I have been involved in Republican politics since 1990. During that time, I have seen the gradual, but unmistakable decline of our quality of life, as a result of Democrat control.
The only antidote to this cancerous creep is a strong and effective Republican Party. A Republican Party that doesn’t just comment from the sidelines, but one that gets principled Republicans elected. Sadly, for the last 2 decades our party’s leaders have failed.
Don’t you want better?
In my experience, in organizations there are two types of leaders. Those that step up to get things done and those who step up to get a title and feel important.
Today, our party is run by the latter. They brag about their importance and pretend that the crumbs they get from the RNC are indications of how much they are valued. They attack anyone who questions them. They have relegated openness and honesty to the trash as they manipulate meetings, votes, procedures and elections, and spread false rumors about anyone they consider a threat. Their grasp on their titles and their imagined importance is holding back our party.
Then, there are the doers. They join because they want to make a difference. They look at the challenges and work to build an effective response. They challenge the status quo, because they know that the only way to change the future is by changing the present. They expect leaders to work to strengthen the fundamentals, not puff their chest and declare that everything is wonderful when an honest appraisal shows the opposite.
This last election was a red wave. They are rare. But our party was not able to capitalize on it.
Our current leaders fielded candidates in only 32% of the races. That meant that 68% of the Democrats didn’t have to do anything to win. The Speaker didn’t have to give them money or volunteers. He didn’t even have to think about them!
That meant he was able to throw everything he had against our candidates.
Our Republicans were on their own. The RIGOP gave them no money and no volunteers. There was no election infrastructure; no professionals to help them with their palm cards, signs and lit drops. There was no GOTV effort to help them and our leaders failed to even show up at the Board of Elections to monitor ballot counting or submit complaints.
The result – we lost a valuable Republican Senator, Anthony Deluca, by 65 votes. Justin Price lost his race in a reliably Republican district and candidates up and down the ballot suffered in a climate that favored Republicans and in towns where they should have had an edge.
That is a dismal performance! It is inexcusable.
Somehow our leaders are now packaging this as a win. It’s absolutely deceitful. Their bravado and ego belie the truth. Republican representation in the General Assembly is flat, no gains. We had 15 before the election, and we have 15 now. Without growing Republican representation in the Statehouse, we have no ability to effect change. THAT’S NOT GOOD ENOUGH!
Our leaders seem more interested in hobnobbing with RNC leaders than in doing the hard work of building a political organization here. They are happy to take the crumbs, because that absolves them of having to do anything. But a net $80,000 from the RNC only covers the rent, utilities and their travel to RNC meetings. It doesn’t build the election infrastructure our candidates need. Tucking the $29,000 from RI donors in the federal account protects the Chairman from having to worry about doing any fundraising this year, but in an election year that money should have been used for candidates.
It can’t have skipped your attention that the Chairman and his slate have worked harder on their own elections, than they ever worked to help our candidates. Clearly, they know what needs to be done, but are only willing to do it for themselves. THAT’S NOT GOOD ENOUGH!
I am asking you to embrace a better way forward. Jessica Drew-Day is a worker! For this past election, she raised money, not only for her own campaign and town committee, but she also raised $10,000 that she shared with 11 other candidates. If Chairman Powers had supported her efforts, it is likely that $30,000 – $40,000 would have been available. His ego stopped him.
Jessica recruited and filled all the races in her town. She supported them with everything she could, with training, advice and volunteers. If the State Party had developed complementary efforts, the final results would undoubtedly have been better. That’s true across the state.
She went to the Board of Elections with volunteers and did her best to monitor the mail-in ballots. She filed a complaint and fought for Republicans. She fought without the help of the RIGOP.
If you want to be a winning party, you have to have leaders who make winning, not talking a priority.
The RIGOP can be a winning party. Jessica Drew-Day will be the leader we need. I will help her, and I invite you to join us.
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