2012 GOP Florida primary predictions

2012 Florida Primary predictions:

Mitt Romney will win the Florida primary by a significant margin.

Rick Santorum will fade after people find out what he really stands for and he fails to raise money.

Newt Gingrich will quit after Florida, then blame his supporters for his failings as a candidate. His concession speech will use inappropriate historical metaphors and be bitter and hateful.

Rick Perry will retreat to Texas after he spends all the money he raised. OOPS!

Ron Paul will surprise the establishment with a 2nd or 3rd place showing after not really campaigning in Florida that much.

Jon Huntsman does better than expected: 3%

Huntsman Using Dirty Tricks Against Ron Paul

If you thought it would be impossible for Jon Huntsman and the Establishment media to stoop any lower than they already have in their attempts to marginalize and discredit Ron Paul, you thought wrong.

Just last week, Huntsman’s campaign released a “tacky, glib ‘Twilight Zone’ attack ad in a desperate bid to steal Ron Paul voters“, in the words of Infowars.com’s Paul Joseph Watson.

Now, just days later, a ridiculous, pathetic joke of a video has been posted to YouTube entitled “John Huntsman’s Values”.   The one minute video, which was posted two days ago (Jan 4), features clips Huntsman speaking Mandarin, images of him with his adopted Chinese and Indian daughters, and Photoshopped images mixing Huntsman’s likeness with that of Mao Zedong.   (Huntsman was formerly a U.S. Ambassador to China.)  The video and images are interspersed with asinine captions questioning Huntsman’s faith and “American Values”, referencing his adopted daughters, and calling him “The Manchurian Candidate”.

An idiotic video if ever there was one, and one that would normally get virtually no attention except by people wanting to marvel at the stupidity.

Now for the rub:  The concluding caption is “American Values And Liberty… Vote Ron Paul”.  Starting to smell the stink yet?

The video was uploaded by a user called “NHLiberty4Paul” on Wednesday, January 4.  A quick look at the user’s channel page (archived here as a backup) shows that the account was created the exactly same day that the video was uploaded.  This brand new, anonymous user has, of course, zero other uploads.

Furthermore, according to the publicly-viewable stats provided by YouTube, the very first place this video was posted was Jon Huntsman’s campaign website, Jon2012.com.  This was done on November 4, the very day the video was uploaded to YouTube, and before the video had received any traffic from other sites.

Huntsman’s people then immediately came out condemning the video and calling on Ron Paul to disavow it, as though he had anything to do with it or even knew about it.  An article published on the website of the Salt Lake Tribute on January 5, the day after it was posted.

The same day, the video was posted to the front page of RedState.com, where smear artist Leon H. Wolf used it as an excuse to attack Ron Paul and his supporters.   With absolutely no proof and zero skepticism regarding who created the video, Wolf tells his readers that this video was created by “Ron Paul supporters” and provides “yet more evidence that they are mostly liberal Democrats who are mad that Obama has governed too far to the right”.   “Clearly Paul’s supporters are smarting a bit from finishing well behind a guy with no money and no campaign organization in Iowa, which was their one and only chance to win a state, and are letting their true colors show,” he added.

It was also posted to Breitbart.tv on January 5th, where, again, with zero proof or skepticism, it was attributed it to an “independent group supporting Ron Paul’s candidacy”, and was said to “illustrate some of the more fervent energy on behalf of the candidate.”

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Newt Gingrich Quotes That Disqualify Him From Ever Being President

1. “I’m not a natural leader. I’m too intellectual; I’m too abstract; I think too much.”
~Newt Gingrich, admitting that he’s an intellectual elite incapable of leading.

2. “If the Soviet empire still existed, I’d be terrified. The fact is, we can afford a fairly ignorant presidency now.”
~Newt Gingrich, saying that it’s okay for the President to be ignorant.

3. “The idea that a congressman would be tainted by accepting money from private industry or private sources is essentially a socialist argument.”
~Newt Gingrich, arguing that it’s okay for politicians to be bought and paid for.

4. “Give the park police more ammo.” ~Newt Gingrich, responding to a  reporter who asked what to do about the homeless a few days after the police shot a homeless man in front of the White House.

5.  “The problem isn’t too little money in political campaigns, but not enough.”
~Newt Gingrich on campaign finance reform.

6. “I have enormous personal ambition. I want to shift the entire planet. And I’m doing it. I am now a famous person. I represent real power.”
~Newt Gingrich, blowing his own horn.

7. “Gingrich – Primary mission, Advocate of civilization, Definer of civilization, Teacher of the rules of civilization, Leader of the civilizing forces.”
~ Newt Gingrich, blowing his own horn.
8. “The most serious, systematic revolutionary of modern times.”
~Newt Gingrich, blowing his own horn.

9. “It doesn’t matter what I do. People need to hear what I have to say. There’s no one else who can say what I can say. It doesn’t matter what I live.”
~Newt Gingrich, saying we should do as he says, regardless of what he actually does.

10. “This is one of the great tragedies of the Bush administration. The more successful they’ve been at intercepting and stopping bad guys, the less proof there is that we’re in danger…. It’s almost like they should every once in a while have allowed an attack to get through just to remind us.”
~Newt Gingrich, at a book talk in Huntington, NY, April 2008, saying that Republicans should allow terrorist attacks on American soil to remind us of the dangers in the world.

