Right off the top, let me make it clear that 1) I’m an Independent, 2) I think Stepanek is right in demanding, in NE Patriot parlance, “do your job” from those that actively sought election to the NH GOP Committee (delegates and members both). It has roundly been discussed and agreed upon that the NH GOP is broke and only a big influx of money is going to get it into a competitive position again.
Over at Facebook where Ed’s post is cross-posted, there is a lot of discussion going on (e.g., accusations, those that can afford fundraiser tickets versus those that can’t) including a comment by my friend Jon DiPietro – the ever present “on the size of the GOP tent”:
Tent keeps getting smaller and smaller and smaller. Not a winning strategy IMHO.
Small versus large – the discussion never ends, does it? Small means electoral losses but large can also mean legislative losses even with big electoral wins. I decided to, as the Left always is wont to say, have a “conversation” (emphasis here is mine):
The question is, Jon, what should the outline of the tent’s boundaries be? What is on the inside and what should be on the outside? “Big Tents” are fine in theory but suck in practice because Big Tents often have opposing theories and actions contra to NH GOP Platform. When you actively recruit folks just to have an R after their name, what does that do to your brand and standard of quality when too many vote more inline with Dems than Rs?
Should there be Party discipline with respect to what is allowable and what is not? Republicans raising taxes? Republicans expanding government? Republicans passing legislation that infringe on Constitutional Rights – or worse, ignore them altogether? Republicans helping Democrats to force social engineering ideologies from the Left onto their constituents?
And trust me, if there is anything that GraniteGrok has shown a Big Flashlight on has been Republicans acting badly. Without dirty laundry getting a good airing out, the only thing that happens is that 1) it gets worse, and 2) the rest of the Party goes to black mold – useless for anything or anybody except those insiders that benefit from being infested with dark, dank corners.
I continued:
Republicans giving tacit or active approval in taking control of the private sector and continuing the march to a Government directed economy vs an Individual directed one?
The list can go on and on but it still comes down – what should be allowable and what should not?
If consumers (the voters) don’t know what your product is, see widely varying “quality” variances, why support them?
And to the point of Ed’s original post and the complaints above, branding needs messaging which need money to craft and deliver that message. If those WHO ARE OSTENSIBLY the top of said Party, who deliberately chose to run for their positions and who knew what was entailed are now reneging on that responsibility, what are the voters (like me, an Independent) supposed to think?
Let’s be real – people running for elected office do it for one of two main things: 1) to actually do or get something done, or 2) simply to “be someone” or “be some title”.
And yes, there are always those that are adamant of the idea of “keep it in the family” or “don’t air dirty laundry”. Frankly, there’s a better phrase for both of those: cover up. Make it seem that it is of no consequence. Sorry, it DOES have consequences and cover ups always end up badly either in hurting those that get the shaft because of the actions or it ends up corrupting others and spreading like maggots on a spoiled apple.
NH GOP Chair Stepanek is right – he wants doers, not poseurs. You, as a Committee Member, may not be able to write a check yourself but you CAN ask others to buy a ticket. Else, it’s plain sloth. A main problem, lack of money, has to be solved and it IS the Committee members’ problem. Period.
Stepanek also needs to address the problems and questions I outlined above – no doubt about it. It is not clear that the GOPe is going to give him a clear path to do so – I expect a very strong resistance to change and an epiphany by such GOPe-ers, that 2018 was a disaster and REQUIRES a change, will not be easy to come by.
But basically being broke and Committee Members sitting on their hands and muttering about “do your job” may end up with 2006 again (not that it’s gonna take much to get there).
