Posted on 11/11/2018 2:58:59 AM PST by Jim Noble
CONCORD — Republicans are doing some serious soul searching in the wake of a disastrous midterm election last Tuesday in which first-term Gov. Chris Sununu was the lone prominent survivor.
Sununu is New Hampshire’s first Republican governor since the Civil War to be reelected but have the Democrats holding all other levels of influence in state government.
Every single Democratic governor over those 150 years has presided over a divided government at some point in their term.
In the days following the election, the finger-pointing and blame game was already in overdrive.
Former Senate Majority Leader and lobbyist Bob Clegg of Hudson ran for the 2nd Congressional District seat in 2008.
“Republicans are energized but no longer will we watch the NHGOP decide in a back room who is a good candidate and who should lose to a Democrat,” Clegg said.
“It can’t be fixed by regurgitating the same people to the head of the party when they are instrumental in its division and its demise. The members deserve better.”
Clegg said he wouldn’t rule out an internal revolt. Disaffected activists might actually go out and form a splinter party if the leadership ignores them, Clegg warned.
“If the party doesn’t fix itself and do what needs to be done there will be a new Republican Party,” Clegg said.
Former State Rep. John Gibson of Merrimack was one of many angry voices on a Facebook debate that spawned hundreds of comments over a 36-hour period.
Gibson said the GOP must steal the script Democratic Party Chairman Ray Buckley and predecessor Kathy Sullivan used to turn the minority apparatus into a fundraising and ground-game juggernaut.
“Here is a reality,” Gibson said. “NH politics changed forever on Tuesday and it went professional. To take back both chambers of the Legislature will take over $1.5 million, plus a full-time staff with a war room at the NHGOP ready to go toe to toe with the Buckley propaganda machine.”
Not a fair money fight Before the election, the Union Leader reported nine state Senate Democratic hopefuls had raised $1.3 million while their GOP incumbent foes couldn’t get to $400,000.
Kimberly Morin, a vocal conservative activist, was very unhappy one of those new Democratic faces, Brentwood Democrat Jon Morgan, was her senator-elect after narrowly upsetting one-term Sandown Republican Bill Gannon.
“I can’t tell you how furious I am that I have that left-wing, arrogant, loon, elitist man as my senator now and I hold the NH GOP 100 percent responsible for that,” Morin wrote.
Later Morin posted, “If the party isn’t completely re-vamped within the next 6 months with new leadership, new organization and new LIFE, it is over.”
The fiscally conservative Josiah Bartlett Center for Public Policy on Friday summed up what an unfair fight it was when it came to campaign cash.
All told, Democrats outraised Sununu and GOP committees by more than $3 million. Comparing just party-to-party committees, the Democrats had a 5-1 advantage, the Josiah Bartlett report concluded.
“When New Hampshire was more red than purple, Republicans didn’t need to spend a lot to convince voters to support them,” wrote Drew Cline, the center’s executive director. “With New Hampshire having become more competitive, failing to close the gap will make winning legislative majorities more challenging.”
The GOP has precious little time to mend what ails with the 2020 presidential campaigns looming.
The silver lining is a timetable in which the membership of the Republican State Committee picks a new chairman in late January. Incumbent Wayne MacDonald of Derry took over a party last July that had $650 in the bank, $14,000 in bills and $48,000 in long-term debts.
“This isn’t any one person’s fault, especially Wayne, who was handed a bag of crap at the 11th hour,” posted Jon DiPietro, a conservative activist from Manchester. “But we had better get it fixed. There’s a presidential election in two years and it’s going to be here in the blink of an eye.”
MacDonald will decide in a week or so whether he’ll seek a two-year term.
“I hope those in the party realize whatever I do has always been in the best interest of the party and not myself. It is very challenging,” MacDonald said in an interview.
“The Democrats wanted to convert New Hampshire. The challenge both nationally and here is we want to get it back and keep it, and that certainly needs to be the focus.”
Former State Rep. Steve Stepanek of Amherst, Trump’s 2016 NH campaign co-chairman, is seriously considering a bid for the chairmanship and will make up his mind in about a week.
“What I think happened was we were outgunned, the Democrats out-raised us financially, they out-organized us. You name it, they did a better job,” Stepanek said.
“We didn’t have the resources or the organization to match what the Democrats did and that has got to change.”
Former Vice Chairman Matt Mayberry of Dover said he is also being encouraged by activists to look at the chairman’s race and he’s not ruled it out.
Sununu as kingmaker Sununu should end up playing a kingmaker role, as he did 22 months ago when he handpicked Sen. Jeannie Forrester of Meredith, his 2016 GOP primary opponent, to replace Jennifer Horn of Nashua.