11. “Now, we don’t get rid of it in round one because we don’t think that that’s politically smart, and we don’t think that’s the right way to go through a transition. But we believe it’s going to wither on the vine because we think people are voluntarily going to leave it — voluntarily.”
~Newt Gingrich, admitting that while they won’t kill Medicare outright, Republicans will try to make it wither on the vine and die.

12. “She isn’t young enough or pretty enough to be the President’s wife.”
~Newt Gingrich, talking about his first wife after divorcing her.

13. “I read Men Who Hate Women and the Women Who Love Them and I found frightening pieces that related to…my own life.”
~Newt Gingrich, talking about his problems with women.

14. “It is tragic what we do in the poorest neighborhoods, entrapping children in child laws which are truly stupid…These schools should get rid of unionized janitors, have one master janitor, pay local students to take care of the school.”
~Newt Gingrich, advocating for an end to child labor laws so businesses can fire union workers and replace them with cheap labor.

15. “We should replace bilingual education with immersion in English so people learn the common language of the country and they learn the language of prosperity, not the language of living in a ghetto.”
~Newt Gingrich. Two years later, Gingrich unveils a new Spanish-language website, The Americano.

16. “The left-wing Democrats will represent the party of total hedonism, total exhibitionism, total bizarreness, total weirdness, and the total right to cripple innocent people in the name of letting hooligans loose.”
~Newt Gingrich, smearing Democrats when in fact it’s Republicans who want to cripple innocent people. Remember when they cheered for letting a man without health insurance die? And speaking of exhibitionism and bizarreness, have you seen the Republican Presidential field?

17. “These people are sick. They are so consumed by their own power, by a Mussolini-like ego, that their willingness to run over normal human beings and to destroy honest institutions is unending.”
~Newt Gingrich, once again smearing Democrats, but telling the complete truth about himself and the GOP. Republicans want to kill Medicare and Social Security, the EPA, and several other honest institutions that serve normal human beings. Speaking of running over normal human beings, remember when Republicans cheered for letting a man without health insurance die?

18. “I think one of the great problems we have in the Republican party is that we don’t encourage you to be nasty. We encourage you to be neat, obedient, and loyal and faithful and all those Boy Scout words.”
~Newt Gingrich, advocating for hateful rhetoric and smearing opponents with lies.

Consider Mitt Romney for President in 2012

It is time for Republicans to get serious. After flirting with just about every candidate in a large presidential field, is is time to come home to the one candidate who has the demonstrated ability to run the largest organization in the United States, the Executive Branch of the federal government; who has never been touched by the slightest taint of scandal; whose success in the private sector makes him the outsider that Republicans say they are looking for; and who has by far the best chance of beating President Obama: Mitt Romney.

The “anybody but Romney” mentality that grips many Republicans is, in my view, illogical. It led them to embrace Rick Perry, who turned out to be unable to articulate a conservative thought; Newt Gingrich, whose record is far more checkered than Romney’s; Ron Paul, whose foreign policy views–indistinguishable from those of the far left–and forays into racial intolerance make him unfit to be president; and Michele Bachmann, whom I like very much, but who is more qualified to be a rabble-rouser than a chief executive.

The knock on Romney is that he is “not a real conservative.” Well, I am sure he is not as conservative as I am. But he has a solid record of conservative accomplishment as governor of Massachusetts, and if you check out his economic plan, you will find it to be entirely Reaganite, updated for the crisis we face today. The “Romney isn’t conservative” meme is, frankly, a little weird: in December 2007, National Review endorsed him for president. Has he somehow gotten more liberal since then?

In electing a president, we are choosing someone to run the Executive Branch. A leader, to be sure, but not a speechmaker, a bomb-thrower, a quipster, a television personality or an exemplar of ideological purity. At this point in our history, the United States desperately needs a leader who understands the economy, the world of business, and, more generally, how the world works. We have had more than enough of a leader who was good at giving speeches and was ideologically pure, but who had no clue how the economy works or how the federal government can be administered without resort to graft and corruption. It is time for a president who knows what he is doing.

Romney was not my first choice in this election cycle–Tim Pawlenty was. But Pawlenty’s campaign failed to catch fire, mostly because GOP voters saw him as an “establishment” candidate; that is, perhaps, someone who won tough elections and governed successfully. Around the time Pawlenty’s campaign ended, John Thune gave serious consideration to jumping into the race. If he had done so, I would have supported him, but he didn’t. There was no real reason to think that other Republicans like Paul Ryan, Chris Christie and Marco Rubio would get into the race, and they didn’t. You can’t get elected president if you don’t run for the office, and of those who are running, Mitt Romney is the best, by a very wide margin.

If this sounds lukewarm, it isn’t meant to. Let’s itemize Romney’s virtues.

First, he is a tremendously smart, competent and hard-working person. Many people do not realize what it takes to achieve the extraordinary business success to which Romney devoted most of his adult life. We have, currently, a president who is not particularly bright, knows little of business, has no idea how to run an organization–never having done so before 2009–and would rather golf than work. Replacing this cipher with Mitt Romney, one of the most capable men of his generation, would be an almost unimaginable improvement.

Second, Romney has led an exemplary life. He is, by any ordinary measure, an exceptionally good man. Maybe you care about this, maybe you don’t. My own view is that character counts, usually in ways you can’t foresee. Moreover, to put a purely pragmatic spin on it, the Democrats have nothing on him. Sure, they can mount an anti-Mormon whispering campaign, and they will. But it is highly unlikely that bigotry alone can derail a presidential candidate, especially one as upright as Romney.

