How the GOP Should Prepare for a Comeback

By Karl Rove in the Wall Street Journal

What a difference a month makes. Since November's election, the GOP is three wins, no losses.

The first win came in Georgia, where Sen. Saxby Chambliss crushed his Democratic opponent by 15 points in a run-off election on Dec. 2. The other wins came in Louisiana congressional races on Saturday. One was in a Republican-leaning district in the state's northwest corner. Democrats outspent the GOP three to two and still lost. In the other, Republican Anh "Joseph" Cao defeated nine-term Democrat William Jefferson in a district where John McCain received 24% of the vote.


These victories have boosted Republican spirits. So has Sen. Norm Coleman maintaining a narrow lead in the Minnesota recount, leadership elections that injected new blood into the GOP congressional hierarchies, and a positive race (so far) for Republican National Committee chairman. Republican governors emerged from meeting in Miami energized, optimistic and eager for the 38 gubernatorial races in the next two years.

But many challenges lie ahead. Much of the GOP's work is away from Capitol Hill, governor's offices and party committees. In recent years, Democrats have done a much better job of tending the networks, initiatives and institutions important to political success. There are at least seven important functions, communications channels or institutions the GOP must launch or strengthen.

First, Republicans need something similar to Democracy Corps, a James Carville and Stan Greenberg creation that uses polls that are made public to help party leaders pick themes likely to resonate with voters and draw attention to the Democratic narrative on issues.

Second, while it's the responsibility of all, someone must take the lead on training candidates and party leaders and nurturing their focus on ideas. Under its founder, Newt Gingrich, GOPAC once did this. It needs to be revitalized or its original mission taken up by a fresh group.

Third, more than one out of five Americans eligible to vote is unregistered, meaning there are millions of unregistered Republicans. The RNC once used sophisticated "micro-targeting" to develop a list of 291,000 unregistered Texans who voted in the GOP primary or were registered Republicans in the state or community where they last lived. There were 1.3 million more likely Texas Republicans with no primary voting history. The GOP needs to take this nationwide. New ways must be found to encourage party organizations and independent efforts to focus on registration.

Unions and third-party groups spent $194 million on independent ads for Democrats over the past two years, giving them a five-to-two advantage over similar third-party assistance to GOP candidates. This doesn't include hundreds of millions in unreported expenditures by unions.

So fourth, GOP fund-raisers and allies must create cost-effective independent expenditure groups for House and Senate races, or Republicans will sink under the weight of negative ads, mail, calls and canvassing.

Fifth, there must be a special focus on state legislative races. Legislators elected in 2009 and 2010 will redistrict Congress and themselves in 2011. Today, there are 25 state Senates where either party's majority is smaller than 10 seats and 21 state Houses where the majority is less than 20 seats. In eight states, legislative control is divided, with one party controlling the Senate and the other the House. State parties and congressional delegations have a vital stake in recruiting, training and funding effective legislative campaigns over the next two years.

Sixth, new media require attention. Younger voters are increasingly getting their information from the Web -- twice as many 18-24 year olds get their news online than from newspapers. Political Web 1.0 was about faster and easier communications and Republicans had the advantage. Political Web 2.0 is about networking and Democrats grabbed the lead. The party that figures out where Web 3.0 goes will grab the decisive high ground in high-tech warfare.

Finally, ideas are always the most important currency of politics and never more so than after a party loses. The relationship between GOP policymakers and conservative policy thinkers should be strengthened.

It's not just conservative think tanks. There are independent scholars, academics, staff in governor's offices and state legislatures, and knowledgeable people throughout the country who can help make the party's conservative principles relevant today.

To do this effectively, candidates and party leaders must remember who they need to reach -- young voters who tilt Democratic; Hispanics and Catholics; and suburban and exurban families who were bedrock Republicans, but who have become disenchanted with both parties.

The GOP has the right principles to become the majority party again. What it must have are fresh, energetic voices who apply those principles to meeting the needs of American families. And it must put in place the infrastructure that will take that message and amplify it.

Those are challenging tasks -- but the last month has reminded us that the GOP remains formidable. The age of Obama may have begun, but so, perhaps, has the GOP comeback.

Mr. Rove is the former senior adviser and deputy chief of staff to President George W. Bush.

December 10th message from Governor Charlie Crist

Dear Friends,

Today, Floridians are one step closer to having the affordable, quality health insurance options they deserve. This morning, six insurers signed contracts with the State of Florida and became authorized to begin selling Cover Florida benefit options in less than one month. Beginning January 5, 2009, Floridians who have been looking for health coverage will have the opportunity to purchase a Cover Florida plan.

For 3.8 million uninsured Floridians, the number-one barrier to accessing health care is lack of health insurance. If you are one of these Floridians – or if you know someone who is – I encourage you to learn more about Cover Florida. If you have gone without health insurance, then you know what it means to worry that an illness or accident could run up costly doctor and hospital bills. You know what it means to not see a doctor, even when you suspect a health problem, only to find yourself in an emergency room later with a serious medical crisis and an expensive bill.

