[UPDATE] Welcome, Instapundit readers. To save time: we need implementation of the good ideas we’ve had already more than we need new good ideas; if I have a choice between bondage-themed clubs and more of this I’d like the bondage-themed clubs, thanks; and the grassroots activists that we have now are not public utilities, and many do not like being volunteered to work.
My advice to GOP donors: Ignore ‘em, and send your money directly to candidates you like.
Moe Lane:
…Just resign yourself to the fact that doing so will limit November’s victories to candidates that can somehow manage to get your attention.
You don’t like the RNC, the NRSC, and/or the NRCC? Fine. You got something that will replace them? You have something that will allocate resources to every race, work with every candidate, keep track of the Other Side’s mistakes and pounce on them? Let me save you some time: no, you don’t. You don’t have anything that’s even close. And if there is anything that’s even close that’ll be in place in time to be a meaningful factor in November, I have not heard its name.
If you have a problem with the Republican party’s candidate selection system, join the Republican party and start doing all the boring scutwork involved with candidate selection. You’ll be amazed at how quickly you’ll be in a position to do something about your problems.
Moe Lane
PS: Please note that this reflects my personal, private opinion and nobody else’s.
While we don’t know about the media aspects of this group:
http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2010/03/31/former-gop-officials-launch-political-group/
We can fairly say that they are one group who is trying to raise money outside the RNC. And it looks like they’ll have a fair amount of success.
I have to somewhat disagree, Moe.
“You have something that will allocate resources to every race, work with every candidate, keep track of the Other Side’s mistakes and pounce on them?”
Each individual state Republican party should be doing that for the candidates in their state. And they presumably know where the money needs to be spent better than the national committee. Far better to send the money there, than to the national committee, which is going to waste a quarter of it or more in overhead.
It has been interesting watching the editorial line at Redstate, though. It’s moved from ‘not one dime’ campaigns to ‘give to them even though we know they’re going to screw us, and try to replace them later’.
I have to say that the RNC has spent a hell of a lot more than 25% on overhead. They called me the other night and I laughed and hung up. If enough people do that, maybe they will get the message. I have been contributing to folks in Pennsylvania and Nevada for several years. Here in my district, the Republicans have a safe seat. Maybe as safe as Rangels’ for the other side. What we need is a big GOP web site that tracks all the races and grades them for the chances of a pickup or a loss (not this year) and directs individuals where to contribute. That way, the bozos who visit bondage clubs will need to use their own credit card.
Mike_K: that site sounds marvelous. When will you have that ready for us?
Yeah, Join the Republican Party. Get to attend really cool mixers at bondage-themed night clubs while you rub elbows with morons such as Karl “Big Government” Rove, Newt “I dumped my wife when she had cancer so I could par-tay with Nanci Pelosi” Gingrich, and John “I’m not a Maverick but I know how to suspend my campaign when there’s a financial meltdown, wow that’ll show ’em” McCain.
Walk door to door for some manic-ambition-driven, wanna-lifelong-career in politics candidate while he’s back at the country club, diddling his neighbor’s daughter and licking the ears of rich blue hair widows.
That’s the life for me. Where do I sign up?
Paul A’Barge: here.
I’m with Moe on this one. American Crossroads at first glance appears to be run by failed moderates being moved out of the party. They also are no substitute for a political party.
“It has been interesting watching the editorial line at Redstate, though. It’s moved from ‘not one dime’ campaigns to ‘give to them even though we know they’re going to screw us, and try to replace them later’.”
Perhaps, but the fundamental point still stands, that the RNC remains our best hope for implementing the change we seek. What is lacking is our control and involvement with the RNC. They simply go where the money leads them.
To follow along with the reasoning of the Glenns (Beck and Reynolds) is to fracture and weaken the republicans even more than they are now.
Also consider contributing to organizations who take the time to search out good candidates, like the Club for Growth.
Moe, I’m sorry, I’m not convinced. But, I’m on unemployment and have VERY little to donate. I’m targeting a few candidates only. I do not approve of too much of what the RNC is and who they are supporting in various races to give my pittance to them! I do have a LOT of friends on FB who feel the same way.
The RNC may get a lot of donations but very few will be from Tea Partiers.
You mean like this one?
http://realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2010/house/2010_elections_house_map.html
HT: Vodkapundit!
Moe,
I believe that most of this backlash came from the perception that the national organizations were more interested in incompetent incumbency-retention (see Specter, Arlen G. [R-PA], circa 2004) and king-making (see Crist, Charles J. [R-FL], circa 2010) at the primary level. Even when they were not acting as king-makers (see Scozzafava, Dede [R-NY], circa 2009) the perception of being out of touch with the “little people” was still there.
