Yes, this has stretched out a bit too long – I seem to get distracted but given this is vacation time, time to get caught up on some of the “lingering” stuff. I’ve commented already on several of the speeches that were given at the NH GOP Annual meeting and this is the last one (simply because it was the last one given that day). It is the Chair report. I took the time to transcribe it all (after the jump with the video) and I have some serious concerns in what she had to say.
Sure, it was a time for “rah-rah” speeches and no doubt, her’s was one of those “call to arms” types. The problem is, I’m not so sure that all the folks she aimed this to are all that willing to just drink from her cup. Yes, the “Republican Republicans for the sake of the Party” (“RRFTSOTP”), those that believe solely that only important letter is “R” (and that makes all things just dandy) probably ate it up with thought of animus towards folks like us that actually look at the words and the thoughts driving them from behind. They’ll accept whatever, gorging at the buffet while we’re looking at “er, did this spend too long a time not in the fridge”?
Remember, she made three specific promises during her campaign to be the Chair (mimicking her rival as she was a step behind in my mind) – she would:
- Unite the Party
- Fill the coffers
- Redo the technology to better what the Dems had
With those PRIMARY items in mind, I went through her speech to see how close she came to reality or how close she was to merely “rah-rah”.
Chair Horn starts her report at 10:48
We are organized, We are energized, and we are ready to win. I promised you…that we would build the organization needed to win and that I would do everything in my power to lead us to a united victory effort this November. thanks to our Republicans in the Senate, we have a balanced budget with no new taxes or fees.
Well, I’m not too sure about the first (“We are organized“) – all I’m seeing is that there are folks working hard on both sides of the dividing line in the Party (the Establishment vs the Liberty & Freedom wings of the Party (e.g., “We are Republicans – that’s all that counts!” vs “We are Republicans ONLY when our Principles are followed”)). When the L&F wing has a candidate pop up, an Establishment one soon follows. Examples:
- US Senate: Karen Testerman, Jim Rubens, and Bob Smith on one side and Scott Brown (the anointed of the Establishment if there ever was one)
- NH State Senate: JP Marzullo announced and then it seems that the Establishment rushed Jerry Little into place.
- NH State Senate: Dave Boutin now has a primary rival in Jane Cormier
That tells me that “We are energized” but not in the way she wants us to believe. And if she really does believe that, she hasn’t been listening to my little conversation (scroll down about half way down). People don’t drop out of the Party when they are energized (and seemingly don’t want to believe that people aren’t caring any more in the “Republican rah-rah because they haven’t seen what really matters: results that really matter). Energized has a precursor – being united (see #1 promise, above). And I can tell you, without getting into details, that the divide between the Establishment/RRFTSOTP and the L&F/Principles First wings of the Party has not been healed. No way, no how.
That the latter fought hard and argued with the Rogue Republicans in the NH Senate to have them NOT implement Obamacare’s Medicaid Expansion simply from the NH GOP Platform standpoint Principles – we have seen how well that worked in hewing to a low tax / limited government / self-responsibility standpoint, right?
Every time that Democrats have tried to pass Big Government, anti-gun, or Liberty limiting bill, there have been good Republicans at the ready to fight for New Hampshire.
A lot of the Establishment Republicans in office have expected a pat on the back for doing this – I got news for you: that is just doing what we elected you to do. Sure, we’re happy when you did, but look what happened. The Democrats didn’t have to pass the BIGGEST law in NH’s history to expand Government with Medicaid Expansion – the Republicans did it FOR THEM? C’mon, I expect Consistency from our elected officials – we didn’t get it. And for Horn to blithely cover up the deed that the Republicans did was a major failing in her report. That shows a total inability to face the truth of the matter and an unwillingness, as Head of the Party, to stand up and take the opproprium for a huge failed decision and lack of political judgment and action. It’s been brought up, she dismisses it out of hand as in “let’s move on”. Sorry, I can’t and you will find out that the State can’t because this is a bill that has set up the Republicans to fail in the future. But, sadly, I expect those that helped to pass this, in addition to Horn herself, will be out of office and this steaming pile of poo will still be a stinker.
Over a 1/2 million $, rebuilding our ground game, recruiting hundreds of precinct captains, investing in new mobile technology. More Republican staff on the ground in NH than we ever have had this early in the election cycle.
Where do we even start with this?? I hear the words and I’ve seen the actions. Then having looked at the NH GOP Annual Report from the Treasurer and go – REALLY? Does Horn REALLY think that we’re going to believe this next pile of poo? That she really expects us to believe “hundreds of precinct captains” are here in just NH? OK, my little hamlet is one of the good Republican towns – I certainly haven’t been contacted, nor TMEW, nor the Youngest. I doubt that any of the other Groksters, some living in the BIGGEST Republican wards in the State have been contacted. Not one of our ‘Grok readers or friends have reported this either. This has been done at the NATIONAL level, not the NH level. Don’t take credit for something that you have not done – for an NH Chair report, don’t claim credit for that which you have not done.