If you are uninsured, Cover Florida gives you the opportunity to take charge of your own health care by getting regular medical check-ups as well as peace of mind. Cover Florida insurers offer innovative health insurance products to Florida applicants who have been without insurance for at least six months. They are affordable, and they are guaranteed – even if you have pre-existing health conditions. If you have recently lost your employer-sponsored insurance because of job loss or another reason, you can still qualify – and you can take your coverage with you if you change jobs.

All Cover Florida benefit plan options include a robust set of benefits, such as coverage for preventive services, screenings, and office visits, as well as office surgery, urgent care, prescription drugs, durable medical equipment, and diabetic supplies. The costs of plans vary, depending on your age, gender and whether you choose preventive coverage or catastrophic and hospital coverage. Typically, the Cover Florida option is considerably less expensive than the insurer’s standard insurance product.

No tax dollars are required to create the Cover Florida health insurance plans. Instead, six private insurance companies have partnered with the State of Florida to offer 25 health insurance products. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida and United Health Care will be available in all 67 Florida counties. In addition, four counties will have further options. Residents of Broward County can also choose Medica Health Plan of Florida and Total Health Choice. Miami-Dade County also will have Medica Health Plan of Florida, Total Health Choice and JMH Health Plan. Flagler and Volusia counties will have one additional carrier, Florida Health Care Plans.

I am grateful to the 2008 Legislature for their unanimous approval of the Cover Florida Health Care Access Program. If you do not have health insurance and think you may qualify, I encourage you to learn more about Cover Florida by visiting www.CoverFloridaHealthCare.com. It just might be the health insurance you have been looking for.

May God bless you and keep you healthy.

Governor Charlie Crist

Florida lawmakers considering hike in cigarette taxes

Florida is the latest state set on wringing more money out of the already overburdened smoker population as lawmakers consider a plan to raise excise taxes on cigarettes by $1 putting the cost per pack well over $5. This seems to be an issue where politicians just never learn. Despite the fact that cigarette tax hikes are unfair and historically haven’t brought in the revenue officials want so badly, Florida is about to try anyway.

A lot of legislators tend to look at cigarette tax hikes as quick cash, without looking at all the facts. For starters, cigarette taxes are regressive and burden one small portion of the population. Those with lower incomes will be shouldering much more of the tax load than those with more disposable income.

Just like almost any other tax hike, cigarette taxes harm small local businesses the most. Often, people buy their cigarettes across state lines, on the Internet, or on the black market – further draining the local economy. Convenience stores get approximately 34% of their in-store income from cigarette sales, and those profits will soon plummet.

Cigarette tax hikes aren’t a golden goose, the funds won’t be there and it’s the poorest populations and small business owners that end up bearing the brunt of these schemes.

Real growth comes from rolling back government regulations and cutting taxes, not imposing more costs. During these uncertain economic times, the last thing Florida needs is another tax.

Take Action and tell your leaders Florida needs to live within its means and not reach into smokers’ pockets for a quick fix

Dick Armey
Chairman, Freedom Works

Former RPOF Chairwoman Carole Jean Jordan endorses Jim Greer

By Michael C. Bender, Palm Beach Post

Republican Party of Florida Chairman Jim Greer received an endorsement this morning from Carole Jean Jordan, the last RPOF chairman under Gov. Jeb Bush. Jordan, who challenged Greer for his chairmanship in 2006, sent out a letter supporting the incumbent in his upcoming election against Martin County Republican Eric Miller.

Greer can add endorsements to the nods he’s received from Senate President Jeff Atwater, R-North Palm Beach, and House Speaker Ray Sansom, R-Destin.

Continue reading for the full text of the letter.

My Fellow Republicans:

I am writing to you in support of Jim Greer for re-election as Chairman of the Republican Party of Florida. Since Jim’s election he has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to building our party and providing support to our grassroots volunteers along with our County REC’s. In addition, Jim’s extensive travel throughout the state meeting with county leaders, volunteers, donors, and elected officials has enhanced our party’s influence and contributed to Republican victories statewide.

Jim’s leadership in the area of minority outreach has been recognized not only in Florida but on the national level and his fundraising abilities has also been a tremendous asset to the party.

In this challenging environment, we stemmed the tide in Florida by maintaining our strong majorities in both Chambers of the Florida Legislature, returned Congressional District 16 back to the Republican side of the aisle with Tom Rooney’s victory over incumbent Democrat Congressman Tim Mahoney and won an overwhelming majority of our local Republican races across the State.

As the Republican Party looks to the future, I believe the re-election of Chairman Greer is an important part of our state party’s continued success and I ask you to join me in supporting the re-election of Jim Greer as Chairman of the Republican Party of Florida.