At least Steele and Cornyn have enough sense this time to publicly stay out of the primaries here in CA.
“You have something that will allocate resources to every race, work with every candidate, keep track of the Other Side’s mistakes and pounce on them? Let me save you some time: no, you don’t”
And…neither do you. The RNC, the NRSC, and the NRCC are schlerotic dinosaurs who shoot themselves — and us — in the head, more often than they EFFECTIVELY do those things you mention.
So…give your time and money to useless vestigial organs like those, who will waste it and do NOTHING useful — as much as Moe would like to believe otherwise — or give your time and money to those candidates which happen to attract you attention?
I vote for the latter, because with 20M conservative activists, there will be plenty of “diversity of attraction” — the candidates and races that excite you, won’t be the same races that excite me. If you support the good guy in your race, and I in mine — times 20 million — we’ll do a lot better job than those ****wits in the DC organizations.
Bob in FL: Funny, but not once in the last dozen or so local, non-sexy House races that I’ve done stories or interviews for this cycle have I heard anything about how much national support they’re getting from the grassroots. I’ve instead heard what have been sometimes an almost pathetic gratefulness that somebody, anybody outside their immediate district has noticed them. There is no ‘diversity of attraction.’ There’s just a lot of clumping.
There are also no “20 million conservative activists:” if there were, this would be a full-time, TypePad geek blog and I’d be off writing role-playing game materials, which is what I was going to be spending my life happily doing before 9/11 intervened. 🙂
Didn’t the RNC back A. Spector(sic) against a conservative when he was still in the GOP?
The GOP is the ONLY firewall we have available in existince right now between us and the total destruction of this country. Do what you can to select the best conservatives in primaries, but don’t sit this one out and let the Democrats continue to destroy our nation. There should be one aim for every Republican, Conservative Democrat, Tea Partier, Independent, and Libertarian–kick the the jackasses out and replace them with conservative–yes, even if they be Republicans. The present politburo in D.C. must NOT be allowed to remain in control of our lives. We are in grave danger and nothing else will stop them in Congress except a majority of Republicans voting down the systematic and progressive evisceration of our nation.
“If we lose freedome here, there is no where else to run.” Ronald Wilson Reagan (paraphrase).
el diablo
For 30 years I’ve supported the Republican party as they morphed into Democrat light. No more. They are no firewall, firewalls protect you and the Republican party has given over that role in an effort to “just get along”.
They will never see another dime from me, or most of my friends. Candidates who want to save our country from statism will get my support. The RNC is done in my mind, its just another bunch of political hacks with no ethics or morals trying to grab what power they can.
The old saying is that a trustworthy politician is one that stays bought. The leadership of the Republican has not stayed bought or been faithful or acted honorably.
Cool. Let’s keep the RNC.
But let’s replace everyone in it. The people running the RNC are either traitors or morons. Either way, they have to go. Has everyone forgotten Scozafava? Or pushing John “Amnesty and Bailouts” McCain?
The RNC are the problem with the Republican Party. They gotta go. Now.
Oh I almost forgot to say, “Screw them!” I want to say something else, but this is a family blog.
One word: SCOZZAFAVA
Dandapani: so you feel that in the future the NRCC should be able to overrule the state party’s choice of candidates?
The Javelineer: Actually, no: it’s not a family blog. But it is one that will trade an amnesty for a sealed border.
Since we need to pull both partys to the right it would be nice to know which candidate in both partys (if any), the local Tea Party supports.
As Moe has said, if you want the Republican Party to change, then you have to get inside of it. Not just donate money to it. Not just help a candidate. Actually get inside of the Party to become a “card carrying member” of it so you are eligible to vote in the internal leadership elections. And in a position to evaluate the primary candidates up-close-and-personal. All that happens once you become a precinct committeeman. Precinct committeemen ARE the Party. And HALF these slots were vacant in the Party in the 2008 election cycle. Fill them up with conservatives and you’ll have 75 per cent majority conservative party rather than an ideologically split party as now.
If you want to learn how and why to DO it, go here:
http://www.theprecinctproject.wordpress.com
Thank you.
Cold Warrior
P.S. Scozzafava got the nod in NY-23 because there weren’t enough conservative PCs in NY-23.
There are no Atheists in submarines,
ans there will be no partisan politics
once the economy drops to hull-crushing
depths; Any politician not focussed on
jobs, spending cuts, and economic reform
will be hounded out of office.
