are those of the individuals.

There isn’t this entity “party” that you can change and make everything great and perfect.

And creating another entity you call your new “party” does even less.

I sympathize with you if you’re in California. You’re hopelessly outnumbered.

There are deeper problems than party. A perfect pure party that never wins changes absolutely nothing.

Politics is a limited tool, it’s not going to cure a sick culture. Fundamentally, we have to change culture, education, society. Politics can go in tandem with this, but without it, politics just reflects a sick populace.