Forrester left the party post last summer to take a municipal job.
Longtime GOP strategist Mike Dennehy didn’t mince words on what the stakes are now.
“If New Hampshire Republicans don’t figure out fundraising, they can kiss this state goodbye,” Dennehy said.
Jim Merrill, twice the architect of Mitt Romney’s two N.H. presidential campaigns, believes redemption must start with paying the next chairman.
“I do think if you pay the chairman then you would ensure that person is devoting 24-7 to the cause. It is a lot to ask for someone to do it as a volunteer,” Merrill said.
“There are a lot of people who could serve in that role but can’t unless they get paid to do it.”
As former vice chairman, MacDonald chaired a compensation committee after the state GOP convention in early 2017 had changed its bylaws to permit the chairman to be paid.
“For months I have been reaching out to more out-of-state donors and organizations to help us. If we can improve on our fundraising we could make the chair someone who works on a commission basis or a salary plus or minus to draw upon,” MacDonald said.
Those working for defeated congressional candidates Eddie Edwards of Dover and Steve Negron of Nashua also said the national and state GOP let them down.
“I am not blaming anyone, but the New Hampshire Republican Party better look within,” said Mike Biundo, Edwards’ chief campaign consultant. “Until we have a full-time effort that begins to mirror the Democrats’ here, you are spotting them points and starting at a disadvantage. The (Republican National Committee) ground game here was impressive for its size and was led by people I respect, but being outgunned, outmanned and outspent every cycle makes things harder than they need to be.”
Former House Speaker Shawn Jasper of Hudson, now the state’s commissioner of agriculture, thinks the GOP needs to return to the “big tent” of Ronald Reagan with its supporters spending less time attacking one another.
“I am fairly sure that there is no one reason that Republicans lost. My first thought is that Republicans spend too much time beating up on other Republicans who don’t conform to their idea of ‘perfect,’ ” said Jasper, who was accused of being a House leader who wasn’t partisan enough.
“My next thought is too few Republicans recognize that a candidate who can win in one district may not be able to win in another. I think that we need to learn that if all Republican candidates have to come from one mold then we will lose more often than we will win.”
Yep. NH GOP has been mega-Establishment oriented for decades. This model of a GOP guv and Dem-run legislature is what MA has tended toward for decades now as well. It is the only way leftists can signal their virtue without completely ruining their states.
It’s not the money it’s the message, you GOPe morons.
Some people simply refuse to see the writing on the wall. GOPe Republicanism is a losing proposition. There’s not a dime’s worth of difference between them and the Democrats. There already is a new Republican party.
All the professional political consultants and brokers want to say that more money is needed for this and that. In this day and age, watching OWS, first, then ANTIFA/BLM wreaking havoc, riots at universities suppressing free speech and causing Conservative speakers to forgo their lectures, the destruction of private and public property, Conservatives being thrown out of restaurants, Conservatives being confronted in restaurants, showing up at the homes of Conservatives, vandalizing the home of a SCOTUS nominee, saying all the vile things they say about any Conservative, hearing and learning of all their lies, watching them steal elections w/ voter fraud, and being just outright disgusting, intolerant, arrogant POSs, and you can’t figure out who to vote for, you shouldn’t be allowed within a mile of a voting booth.
If you need a campaign ad on a tv to help you make a decision, then you need to have your head examined.
If you can’t figure out that the Left is going to raise your taxes and let the 3rd world waltz over the border with the promise of your tax dollars and becoming citizens, then you need to have your head examined.
For what it’s worth, the GOP is faced with liberal mega-billionaires, a lying media and support groups that have deep government funded pockets. The GOP main problem is how to get their message out.
Yes, right out of the box the first comment was bashing other Republicans. We are good at that, meanwhile the democrats walked away with just about everything.
I am from NH and I must agree that all Republicans are not perfect but all are not bad.
They need new leadership and funding.
The old ways of running for office are over.
Steve Negron was a terrible candidate with a bad campaign manager. Negron didn’t even show up in parts of the state that wanted to engage him. He never used social media and ignored emails. I thought at one point he was running as a democrat and I had the wrong guy.
The democrats out organized us.
We need younger blood. It’s a sad state of affairs but it is what it is.
I lived in NH when it was solidly Republican but moved away in 1992. My impression is that the liberal MASS-holes have colonized the state (especially on Election day). Is this the true source of the problem?
It isn't just NH. I'm in my sixties and I consider much of the GOP to be "past it." For that matter, my octogenarian mother even comments on the "stick in the muds"... and she is not exactly what one would describe as up to date.