Now, for the easiest most fanciful thing to debunk: “ investing in new mobile technology“. That goes to Promise #3 and has NOT been done here in NH. I have already related that I had a conversation with Horn at a Belknap County Republican meeting where she asked me: a new website right away or start a long term database project that would not come to fruition for a couple of years. I answerd the latter, she implemented the former.
Just looking at the Treasurer’s report it is clear: she either lied from the podium or was, yet again, taking credit for something that she has had no part in (e.g.e, the RNC’s efforts). I looked at the line items for…
- “Office Equipment”
- “Website Expense”,
- “Office Supplies and Equipment leases”
…and even the Miscellaneous line. There is NO WAY that Horn has even come close to having the NH GOP do what she promised during her campaign nor what she would have us believe during her report. Evening looking at the “Fund Balance” and looking at the cash on hand reports – NO effort that would amount to more than a bucket of spit has been undertaken.
And the “More Republican staff ” bit is such a low bar to step over it would have been amusing if it wasn’t such a pathetic attempt: go ahead and look at the salary lines – take out the $$ being paid to Ryan Williams and his cohort, how much money is left over for “boots on the ground”? Can the NH GOP say, right now, that it can even reach the lowest level of the NHDP staffing since the last election cycle? Sure, whine about the lack of money and the inability to…
Sidenote: so which is reality, that the NH GOP is self-sufficient under Horn’s leadership (see Promise #2, above) or is the RNC propping it up?
…hire more – but if you had accomplished Promise #1, don’t you think the base would have ante’d up? Three or four is not a great number of staff on the ground – especially with just 6 months before November.
More importantly, I have been all over this State meeting with Republicans of every stripe. I have been to every county, to committee meetings, to living rooms and diners, and I am hearing it loud and clear that you are willing to win. we are already seeing the results of your united effort. when Republicans from across the state came together and knocked on doors, and made phone calls, worked in the polling places – in spite of being outspent by almost $100,000, we won the Executive Council special election. thank you to Joe Kenney for his great work.
Couldn’t you have at least mentioned his name, Jennifer? Just “Executive Council special election“? Yeah, we also noticed that there wasn’t a whole lot of unity shown from the Establishment shown Joe Kenney when he first announced – that soon after, the anointed Establishment candidate, Chris Boothby, was rolled out and all of the Establishment (and their money) rolled out right behind him. The Establishment voted for Boothby – and the base disagreed in not uncertain terms during that primary.
“And so it forever will be” – yeah, and this a prime example of why Promise #1 doesn’t get accomplished.
We have dynamite candidates in every single race. Every single one of them is willing to work for you. Every single one of them is willing to work for NH. And every single one of them is better than any Democrat, any day.
No, they are not. The NH State Senate Republicans SHOWED us that is not true with implementing Obamacare’s Medicaid Expansion. NH State Senator Rausch showed us that Republicans had no problem in raising our taxes because they were unwilling to actually undertake the real job – they passed a Band-Aid without dealing with the putrifying wound underneath. And last cycle, when we have majority and veto proof majorities, several actions that the base wanted (e.g., Right to Work, elimination of the carbon tax known as RGGI) were ignored by (yes, once again, the NH State Senate Republicans)
“every single one of them is better than any Democrat, any day.ESPECIALLY THOSE THAT ARE CLEARLY VOTING WITH DEMOCRATS MORE THAN REPUBLICANS??? Why does the NH GOP persist in this obvious lie and charade? All one has to do is to look at the scoring by the different Republican and advocacy watchdogs to see this is demonstrably untrue?
Why do you go out of your way to poke a stick into the eye of the base in trying to jam this lie down our throats??
Every time somebody says this, it is just another “cut of a thousand” for those that actually hew to the NH GOP Principles. Giving official blessing to the Gene Chandler Rule of Republicanism (“Any person with an R next to their name is a good Republican”) is yet another straw for the “You have made them not care” folks that not just grow disheartened but outright leave the Party.
So why do you keep it up?
Primaries are good for us. Primaries strengthen our candidates. They strengthen our message and they strengthen our Party. I encourage you to embrace these primaries. Pick your candidates, get involved, make your voices heard, promote him or her or whoever you choose everywhere you go. This is the process that we all fight so hard to defend. The promise I make to you today is that whoever you choose, which ever one of the extraordinary candidates you send us in the general election, I will be there 100% and Party resources will be there 100% for whoever you send us. We had very little voice in Washington or Concord today.
We cannot govern if we do not win. And we will not win if we do not stand together. That means starting today we must agree to respect our differences and work toward our common goals.
And that comes to the crux of the whole matter – we do NOT have common goals. They should be the goals and principles of the Party Platform but it is clear they do not drive the Establishment wing. Why? Look at the difference between these two statements:
- Winning is the main thing
- Winning is merely a precursor – it is what happens afterwards that is important
The first is the aim of the RRFTSOTP, the second is what is important to the L&F wing. And never shall the twain meet as the base / L&F wing sees the harm to the Brand after winning. You want united, Jennifer? Make BOTH of those lines HUGE priorities – and be willing to use the bully pulpit of the NH GOP Chair to make it happen (instead of the passive “I can’t tell our elected officials what to do”). After all, if your primary job is to “do everything in my power to lead us to a united victory effort this November” and you don’t do this, then you aren’t.
