Yes Virginia, there is a way to save the Orange County Republican Party. Jim Brulte, recently spoke at the Orange County Central Committee meeting. There was a lot of “revitalize the base” talk. There was a lot about mentoring in new folks into leadership positions. There certainly was lots of talk! We love Jim, he is smart guy that knows a bunch about California and National Republican Politics. The reality however is, Jim cannot do what needs to be done all by himself. One his main talking points was about the realities of the demographic changes to both Orange County and to California itself. What that means? NEORWG’s…which stands for Not Enough Old Rich White Guys! You could also use NEO-WIGS if you like that!
2009 photo of baby elephant with prosthetic foot snagged from http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/wildlife/5897197/Crippled-elephant-walks-again-thanks-to-false-foot.html. Given how this story could have been illustrated, be thankful we took the high road.
Since the Census, Districts have changed but Gerrymandering is still in evidence. Several Republican electeds did have to step aside however and suddenly after the National election in November of 2012…..the harsh realities started to raise their heads. Hispanic and Asian Voters are now in the majority. Old Republican White Folks are dying off, giving up and in some cases – simply changing party. Why? Well, it starts like this: OC Republican Congress people are no different than the rest of the National RNC. They thought they could confuse folks by mixing the National Debt with the Annual Deficit for Budgets and of course the incredible Trade Deficit. They thought they could sell, cutting Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid payments for old folks without them noticing. The idea was to demonize “Entitlements”. The idea was to blame Democrats for “Entitlements”, as if Republicans had nothing to do with any of that stuff. Well, fellas and gals it is pretty hard to tell a bunch of old folks that you will be reaching into their pockets and taking their monthly paid in and soon received Social Security or Medicare….it is purely a hard sell.
Brulte emphasized the Demographic divide. As if it was the fault of Hispanics, Asians and Blacks that had simply moved into the OC neighborhood and that suddenly “now had the votes”. The reality of course is far different. The Asians have been here since the ’70s and the Hispanics have either been here the entire history of California or over the entire history since the Amnesty in the 80’s. As Ronald Reagan said: “I didn’t leave the Democratic party…it left me!” Well, that goes double for Hispanics, Asians and Blacks in the OC Republican party – certainly since Tom Fuentes retired….that is for sure. Hey, we are not beating up Scott Baugh or anyone else in the OC Republican leadership. They just haven’t put a bunch of energy into recruiting more Asian, Hispanic and Black candidates that could represent their constituencies. A colorful face for the local Party is refreshing………perhaps, a platform with ethical concerns, ethnic references and a more hopeful message of jobs and better economic conditions might be even better.
The Republican Party of Orange County needs to get more than a divergent candidate mix. They need a strong localized platform that works for a broad constituent base. After President Obama unleashed his Inaugural Address and mentioned the LGBT community, there is little doubt that Gay Rights should finally find their way onto the Republican platform. The second issue of great merit for a diverse constituency is Abortion. It really wasn’t until after the Reagan Administration that the Republican Party took an unflappable approach to Abortion. Pro-Life or Die in spite of conditions such as the life or health of the mother, incest, rape or other traumatic event….such as a car accident, fire or flood. The times have changed and unless we return to the days of Dwight Eisenhower and just mention in passing that Abortion should be the last resort – again….the OC Republican Party will be out of touch.
Equal pay for women, minorities, seniors and the disabled – is probably another issue that the Republican Party of Orange County should stand up to….in one way or the other. What about their position on Social Security? Should recipients get a Cost of Living Increase each year – or not. What about Medicare and care for Veterans? Should they receive a Cost of Living Increase each year or not? What about the National Debt….now at $16.5 Trillion dollars? Should we attempt to pay this down? What about Tax Reform? Should a family of four making $85 thousand dollars a year pay 25% and millionaires pay 14%?. Let the party stand up and be counted. Does the Republican Party of Orange County want to take away the Mortgage deduction for a Prime Residence? Take away the College deductions for sending their kids to Universities?