Yes, and PDJT gave them a model for this and no one adapted it. Shame on them, to afraid to be associated with this barbarian uncouth not one of us Republicans, and in fact we dislike him so much 43 of us in the US House are quitting. Morons, and this goes to our State out here in MI, lucky american, they stepped in here too and we got shellacked, lets face it, the Dem's got their ground game back.
But the kicker I see is, all the old Republican swamp money dried up this time, they hate Trump. The Koch's and I wonder how many of their ilk took a powder too such as the Anschutz's. They don't give a crap, they want open boarders and national health care, it is cheap labor and one less employee benefit off their back, and they will let the country go to hell and get it and make peace who ever will be the next Swampian POTUS just to get their pieces of silver. I say it again what I have been saying since 2010, it is time for us to divorce ourselves from these folks, but the reality has set in what do we build that works...
NH is a great state, I have a dear friend their and spent a lot of time their in my 20's and have more more connection that I won't discuss at this time. It it painful to see the Rib-Rock-Republican State that I knew become Masshole North.
Sounds like the PA GOPe. They gave absolutely ZERO help to either our U.S. Senate or Governor candidates because neither towed the GOPe line. B@st@rds!
Once the Democrats take the state legislature NH will become the highest taxed state in the country.
I live in NH and my town is very conservative and pro-Trump: Over 50% went for Trump in the 2016 Primary. Two things I can observe about NH citizens: 1st, they are EXTREMELY frugal, and they expect government & elections to be run frugally, too. 2nd, true conservative/Constitutionalist NH residents believe politics and morality should make everyday common sense — spending huge amounts of cash on Party staff, offices, and campaign organizations is a huge waste of money — when all one needs to do is read a couple state and local newspapers, and then head over to the local diner or transfer station (dump) for a weekly chat about political and current events with your neighbors.
I’m not kidding, this is exactly what they’re like except for a few migrant Massholes (Build the Wall!, I tell my neighbors, heh) — and I share this belief. More yard signs and political ads on the radio can’t fool an informed, engaged citizenry.
Correct. The combination of out of touch RINOs running the party and the influx of massholes who, having ruined their own state, have fled over the border only to inflict the very stupidities that caused them to flee to begin with, is the death knell for a once free state.
I live here in NH and i can tell you all that in the last two years the Repubs did a lot of good.
Balanced a budget that was out of control from that POS former Governor Hassen.
Passed Constitutional Carry.
Cut business taxes and provided a better business environment which can be seen by the very low unemployment numbers.
The problem is the 24/7 Hatred spewed against Trump and Republicans and dumb ass people who believe it hook line and sinker. Also this state has been infested with so many Blue Staters in past years its like a suburb of Boston.
The majority of people voted against their own best intrest Tuesday and they will regret it come the next election.
Hopefully I will be gone from NH by then to my property down south.
Perhaps. But sooner or later everyone is gonna agree with me, namely, the GOP has a massive marketing/messaging problem.
We own the issues. But how they are presented to Millennials and the idiotic view that just running a hispanic, a woman, or a black is going to automatically draw Millennials is short-sighted at best.
NH is a perfect example. Rs own registration in the state. Same with AZ. Same with TX, where Cruz ran 10 points behind Abbott (McSally will lose, running 10 points behind Ducey). In OH Renacci ran 8 points behind a milquetoast DeWine.
These aren’t quirks. They are fundamental messaging problems.
the midterms is as good as you’r going to get with 45 open seats in the house that took away the power of incumbency and allowed tons of money to funnel into those races, leaving the R at huge disadvantage. The fact we didn’t lose more seats and lose the senate with all this President had to take on is amazing.
Our message is out, but the party out of power wins seats. Obama had all of media around the world and all of pop culture living up his ass non stop and look at all the seats the dems lost under his 8 years.
What NH needs to snap back to reality is a good dose of illegals.
The problem goes way beyond messaging.
Tax cuts, more power to the hospital - insurance - Pharma iron triangle, and foreign wars with no protection of our own is not a popular program.
People want the borders closed and nationalized medicine. Whoever delivers that will control the country for a century.
AKA, The Neocon Agenda. Trump is trying to replace it with his MAGA Nationalism, but they are deeply entrenched. Things will likely get worse for the GOP - and its messaging problems - before they get better, because all of those post-Reagan thinkers need to be replaced.
As an aside, this is the first election I can remember where it seems like absolutely nobody is happy with the results. Democrats wanted Trump impeached by virtual recall and Republicans wanted their whole mismatched coalition to win every race without having to work at it. :)
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