Third, Romney has exactly the expertise we need for the next four years. Our country faces an enormous economic and fiscal crisis, brought on by years of politically-motivated fecklessness. We desperately need a president who understands why economic growth occurs and how jobs are created. The Democrats know nothing but payoffs and cronyism; who gets to stay the longest aboard a sinking ship. If ever we needed a president with Mitt Romney’s skills and expertise, that time is now.

Fourth, Romney can and will, I think, beat Barack Obama. The purpose of a political party is to win elections. It would be terminally stupid for the Republican Party to nominate a candidate whose weaknesses more or less guarantee defeat when it has, readily at hand, a candidate who can win. Ideological movements are another animal entirely. The purpose of the conservative movement is to advance conservative ideals, not necessarily to win elections for a particular party. Some conservative ideologues may choose to argue for a purer candidate (although I am not sure who that would be) in service of the long-run interests of the movement. But that is not the role of the Republican Party. The goal of the Republican Party is to win in 2012.

So: I endorse Mitt Romney as the Republican nominee for president in 2012. I think he can win, and I think there is a real chance that he could be a great president. Perhaps the man and the hour will meet, as with Churchill in 1940 and Reagan in 1980. But at a bare minimum, Romney can beat Barack Obama, and will be an infinitely better president. The time has come for Republicans to coalesce behind their best candidate.

Think Twice about supporting Santorum

 “There are people who were gay and lived the gay lifestyle and aren’t anymore. I don’t know if that’s the similar situation or that’s the case for anyone that’s black. It’s a behavioral issue as opposed to a color of the skin issue, and that’s the diff for serving in the military.”~Rick Santorum, comparing homosexuality to being black.. 

“The left, unfortunately, participates in bullying more than the right does. They say they’re tolerant, and they’re anything but tolerant of people who disagree with them and support traditional values.”

~Rick Santorum, accusing the left of being bullies despite the fact that he agrees with those who want to execute gays and women who have abortions.

4. “There are no Palestinians. All the people who live in the West Bank are Israelis. There are no Palestinians. This is Israeli land.”
~Rick Santorum, falsely claiming that there are no Palestinians living on the West Bank.

5. “We executed a policy that I think was detrimental to everyone, including them, in my opinion, because sex and sexual preference should not be an issue in the military, period.”
~Rick Santorum, criticizing the repeal of DADT.

6. “I believe the earth gets warmer and I also believe the earth gets cooler. And I think history points out that it does that and that the idea that man, through the production of CO2 — which is a trace gas in the atmosphere, and the man-made part of that trace gas is itself a trace gas — is somehow responsible for climate change is, I think, just patently absurd when you consider all the other factors.”
~Rick Santorum, claiming that man-made CO2 is not responsible for climate change despite the fact that CO2 levels have doubled since the start of the Industrial Revolution.

7. “One of the things I will talk about, that no president has talked about before, is I think the dangers of contraception in this country. It’s not okay. It’s a license to do things in a sexual realm that is counter to how things are supposed to be. [Sex] is supposed to be within marriage. It’s supposed to be for purposes that are yes, conjugal…but also procreative. That’s the perfect way that a sexual union should happen…This is special and it needs to be seen as special.”
~Rick Santorum, opposing contraception and frighteningly suggesting that he would make pre-marital sex illegal.

8. “Certainly from the ⁠standpoint of a Republican, it’s a winner. Republicans will come out ahead in Pennsylvania in every election. The way Democrats win, they have two big cities with huge concentrations of voters — and then overwhelm the rest of the state. All of a sudden, a Republican can win — and would probably routinely win — all but three or four congressional districts in Pennsylvania. It would turn it from a state Democrats rely on, as part of the base, to a state that they’re gonna lose under almost any scenario.”
~Rick Santorum, supporting the Pennsylvania GOP plan to change the way electoral votes are awarded to rig the election for Republicans.

9. “You can say I’m a hater. But I would argue I’m a lover. I’m a lover of traditional families and of the right of children to have a mother and father. I would argue that the future of America hangs in the balance, because the future of the family hangs in the balance. Isn’t that the ultimate homeland security, standing up and defending marriage?”
~Rick Santorum, comparing his fight against homosexuality to the war against terror.

10. “The state has a right to do that, I have never questioned that the state has a right to do that. It is not a constitutional right, the state has the right to pass whatever statutes they have. That is the thing I have said about the activism of the Supreme Court, they are creating right, and they should be left up to the people to decide.”
~Rick Santorum, declaring that states have the right to outlaw all forms of birth control.

11. ”I don’t want to make black people’s lives better by giving them other people’s money. I want to give them the opportunity to go out and earn their money and provide for themselves and their families. The best way to do that is to get the manufacturing sector of the economy rolling.”
~Rick Santorum, saying that he has no interest in helping the African-American community.

12. “This is an issue just like 9-11. We didn’t decide we wanted to fight the war on terrorism because we wanted to. It was brought to us. And if not now, when? When the supreme courts in all the other states have succumbed to the Massachusetts version of the law?”
~Rick Santorum, comparing legalizing same-sex marriage to the September 11th terrorist attacks.