Let’s just say, there needs to be a clarity to the OC Republican Platform that can be discussed opening and willingly and often. We need 33% of members of the Central Committee to be Hispanic. We need 32% to be Asian. We need 2% to be Black and we need 32% to be White – and not necessarily old. Making the party look like those that they represent will make a huge difference. Listening to those locally, like the Hispanic 100. Finding the groups in Villa Park, Garden Grove, Tustin that do fully represent the Asian Community- will go a long way to change the face of the party. Without these fundamental changes there is very little chance that Republicans will be elected against Democrats in the elections to come.
We don’t mention the Tea Party…..for a reason. The Tea Party members take great pride in not announcing their platforms. They like to take it on the fly. All Tea Party members are not alike. They remind us a bunch of the United We Stand people, after Ross Perot left. The Tea Party needs to become all inclusive and all broadly ethnic. Then they can make their points and make their stands. Our question of course is; What is the Tea Party position of Gun Control? The Republican Party of Orange County needs to be forthcoming on that issue as well. Be it the 1st, 2nd or 4th Amendments…..strong positions on these issues is paramount to a winning strategy. Getting OC Republican candidates for office to become ethnically inclusive is first and foremost.
Change is hard and Saving the Orange County Republican Party may just take more than we can think of … maybe “a miracle”!
Some questions to ask: “How does the National Debt affect me?”
“How will the Trillion Dollar Trade Deficit affect Americans?”
“How will the Annual National Budget Deficit affect me directly?”
“Why do law abiding citizens have to have their gun rights abrogated – because of crazy folks?”
Good Luck Orange County Republicans – get the answers!
I attended Mondays Republican Party Central Committee meeting. Jim Brulte was the Featured speaker and is a candidate for State GOP Chairman. According to Jim Brulte the responsibilities of the State Chairman are:
1) Raise money for the State GOP (there’re $100’s of thousands in debt).
2) Built the grassroots and infrastructure, the ‘Nuts & Bolts’ of a political party.
3) Recruit candidates for all Local Level elections.
He was critical of the present State Chairman and executive board for spending way too time trying to set policy. The elected office holders set the policy in Jim Brulte’s opinion.
The O.C. Chairman, Scott Baugh and his minion’s on the County Central Committee want to determine what ‘Politically correct’ is for Republican candidates in 2014. The ‘Politically Correct’ platform will be voted on at the February meeting.
They’re hopeless.
They don’t understand that President Bush is the primary factor that gave the Republican Party a bad name.
Who’s running against Brulte? I take it from what you wrote that Baugh’s group is against him?
No, pretty much everone is uniting behind Brulte.
Is Lauten running against him? He could announce here….
Scott Baugh backs Jim Brulte for State Chairman and invited him to be the featured speaker.
Jim Brulte served as an aide to Senator Sam Hayakawa as a young man, became part of Ronald Reagan’s advance team, and served in both the Assembly and the State Senate as Republican Leader of both Houses, (I believe it was in the 1990’s when the Republicans held the majority in both Houses). He is considered a “Capitol insider” by the media.
After Brulte’s speech there was ‘Q&A’.
On both the “Where do you stand on the Tea Party” and “Immigration “questions his answer was the same; ‘it’s not the job of the State Chairman to set policy’. Brulte’s 3 planks for his Campaign to rebuild the party are listed in my comment above and in the article below.
http://www.capoliticalreview.com/publishers-corner/jim-brulte-for-california-gop-chairman/
I want to further the theories advanced by the tea party folks who were stunned to find out that Fox was wrong, and that the country is not just like them. They opine that Romney was not conservative enough, and that they should be doubling down on conservative principles.
Please, please do that, GOPers. Ratchet up the TP ideology. No taxes at all. Guns for everyone. God in every bedroom. No environmental or fiscal regulations. Corporations cut free from any responsibility of any sort so they can run businesses like they were in the wild west. Lynch the homosexuals, especially the males. Enforced birth for all pregnant women.
