I do not believe there is anything similar in place for what I intend to do here. I am Vice-Chairman of the Berkshire County Republican Association. There are various Facebook discussions going on all the time that I have difficulty following as I have such a poor internet connection. My intention is to create another sounding board for message posting for people with similar internet problems either with technology or for the world to acknowledge. Sometimes that is not desirable.
We are forming a new web page at the BCRA and this will be incorporated into it over time. With your help we can make this work. It should assist everyone with content of information that comes by way of of the Association, officially or otherwise. We are a political action committee that embraces conservative and moderate Republican Candidates. Our strength is derived from virtue and love of America.
We are forming a new web page at the BCRA and this will be incorporated into it over time. With your help we can make this work. It should assist everyone with content of information that comes by way of of the Association, officially or otherwise. We are a political action committee that embraces conservative and moderate Republican Candidates. Our strength is derived from virtue and love of America.
Bear with me until we are up and running. Mistakes are inevitable. Our address will be
Congratulations on developing a blog! This is a terrific tool.
ReplyDeleteIt seems to me that the BCRA continually avoids (is dismissive of) the single crucial issue that will drive all the items listed in the opening post.
We have BCRA people actively involved in several tasks that are good-to-have projects for this organization. However we lack an *appreciation* for the process-of getting people elected, which, by the way, is THE singular most important task we have in the GOP. My continuous admonition is that we can't rely upon having candidates fall out of the sky! In response to my comments I keep-hearing that "it's not election season now." But it's *always* election season! For example, I have said a number of times that Andrea Nuciforo is running for Congress; only to hear that I'm "out of the loop, he's not running"; I just received a 'Nuciforo for Congress' bumper sticker.
Rob Reilly (reilly@media.mit.edu)
I applaud you for starting this blog. It will be a good sounding board to exchange ideas and strategize how best we can get our message out and attract strong, viable conservative candidates for public office. Living in Massachusetts, it's an uphill battle. We all know the struggle in getting conservatives elected. We DO have talented, competent men and women here in our Berkshires who would do an outstanding job serving. The biggest obstacle is US. We, the members of BCRA and other conservatives have to get behind the prospective candidate 100% both in financial and moral support. We have a two party system but one party has dominated for too many years. It's time to change that. We need more representation both at a state and federal level. 2012 elections will be fast upon us. Get involved and back our candidates. Don't give away the position to the opposition. Just because they are incumbent, doesn't mean it's a life time position.
ReplyDeleteElecting a Republican to office has not been difficult in the past. I live in Lanesborough. Not that long ago, My state Representative was a Republican, Shawn Kelly. The State Senate seat was held by a series of Republicans, the Member of Congress was Silvio Conte, a Republican. Our Federal Senator is a Republican, Scott Brown. And we have recently had Republican Governors.
ReplyDeleteIn my memory my area of Berkshire County has been GOP country by tradition. But across the board we seem to ignore the *process* involved in electing a candidate.
Yes, this area had decent representation by Republicans in the PAST. The problem facing us is how do we get candidates to represent the ideals of the Republican party in the present and future? The Democrat political machine has made it very difficult to attract and elect Republicans. Unfortunately, there is still the "blame it in Bush" mentality. That's how our current president was elected. The voters are not properly educated on the candidates and their platform. They are too quick to vote the "D" line instead of looking at the other candidate. In a little over 12 months we will be going to the polls again to elect federal as well as state leadership. My hope is that we get some really strong candidates to come forward and run. It is up to us as Republicans to get out and introduce our candidates to as many people and venues as possible. Let them get their message out and inform the electorate. It's up to us, conservative Republicans to get this state and country back to the ideals of which this country was founded and not continue in the way that the *progressives* want.
ReplyDeleteRob, you are so correct, I could not agree more. We are planning a system of vetting candidates. I think it can start with the town committees. They are usually the first to recognize talent and capability. Without an established committee it is hard to scout raw talent. It is a system of a candidate committing themselves to the Republican party and being recognized. It certainly helps to be qualified to hold office and to establish a resume of leadership. That way, we are not selling a swine in a sack. We have had some great candidates of late, however, Republican voter turn out has not been great. I think we need involvement, this blog is a "Welcome, come on in." We are a political action committee and our financial resources are limited at this time. It will not always be that way with our committed staff of workers. As our resources improve so will our financial sponsorship. With involvement and committment comes success.
ReplyDeleteYou would be a good candidate, are you ready?
Myself, I would embrace any potential Republican candidate to join us. Public recognition of a candidate, enhances electability, the earlier the better. Yes, Jack Fitzpatrick, Syl Conte, Peter Webber and many more were all great Republicans. They were well known and publicly accepted. Of course, the era was different, but I think it could be cyclical, I'm counting on it. PeterR
"You would be a good candidate, are you ready?"