13. “Let’s look at what’s going to be taught in our schools because now we have same sex couples being the same and their sexual activity being seen as equal and being affirmed by society as heterosexual couples and their activity. So what is going to be taught to our people in health class in our schools? What is going to be taught to our children about who in our stories, even to littlechildren — what are married couples? What families look like in America? So, you are going to have in our curriculum spread throughout our curriculum worldview that is fundamentally different than what is taught in schools today? Is that not a consequence of gay marriage?”
~Rick Santorum, warning that homosexuality will indoctrinate our children in schools.

14. “I mean, you have people who don’t heed those warnings and then put people at risk as a result of not heeding those warnings. There may be a need to look at tougher penalties on those who decide to ride it out and understand that there are consequences to not leaving.”
~Rick Santorum, suggesting we punish people who don’t evacuate their homes during a natural disaster shortly after Hurricane Katrina despite the fact that the evacuation of the coast was not properly executed.

15. “The idea is that the state doesn’t have rights to limit individuals’ wants and passions. I disagree with that. I think we absolutely have rights because there are consequences to letting people live out whatever wants or passions they desire.”
~Rick Santorum, declaring that government has the right to limit people from pursuing their dreams.

16. “Watching President Obama apologize last week for America’s arrogance – before a French audience that owes its freedom to the sacrifices of Americans – helped convince me that he has a deep-seated antipathy toward American values and traditions.”
~Rick Santorum, criticizing President Obama for repairing US relations with France. And being ignorant of the fact that without the French, America wouldn’t be a free nation today.

17. “What we should be teaching are the problems and holes and I think there are legitimate problems and holes in the theory of evolution. And what we need to do is to present those fairly from a scientific point of view. And we should lay out areas in which the evidence supports evolution and the areas in the evidence that does not.”
~Rick Santorum, claiming that evolution theory isn’t accurate.

18. “Suffering, if you’re a Christian, suffering is a part of life. And it’s not a bad thing, it is an essential thing in life … There are all different ways to suffer. One way to suffer is through lack of food and shelter and there’s another way to suffer which is lack of dignity and hope and there’s all sorts of ways that people suffer and it’s not just tangible, it’s also intangible and we have to consider both.”
~Rick Santorum, saying that Americans should suffer because suffering is good.

19. “I believe that any doctor that performs an abortion, I would advocate that any doctor that performs an abortion, should be criminally charged for doing so.”
~Rick Santorum, advocating for arresting doctors that provide crucial medical services to women.

20. “I support the Ryan budget plan. I think it’s the right direction on the major points. I can’t say I’ve read all of it, but on the major thrust of what he’s doing, I support what he wants to do with Medicare, Medicaid. The only thing I would do, frankly, as I’ve said publicly many times, I think we should implement a lot of these things sooner than what he’s suggesting.”
~Rick Santorum, supporting the Paul Ryan plan to kill Medicare and Medicaid, and stating that he would end both programs right now.

21. “Yeah, remember, under the Bush administration, welfare — I mean, excuse me, poverty among African Americans and among single unmarried women, poverty was at the lowest rate ever in the history of this country. So Obama’s policies are not working, Bush polices worked! For long a time as a matter of fact.”
~Rick Santorum, falsely claiming that poverty was the lowest in history because of the Bush policies. In fact, poverty only increased.

22. “9/11 families and everybody else in America should be furious at this president that he’s walking abound taking credit for, you know, getting Osama bin Laden. He didn’t get Osama bin Laden! … The president of the United States simply said — courageous act, give him credit for saying yes — but that’s all he did, is say yes. He didn’t do the hard work. The people he’s going after did the hard work. And that is an outrage.”
~Rick Santorum, claiming that President Obama deserves no credit for the killing of Osama bin Laden and that 9/11 families should be angry because he order him killed. I’m assuming that Santorum credits Bush which is laughable.

“I don’t know where Bin Laden is. I have no idea and really don’t care. It’s not that important. It’s not our priority.”
~George W. Bush, 3/13/02

President Obama made killing bin Laden the priority and got the job done.

23. “We’ve seen with this president, experience matters. When that phone call comes at three o’clock in the morning, I will be up and ready for the call because I will know what’s going on in the world around us.”
~Rick Santorum, claiming that he has the experience necessary to be President and that Obama doesn’t. Need we remind him that Obama ordered bin Laden killed, helped Libya gain freedom, urged Mubarak to step down in Egypt, and gave the order for Navy snipers to fire on Somali pirates, thus freeing a captive American. Not to mention the emergencies President Obama has brilliantly handled at home, such as Hurricane Irene, the east coast earthquake, and the economy.

24. “The American Left hates Christendom. They hate Western civilization.”
~Rick Santorum, claiming liberals hate Western civilization despite the fact that Republicans have been tearing it apart for decades.

25. “The idea that the Crusades and the fight of Christendom against Islam is somehow an aggression on our part is absolutely anti-historical.”
~Rick Santorum, claiming Christians played no role in starting the Crusades.

26. “The most dangerous place for an African-American in this country is in the womb.”
~Rick Santorum, claiming that blacks are more threatened by abortion than they are by GOP economic policies that discriminate against them.

27. “The Social Security system, in my opinion, is a flawed design, period. But having said that, the design would work a lot better if we had stable demographic trends. We don’t have enough workers to support the retirees . . . A third of the young people in America are not in America today because of abortion.“
~Rick Santorum, blaming abortion for future Social Security shortfalls when in fact, it’s Republican anti-job policies that are to blame.

28. “I don’t want to go to a trade war, I want to beat China. I want to go to war with China and make America the most attractive place in the world to do business.”
~Rick Santorum, stating that he wants a war with China.

