Yeah,sure you do.
Posted on 12/24/2012 7:07:23 PM PST by CutePuppy
To Chairman Reince Priebus,
Thank you for inviting me to present an analysis for the Republican National Committee about the current challenges Republicans face at every level.
Our working together goes all the way back to your early years in politics. I enjoyed doing events with you in Wisconsin and admired the work you did in helping Scott Walker become Governor.
I was delighted when you became RNC Chairman and I know how much you accomplished in the last two years rebuilding RNC finances and developing a better ground game.
Your creation of the Growth and Opportunity Project chaired by Henry Barbour is a very important step toward assessing what we have to learn from 2012 and what we have to do to succeed in 2014 and 2016.
I look forward to working with Henry and his team and hope this paper provides some useful thoughts about both the GOP's past record of responding successfully to election challenges and to the changing nature of American society and politics.
Reforming the Republican Party so it can create a governing majority is an enormous challenge which includes every element of the party. However as you have observed the RNC has a key role to play in bringing together the ideas and the critiques and helping shape a clear vision of a successful GOP.
I begin with three famous quotes about solving problems.
“Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results,” Albert Einstein.
"We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them." Einstein
“When I couldn't solve a problem I would always make it bigger until I could find the solution. I never solved it by making it smaller,” President and General of the Armies Dwight Eisenhower on problem solving in World War Two.
PROPOSITION
The scale of strategic thinking Republicans need is vastly larger and deeper than any current proposal recognizes. The Republican National Committee will play a particularly important role in gathering information, encouraging analysis, hosting dialogues about key changes, and helping implement strategies for victory in 2014 and 2016.
This will require a deep, bold, thorough, and lengthy process of rethinking.
I was so shaken by how wrong I was in projecting a Republican win on election night that I have personally set aside time at Gingrich Productions to spend the next six months with our team methodically examining where we are and what we must do.
In that context I was delighted when you appointed a distinguished team to lead the analysis for the Republican National Committee. I appreciate your invitation to work directly with them on a process that will be important to the entire Republican Party and ultimately to the country.
This paper is a step in that direction.
This initial analysis is direct, tough minded, and daunting.
As you recognize, the Republican National Committee is not merely the junior partner of whoever becomes the next presidential nominee.
The Republican NATIONAL Committee has a key role to play in every level of party activity including Congress, Governors, state legislators and local offices and activists.
That key role has often led to profound improvements in the GOP at a time of electoral disaster.
.....
Not off subject at all. Team Romney and the GOP-E gambled that they could win without Conservatives and Libertarians.
They lost that "etch-a-sketch" gamble spectacularly, and Newt's document here reflects a complete lack of understanding of that fact. The RNC doesn't hold the base anymore. Period.
Sadly, voter fraud is something you can only talk about behind closed doors. As much as I’d like a national discussion, the hysteria and calls of ‘prove it’ by the Dems and their media jackboots will kill it.
I’m not necessarily against that idea. Being a sneaky bastard who likes to sneak up behind Dems and stab them in the eye, I’d rather not telegraph our intentions. Let’s win the state legislatures and governorships in ‘14 and get it implemented for ‘16. Along with limiting the public unions.
I am all for a diffused strategy of encirclement v. the head on assault. Winning the states is absolutely necessary for ‘14.
Was never a fan of Romney. Barely able to hold my nose and vote for him against Romney. Would’ve loved to see Gingrich win the nomination instead.
Settle down Francis...I never said anything about gay marriage.
It’s a decent point, I’ll have to think about it. I’m actually a relatively rare breed that in general supports relatively strong environmental protection, but believes that “climate change” hysteria is a hoax. So, for me, it’s sort of the opposite: expose climate change for the fraud that it is, but then move on to discussions about what we can do to preserve and enhance our natural environment.
Well that is not exactly what Newt said, he gave a far more detailed reasoning and explanation to the problem of republicans vs gay marriage. As usual, he is right.
More denial from the Newtsers I see.
I’d disagree that Democrats are more ideologically united. You won’t find Democrats out there willing to defend socialsim, or even the welfare state, on anything like the level that Republicans are willing to defend capitalism, free markets and traditional values. You and I would probably agree that it would be nice to every now and then field a Presidential candidate willing to mount a full-throated defense of them, but I would maintain that the GOP is a much more ideologically united party than the Democrats; the Democrats are primarily united by identity politics.
Yeah,sure you do.
Ironic.
Never said I could type.
Denial? Can you read TR? Newt pointed out one very important thing and that is the fact that most Americans have family, friends, fellow employees who are gay. It doesn’t mean he is supports gay marriage, it means the republicans are facing an uphill battle in fighting gay marriage because of the mainstream acceptance.
marked
That should be: correction: patriot.
Which I think most of us are just that.
Great couple of posts. Unfortunately you were correct in the first one.
Denial. Next comes anger. And then bargaining, depression, and finally acceptance.
I have no use for charlatans. And it never ceases to amaze me how some people around here are still clinging to his every word, even when he is clearly pushing a "party first" agenda now.
Are you "party first?"
Thanks for your thoughtful, as usual, contribution.
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