The 603 Alliance Offered Campaigns “Equality of Opportunity.”

by
Steve MacDonald

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From early on in the planning stages the 603 Alliance wanted every Republican Presidential Primary Campaign, no matter how big or how small, to hold their own rally outside before the caucus this Saturday. We expended no small amount of time discussing the rules for that. Tent sizes, how many tents, could they bring food, and so on.

We invited the campaigns, and told them to bring supporters. We offered to let them speak to the voters. We offered to play a pre-recorded message from them to the assembled voters. The more conservative and libertarian minded campaigns heard from the 603 Alliance, repeatedly, with the opportunity.

The more conservative and libertarian minded campaigns were asked if the Alliance could meet with them – like an interview, to ask questions on policy. We offered to organize events all summer long. They all had the opportunity to let the 603 Alliance help them reach more voters.

We offered. Equality of opportunity.

So, if you see an email or Facebook update (or get a phone call) from a supporter or camping inviting people to attend a rally for so-and-so before the caucus Saturday, that would be from a person or campaign who took the 603 Alliance up on the opportunity. Regardless of how they are polling they think they can win the caucus, and they want to try to win, and they are rallying support to win.

It’s a caucus so it doesn’t mean they will, but they are willing to try.

And let us be clear. If you don’t see one for a candidate or candidates you’ve been leaning toward that was their decision not ours. They decided not to meet with the committee.  They decided to ignore the opportunity to have us sponsor their event. They chose not to hold a rally.

Why? Performance issues, is my best guess. These candidates or their advisers are so certain they can’t win the caucus that it is easier to excuse their absence by claiming they could not have won because it was fixed. But regardless of what they decided there will be voters there from all over the state, a very big crowd based on the pre-sign ups.

And why not? It is free to every registered New Hampshire voter–Republican or Independent so you can’t buy a victory. We’ve got hundreds of people who signed up in advance and hundreds more expected, whether these voter’s first or second choice holds a rally or not. And they will all be voting their own conscience; witness to every vote, counted by Marshall’s who can’t vote in New Hampshire.

And yet somehow, I am so powerful, we handful of unpaid activists are so powerful, that we’ve figured out how to fix the outcome?

It’s not possible. And yet somehow there are those who are convinced that it is.

The reality, and I’m going to pick on Rand Paul’s supporters because they are the people concocting this impossible conspiracy, is that the caucus asks that all participants rally behind the winner of the caucus, and they can’t do it.  They won’t unite behind anyone but Dr. Paul, at least not yet, so if they can’t find a way to ensure he wins it is easier to convince others who might not be in their camp that any other outcome is illegitimate.

It’s actually a step up. Usually they just say you are too stupid and shouldn’t vote if you don’t support that certain someone.

Insecure? Maybe. Perhaps they just have “performance issues.”

This is not to say they won’t storm the caucus at the last minute and try to do what they have long been so good at: flood a voting body with supporters to produce a numerical victory. The Paul campaigns of eld have been very effective at winning…what are they called?, caucus states? Yes. They have been working behind the scenes to promote the caucus form of primary because they are adept at winning those.

Projection anyone?

While we’re at it, the primaries and the elections are fixed as well so why bother voting at all, right?

If it helps we would welcome their hoard on Saturday under the same conditions as any other bus or bus-loads of voters. You must be a registered Republican or Independent, a New Hampshire resident, and on the statewide voter checklist. That’s it. You can support whomever you like, and if that candidate lacks the necessary support, your next best and so on until there is a winner.

There can be only one.

And we, on the committee, are all willing to support Rand Paul if he wins because we are interested in advancing conservative/libertarian principles even if they are carried by our second or third choice. This isn’t about a cult of personality, or devotion to a dynasty, in fact it is about opposing the Establishment Republican cult of personality for the next RINO on the list: the one that the old reliable New Hampshire First in the Nation Primary fails, more often than not, to stifle. We know that may require us to back a second or third favorite on each of our lists, none of which are identical, if I had to guess, so we are all willing to do what is necessary to keep the RINO’s down.

Look, if you are not allowed to back the caucus winner or you can’t because you don’t believe your candidate can win the caucus, don’t make conspiratorial excuses about how a dozen people with almost no money to speak of can bend the minds of hundreds upon hundreds of New Hampshire voters in an open caucus. These are your friends and neighbors, not sheep. Stop insulting them because your candidate didn’t partner with the 603 Alliance to get their message out.  We offered. They declined or ignored us. That’s their problem, not ours.

And this isn’t about one candidate, it is about principles.

Of course, what you should be doing is holding a frikking rally before the event with a tent and bus loads of your supporters because you were invited. The campaigns were invited. If they are not there it because they chose not to come.

But you can still show your support for whomever is on your short list despite their inaction. Join us in Hopkinton on Saturday morning. Pre-sign up here to speed up your check-in.  Make sure you are a registered NH Republican or Independent. There will be music, food vendors, and speakers. Bring a registered Republican or independent friend or a bus full of them. Bring your ID, don’t be late, and help us make some political history in New Hampshire.

 

Clarification: Every campaign has the same opportunity to hold a rally at the caucus. The 603 Alliance did not offer to work with every campaign for the purpose of getting them in front of voters. I don’t have the list in front of me but the candidates viewed as having more moderate leanings like Bush, Pataki, Gilmore, Kasich, etc., were not contacted about meetings, events, or house parties–things of that nature. I have done some minor editing to try to make that more clear.

Note: I am a member of the 603 Alliance organizing Committee but I am not speaking for the committee. 

Author

  • Steve MacDonald

    Steve is a long-time New Hampshire resident, blogger, and a member of the Board of directors of The 603 Alliance. He is the owner of Grok Media LLC and the Managing Editor of GraniteGrok.com, a former board member of the Republican Liberty Caucus of New Hampshire, and a past contributor to the Franklin Center for Public Policy.

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