29. “I think we should send a very clear message that if you are scientist from Russia or North Korea or from Iran, and you are going to work on a nuclear program to develop a nuclear bomb for Iran, you are not safe.”
~Rick Santorum, stating his intentions to kill Russian, North Korean, and Iranian citizens which would be an act of war.

30. “I would be saying to the Iranians, you either open those facilities, begin to dismantle them and make them available to inspectors or we will degrade those facilities though air strikes. And make it very public that we are doing that. Iran would not get a nuclear weapon under my watch.”
~Rick Santorum, threatening war with Iran.

31. “Almost 60,000 average Americans had the courage to go out and charge those beaches on Normandy, to drop out of airplanes who knows where, and take on the battle for freedom. Average Americans, the very Americans that our government now, and this president, does not trust to make a decision on your health care plan. Those Americans risked everything so they could make that decision on their health care plan.”
~Rick Santorum, falsely claiming that WW2 veterans fought for the privatization of health care on D-Day, apparently oblivious to the fact that military health care is government run and a majority of WW2 veterans are currently using and enjoying Medicare.

My last post as Vice-Chairman

The time has come for me to move on. I have decided to officially resign as the Vice-Chairman as well as my other position, Technology Committee Chairman, of the Bay County, Florida Republican Executive Committee. This is purely for personal reasons. There was no pressure for me to resign.
It's time to begin the next chapter in my life, and that includes blogging more on my personal blog, Eric Wall. I will continue to comment on US and Florida politics as well as some of my other passions which include music, NASCAR, NFL, NBA, baseball as well as whatever else interests me. So I hope I interest you enough to follow me on Twitter as well, @E_Wall

I've met a lot of great people along the way, people that genuinely care about the future of this great nation, and I wish you all the best of luck.

Eric Wall
former BCREC blog editor, REC Secretary 2009-2011, Bay Co. Co-Chair, Marco Rubio 2010, REC Vice-Chairman, 2011

"Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail." -- Ralph Waldo Emerson

An Important Update

"This blog has never been recognized, let alone approved by the Bay Co. REC board or the membership. I have therefore removed the official logo and changed the name of the blog to reflect its "unofficial" status. From now on this blog will remain unofficial due to regulations stemming from the new RPOF Code of Conduct."


Eric Wall
Editor

EXCLUSIVE interview with RPOF Chairman candidate Dave Bitner

1. Why did you decide to seek the office of RPOF Chairman?

I care deeply about this party and this state.  We need strong Republican leaders now more than ever.  After thinking about the challenges our party is going to face in the next few years – the RNC Convention, a must-win Presidential Election, and battling against all the special-interest money President Obama can find –I realized the stakes are too high for me to sit this one out on the sidelines.  We can set ourselves up for a Renaissance—a rebirth—by choosing experienced leaders with fresh ideas, or we can set ourselves up for failure with infighting. I strongly believe that I am the person who can launch an aggressive fundraising program and more effectively use technology to cut down on costs and better communicate with voters.  I believe that I am the person who can represent our Party with a public image that is statesmanlike but not elitist; experienced but not afraid of fresh ideas.   

2. What political experience do you bring to the table?

I think my experience as a small business owner—making payroll, managing employees, etc.—is just as important as my political background. In fact, building a business from the ground up showed me firsthand the need to cut government red tape and fight for lower taxes on small businesses and families. In 1992, I was elected to HD 71 (Charlotte, Lee, Sarasota Counties).  I served eight years in the Florida Legislature and never asked for one earmark, returning taxpayer dollars to the state from my office every quarter. I am proud of the reputation I earned as a hard-working, common-sense conservative. I am also proud to have helped the party gain the majority in the Florida House under Speakers Webster and Thrasher, then under Governor Jeb Bush.

I started as a precinct committeeman and currently serve as a state committeeman for Jefferson County.  My wife Wendy and I have walked door-to-door for hundreds of state and local Republican candidates over the last 18 years, from Pensacola to Key West.  We have redistricting coming up.  I’ve been around the block and know the complex redistricting process in and out. We’ll need an advocate to ensure that the local Republican leaders are heard.

 

3. Raising money is one of the primary duties of the RPOF Chairman. How do you plan to do that in such a tough economy? 

 

That’s a great question, because we can’t implement any of the technology improvements or new GOTV ideas if we don’t have any money in the bank.  I will do this by launching an aggressive fundraising effort and handling the Party’s finances with transparency and openness.  I won’t stand for backroom deals or frivolous spending.  Every dollar we spend should be to get Republicans elected.  I am a businessman and have successfully run businesses all my life, so I am confident that I will exceed fundraising goals and ensure that the RPOF is one of the most competitive and successful parties in the nation.  I will work to bring in new donors via traditional outreach, and implement innovative, cost-effective online fundraising efforts.  One example of how we can enhance fundraising is to increase federal fundraising for GOTV efforts. Refilling our coffers with federal dollars will be critical.  If other state and local parties have launched new fundraising efforts with success, I will ensure that the RPOF is ready to take advantage of what they are doing to benefit Florida Republicans.

 

4. How do you feel about RPOF's online presence? What would you improve? 

 

There has been a lot of talk about technology and how it can be used to give our party the edge. I think it is important to look at what successful candidates like Marco Rubio and Dan Webster have done and integrate their successes to improve our party’s communications, fundraising, voter contact and Election Day operations. We will establish an up-to-date contact database for RECs and grassroots Republicans to utilize, and we’ll assist with things like voter verification and targeting. 