The Tea Party candidates are already headed
in the Right direction; The Country-Club Pubs
are headed for home, to spend more time with
their families.
Moe says, “it’s not a family blog. But it is one that will trade an amnesty for a sealed border.”
That old, discredited saw again? Uh, Moe, Reagan tried that trade. All he got was amnesty and no border security. History shows your proposed trade is more fraud than commerce.
Get real. If Reagan couldn’t make it work, then this blog can’t either. And neither can anyone else. The RNC has got to go. Now.
The Javenlineer: Dude, I’ve been baited by better. Either go with less passive-aggressive insults, or don’t bother at all.
higgins1990: probably 2008, just before the Democrats took firm enough control of Congress to be able to triple our annual budget deficit and socialize 1/6th of the economy. Why do you ask?
Hold your nose and support the GOP? Where have we heard that before?
I will donate to Heritage foundation or Scott Wheeler~ who are behind the scenes supporting the right candidates instead of DEDE ‘s I have sent money directly to candidates all over the country. When the primarioes are over I will focus on each race.
we have to infiltrate the RNC, take it over (if its not what we want it to be). There is no other way.
You got something that will replace them?
Ummm, yeah. The various Tea Parties. They won’t do a perfect job, but neither do any of the incumbents you mention, and they’re far less corrupt and more in touch with actual voters.
Shelby: I’m sure that will be a great comfort to folks in 2012.
There are good points made here and your challenge to Glenn Reynolds is worthwhile, Moe. But what’s been missing from the side making your argument is a detailed explanation of how the RNC will contribute to a conservative victory.
And I ask that as someone who ten years ago was actively involved in GOP politics (coordinator for all precinct chairs, vp of my local committee, etc.), got burned out, and has recently become active again. I suppose I was so busy locally I never paid attention to the party structure higher up. And never heard from them except through their obnoxious and condescending fund-raising letters — those letters were all I could think of when Ted Kennedy died since he was always the favorite scare-figure.
I’m not saying you are wrong, Moe. I’m just sincerely asking that someone “in the know” step up and make the argument for the importance of the RNC. That might help me overcome the nauseous feeling I get when I think of sending them money instead of using what little money I have to support specific candidates.
I was once threatened with being banned from RedState if I criticized Michale Steele. And the threat was accompanied by personal attacks instead of solid reasoning. All that did was make me wonder if RedState was supported by the RNC. That doesn’t seem likely, but I think it was natural for me to wonder. Responding with snark with each other doesn’t build what we want.
So, is there anyone out there who can explain why the RNC is an essential organization for conservatives to support in the election cycle? And WHY that tool is inevitably more effective than applying pressure with Tea Parties, targeted funding, and local GOP involvement?
With respect,
Salt Lick: If you think that this was a banning threat, you are less aware of our site ways than you think. 🙂
As to your larger question: I’m not an insider, but the RNC’s purpose is to be obligated to be involved with Republican races. Even the ones that aren’t sexy. Even the ones where the choices may not be all that great. Even the ones where we probably don’t stand a chance. They have a staff, they have a budget, they have records, they have an organization, and they have an institutional memory. And if we throw that away, we will be beaten by our opponents, who will not throw away theirs.
It reflects lots of people’s opinions, including mine. As brilliant as Instapundit is, his suggestion was particularly boneheaded.
Shelby, Moe is right, the Tea Parties don’t have the organization or infrastructure necessary to beat the very organized, shockingly well-funded, deeply corrupt Democrat/Obama/Chicago political machine.
Conservatives need to quit bitching on the sidelines and fix the Republican party.
Moe, what about this?
The RNC is a travesty. It’s got to go.
Javelineer: you can produce as many horror stories, not-so-horror stories, not-really-horror stories at all, or whatever you like: but until you address the central point (which is that there is nothing to replace the organization that you want to replace*), don’t expect me to be moved by them.
Moe Lane
*And, no, the blogosphere will not take up the slack. We do not have the budget to take up the slack. This is one of the Pros From Dover of the Online Right (and false modesty be damned) saying that. We are at the limits of what we can do without systematic and guaranteed funding.
Moe, you can produce one delaying tactic after another, and other non sequuntur but don’t expect me to moved by your refusal to see the obvious.
The RNC is the problem. It can be fixed by replacing the people in it or by replacing the organization itself.
What can replace it? Hey, what about the Tea Party?
The Javelineer: Let us know when you have that 10 million dollar budget and sixty person staff in place that you’re going to need to get started on replacing the RNC. Until then, we’re already in the middle of an election cycle.
Oh, by the way: don’t volunteer other people to do a job that you want done. It’s… impolite. 🙂