We now have no GOP officeholder on the statewide level (and had fewer statewide candidates than the Green-Rainbow party – which wasn’t even a formal party before the election and I don’t believe will become one now because Grace Ross garnered only 2% of the vote instead of the necessary 3%). [NOTE (by David): I assume that Jill Stein’s 18% in the Secretary of State race and James O’Keefe’s 16% in the Treasurer’s race would suffice, no?]
We got manhandled in the Legislature, losing 1 senate seat (down to 5) and 2 house seats (down to 19). Even long-time rep Susan Pope (13th Middlesex) was shown the door. On the South Shore, by the Grace of God we were able to hold onto Bob Hedlund’s senate seat and two close house seats (Webster and Williams Gifford). Luckily, none of the incumbent GOP DA’s had Dem challengers, or we might have lost them as well.
Among the GOP disasters was my race against Lynch – where we got absolutely killed. Our strategy for victory was to carry our hometown of Brockton, get our fair share in the normally GOP-leaning suburbs, and keep Lynch’s Boston margin to no more than 2:1. Well, needless to say we didn’t even come close. Once we found out that we had lost Brockton by 3:1 (we knew that even before the Globe and AP because we had observers at city hall), we immediately threw in the towel, conceded, and hunkered down for a disastrous night in MA and across the nation for the GOP. (We lost Boston by 9:1).
So what’s next for the Mass GOP?
First, we need new party leadership. Although current Mass GOP chairman Darrell Crate is a nice guy and tried his hardest, he and his team are now 0-for-2 (remember the ’04 GOP legislative disaster where we also lost seats?) He and his team should follow the lead of RNC chairman Ken Mehlman and offer their resignations en masse before the end of the year.
Second, we need to recruit a new leadership team, preferably folks from outside of Massachusetts who have experience in party-building.
Third, we need to strip the Mass GOP of the social and cultural conservatism better suited for the party’s stronghold in the West and South (and which Gov. Romney is now embracing for his presidential run). We need to return to being Rockefeller Republicans – and a good start is agreeing to kill, once and for all, the Con-Con on gay marriage. We all have much bigger fish to fry. In fact, if the GOP legislative leadership were to announce before the end of the year that they do not oppose killing the amendment, that would send a fresh new signal to the electorate that the Mass GOP isn’t to be confused with the segment of the party whose heads are Marilyn Musgrave and Tom Tancredo.
Fourth, the new GOP leadership team must focus on recruiting challengers for (a) key municipal elections in ’07 and (b) the ’08 legislative races. If Kerry’s senate seat opens up, then the GOP should focus on running strong races in the subsequently open house races as house incumbents seek to move up – although with his newly-found kingly power as chair of the House Financial Services Committee, Barney Frank won’t be among them.
Finally, we have to determine what we stand for and communicate that to the electorate. Healey’s overall message, while strong, got lost in the crime/rape contretemps.
While I obviously wish the incoming Patrick Administration the best, one-party rule on Beacon Hill is just as problematic as one-party rule on Capitol Hill. Herein, I believe, lies salvation for the Mass GOP.
So, as I prepare to partake in a real Veteran’s Day celebration here in the GOP stronghold of southwest FL (where GOP congressmen win over Dem challengers by the same margins as Dems win in MA), short of moving to FL and running, I’ll return to MA with a new-found sense of purpose to focus on rebuilding the Mass GOP on the South Shore and across the Commonwealth. Happy Veteran’s Day and happy 231st birthday to the U.S. Marine Corps!
Actually, they do now have status. IIRC, all that is needed is for a statewide candidate to garner more than 5%, and Jill Stein and James O’Keefe garned 18 and 16 percent, respectively. Of course, I don’t see any real chance of them having winning chances anytime soon without something like IRV.
As I’ve said elsewhere on BMG, I hope that the Massachusetts Republican Party can succeed with a strategy like you describe. Obviously I prefer that the Democrats (as long as we’re stuck with a two-party system, anyway) retain control of at least one branch of the government, because I think the Democratic positions are more often correct. However, everyone who talks about the dangers of one-party rule is absolutely right (they were just wrong when they claimed that a token Republican in the Governor’s office, overruled at every turn by an antagonistic legislature, wasn’t one-party rule). If the Republican party in this state can keep itself a bit separate from the socially regressive national Republican party, and make a real effort to run candidates who appeal to voters, and who hold positions voters agree with — and it’s going to have to start small, because we can all see where sixteen years of a figurehead and no infrastructure got you — then we might get to see some real debate and some real choice. That’s good for everyone.
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2. Get the National Republican Convention here for 2008. That really brought us a ton of economic stimulus in 2004 when the DNC, oh, wait. Never mind. At least it really gave Kerry a big bump, um, oh. Forget I said anything.