We’ll use technology such as social networking and online fundraising to not only reach out to more voters in but to also cut costs and save money. It is critical that we hire professional staff who understand how to leverage online/web-based technology and use it to achieve solid results.  I won’t stand for bells and whistles that don’t advance the RPOF’s election day goals.  We won’t hold resources hostage in Tallahassee.  If we have new online tools, they should be available for campaigns at every level.  We can better utilize technology include providing access to an up-to-date contact database, and assisting with voter verification

5. What are your feelings regarding the Jim Greer situation? Are there any reforms you would institute to make sure this does not ever happen again?

 

Two words:  Transparency and principle.  If I am elected Chairman, we will enact professional standards and internal safeguards against frivolous spending and out-of-control vendor contracts.  While leadership experience within the GOP structure can be a positive quality, in the campaign for the next Chair, I think it is important to bring in someone with no significant ties to the Jim Greer administration. It is time to start anew, with a fresh slate. 

6. Do you have any interest in an official RPOF platform or a State Convention in the future? 

 

I think Presidency V, along with a Straw Poll and a Republican Presidential campaign, is a tradition that we should maintain and be proud of.  This event not only draws grassroots Republicans from across the state, but media from across the country.  If this event is managed appropriately, it brings in revenue and solidifies Florida’s one-of-a-kind, battleground state status.

7. What is your relationship with Governor-elect Rick Scott? Did you support him during the primary?

 

I have known Gov-elect Scott for about 16 years. I am proud to have supported him from Day 1 of his campaign. I first met Gov-elect Scott in 1994 when we had an occasion to discuss local legislation. We both believe that many answers to our problems are found in the private sector, not growing a bigger government. I look forward to working closely with the Governor if I am elected Chairman of the party.

 

8. What is your relationship with the Tea Party leadership in your area? Have you been able to encourage them to join your county REC?

As a small county, Jefferson County does not have a Tea Party…but across Florida, I know that Tea Party members have been speaking out against big government, higher taxes, and skyrocketing national debt.  These are also Republican ideals. I think the RPOF should actively create opportunities to encourage these politically-engaged citizens to join our counties’ RECs and get them involved in Republican campaigns and causes. 

9. Do you intend to travel and meet with county RECs across the state during your term as Chairman? Will you be accessible to the rank-and-file?

 

If I am elected Chairman, I intend to spend a majority of time outside of Tallahassee, meeting with RECs and the volunteers that make our party as successful as it is today.  Wendy and I have spent so much time driving across the state visiting with Party members, and we have learned that talking face-to-face with folks is invaluable.  A willingness to sit back and listen is one of the most important qualities a chairman can have.  Traveling the state in an efficient, cost-effective manner will enable me to discuss RECs’ concerns, share ideas, and ensure that our local parties have the resources they need to remain competitive.  As I have throughout the chairman’s race, I will continue to make my cell phone number and email address available to everyone.

10. If it was up to you, what day would Florida hold its 2012 Presidential preference primary?

 

This is an important issue to grassroots Republicans and our elected Republicans.  I will listen to members of the Party’s leadership to weigh the benefits of adopting an early primary against the prospect of losing half of our delegates. Florida will play a key role in deciding our Republican nominee, and I do not want to see our state unnecessarily penalized for holding an early primary.  I am in favor of holding a straw poll in November if this party supports the idea.  Above all else, we will work with RECs and Party leaders to position the RPOF so that we possess national influence in the Republican nomination contest.

11. Finally, are there any other changes you would make to RPOF as it stands as an organization today? 

 

If I am elected Chairman, I would do a top-to-bottom review of the staffing and infrastructure at the RPOF as it stands currently to weed out duplication and ensure that we are running a professional, cost-effective, and state-of-the-art political party. I bring a degree of separation from the outgoing administration that I think will be both helpful and refreshing.  I will surround myself with experts in different subject areas—fundraising, GOTV/grassroots, and communications and appoint a Chief Information Officer.  I will also immediately undertake a comprehensive review of vendors and consultants and an inventory of resources at the RPOF to ensure we have our affairs in order before beginning to clean house where appropriate.

Bay County Republican Roundtable Report, November 2010

Congressman-elect Southerland to address Nov. 9 meeting
     Steve Southerland, elected on November 2 to the U.S. House of Representatives, will be the featured speaker at the November 9 meeting of the Roundtable.  Southerland scored a historic victory over entrenched Democrat "Blue Dog" Allen Boyd, whose support of the Obama-Pelosi-Reid liberal agenda paved the way for a true conservative to reclaim a congressional seat for the people of Florida's District 2.
     Southerland announced his candidacy for Congress at a Roundtable meeting last fall.  We welcome him back not just to complete the circle but to share his hopes for America and his plans for helping the Republican congressional leadership stop the stampede to socialism.  
Meeting and dinner reservations info
     The Roundtable meets at the St. Andrew Bay Yacht Club, 218 Bunkers Cove Rd., in Panama City.  A dinner buffet begins at 6:00 p.m. and costs $15.00 per person, including tax, tip and non-alcoholic beverage.  Reservations are necessary so that the Yacht Club staff can plan for adequate food and seating. 
     To make your dinner reservations, please contact Melissa Thompson at 527-7384 or Melissa@efileamerica.com.  A short business meeting will begin at 6:45 p.m., and the program will begin at 7:00 p.m.  Bring a guest and your opinion!
Roundtable membership
     If you'd like to renew your Roundtable membership or become a new member, please make your check payable to BCRR and mail it to the club's treasurer:  Melissa Thompson, P.O. Box 15044, Panama City, FL 32406.  Or you may simply turn in your dues at the November 9 meeting.  All new and renewed memberships after September 1 are applied to 2011.  Thank you for your support!
Subscribe to Roundtable newsletter   
     Simply click this link:  http://republicanroundtable.com/subscribe.html

