Is there something wrong with a meeting of the minds?
Posted on November 25th, 2008
by Sean Scallon |
|
Patrick Ruffini is one of the most prominent of the few Republicans of the Millennial Generation. But in being so it’s meant a pretty good gig as a point person for articles explaining why the GOP is so far behind the times when it comes to Internet activism as opposed to mere blogging for example. He brought more attention to himself with a piece in the Washington Post on his efforts to try and set up a conservative “rightroots” to try and compete with Daily Kos and other such leftist Internet activist sites.
One would think Mr. Ruffini would want to work with the one group of Republicans that are already ahead of everyone else in terms of Internet activism, Ron Paul supporters. But, Ruffini, a Rudy Guliani supporter, apparently regarded the Paulites the same way as every other Republican regarded them, as the peasants with pitchforks looking to storm the manor castle.
Granted Paul’s numbers in hard votes on paper don’t look all that impressive but they would not be in a party a large majority of whose primary and caucus voters are 45 and up and don’t use the internet. I was at the Iowa Straw Poll watching campaign workers for Romney and Tancredo have to drive their elderly supporters across the Hilton Coliseum parking lots in golf carts and there were a lot of them. Paul did quite well among GOP voters under 30 in several primaries and caucuses.
So Ruffini can do himself a big favor and drop his ideological and political blinders and work with the Paulians instead of against them and bring them into the party and use their energy to help rebuilding, especially in blue states and urban areas where many of them live. He may be surprised to learn the netroots were largely leftists in red states who used the internet to build activist cells across the country, giving the Democrats organization they didn’t have as officially. If Ruffini’s serious about rebuilding the GOP, he can do the same with netroots that are already organized. He doesn’t have to start from scratch.
And it will be beneficial to the Paulites as well to have a focus to their activism instead going off in million different directions (although, given the nature of the movement, that’s bound to happen. There’s just too many diverse groups involved). And those who will stick with the GOP are not going to be ”Truthers” or other wackos so he doesn’t have to worry about that. Those not willing to be a part of the mainstream are not going to take part.
What it really boils down to is this, either Ruffini can continue to do what Republicans normally do and treat their party like exclusive, members only country club so that the only young Republicans out there will be those junior members already wearing the blue blazers, or he can open the doors wide open and invite in people who already have an organizational infrastructure and lists of people that can be channeled towards party building in areas where Republicans are very weak and away from the traditional RNC model.
It will be interesting to see if Ruffini really “gets it ” when it comes to online activism or is just another right blogger who feels he has to clear everything with party headquarters and waits for the latest talking points email. We already saw once promising Free Republic turn into an annex of the RNC and thus became a mini-Thermidor. Don’t let the same thing happen again.
Filed under: Uncategorized
“…work with the Paulians instead of against them and bring them into the party and use their energy to help rebuilding, especially in blue states and urban areas where many of them live.”
Excellent point. The GOP doesn’t lose much by doing that, given its lack of viability in some urban areas and college towns.
Exactly. In my home state of Wisconsin, the Dems figured out that any state Assembly or Senate district that had a college town in it, even a small one, was prime recruting target for activists and to get votes. The end result, the Dems now control both houses of the state legislature for the first time since 1994 and control all of state government for the first time since 1986.
Who else are you going to find to be Republicans in such places or recruit Republicans in such places? Again, either they’re going to reach or remain snobbish and if they do, they’ve already doomed themselves.
The party wholeheartedly rejected Paul’s message (as did the country in general) because America loves it’s empire. We won’t change until we absolutely have to. This is coming soon and not in a good way, IMHO.
The question is, who are the Paulites going to rally behind now?
I’m not the most politically astute person but the Democrat Netroots must have wanted more than what they have received (nothing? or did I miss something?). I think they have been used. It brings to mind the relationship between the Neocons and the Religious Right.
People who articulate Classical Liberal ideals are going to attract groups like the 9/11 Truth Movement. The whole movement is a paranoid reaction to the American Empire.
“The question is, who are the Paulites going to rally behind now?”
Great question. Paul is likely too old for a 2012 run. Jimmy Duncan? Judge Napolitano?
The bench is not deep.
“And those who will stick with the GOP are not going to be ”Truthers” or other wackos so he doesn’t have to worry about that. Those not willing to be a part of the mainstream are not going to take part.”
As someone who became involved in politics because I liked Ron Paul, this is my point EXACTLY. I’m young - came in when I was 20 a year and a half ago, and had NO idea that a purely conservative message would attract the crazy fringe people as well.
Unfortunately, they were there, but they are NOT the people interested in reforming the GOP - that I know for a fact expericing firsthand the split within the movement. The 9/11 truth people are already hiding under their rocks again. The Paul supporters who are Goldwater enthusiasts and true conservatives are the ones interested in seeing the party go in a different direction. Assuming that all Paul supporters are crazy and marginalizing them is essentially doing the same thing as stating the a good majority of Ronald Reagan’s platform was “insane” ….
RebuildtheParty.com anyone?
The leftist illuminati somewhat succeeded this election because of their inclusive rah-rah change hoo ha. The republicans, just as you said, have not been known for being very inclusive. I think that having more of a grass roots effort and the use of the internet is extremely essential in rebuilding the party, but so is creating a sense of cohesiveness.
Gary Johnson 2012. Governor of the state right next to one this year’s socialist GOP candidate hailed from.