11.14.08
VPI & RNC
In the midst of the announcements of people who want to assume the chair of the Republican National Committee, something important is getting lost. We aren’t having a discussion about what path the RNC should be taking to build grassroots support. We aren’t talking about how we will field candidates, build strength at the local and state level and engage the electorate.
We need to be doing all of this. Mike Huckabee is making a start with the launch this week of his Vertical Politics Institute. The Mission Statement of the VPI states in part:
“The Vertical Politics Institute is dedicated to finding solutions to the many challenges our nation faces today. We will focus on the following issues: Tax Reform, Energy Independence, Controlling Spending, Health Care Reform, Arts and Education, Sanctity of Life, Traditional Marriage, Environment and Nation Security.
You can also expect the Vertical Politics Institute to take the lead in fighting across the nation for our ideas wherever they are challenged. We will support specific ballot initiatives such as Proposition 8 in California. We will also bring policy experts, academics, citizens and bloggers together to help further the discussion and craft solutions and new ideas.”
The mission of the VPI sounds like a win-win solution to halt the drift of the Republican party. For too long the GOP has ignored the very people it claims to serve. Preferring to raise funds from large donors, they have not seemed interested in the concerns of everyday people. Making people feel wanted and needed is key to getting support, financially and as volunteers. Making people feel that they have something valuable to contribute makes them take ownership in the party.
If you wonder if it is really necessary for the GOP to follow this path, you might consider how effectively the Obama campaign utilized grassroots involvement. All indications are that the Obama presidency will expand this effort and utilize the internet extensively. See Obama to take new media to White House on how this will be done.
The person selected as the new chairperson for the RNC will be critical to the rebuilding process. While there are many gifted politicians and many people who have successfully run state organizations, there seems to be only one person who has run a successful campaign, who knows how to mobilize the internet to the advantage of the campaign and who knows how to do it effectively and on a budget. That man would be Chip Saltsman, who managed the Huckabee primary campaign. Saltsman’s resume includes time as state chairman of the Tennessee GOP, where he managed to deny Al Gore a victory in his home state in 2000. Endorsed by Mike Huckabee and by Bill Frist (former Senator and majority leader), Chip is talking with RNC members about making a run for the position. Saltsman takes to the air for RNC chair.