Posted on 01/23/2014 3:24:59 PM PST by Kaslin
As the Republican National Committee begins meetings in the winter wonderland of Washington, D.C., there is a hope for sunnier days for future Republican candidates. Some of the GOP's brightest minds, such as longtime GOP Committeeman, activist and Newt Gingrich protege Randy Evans, have been behind the push to rearrange the dates of both the next presidential primaries and the 2016 Republican National Convention. That's potentially good news for the GOP.
But here's the bad news: Some politicians still don't get that the public, even those actively involved in politics, "get it" as to the way they operate. Witness the mess Gov. Chris Christie is facing in New Jersey, the indictment of former Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell.
What both men reflect is an ongoing problem that haunts the Republican Party in particular. First, there is an issue of perceived myopic friendships with individuals based purely on donations and not on merit. While McDonnell's conduct hardly seems criminal, his accepting all sorts of gifts and being cozy with one individual who likely flaunted his power over the governor is becoming standard fare in many areas of the nation.
Then there is an issue of perceived political bullying using state resources.
Christie is a victim of his own style. We know that because we've all seen his brusque public edicts and pronouncements over the past few years. Clearly his staff felt that they were the crowned little princes and princesses of New Jersey. And likely one had to pass through their tightly guarded gate to even reach the king. So why not close a public bridge here or threaten another political leader there with the power of the state? Right?
Wrong. The Democrats control the Justice Department and they rule, as best one can tell, with an even heavier political hand than any GOP bully these days. It appears easy for them to launch an investigation of the closing of a bridge by a Republican administration or a close relationship between a Republican governor and a donor, or to basically clear the IRS of any wrongdoing in a targeting of conservatives. They know that most of media will let them do so.
But the rules are different for Republican leaders, and some of their thick advisors and palace guards don't recognize that. The fact is that if any bully pulpit should exist, it should be one of ideas, advocacy and persuasion. Not the closing of bridges or cordoning off of access to elected leaders with decisions being made purely by their unelected staff.
Of course, as noted many times before, Republicans love to keep the masses out of their king's court and are notorious for attacking one another. And that brings us back to the potential change in the GOP nomination process.
Having nominated two individuals whose appeal to the American heartland and "middle class" (I still hate that term) was minimal, leaders such as Mr. Evans are seeking a new calendar for nominating a candidate for president. It would preserve traditions such as Iowa and New Hampshire as early contests, but would force other states to hold off until later. The real goal is to give the Midwest, once a major part of any GOP victory against the Democrats, a chance to have a real say in who becomes the GOP nominee.
That's a very smart move for a party that has seen its nomination wrapped up relatively early and generally by whichever candidate wins a relatively early Florida primary. If it could help bring a state like Ohio back into the Republican fold, it would be a stroke of genius. That is if the architects of the new schedule don't forget that they must include Florida as a critical player or risk continuing to lose its massive electoral vote to the Democrats.
As for an earlier national convention date, that too makes sense. In recent years, the GOP has held its convention so late that the nominee hardly had time to blink and the race was over. And with so little time to respond to the natural attack on whomever they nominate for Vice President, the GOP ticket was left with little time to respond to media "gotchas" and slurs.
Now if only the GOP's leaders and advisors can get their act together so they can have a nominee worth supporting.
Did I miss the part about not allowing crossover democrats to select the republican candidate in the primaries?
Any republicans that “screw up” are nothing but blood in the water for both the demodummies and the water carrying media.
Note to Republicans:
Keep you zippers zipped shut
Don’t take anything other that what you actually EARN.
Avoid anyone wanting to give you something/anything.
Be HONEST, SERVE with INTEGRITY and learn from those who failed at the above.
You may then still have a chance to survive.
The GOPe are operating under the delusion that there is a middle. Worse yet, that they can abandon their base in an attempt to gain the “middle”.
The truth is that there is no longer a middle. The party that wins is the party that can best mobilize the base. Until the GOPe realize that and work to make that happen, the GOP will be an also ran.
IMO, it would be a positive move on the part of the GOP leadership to find candidates who posses spine and guts. Candidates who actually want to serve their nation rather than seek power and compromise with the enemies of America. In other words, NO RINO gutless suck ups.
