How woeful is it for RI GOP?

Obama front-pagers a hot commodity

Rickman on Obama's win

6 Comments

• Pat said:

  12-18 months?  How about just going out of business?

  November 5, 2008 4:21 PM

• don roach said:

  The RI GOP has to begin at the local level and begin to frame a new message, a message that appeals to rhode islanders - fiscal responsibility, sustainable educational system, clean roads, and accountability just to name a few.

  I've often thought that the RI GOP attacks crumbs and ignores the cake. As a member of the party, my hope is that the leadership starts to focus on local races (town committees, school committees, city councils) to build support from the ground up. Republicans can win in Rhode Island - RI'ers are very independent - but the RIGOP needs to create a longterm strategy that begins at the local level and works its way to the top versus the political trickle down theory.

  November 6, 2008 7:27 AM

• Patrick said:

  Ian, you're a big baseball fan.  What the RIGOP needs to learn is how the player development system works in baseball and model that.  Young ballplayers very rarely jump straight to the major leagues.  They start in rookie ball, then A, then AA, then AAA, and then maybe move up to the majors.  The same thing needs to happen with GOP candidates.  Let people get their feet wet with local boards and commissions.  Join the zoning board, planning board or heck, even the local parade committee or rec committee.  Then go for school committee or town/city council, then for a rep/senate seat or mayor/town admin.  Plus name recognition is expensive and the GOP doesn't have a whole lot of money to buy it.  Starting small is cheap to free.  Too many people want to make the big jump and there's no leadership at the top to help guide them.  Joe Trillo makes his best efforts, but he's just one guy.  The RI GOP needs real leadership that recruits and moves people in slowly and deliberately with a plan.  Rather than sending a high school hotshot up to bat against a Roger Clemens fastball only to be eaten alive, start him out small and work his way up.  Then when they've been tested and experienced elections and politics, send them after the Langevins and Kennedys.  

  Or as Bill Parcells once said about his younger players, "I never send one to the wolves until I'm sure he is a wolf."  

  November 6, 2008 1:13 PM

• Ian Donnis said:

  Don and Patrick, your analysis is spot-on.

  November 6, 2008 2:07 PM

Leave a Comment