ReplyDeletepeterR, thanks for the invitation. I believe that I might be a creditable candidate.
But identifying candidates is Step One, which is a squishy process at this point. I believe that the BCRA needs to have a well-defined Step One and a Two, which provides an integrated structure and process for candidates and the election/support process.
As for Step One, we have had good candidates and we have had terrific candidates appear; OUR DIFFICULTY is that we have also had terrible candidates and disastrous candidates fall out of the sky. I appreciate that everyone has the right to run for office, but the BCRA can have a major controlling influence on this. A candidate selection committee would have significant impact in the assured quality (and support) of the GOP candidate.
peterR, you have noted that "[p]ublic a recognition of a candidate, enhances electability, the earlier the better." That's absolutely correct. And that's part of Step Two, which the BCRA does not yet meaningfully address. We need to have a functional structure that supports the election process (not just during the campaign season).
It seems to me that a few things need to happen: 1. identify a person to become the BCRA's chair for the candidate committee, 2. conduct a meeting(s) of the town/city committee leaders to, among other things, provide best practices, evolve strategic/tactical plans to support various candidates (which they have in-common), and to function as a city/town committee, 3. establish an Opposition Watch committee that will accumulate *information* about the opposition candidates/opposition office holders for use by GOP candidates *and* by appropriate BCRA individuals for the purpose of supporting our candidates, advising the public about actions of a sitting office holder or actions/positions by the opposition party.
Rob Reilly (reilly@media.mit.edu)
Rob Reilly, Sir,I think this gets beyond the scope of the BCRA, we are a political action committee (PAC). If we were a functioning force of the MA-GOP, the procedure you mention, would be the correct one. We work in conjunction with, not for, the MA-GOP. This is why their Representatives Mike Case and Robin Almgren are members of the BCRA Board of Directors and attend our meetings. The MA-GOP can ask for our help. They do not have any direct control over our organization. We are a separate entity.
ReplyDeleteWe can influence people to be candidates. We can accommodate prospective candidates. We can invite town committees to attend our meetings and join our association. We cannot call a meeting as we do not have the authority to do so, nor can we delegate the authority. We do not have a governing function in the hierarchy of the GOP. Our service to the MA-GOP is at the will of our members. I was confused as well when I first joined the BCRA. I attended several seminars on town committees sponsored by the MA-GOP. There, this is discussed. They also discuss the recruiting of viable candidates as a priority.
We can approach community leaders and suggest that they form a town committee. We can align them with Case or Almgren who will meet with them and assist in the formation of town committees. We can influence through objective suggestion and that is the limit of our structure. We have and can become very effective in working with candidates for fund raisers, campaign announcements, visiting dignitaries, social events and working in liaison between the GOP Committee Members and the Town Committees. This is how I understand our function by law. As a PAC we can receive donations in any amount and use them with our discretion in almost an unlimited amount for the candidate of our choice. Individuals are restricted as to the amount of a donation. I could be wrong on this matter, if so please point that out. End of part 1
Part 2 - when one breath is not enough. We can be very instrumental in getting a candidate recognized. We can coordinate volunteer campaign workers and events, setting up a campaign committee. Actually these endeavors take up the majority of our time when we are not selling lemonade or hosting fund raisers. We need to be working like a family, I believe, a family that has common interests and objectives. The strategy of the campaign is left to the candidate's campaign committee. A large organization could do many things. Now, we do 99 percent of the work, all functions, with less than a dozen members. None of the members are paid it is all volunteer. Any additional work would fall on these working members and we have heard of the straw that broke the camel's back? We need people with ambition and the volition for good government.
ReplyDeleteWe are restricted as to some of our activities. Activity that includes working against opposing party candidates in the realm of exposing their deficiencies is the work of a 501(c) Pact, I believe, and that is not our intended function. If this were the case we would not be able to conduct the business that we do. We could not endorse specific candidates. Up until this year we did not have a MA-GOP Committee Woman, Robin, is our Tyringham Republican Town Committee treasurer. When the BCRA was attending a Tyringham meeting, they met Robin and recognized her potential and willingness to work. She was nominated and voted in. She is the first GOP Committee woman in Western MA in decades I believe.
It seems that some candidates do fall out of trees. In Massachusetts it takes a very brave person to run on a Republican Ticket. In the future we will attempt to support every person that declares candidacy as a Republican. I will ask that they submit a proposal with a candidate platform for the office they seek. I hope it will determine what service we can provide. We have the responsibility of our members and contributors resting on our shoulders.
We have many plans to be made and we need people of your caliber contributing your knowledge. It is my pleasure you are a fellow member. PeterR