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3. Couldn’t agree more on the need for fresh blood from outside MA. I hear that Rick Santorum is mulling offers. Or really make a splash: Ned Lamont! He’s mastered how to ride the netroots to victory.
Forget Boston, Texas (though you will likely find many more Republicans there) — go for the fountainhead itself — Boston, Lincolnshire, England
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Their MP is a Conservative, and they’re already twinned with Boston, MA, so you might be able to sneak their mail around.
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Best of all, it has a population of 35,124. If you can get Katherine Harris to count the votes (I understand that she will have a lot of time on her hands come January), that could wind up being 40,000 more GOP votes.
South Boston, VA
in New Boston and West New Boston, major urbanized areas within the town of Sandisfield (north of Rooster Town and east of Montville).
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Caveat: Ralph Nader’s family had a restaurant in Sandisfield years ago, so the Greens have some “favorite son” appeal to local voters.
If Jack E. Robinson is the best the Republicans can do for a candidate for Congress, is it any wonder the party is moribund? His escapades during his previous attempts to run for office should be enough to relegate him to the dust heap, even for this Republican party. Doesn’t anyone remember his traffic accident in Jamaica Plains while conducting an interview during his first attempt. Then, there’s the sexual harassment incident from the same era. The party should be running away from him, not nominating him.
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Now, thinking about the quality of the Robinson candidacy, think about the ‘Larry, Darrell, and Darrell’ candidates that Romney put up a couple of years ago. They were so bad that he actually lost more seats. If the party is weak, they have nobody to blame but themselves.
Everyone knows traffic accidents are a death knell for any politician that wishes to be taken seriously.
http://kennedy.senat…
Jack stay in florida permanently.
Well, first off it is pretty funny seeing a GOP candidate come to the most prominent liberal blog in the Commonwealth and lay out a plan to revive the MA Republican Party. Can’t say that you’ll find a whole lot of support here for that.
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I will nevertheless offer one piece of advice to the Republicans — without question, you have to drop any vestiges of a reactionary stance on social issues. Republicans will always have an opening on taxes and spending (especially if the Dems overreach in the next two years), and the social issues just muddle the issue and make MA Republicans seem like the any old Republican from down South, which won’t work here.
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I’m always pissed when some of my supposed “progressive” friends get all sanctimonious and offended about the Democrats “caving in to right-wingers” or whatever when the Democrats endorse a moderate-conservative Dem in Tennessee or Alabama or Texas. Guess what people — have you ever been to these states? True-blue MA-type liberals WILL NOT win in these states, period (particularly in statewide races). If we want a chance moderate-conservatives will have to do, and they will be a big improvement over the true wingnuts.
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Trying to see it from a Republican’s perspective, it has to be the same way here in MA for them. They have to run RINOs here like we run DINOs in the South. Though it might not be ideal for true conservatives, a moderate-liberal Republican is, for them, far better than “the true moonbats” as they would say.
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As a liberal, I welcome all of the Republican complaints about the ConCon and putting off the gay marriage vote. Go ahead, make it one of your big issues again like you did in ’04. We’ll see where that gets you if you decide to go this route.
My advice? Disaffiliate from the national Republican party entirely, and change the name of the Massachusetts branch to something else — Fiscally Conservative Party, Tax Reduction Party, whatever. Keep your focus strictly on fiscal issues.
It was posponed BEFORE the election, due mainly to Guiliani and McCain’s schedules. I was/will be an attendee, and had my check returned a couple of weeks ago. BTW – one workshop I signed up for was Stem Cell Economics with Tom Finneran! It kills me how we have Ken Melhman, Elizabeth Dole, and other high profile names come and go, and he Glob can’t be bothered to cover it – but postpone a conference, and hah!
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As for Jack, I like him (like his dad, too!), and had him come to my town committee when he was running for Senate – but while I agree with much of what he says, he’s dead wrong about one thing. It was “out of state party builders” who got us IN to this mess by dragging us to the national right. It’s time for them to pack up and go.
He voted a straight Democratic ticket in this election.
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He might vote Republican again if:
1)The Republicans upheld the Constitution, and rescinded laws they’ve passed to the contrary.
2)The Republicans reduced the deficit.
3) The Republicans realized the USA has no right to wage preemptive war against another country, and acted upon that belief.
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Any Republicans – besides Peter Porcupine – listening?
… that Lynch would never get a subcommittee chair, and therefore we should elect him (who somehow could get one if he threatened the GOP)?
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Either it was an attempt at deception or simple pathetic ignorance. Yep, must be a Republican.
if you will not go away! What is the next step. state reps race in Acton or Greenfield?
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Perhaps you could stay in Brockton or go to Salem, get elected Dog Catcher and rid the place of the pit bulls.