As a National Committeeman for the past 17 years, I can attest that there has been more public attention paid to the election of the next Chairman of the Republican National Committee than I have ever seen. And I think that’s a good thing.
This week, all the candidates, including myself, have been answering questions and presenting our plans for the future. We’ve had a public debate covering questions from all across the country and meetings where RNC Members raised specific issues. It has been an incredibly positive dialogue and sends a clear signal that there is no shortage of ideas and excitement within the GOP.
As I shared at the debate on Monday and with RNC Members all week, the question to RNC Members when they cast their vote at the end of January is not whether we need to make significant changes. We do. Some changes are needed because we no longer have a Republican President and other changes are necessary to improve our performance and win elections.
However, the real question is who has the experience, the knowledge, and the judgment to assure that we don’t make changes just for the sake of change. We need to have a higher standard than just shifting how we do things. We need to be smart and we need to get it right.
The very first step in moving forward is increasing the role that my fellow RNC Members play in planning our future and making sure that our plans are executed. Having served on the RNC when there is a Republican President and when there isn’t, I know firsthand that one of the keys to our success is empowering our members.
Next, we must earn back the trust of the entire public that we truly are the national conservative party. We’ll do this by regaining our mantle as “the Party of Ideas,” just as we did in 1977 and again in 1993. My idea initiative, The Center for Republican Renewal, will work with Republican elected officials and activists at all levels across the country to identify and promote public policies that advance the Republican Party’s core principles and sound governance. We’re not going to just say “no” to liberal proposals - - we’re going to offer the public better, conservative solutions.
With the power of our ideas, the Republican Party will engage in thoughtful discussion with individuals in every corner, island, and territory of our country. Coalition building will be a full time, intensive, and deliberate effort as we grow our Party. As we build our winning coalition, we will follow Ronald Reagan’s maxim that someone who agrees with me 80 percent of the time is not my 20 percent enemy. That person is my ally and my friend. We will be bold in asserting our principles while recognizing that a winning coalition requires broader participation than just our traditional base. We must grow our Party through the power of new ideas that emanate from our core principles.
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