Yup. The democrats have it down to an art form. Make sure they have a candidate who will win the primary with little or no opposition leaving them free to vote for the most liberal republican they can find.
The GOP wouldn’t figure it out if Howard Dean won the GOP nomination with write in ballots alone.
“The GOP wouldn’t figure it out if Howard Dean won the GOP nomination with write in ballots alone.”
Sadly true, but made me laugh all the same.
The way we ended up with Bob Dole and John McCain is they’d paid their dues and garnered enough favors that they could force their good-’ole buddies to back them. Both had reached the age where this was their last chance. Like Hillary, it was their turn. (Or, so they felt.)
Of course, the press and the crossover democrats supported them because they were imminently defeatable.
We’ll see if it produces a Duncan Hunter Sr. as a candidate, or at least Scott Walker. Otherwise, no vote, no matter what.
They prolly figure it will be easier to jam Jeb down our throats. :-)
I voted for jeb twice and am still damn proud of it.
He was a very good Governor.
As far as national office, I wouldn’t walk 10 feet to vote for him.
He doesn’t fit at that level
Best advice to any Repub is to treat the media like an enemy, because they are and that’s the way think of you. Do everything you can to bypass the scuzz-buckets, go directly to the people.
I agree. He was a good Gov of Florida and I think he went beyond nything any other Governor would hae done for Terri Schiavo.
That being said he comes from a New World Order elitist big governemtn family. That is who he is also. Besides that his wife would be a horrible negative to his campaign and I don’t think he would have a chance of winning the presidency. In addition to that I don’t think Jeb has the fire in his belly. Neither did Mitt.
As long as “a DA can indict a ham sandwich”, there are no restraints the Republicans can impose on themselves that will stop Democrats, with the aid of the media, from generating negative and damaging stories against any of their candidates. Self imposed restraints will actually embolden the Dems since they’ll have nothing to fear from their actual transgressions. In today’s climate even lawbreaking by Dems is excused by the press while when a Republican so much as says “you lie” it becomes a leading story for weeks.
I like the idea of regional primaries. For example, on a particular date, all the Southeast states have their primaries.
But even with this strategy, someone still has to go last.
It’s a bummer to have a primary when you know who the candidate is gonna be.
Whichever states had the highest percentage of support for the last republican candidate for president should have the first choice of when to hold their primary, followed by the 2nd and on down the line. California (where I am) would probably be close to dead last and the nomination would be a done deal by then.
Reward the states that deliver and punish the states that don’t. It’ll motivate the state GOP groups to try harder in future elections.
Yes! Governor Scott Walker of Wisconsin!!
from the article “leaders such as Mr. Evans are seeking a new calendar for nominating a candidate for president. It would preserve traditions such as Iowa and New Hampshire as early contests, but would force other states to hold off until later. The real goal is to give the Midwest, once a major part of any GOP victory against the Democrats, a chance to have a real say in who becomes the GOP nominee. “
I fail to see why no one understands that the guy who is next always gets the nomination. After Eisenhower, vp nixon was next, 1964 was an aberation in that goldwater got nominated even though he was not next.
In 68, nixon was next again and in 72. Ford was next in 76. Reagan finished 2nd in 76 and was next in 80. Bush was 2nd in 80 and was also vp so he was next in 88 and 92. Quayle would have been next if it was not for the potato incident, so they chose Dole who finished 2nd to bush in 88 and became next in 96.
In 2000, Bush was the next bush who finished ahead of McCain.
In 2008, cheney would have been next if healthy but then McCain was next because he ran 2nd in 2000.
In 2008, Romney finished 2nd to McCain and he became next in 2012.
In 2016, Romney might run as next, or Santorum who finished 2nd in 2012 might be next or Jeb Bush might be the next Bush, or Paul Ryan who was VP candidate might be next. Palin as 2008 VP candidate might be next but probably not as her chance to be next was probably in 2012.
the gop will nominate Romney, Santorum, Bush or Ryan in 2016 regadless of which states go first.
read post 19, Scott Walker is not next.
He might run and finish second which would make him next the next time around, but for 16, he is not next.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.