Go for it. You know you want it.
The TeaParty will be the party that kill whats left of the GOP. I agree with Rapscallion’s viewpoint.
They will never give in or compromise…with anyone. Bye the way I am neither Repub or Dem.
speaking for the rich old white males, and our trophy wives, our two or three sets of children, the gardeners, pool boys and shoe salesmen at neimans, thank you for your concern, but, really, we are going to be fine. between the section eight housing we own in the inland empire, the non productive solar farms down by el centro and the money in the antigua bank, we will get by. thank you to the true believers, the birthers, the volunteers, and the tea party for keeping the charade up for as long as you did, allowing us to accumulate and distribute our money. its been fun, enjoy hannity and boo boo honey
Nice, willie, but I prefer your satirical comments.
unfortunately, there really is nothing to make fun of. the party is dying and thanks to some of our most recent leaders, the repercussions of their attitudes and policies are going to taint the party for a generation. i am done giving money to these morons and the dems, with their reasonable policies on social issues (which in essence are more libertarian than the reps) are going to capture the young and the influential. south county will remain red simply because of the demographics but north and central orange county are changing
and the clippers just lost to phoenix…..just a bad day
Wow….reading that made me realize how much water has come into that boat,and just how badly they need to start using the buckets to start bailing it out.
That’s just so they can try and stay above water, let alone keep up. The wind is in our Democratic Party sails. Hope we don’t blow ourselves up.
*One cautionary tale. The Democrats right now can’t lose….unless they push the
Gun Control Card. We suggest that they lay low on that issue. If so, they knock it
out of the park in the mid-term elections and clean house. If they push the Gun Control issue……they become self-defeating on everything else…which in our opinion
would be stupid.
Dems can’t “lay low” on that issue. It’s not who we are.
CA has many of the current federal gun control proposals currently on our books. Many were pushed through and originated on a city, then state level, by then Mayor Dianne Feinstein, who took office shortly after the assassinations of Harvey Milk and Mayor Moscone.
I agree that it is risky, but so was Health Care, Marriage Equality, and the Dream Act.
Jerry Brown took enormous political risks yet took a blooming $25 billion dollar state deficit and turned it around. 8 years after the “Governator” failed to do shit.
The Dems don’t do things because they are politically popular, they do them because they need to be done.
It’s not the wisest political strategy, but what good is having power and not doing anything to affect governing policy?
If just framing arguments to perpetually maintain power while actually never accomplishing anything is the ultimate goal, let’s just call all ourselves Republicans and just go home.
‘Ships, what I’d prefer to see is people like you trying to figure out how to really lower the incidence of urban gun crime and spree killing in a way that still leaves you able to exercise your right to self-defense and your cultural appreciation of gun use. (I’m not that interested in securing your ability to overthrow the government. If we on the left aren’t allowed to do it, you aren’t allowed to do it either.) I think that you’ll find that a majority of the Democratic Party, or at a minimum a majority of the country, are willing to work with RKBA advocates if they bring more to the table than does Wayne LaPierre.
*Dr. D., prettty simple really. Drug test Gun Owners and Electeds every year. If they pass the drug test they can keep their guns and the Electeds can keep their seats.
Just remember this: Anyone with ONE bullet in their gun is dangerous
and can kill. Restricting bad behavior is the most important issue.
In answer to the Dems that think they can take away firearms from either party…..two comments: (1) As Marshall Dillion said: “Good luck with that!” and (2) “Don’t get cocky and think you can pass anything!” Overstepping
for both parties is terrible and we do not agree with any of it.
I agree with the tea party on fiscal issues. But on social issues I feel the tea party was co-opted by the moral majority folk and that is why I am not a “tea-party” person per say. I am getting involved more with my county party this year and it will be an interesting run.
So, you agree fiscally with them, in that you want your Social Security and Medicare to stay unchanged, and you want to have nice roads and bridges, and meat inspection, and a strong military, and a police force and firefighters and public education, but you don’t want to look at how to pay for it all?