OCGOP COOL TO MCCAIN
If last night was any indicator, Senator John McCain has a long way to go in endearing himself to California Republicans.
The Orange County Republican Party had its biennial organizational meeting last night at the Hyatt Hotel in Irvine, where former Assembly Scott Baugh was re-elected to another term as Chairman with hearty applause and no opposition. Also elected were a slate of officers that included myself as Second Vice-Chairman — also uncontested.
That said, Chairman Baugh ended up holding an impromptu popularity poll of the roughly 200 party leaders in attendance for the 2008 GOP Presidential primary. The context was Baugh asking which Presidential contenders those present would like to see speak at the GOP’s big annual Flag Day Gala. Baugh cycled through all of the most talked-about candidates — where Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich received the most applause. There was what I will characterize as a polite applause for former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani. But probably the most noteworthy response from the room came when Baugh mentioned the name of Arizona Senator John McCain. You could have heard a pin drop.
Later in the meeting, I had a chance to ask a number of people around the room why they were silent on McCain — and the responses were fairly consistent — no one could understand why McCain opposed President Bush’s tax cuts. So, the Senator’s campaign has their work cut out for them — that is for sure. Certainly in making his positions on tax policy clear to grassroots Republicans.
TURMOIL AT THE RNC?
The most interesting article that I found surfing the web this morning isn’t on California politics, per se, but is relevant to all California Republicans. Longtime FR friend Ralph Hallow, a political reporter over at the Washington Times, has carved a niche for himself in penning ‘insider’ stories on what is going on behind the scenes in GOP-land. Today is pens a piece in advance of the Republican National Committee’s upcoming organizing meeting that is later this week. In the story (which you will find at the bottom of the FR main page), Hallow talks about a conservative backlash taking place amongst RNC members at the President’s selection of moderate Florida Senator Mel Martinez to be the new "General Chairman" of the Republican Party. The actual Chairman, running day-to-day operations, would be RNC Committeemember Mike Duncan of Kentucky. But the General Chairman would be the ‘public face’ of the RNC.
Why are grassroots conservatives concerned about the Martinez pick? There may be a number of reasons, but clearly the controversy surrounds Martinez’ support for the President’s amnesty program for criminal aliens in the United States. My experience having spent a few years intertwined in RNC politics back when I was Executive Director of the California Republican Party from 1999-2001 is that these kinds of rumblings never really turn into any kind of full-scale uprising. That said, it’s likely that none of California’s National Committee Members — outgoing CRP Chairman Duf Sundheim, Committeewoman Barbara Alby, or Committeeman Tim Morgan are, in my opinion, likely to buck the President’s pick. There is a long-standing traditional at the RNC where the members defer to an incumbent President’s pick on leadership posts. That said, we’ll so how it all turns out.
Needless to say, it will be disastrous for the Republican Party in America, and in California, if President Bush (and Senator Martinez) sign off on any deal with Senate Democrats that give legitimate status to the millions of illegal aliens in the United States who flaunted American laws to be here. It would literally rip the GOP apart, in my opinion, as this is the number one issue of importance to GOP voters, and most them oppose amnesty.
Perhaps when electing Martinez as General Chairman, the RNC Members can secure a commitment from Martinez to keep quiet on his out-of-touch-with-the-GOP-grassroots position on this issue, and also they can pass a resolution calling on the President to reject such an amnesty bill should it reach his desk…
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