In the late nineties some GOP leaders pushed to take over the CRP and local GOP county committees with a simple mantra: Ideology doesn’t matter, what matters is the "nuts and bolts" of party building. Basically, the goods they sold said the party should focus on registering voters, GOTV etc…. Of course most were moderates (who would lose campaigns if ideology was a factor) and their successful campaign culminated in the much-heralded CRP Parsky Commission reforms of 2001. 
I never bought the complete abandonment of ideology from the party machinery. That’s how we get GOP endorsements of bonds and other follies. Below are some thoughts I have about improving the CRP. I come to them though my 20+ years of GOP involvement in politics, my 15 on the CRP Executive committee, including six years on the CRP Board. I also come from the perspective that 2006 was not a good year for the CA GOP. The Governor won and so did Steve Poizner. McPherson, McClintock and Strickland didn’t. We also lost a congressional seat. I know some have the opposite view and you can read the happy go lucky version here. Does anyone really think that Poizner would have won if he had relied solely on the CRP operation and not on his own resources? The current CRP leadership may be well meaning and hard working, but we have to change in order to win.
The February CRP Elections are looming. The items discussed are not ideological, but "nuts and bolts". They should address the following:
Voter Registration: The CRP has taken over total responsibility for voter registration in most areas. The change in the program from a bounty pay for performance to hourly has been disastrous. Local efforts and support have dwindled. CRP has yet to release numbers on how the new program worked. That is not a healthy sign. CALPEEK reported the Democratic operatives were stunned that the voter registration stopped in the 34th Senate District race, which we then lost by 1000 votes. Fraud is an issue. But, ongoing pay-for-performance programs, local control and strict oversight for fraud were effective.
Victory Program: Supposedly, there is an internal review going on of Victory ‘06 programs to see what was effective and what could be done better. As I look at the turnout in Southern California counties, San Diego managed to keep it higher than others. Why? San Diego complemented the Victory ’06 phone call operation with their old-fashioned, put-as-many-bodies-on-the-street, GOTV effort.
Team Play: The State Party abandoned federal candidates faster than the Governor could say he didn’t know if he would vote for Dick Mountjoy. Imagine the outcry from moderates if Tom Campbell wasn’t on materials when Feinstein demolished him – again. McCain-Feingold is a problem. San Diego did manage to have the federal dollars available to put federal candidates on their door hanger. The CRP couldn’t provide door hangers with Pombo and Doolittle on them. Are we really going into 2008 with a plan to not put our Presidential nominee on the door hangers?
On the state level, could some of the advertising beating up poor Phil have been diverted in the last few days to help McPherson or McClintock? In 1994, Wilson authorized that for the 1994 nominees (except McClintock). CRP candidates need a plan on how to help the whole team.
Consultants: The reign of consultants must end. I won’t rehash the CRP slate mailer issue. Conflict of interests need to be disclosed. Period. Also, consultants with CRP contacts should be forbidden from organizing proxy drills that influence the way the party votes. Or is that what the CRP was paying for?
Board Structure: The regional Vice-Chair system has more disparities and factionalism than the old system. You have some areas like the southern region, with Orange, San Diego and Riverside Counties in them, and others that have only a few districts in them. It doesn’t work. Having board elections at almost every convention is an unnecessary distraction. The structure of the CRP board needs to be re-evaluated and become more representative.
I am asking all the current candidates about these issues. Maybe, just maybe, some will have the vision to change the status quo and achieve real victory.