Was I prescient? The last memo I sent out to the WSRP as a newly "former" Executive Director

Some 17 years ago, I sent out my vision on what the future under the new Regime of Chris Vance was going to be.

That's why many of the references (Gov. Locke) seem so dated.

This was how I saw it then.  And almost two decades later, nothing really has changed.

So, the next time folks wonder why this state is stuck in it's deep, dark blue hole, remember this memo.  And remember, one of the more popular definitions of insanity is doing the same thing, over and over, while continuing to expect a different outcome.

February 10, 2001 if memory serves...

Given my tenure as Executive Director of the State Republican Party in 2000, I have been following with great interest Chris Vance’s party marketing efforts and the Times’ greasing of those particular skids.

The problem with the Republican Party, unlike what the Times would tell us, is not the positions that we take, or don’t take.  It’s not a “Rural vs. Urban” issue, either.  After all, Republican values and ideas have, among other things, resulted in the freeing of slaves and extension of the right to vote for women… two facts that media never seem to mention.  Republicans have supported a variety of initiatives, opposed by the Times, that have passed by wide margins… clear evidence that Republican vision is superior to that of the Editorial writers of this august publication.

No, in this case, the problem is basic competency, or the lack thereof.  Competency in understanding the people.  Competency in strategizing.  Competency in understanding that the state of Washington is made up of 39 counties… and not 39 counties plus Bellevue.

In the last year, the Times has shown its lack of competence in doing everything it could to make Reed Davis chairman of the Party.  Given the utterly abysmal record of Mr. Davis and the organization he runs (He is chair of the King County Republicans, who managed to only come out 120,000 votes behind in Slade Gorton’s senate race) the idea that he should bring that incompetence to the entire state level obviously was appealing to the Times editorialists.  Fortunately, it had no appeal of any kind to the State Committee, and Mr. Davis, the three editorials urging his election notwithstanding, received 3 votes for his election… out of 78.

As Joni Balter has said in the past, “I don’t have to be fair, I just have to dish out opinion,” any position taken by the Times concerning the future of the Party must be viewed with more then a little suspicion.  As a rule, it is safe to say that the Times does not wish the Republican Party well, either as an organization or for the majority of its candidates.  That the Times advocate any given position requires a default mode on the part of Republicans that the position in question is wrong.

Given the widely known fact of Ms. Balter’s ultra-leftist position, that Chris Vance did more then say “hello” to her is cause enough to question his competency.  Ms. Balter has her vision of the world, and that vision is liberal and democrat.  Anything she writes is unabashedly filtered through that vision, a fact any Republican who’s ever read the Times already knows.

During my tenure at the Party, there was an edict against talking to Ms. Balter because we all knew what she would do with her words… given that she has, in the past, acted as if she was on Brian Baird’s campaign staff, attacked the party chairman directly, and, in general, done everything she possibly could do to destroy the Republican Party in this state, that would be a wise course to continue.

Certainly, doing what she, and now, Mr. Vance, advocates, will avail us nothing.  Both of these fine folks want us to become more like democrats.  Of course, there already are democrats, so to take that advice will only result in losing our base everywhere, but, by golly, we can pick up a dozen votes in King County.

The selection of Mr. Vance to run the Party was a mistake.  Mr. Vance’s insistence on Party registration in the face of overwhelming public opposition just gave cover to the democrats, and that was another mistake.  (“Why should I vote?  There’s no real difference between the two main parties, are there?  I mean, both of them want to get rid of the primary system I’ve worked with for my entire life,” etc…) Mr. Vance’s decision to attack the Libertarian Party and it’s members was a mistake.  (How much did Erv Hoglund lose by?) Mr. Vance, who could only muster just under 35% in a congressional race centered on his council seat, proved himself an indifferent fundraiser, a poor strategist, and a man unable to define himself in any meaningful way… talents he now brings statewide… thus the outcome.  His selection, therefore, was a mistake.

The main problem with the State Republican Party is leadership, or the lack thereof.  There is no vision… no plan… no clue.

