“At the end of the day, it doesn't matter what the public thinks; it matters what 168 of us think."

[K. Ryan James]

I wish to alert many of you here at Rebuild the Party to the quote in this post's title. It comes from North Dakota Republican Party Chairman Gary Emineth in a story posted today at TheHill.com.

The story details Mr. Emineth's call for a special meeting of the full RNC in order to attend the ATR debate at the National Press Club on January 5.

While is it commendable that Mr. Emineth feels the need to gather as many voting members of the RNC to this important event, I feel it would be remiss not to challenge the North Dakota chairman for his comment. It is, on its face, an extremely arrogant one which lends credence to the belief that the Republican Party is elitist and it is, at the very least, a slap in the face of those young Republican and conservative activists who have joined together out of a common concern about the direction of the Republican Party.

Whether it occurs at Rebuild the Party, the YRNetwork, the Young Conservative Coalition or meetings like the forum we held in Washington, D.C., in early December, I would submit to Mr. Emineth that it very much matters what we (the public) thinks about the selection of our party's next chairman. We, as young activists, have the opportunity to put pressure on our state party's elected leadership - even going as far as to vote them out if they do not listen to a group which will represent their donor and volunteer lists for the next few decades.

I wonder what the then 28-year-old Mr. Emineth would think of the present-day version of himself when he was serving as the executive director of the North Dakota party back in 1986? Would the 1986 version agree that it did not matter what a young person like himself thought about the future of his party? I would think that Mr. Emineth, the 1986 version, would have an outlook similar to mine.

I do not know Mr. Emineth personally, so I cannot judge the chairman any further than his call for a special meeting (which I applaud) and the comment in the report (which I admonish). It is my hope that Mr. Emineth will disavow his comment which, in my opinion, is detrimental toward the movement that all of us are trying to build.

If you are so inclined, I encourage you to make contact with Chairman Emineth in order to let him know your reaction to his comments. All that I ask is that you are polite and offer the chairman a modicum of respect.

Moving forward, I believe it is in our best interests to get as many young people to contact your state's chairman, national committeeman, national committeewoman and executive director in order to communicate your desires as to the future of the party in your state, the GOP as a whole and who will lead us in the future.

[Brew_Crew]

Yeah, rules are rules, and it's nice to be the small group of people making the rules huh?

[LifeandLiberty]

I think if the RNC wishes to span the gap that has put a rift within its own ranks they will need to become very good at hearing. It doesn't matter if I'm not on the committee, if the RNC wishes to have the base come out in full force they should be very aware of the reasons there are 6 candidates for the chair position. And in all honesty from what I understand Duncan the current chair is not a leader in the standings. Kind of tells you that pulling party line at this juncture means nothing in an argument.

[Sarita]

I for one have a hard time thinking that quote explains everything that is wrong with the party. One I think it is taken out of context. Secondly I don't remember that public ever being allowed to vote for Chairman of the RNC but the RNC committee. Sorry but that's how it is. If you have a problem become a committee person.

[LifeandLiberty]

I think Mr. Emineth was not paying too much attention to this last election. Without the bases excitement over Gov. Palin, Senator McCain would not have had the run he did. The base is the core and without our input and support the RNC will find itself in a position where the base will not volunteer or give money let alone support their chosen candidates. It is very much arrogance to think the Party will reform and advance without the support of the base.

[Gary Emineth]

Well Said!
I am all for spreading the tent to build a majority and inviting open debate, but I am not willing to compromise what I consider a conservative philosophy which many of my fellow Repbulcians and Americans share. WE have allowed the liberals to upstage us, brainwash our youth and vilify the "right" Shame on us. It is that very philosophy - the one that provides the foundation for principles, believes and values which define us. Individual liberty, personal freedom, a sense of duty and responsibility to our fellow man, government as a servant and God as our guide. Bearers of the self-evident truths of equality and the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Bring it on and keep the heat up!