 

.
Panhandle Federated Republican Women
     The Panhandle Federated Republican Women will meet on Wednesday, November 10, at the Golden Corral on 23^rd Street in Panama City.  A lunch buffet begins at 11:00 a.m. and costs $10.00 per person.  The meeting begins at 12 noon. 
     The program for this meeting is the club's annual auction to raise funds for its many community service projects, including thousands of dictionaries it has donated every year since 2002 to Bay County's third graders.
     Members and guests are invited to bring home-baked goods, as well as new and used items (in good condition) from home, for the auction.  Auctioneer Betty Malin will be wearing her Minnie Pearl hat (with price tag) and pressing for those high bids.  
     For more information, contact President Lorraine Odom at 850-630-5678 or lorraineodom@marykay.com or.
Bay County Republican Executive Committee
     The Bay County Republican Executive Committee (BCREC) will not meet in November.  Its officer election meeting will be held on Monday, December 6, at 6 p.m. in the School Board meeting room at 1311 Balboa Ave.   
     The BCREC's Christmas party is scheduled for Friday, December 10, at the Edgewater Beach Resort.  More details coming soon.  Mark your calendar and plan to celebrate the General Election victories with friends and fellow Republicans!
     For more information, contact BCREC Chairman John Salak at 850-276-2872 or john.salak@L-3Com.com.
Many thanks to Republican volunteers!!!
     You did it!  You helped the Republican Party reclaim the U.S. House of Representatives, narrow the gap in the U.S. Senate, and make huge gains in governors' seats and state legislatures across the country.  You ROCK!
     A special thank-you goes to Bay County Republican Party Headquarters Manager Glen Leirer, who kept HQ staffed and hope alive during the Primary and General Election campaigns this year.  Once again, Glen is talking about retiring.  (See you at the planning meeting to unseat Florida Senator Bill Nelson, Glen.)

Bay County Republican Roundtable news, October 2010

October 2010

October 12 meeting to feature open discussion
     Representatives from the Scott, Southerland and Rubio campaigns will be on hand at the October 12 meeting to lead discussions about the upcoming General Election.  Sharing information about their respective campaigns' strategies for victory will be Bo Rivard, representing Rick Scott for Governor; Matt McCollough, from the Steve Southerland for U.S. House of Representatives campaign; and Melissa Hagan, for Marco Rubio for the U.S. Senate.
     John Salak, Chairman of the Bay County Republican Executive Committee, will follow up with information about how the local party is helping the entire Republican slate achieve victory on November 2.  If you want to play an active role in making 2010 a transformational election year, the October 12 meeting of the Roundtable will be a great place to start!
Meeting and dinner reservations info
     The Roundtable meets at the St. Andrew Bay Yacht Club, 218 Bunkers Cove Rd., in Panama City.  A dinner buffet begins at 6:00 p.m. and costs $15.00 per person, including tax, tip and non-alcoholic beverage.  Reservations are necessary so that the Yacht Club staff can plan for adequate food and seating. 
     To make your dinner reservations, please contact Melissa Thompson at 527-7384 or Melissa@efileamerica.com.  A short business meeting will begin at 6:45 p.m., and the program will begin at 7:00 p.m.  Bring a guest and your opinion!
LWV Forum on WJHG-TV
     The League of Women Voters' General Election Forum will be telecast on WJHG-TV on the evening of Tuesday, October 12, from the Holley building on the FSU-PC campus.  The telecast will run from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. and will cover races for the State Legislature, School Board, County Commission and U.S. House (in that order).  The public is invited to attend, and campaign t-shirts are permissible.  No campaign signs.
     This forum overlaps with the Roundtable's regular meeting in October.  Adjustments will be made to our usual meeting format so that our members and guests who are also working for campaigns may attend and enjoy both events.
Candidate soapbox at every meeting
     All Republican candidates are invited to take to the candidate soapbox for three minutes at every Roundtable meeting.  This is a great opportunity for candidates to get out their message and interface with voters.  Candidates, remember to bring your campaign stuff!
Roundtable membership
       If you would like to renew your membership or become a new member, please make your check payable to BCRR and mail it to the Roundtable's treasurer:  Melissa Thompson, P.O. Box 15044, Panama City, FL 32406.  Or you may simply turn in your dues at the October 12 meeting.  All new and renewed memberships after September 1 are applied to 2011.  Thank you for your support!
Subscribe to Roundtable newsletter   
     Simply click this link:  http://republicanroundtable.com/subscribe.html

 

.
Panhandle Federated Republican Women
     The Panhandle Federated Republican Women will meet on Wednesday, October 13, at the Golden Corral on 23^rd Street in Panama City.  The lunch buffet begins at 11:00 a.m. and costs $10.00 per person.  The meeting begins at 12 noon.  For more information, contact President Lorraine Odom at lorraineodom@marykay.com or 850-630-5678.
Bay County Republican Executive Committee
     The Bay County Republican Executive Committee (BCREC) will meet on Monday, October 25, at 6 p.m. in the School Board meeting room at 1311 Balboa Ave.  For more information, contact BCREC Chairman John Salak at 850-276-2872 or john.salak@L-3Com.com.
Republican HQ needs volunteers
     If you'd like to help staff the Republican Party's headquarters (1607 Lisenby Avenue in Panama City) during the election season, please contact HQ Manager Glen Leirer at 276-2168 or geleirer32@comcast.net.  The number at HQ is 763-8656.