Why have the number of Executive Board meetings, with their unhealthy King County influence, increased, while the number of State Committee meetings decreased?  Why hasn’t Mr. Vance or the Executive Board executed the will of the State Committee and moved Party Headquarters to Olympia, like 48 other state’s Republican Parties have their Headquarters in their state’s capitols?  The answer is quite simple:  It has been the desire of the Executive Committee to emasculate and ignore the State Committee, and that is exactly what they are doing. 

There can be no greater example of the cancer within the Party hierarchy then this:  If the leadership of the Party cannot be responsive to those they, allegedly and by the by laws are required to answer to… then how can they possibly be responsive to the people of this state?

Where is the vibrant and aggressive minority outreach program?  Failing to implement such a program reinforces the democrat position that Republican concern for minorities begins and ends with elections.  There can be no excuse for this… (Go to https://wsrp.org/staff/ and see… is there anyone listed there that can even be directly contacted for minority issues?) except for the obvious and incompetent reason of poor leadership.

Where is the immediate and wide-spread response to anything the democrats do, or attempt to do?  Why aren’t the democrats held accountable for their actions?  As a party, we should be hammering Governor Locke over the gas tax vote issue.  We should bring it up… and keep bringing it up… and not let it go away, like we should publicly hold him accountable for every single one of his campaign promises… but don’t.

And the Times and Mr. Vance think they can fix all this at a conference?

The leadership of the Washington State Republican Party is directed by the few who are far more interested in their own personal agendas then they are the successful outcomes of elections.  Far too many view their mission as an outgrowth of the “Bellevue Mafia,” who directly controls the activities of the State Party.  (Does anyone REALLY have to wonder why the Executive Board has ignored the State Committee in the matter of moving Party Headquarters?  (An action I predicted in January last year?)  I’ll tell you:  Having the office in Olympia is just too darned inconvenient for the Mafia, and for the 10 or so Puget Sound/King County members of the Executive Board and the National Committeewoman.  Having the headquarters in Olympia would make it too difficult for Bellevue to control the Party due to its lack of proximity… IF it ever were to move to Olympia.)

Until these “housekeeping” issues are successfully addressed; until the representation of King County on the Executive Board is reduced to reflect their unsuccessful abilities in their own county, until those who are in a position to make these changes will find the courage and the drive to get it done, the State Republican Party will continue to be the Seattle Seahawks of this state’s political scene.

In short: we’ll have high hopes at the beginning of the season, but sooner or later, reality will set in and we will continue to be the epitome of mediocrity.  Because, due to the blinders of those who lead us, we have been mediocre for so long that we don’t know how to be anything else.  And becoming neo-democrats won’t fix that.

Time, of course, will tell.  But the outcome for the GOP in this state looks pretty bleak.  And becoming the result of the RINO flavor of the week isn’t going to do a whole lot to change it.

Most people are unaware that the WSRP is run by the Bellevue Mafia.  That's why we do not have a party headquarters in Olympia to this day... because it's simply too inconvenient for the Seattle area RINOs to drive to Olympia.

Most people are likely not aware that the Executive Board of the party is based on "Regions" And then the question is, how many of these Board Members are from King County?

Other than the obvious (far TOO many, given their miserable record of electing Republicans in King County) the number appears to be 6, 6 out of 22 committeemen and women.

They have far too much power and impact. King County dominance, a dominance that extends statewide, is a dominance that the GOP must rid itself of.

Or, in the alternative, we can keep doing what we've been doing.

And how's that worked out for us?

Yes, every year we have high hopes.  Then incompetence comes along like it has down here in Clark County, and while those elected have an "R" after their name... they routinely vote like their name is Jim Moeller... which is why they've saddled us with billions upon billions of gas tax and property tax increases... just like the democrats always WANT to do... but rarely HAVE to do... because our RINOs will have no problem doing it for them.

So, how'd I do?  February, 2001 was a long, long, LONG time ago.

But the more things change... the more they seem to stay the same.

Or something.