[Mike Steeves]

Emineth's comment, and his attitude, adds weight to the blog comments below:

http://lajuntablog.blogspot.com/2008/12/barack-magic-negro.html

"Barack the Magic Negro"

That's the title of a bit of political spoofery, set to the tune of "Puff the Magic Dragon". It isn't particularly well done as political satire goes, and in fact, one might accurately liken it to some of that blackface minstrel stuff that was so popular back in the 30's and 40's. It's the sort of thing that Republican Christian fundamentalists and other people who are fixated on dogma rather than substance might circulate around in endless email chains. If that were all it is, it would be just another bit of drivel such as we have seen from members of both political parties. But that isn't all that it is.

Chris Saltsman, who is a possible replacement for current RNC chair Mike Duncan, distributed a CD to the Republican national leadership which included the subject track. It also included "I Can Talk Like a Coal Miner's Daughter", a spoof of how 'down home' Hillary Clinton became during the campaign...or maybe it was when Joltin' Joe Biden discovered his coal-minin' roots...and several other little jewels. Some of them are even funny, in a middle-school sort of way.

But Saltsman is one of the top dogs in the Republican National Party. The Republicans obviously have 'issues', not the least of which is that they are perceived as a bunch of whitemeat losers out of touch with America. So wouldn't you think their leadership, their potential chairman, would have the political sense to avoid participating in this kind of thing? What's next? We'll be receiving endless chain emails from the RNC about how Obama is still a Muslim and isn't really a citizen of the US, and must be anti-American because he doesn't wear a lapel flag pin?

The Repubs have whined and cried that the Dems played the race card during the campaign. The Dems did, in fact, do just that, though with considerable political skill, since their man won. So why are the Repubs now doing the same thing, though with far less political skill, with their top leadership circulating a puerile bit of drivel like "Barack the Magic Nego"? In that context, it is yet another example of why the Republican Party is the train wreck that it is.

Worse, Saltsman doesn't even get it:

The Hill, a Capitol Hill newspaper that published a story about the CD on Friday, reported that Saltsman said members of the GOP committee have "the good humor and good sense" to see Shanklin's tunes as "lighthearted political parodies."

The GOP committee members need to develop the good sense to understand that most of the country is in no mood to be putting up with this useless nonsense from the Republicans or any other major political leadership. Of course, Saltsman's observation would explain why our political leadership on both sides of the aisle seems to have their heads firmly up and locked when it comes to solving the real problems besetting the nation.

We might as well have Ann Coulter in line for the chair of the RNC. She couldn't possibly be any worse than Saltsman.

[MichaelBurns]

Three cheers for openness!

[Dan Schwartz]

Ryan and others,

Actually, Gary Emineth is fighting an "Astroturfing" effort by the Romney supporters in their so-called Conservative Steering Committee to get Mike Duncan re-elected as RNC Chairman.

Just a few minutes ago (and before I saw Ryan's entry), I posted from the Washington Times GOP power struggle starts.

When you read the article, you'll see the Romney people behind the effort to push Mike Duncan back in via this pseudo-conservative "steering committee" include

Oregon RNC member Solomon Yue and Indiana RNC members James Bopp Jr., two of the lead steering-committee organizers, were supporters of former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney's 2008 Republican presidential nomination quest. Mr. Yue declared his support of Mr. Duncan's re-election bid. Texas RNC member Bill Crocker and South Carolina RNC member Cindy Costa are the other two steering committee co-chairs.

.
Dan Schwartz
Sayreville, NJ

[Brian Cunningham]

One of the major changes we have is to rebuild the GOP from the grass roots and cease letting the traditional old guard and the likes of Peggy Noonan, David Brooks, Kathleen Parker and George Will call the shots - often moving in an opposite direction than the base.

In this way, losing the presidency may actually be a benefit.

[Whitehorse (Robin Ray)]

Gary, Merry CHRISTmas & thanks for responding! I am so surprised that your quote was taken out of context... Not Really.

We need as much involvement as we can get so more of us will have a stake in who is elected across the board. Thanks to Ryan for keeping up with this, very good show.