Sincerely,

Carole Jean Jordan, Past Chairman, Republican Party of Florida

Commentary: Republicans must work better together in Florida

Posted on Red County and State of Sunshine

I am in a unique position to report on the development of the post-Bush Republican Party in Northwest Florida, one of the most conservative parts of the nation. There is a strong military presence here. McCain won here, with over 56,600 votes to Obama’s 23,600, despite no real monetary support($5,000) from RPOF (Republican Party of Florida) and McCain national providing much support. We were a Level 1 county in 2004 and “demoted” to a Level 2 in 2008, yet we exceed our own expectations for turnout and nearly met RPOF’s unrealistic expectations.(It turns out that the RNC was responsible for the Level 2 designation.)

Former Chairman Ted Haney, State Rep. Jimmy Patronis, GOP SCW Melissa Hagan and volunteer coordinators Teresa Eaton, Vickie Doolittle and Glenn Leirer really stepped up when the party needed them to. There was not strong support for McCain until Gov. Palin was named as the VP candidate. In the primary January 29 Mitt Romney won Bay County by a slim margin, and in the elections December 1st we elected a pretty conservative Executive Committee board.

Our new Chairman and former Vice-Chairman John Salak ran for county commissioner this summer in the GOP primary pledging to not raise taxes whatsoever and cited Barry Goldwater in his speeches. Dennis Dillenschneider was elected Vice-Chairman and will bring a lot to the table with his technological expertise. Janice Grant was re-elected Treasurer, and I was elected Secretary. The fact that I was elected as a former Ron Paul supporter exemplifies a willingness to work together with different elements of the party that is not visible in other parts of Florida and the nation.

There have been attempts to exclude Ron Paul supporters from Republican Executive Committees in Orange County and St. John’s County. The fight in Orange County was especially divisive, with Chairman Lew Oliver winning re-election with ONE vote.

There is a divide between the conservatives on the board and our FL Governor Crist and his support of controversial RPOF Chairman Jim Greer.There were members here that supported Gallagher for Governor. There is the matter as well of the Governor paying out $5 million in damages to the family of a young man who died in custody at a boot camp in Panama City before the case was decided in court. That was not popular locally and when the Governor made an appearance with Sen. McCain August 1st, he was booed.

I personally did not vote for Gallagher in the 2006 primary and was not involved at all in his campaign. I interviewed RPOF candidate Eric Miller, posted here below, and sent questions to the current Chairman, but Mr. Greer did not answer my questions. It would have been helpful to our State Committee members for him to at least respond, but his failure to acknowledge us whatsoever is discouraging.

I’m a pragmatic person by nature, and despite what your personal stereotype of the typical inflexible Ron Paul supporter may be, I am willing to work will all elements of the GOP to promote party unity. That means working with moderates like Gov. Crist and Chairman Greer. I’d like to arrange a meeting for our leadership to discuss these issues directly with them or with their staff. I understand that Florida is a diverse state. I understand that the Governor must win in more liberal South Florida, and I understand that politics is truly the art of the possible. We are not going to agree about every issue, and with no national leadership some splintering among Republicans is inevitable in the wake of our defeat at the Federal level.

There is an issue that is crucial in my opinion. We were allocated no money in our Congressional District by RPOF to assist our Congressional candidate in defeating a corrupt yet powerful incumbent Democrat, Rep. Allen Boyd, who allocated 1.2 million dollars in subsidies to his own farm. (Full disclosure: I was the Communications Director for his opponent.)

For us to move forward these issues must be addressed and not allowed to fester.

We here in Bay County deserve the respect of our State Chairman and Governor. I truly wish Gov. Crist well in his upcoming marriage, and to win in 2010 we need to work as a team. There will be an open Senate seat as well as the Governor’s re-election. Many of us were unhappy with the choice of McCain, yet we put our personal feelings aside to work as hard as possible for him. It’s called being a team player.

We have our own beliefs about how our state and nation should be governed, and we want a voice within our own party, and as the duly elected representatives of all Bay County Republicans, we deserve one.

Eric Wall named to staff of Red County

We are proud to introduce Bay County, Florida to the Red County readership. Bay County is in the heart of the Florida panhandle and this new site will be covering Bay County political issues, from a center-right perspective.

Eric Wall has been selected as editor of the Bay County site. Eric was a member of the Bay County Young Republicans and attended Florida State University. He is a veteran of the U.S. Army and has worked on a number of local and statewide political campaigns. He has experience in field operations, outreach, market research, polling, analysis, and political strategy. He was a Regional Field Coordinator for Ron Paul in 2008 and responsible for 8 counties.

Mr. Wall is an elected member of the board of the Republican Liberty Caucus of Florida. He was the Communications Director for the Mark Mulligan for U.S. Congress and currently serves as the Secretary for the Bay County Florida Republican Executive Committee. He is the creator and editor of the Bay County Republican Executive Committee blog and provides them with a presence on social networks such as Facebook and Myspace.

Red County is very happy to have Eric on the Red County team. We look forward to his insight and analysis of Bay County politics and his perspective on political issues that influence the Sunshine State.