Russian Roulette Pt 13: A Plan To Save The Party

A recent political satire article on The Babylon Bee almost nailed the current state of affairs of the Republican Party – Republican Party Checks Into Rehab For Addiction To Losing – wherein Ronna McDaniel, Chairwoman of the Republican Party, is quoted as saying:

Once we got that first taste of losing, we just couldn’t stop…Next thing you know, you have to lose even bigger just to match the thrill of that first crushing defeat. It’s a vicious cycle.

But why did I say the satirical article almost nailed the current state of affairs? Because the Party, especially the PA GOP, has failed to accept that it has an addiction for losing, which is necessary if anything is going to change.

Another recent article on the Gateway Pundit, knocked it out of the park – Fire Ronna McDaniel. Here’s Your “Model:” Study What Texas A&M and Mississippi State Football Teams Did This Past Weekend. And if you take the time to read it, you’ll realize it makes all too much sense. For those that won’t take the time, the CliffsNotes of it are that during a recent Texas A&M v. Mississippi State college football game, Texas A&M won 51-10; which, understandably, resulted in the firing of Mississippi State head coach Zach Arnett, after only 11 games at the helm, because the team was heading in the wrong direction and they needed to stop the bleeding (or, at least take action to attempt such). But what shocked many, was Texas A&M’s firing of its head coach, Jumbo Fisher, after having just entered into a $77 million 10 year contract extension. As the article declares

You read right. The coach who just won 51-10…who’s team moved to 6-4…thereby qualifying for a Bowl game…fired a winning coach with a 45-25 record at Texas A&M. That’s a winning percentage of 64%. Yet A&M was willing to bite the bullet and fire him immediately after his 51-10 win and pay him $77 million to go away. Because the people who run Texas A&M aim for the stars. 64% winners isn’t high enough for their standards. They want to go undefeated. They want to compete for the SEC championship every year. They want to win the national championship. That wasn’t happening. So, they will find a new coach who can meet their lofty expectations.

Here in Pennsylvania, the Republican State Committee would kill for a 64% success rate, as its pre-primary endorsed candidates have an abysmal success rate. And therein lies a significant part of the problem – the Party’s failure to remember what caused us to change to a direct primary system in 1860, as also eloquently explained by the PA Patriot Coalition’s letter to Chairman Tabas. Put succinctly, due to members feeling disenfranchised by the convention nomination/endorsement process and the need, for the survival of the Party, to find a process by which everyone’s voice would be heard and given equal weight, the Party adopted the direct primary process, with the understanding that if our members were provided a voice and equal say in the primary regarding the candidates, even if one’s particular candidate was not successful, we would all unify, as Republicans, in the general election.

But this is only one aspect of what is causing us to have an addiction to losing here in PA. There are a multitude of issues that need to be addressed – and addressed quickly – if we’re ever going to win again here in PA. So, how do we WIN AGAIN?

I’ve given this a lot of thought in the past two weeks, as I’ve spoken to hundreds of Republicans in the state – everyone from dozens of state committee members to Republicans that did not vote in the recent General Election, and everyone in between. I’ve spoken with Republicans who loathe the Patriot faction of the Party and those who loathe the Old Guard/Establishment faction. What’s interesting is that there is far more that unites us than divides us, but what is missing is leadership at the top, especially one who will spend whatever time necessary to unite the Party. So, again, how do we WIN AGAIN?

In my politically naive opinion, it’s quite simple but it will require transparent men and women of true virtue, who have the Party’s (not their own) best interest as their North Star and are energetic and willing to work tirelessly towards mending the fissures and uniting our Party. Sounds good, right? Is there anyone who can honestly disagree with this? Because in all the calls, texts, and emails I’ve received, this is exactly what every single Republican I spoke to wants…and they want it yesterday. But, how do we implement it?

We start by removing all current leadership and electing a new slate of non-state committee members, who will return us to our roots – the direct primary system and transparency. In this vein, the State Committee Bylaws should be immediately amended to provide a preclusion on any pre-primary endorsement of a candidate unless a minimum of 90% of state committee votes in favor through a roll call vote and that in no instance may a member of a local, county, or state GOP be reprimanded or removed for their support of another Republican in a primary election. Furthermore, the Bylaws should be amended to require a roll call vote for every single vote and that a list be compiled and made available to membership of the vote of each member.

And the new Chair and Vice Chair should immediately go on a 67 day, 67 county listening tour – a calendar of which should be publicly published in advance – to hear what those involved in the Party, as well as, the regular and non-voters, have to say regarding their frustration and issues with the Party. Meetings should immediately be scheduled to attempt to resolve issues and infighting plaguing many county GOPs, as well as, to hear from the different factions of the Party. After hearing all of the members’ concerns, the Chair and Vice Chair must formulate a cohesive plan, attempting to address all the concerns raised, and thereafter, seek to implement the plan and unite the Party.

And of course, there are other transparency-related changes that are necessary, such as allowing access to all state committee members of the Treasurer’s report, including salaries being paid to all elected and hired employees, as well as, any expenditure accounts.

And why doesn’t our Party have what I’ll coin to be a Legal Response Team or LRT, made up of pro bono attorneys, who are ready on election day for any issues that may arise? Some may be surprised to learn that in lil ole Berks County, we have a number of attorneys, who every year agree to be ready on election day for any legal issues that may arise and that they provide their services pro bono. Can you imagine if there was at least one attorney in the North East Central Caucus, who was ready to respond when the Northampton County voting machines started switching votes this past election? Or if a proper notice and command system was in place, whereby, the Party would’ve posted out on social media when the issue was first known, instead of 9 hours later, after God knows how many voters were disenfranchised of their votes?!?!

But these are far from all the changes necessary to save our Party and some will only become known by listening to all the stakeholders concerns and attempting to address them. It can be done. And don’t get me wrong, I’m acutely aware that what I am proposing is a megalithic lift. That’s why it requires men and women with integrity and energy, who will stop at nothing to save our Party. The only questions that remain are whether we’re willing to admit to our addiction for losing and if so, and real change is on the horizon, whether a slate of leaders will step up. Only time will tell….