. . . . .

For more information about the Bay County Republican Roundtable,

contact Vicki Doolittle, President, at 319-0105 or doolittlg@comcast.net.

Other Roundtable officers are:

Richard Plantec, 1^st Vice President, Programs Chair

Sue Bynum, 2^nd Vice President, Events Chair

James Waterstradt, Secretary

Melissa Thompson, Treasurer

. . . . .

Teresa Eaton, Newsletter Editor

Republican Roundtable news--September 2010

Vicki Doolittle, President

September 2010

WKGC producer to speak at September 14 meeting

     Tom Hoots, producer of WKGC’s Somewhere in the Middle, will speak at the September 14 meeting of the Roundtable about his interest in and subsequent research into environmental issues.  He will try to help us understand how America’s long debate about the environment got us to where we now are in that often heated conversation.

     Tom is co-owner and chief engineer at Studio 812 in Lynn Haven, as well as part owner and design engineer at Sunelectro LLC.  In addition to producing Somewhere in the Middle, he produces and sometimes hosts WKGC’s Emerald Coast Studio.  In his spare time, he’s an instructor of an electric vehicle design and build class at Gulf Coast Community College.  He also serves as a volunteer instructor at the college for various classes in music production technology.

     Editor’s note:  This program will be a nice change of pace from politics.  That’s our story, and we’re sticking with it.  J 

Meeting and dinner reservations info

     The Roundtable meets at the St. Andrew Bay Yacht Club, 218 Bunkers Cove Rd., in Panama City.  A dinner buffet begins at 6:00 p.m. and costs $15.00 per person, including tax, tip and non-alcoholic beverage.  Reservations are necessary so that the Yacht Club staff can plan for adequate food and seating.  To make your dinner reservations, please contact Melissa Thompson at Melissa@efileamerica.com or 527-7384.  A short business meeting will begin at 6:45 p.m., and the program will begin at 7:00 p.m.  Bring a guest and your opinion!

Congratulations to Primary Election winners!

     Marco Rubio – Republican Primary, U.S. Senate

     Steve Southerland – Republican Primary, U.S. House, FL Congressional District 2

     Rick Scott – Republican Primary, Florida Governor

     Pam Bondi – Republican Primary, Florida Attorney General

     Adam Putnam – Republican Primary, Florida Commissioner of Agriculture

     Greg Evers – Republican Primary, Florida Senate, District 2

     Jimmy Patronis – Republican Primary, Florida House, District 6

     Marti Coley – Republican Primary, Florida House, District 7

     Pete Mallory – 14^th Circuit Judge, Group 2

     Guy Tunnell – Republican Primary, County Commission, District 4

     Joe Wayne Walker – School Board, District 1

     Steve Moss and Jim Barr – runoff, School Board, District 5

     Great job, candidates and campaign volunteers!  You ROCK!

Candidate soapbox at every meeting

     All Republican candidates are invited to take to the candidate soapbox for three minutes at every Roundtable meeting.  This is a great opportunity for candidates to get out their message and interface with voters.  Candidates, remember to bring your campaign stuff!

Roundtable membership

       If you would like to renew your membership or become a new member, please make your check payable to BCRR and mail it to the Roundtable’s treasurer:  Melissa Thompson, P.O. Box 15044, Panama City, FL 32406.  Or you may simply turn in your dues at the September 14 meeting.  All new and renewed memberships after September 1 will be applied to 2011.  Thank you for your support!

Subscribe to Roundtable newsletter   

     Simply click this link:  http://republicanroundtable.com/subscribe.html.

Panhandle Federated Republican Women

     The Panhandle Federated Republican Women will meet on Wednesday, October 13, at the Golden Corral on 23^rd Street in Panama City.  The lunch buffet begins at 11:00 a.m. and costs $10.00 per person.  The meeting begins at 12 noon.  For more information, contact President Lorraine Odom at lorraineodom@marykay.com or 850-630-5678.

Bay County Republican Executive Committee

     The Bay County Republican Executive Committee (BCREC) will meet on Monday, September 27, at 6 p.m. in the School Board meeting room at 1311 Balboa Ave.  For more information, contact BCREC Chairman John Salak at 850-276-2872 or john.salak@L-3Com.com.

Republican HQ needs volunteers

     If you’d like to help staff the Republican Party’s headquarters during the election season, please contact HQ Manager Glen Leirer at geleirer32@comcast.net or 276-2168.  The number at HQ is 763-8656.

. . . . .

For more information about the Bay County Republican Roundtable,

contact Vicki Doolittle, President, at 319-0105 or doolittlg@comcast.net.

Other Roundtable officers are:

Richard Plantec, 1^st Vice President, Programs Chair

Sue Bynum, 2^nd Vice President, Events Chair

James Waterstradt, Secretary

Melissa Thompson, Treasurer

. . . . .

Teresa Eaton, Newsletter Editor

. . . . .

“Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty.” 

John Philpot Curran, Dublin, 1808