JOHN’S NOTE: I received an e-mail from Daniel Peterson, President of the New York Young Republican’s Club, in response to my blog post “NY GOP: We’re Not Dead Yet.” And while I’m not running for office – that would just end in tears, most likely my mothers – he brought up some great points any Republican running for office in a “blue” state should think long and hard about.
Hi John,
A few things to note. The GOP in NY has sunk into a deep abyss, because it has failed to identify itself and distinguish itself with the voters. We need to differentiate ourselves from NY Democrats by establishing principles that define us as a 21st Century Republican. A New York Republican will be what it is when it stands for core principles that are different from what we get when we elect Democrats.
A Republican on the National, State and Local level are all different, so arguments by Limbaugh or Coulter or any other “personality” should be taken with a grain of salt. Also, radio personalities generally focus on National issues and their opinions don’t necessarily apply to the local Republican Party. We need to stay focused on the role of each local office and a good communicator will always steer their debate on the issues that are important to the office they are running for.
So if you’re running for local council or legislature, you don’t talk about the Iraq War, you talk about the war on the streets. Crime and policing. Where can we improve our protection? If you’re running for Assembly or Senate, you talk about property taxes and economic development. A republican should stand for free market principles and argue the case of how government fails the people every time it sticks its nose in the business of business.
The Republican Party was reinvented by Goldwater, clearly defined by Reagan and rejuvenated by Newt. Republicans that believe government can solve many and all issues are the RINOs. That’s where Rockefeller fails to fit into the definition of today’s GOP. That’s why John Lindsy would not be a Republican today and that’s where Bloomberg fails to be today’s GOP.
If a New Yorker is under 40 and a Republican, he or she is a Republican because of Reagan or Bush or Gingrich (maybe Giuliani), not because of Rockefeller or Bloomberg or Joe Bruno or Pataki (maybe at one time but not now after seeing his record). Unfortunately, the under-40 crowd don’t really have a home grown Republican to look up to and debate the local concerns. We need to create local leaders for the NY Republican Party now, so we can increase voter registration.
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