And I will say that the prominent “Building Bridges” meetings worked just about as well as other efforts – which is to say, not well at all to folks I have spoken to.
There is room for our Party for every kind of Republican as long as you are a Republican.
Let’s go to the absurd: so if Terri Norelli decided that her retirement from politics was a bad decision and decided to come back as a Republican, she’d be better than all other Democrats? And that is the elephant in the room for the NH GOP Chair – there ARE Republicans that vote more in line with Democrat principles (e.g., 60% AGAINST their Party). So how can you say that with a straight face / casual dismissal? To state the obvious again – that is yet another pebble in shoe of good Principle espousing and voting Republicans. Why does the NH GOP and elected officials continue to want to bait the base with this?
And the she comes to the nub of the problem that REALLY drives folks like me: “you MUST vote for ANY Republicans – regardless of what they do afterwards”:
I need every single one of you on our team if we are going to win.
She’d better be begging, because of lot of folks that have been reaching out to me and the other Groksters are all telling us the same thing: they won’t. Not any more. They’ve had enough crammed down their throats.
I will say it clearly and plainly (and not that this would surprise anyone):
Given how Scott Brown has been evasive on policy, the demonstrable lie given, the combativeness that he has shown me personally, and that he voted with Democrats 62% of the time with the US Senate Democrats his last year – I will not vote for him in the general election. Further, I will ask that others do the same.
She continues and provides the answer to those that would keelhaul me for what I just said:
If you believe, as I do, in a Constitutional Government, I want you on our team. If you believe that limited Government leads to unlimited opportunity, as I do, then I want you on our team. If you believe that the First and Second amendments are placed at the beginning of the Bill of Rights on purpose for a reason, that Obamacare is an assault on our Freedom and Prosperity, if you believe, as I do, that our Constitution was written not to limit your Freedom but to limit your Government, then I want you on our team.
I do and accept and believe and advocate for all of that, Jennifer. NOTHING you can find on GraniteGrok can give anyone thoughts to the contrary. We are Consistent.
The Party is not – after all, listen to a Republican’s own words:
NH State Rep. Debra DeSimone (R): “The Constitution is a guideline”
A guideline – and that clearly delineates the chasm between the Establishment and the L&F wings of the Party: a lot of Republicans DON’T consider it to be Foundational Law, that THEY being our elected officials and Legislators, don’t have to (and often times) ignore both the letter and the spirit of the US and NH Constitutions in formulating their legislation and vote casting.
So Stop with the platitudes that appeal to the base even as the People with Rs next to their names simply laugh: “we got the rubes again, dontcha know! Where else can they go?”.
I’ll answer it this way: Stay home. And as I have said before: We may not win but you will certainly lose. And that goes to the next “pleading on her knees (even as the People with Rs next to their names continue their grinning)
Liberty Republicans, social conservatives, fiscal conservatives – we cannot win without you. I need every single one of you today. We cannot win November if we are fighting each other in May. And I don’t know about you but I am here to win. Victory starts right here, right now, with every single one of you. NH needs you to stand together in this fight. when republicans win, entire communities are raised up. No matter who you are, what you look like, where you come from, Republican Principles translated into policies lift up the entire community. Businesses flourish, jobs grow, parents can take care of their children and we are better able to plan for our future.
Indeed – you can’t! And in many cases, because while we in the base may not have the money, we are the ones who do the grunt works – and the votes. I would only have to persuade a few more activists to do a little less. I only have to persuade a few more people demand “make the promise of what you will do NOW” and then walk away when candidates won’t answer in specifics, and about 0.5 to 1.5% of voters in each district to just not vote.
It is that close in a lot of districts and in the enthusiasm gap. Yes, NH needs us – but it seems that the NH GOP needs us when it needs our votes, it simply demands it. However, when we then need your Principles to be upheld after the voting is done, we no longer matter. So that is why we, in the base, need to look at our votes as being more precious than ever and be willing to no longer spend it on cheap imitation Republicans.
We should spend our precious votes only on CHAMPIONS of Conservative principles and if candidates don’t rise to meet our bar, then we won’t spend it.
It is time to send a message: we deserve and demand better. We will stand with those that WILL represent us; the rest of you can go home.
I am here today to ask you to stand with me, to stand together, so we can win back the House, increase our majority in the Senate. Let’s Shea-Porter and Mclane-Kuster back to NH permanently. Jeanne Shaheen the Tax Machine; it is time for her to retire. Come hell or high water, we are gonna put a Republican to the corner office again.
Thank you for everything that you do, every day, to preserve Republican Principles and for everything I know you are going to do in elections, Victory starts now. Thank you very much.
Yeah, let’s see what the Establishment will do for us, first, in not just preserving those Principles but by living by them too.
