Political parties have personalities, slogans and mascots. At the end of the day on election day, what really matters is values. Nowhere are the values of a party more readily apparent than in the pages of the party platform.
The Kansas Democratic Party has a "statement of principles". Really nothing more than a laundry list of government spending and feel-good slogans. Republicans can do better.
At the recent State Committee Meeting, the plan for developing a new and meaningful platform was adopted with overwhelming support by the State Committee. This plan wasn't designed to just polish up the old platform and change a few words. This plan was designed to capture the thoughts and feelings of all Republicans and truly build a platform from the ground up.
Unlike the Democrats, Republicans understand that the best ideas don't come from the top down, but the bottom up. The first Idearaiser was held in Topeka last weekend and dozens of new ideas were discussed, developed and passed on to the Platform Committee. The tremendous success of this first event has set the bar for Idearaiser events to be held around the state.
The adoption on a meaningful platform, based on the thoughts and ideas of regular Kansans, will benefit the party in three ways. First, it will help mobilize the entire party behind one set of common ideals. Second, the level of detail will give Republican lawmakers ideas for real solutions to the problems created by the Sebelius administration. Third, it will give voters a chance to compare candidates and their support for the traditional values and common sense solutions in the Republican platform, or the same old tax and spend policies and feel-good slogans.
The more the merrier. Don't keep your good idea to yourself.
31 comments:
"Unlike the Democrats, Republicans understand that the best ideas don't come from the top down, but the bottom up."
You mean, like your party's loyalty oath, to be seen by a Kris Kobach? That kind of "bottom up" approach?
Yeah. That's real grass-roots. Real respectful of what your members think.
If I roll my eyes any harder, they're gonna fall out.
Take a look at the website; the platform chair is still Peggy Mast, a right wing wing-nut who drafted the current platform. The current platform of course is pro-life without exception and opposed to stem cell research but, in addition, it puts the party firmly in support of school vouchers. It also contains a provision that says parents should be free to discipline their kids without outside interference if done under God. In other words, you have the right to beat your kids to a bloody pulp without those pesky social workers or police interfering as long as you do it with God's guidance. The platform also makes more references to God than the Bible. Between our right wing platform and Kobach's loyalty committee, the Dems will have a field day with us.
well, last poster, instead of just bitching about it, if you are a Republican TAKE YOUR PARTY BACK OR GO TO THE DEMOCRATS!!!
the whole purpose of this kind of meeting is to make sure that people on the right, left and center at least can voice their opinion on what the platform should say.
At the end of the day on election day, what really matters is values.
FAIL. What really matters is VOTES, as in who has more. What good are "values" (code for far-right ideals) if they alienate the electorate?
The party should decide what issues the majority of REGISTERED Republicans agree on and make that the platform. More divisive issues (such as embryonic stem cell research, which even conservatives disagree on) should be left to individual candidates in the primaries.
And I completely agree with Anon #1.
GO TO THE DEMOCRATS!!!
Yes. Come to the Democrats. We're tolerant, open-minded, and welcome to diversity.
Response to last poster:
The democrats are tolerant, huh? Just like they were "tolerant" of Joe Liebermann? It was so nice of them to push him out of their party due to one issue.
Or tolerant like refusing to give PA Gov. Bill Casey a speaking slot at the '92 Dem. convention because he was pro-life?
Or as tolerant as Daily Kos and Moveon.org when they say that any Dem who votes against their interest will be ousted?
The GOP is definitely more tolerant than the Republicans--look at the lineup of speakers we had for the 2004 convention. Yeah, sometimes we disagree and have contentious primaries, but that is the spirit of democracy.
The Dems are more content to force everyone to march in lockstep with them, or in the case of Kansas, welcome anyone and everyone into their fold because they're so desparate for support. But once they gain traction and leverage, look out! The purging will begin...
Joe Lieberman got "pushed out" of the Democratic Party? That's ridiculous. Joe Lieberman lost an election, and he lost it over the same issue so many Republicans lost their elections over: The war in Iraq. Joe Lieberman left the Democratic Party of his own free will.
In reply to earlier post, these meetings are stacked with conservatives. Kobach, Mast, etc. will politely listen and then write whatever they want. The party will not re-emerge as a credible voice for all Republicans until the right wing ideologues are defeated in precinct elections which may well occur in 08.
Let's face it, both parties are driven today by the extremists on their fringes and neither party is tolerant. Religious conservatives took over Republican party and have been trying to purge mods ever since. Dems ran left of center and won in 06 but now the hard-core lefties of MoveOn.Org, Media Matters and George Soros's other flunkies are doing the same thing to the Dems. Maybe we could have the Koch Brothers and George Soros fight it out on some island somewhere and leave the rest of us alone.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-DqY8iIxe2cqY8iIxe2c
Why are we spending time writing a new platform? Most voters aren't even aware we HAVE a platform to begin with. I think it's a really sad waste of time to sit around and talk about ideas and write about our morals and goals, when we need to just be focusing on winning elections. Isn't that the point? If I want ideas, I can go to church.
Why are we spending time writing a new platform?
Well, without a platform, what will we have to pledge our undying, life-long loyalty to? I mean, c'mon, ole' Kris Kobach has to have some standard to hold us all to.
Here's an idea: update this blog more often.
Platform committees have always been stupid ideas for the GOP. It's never worked in the past ... I don't know this year will be any different.
Basically, the GOP state committee is controlled by right wing lunatics. They in no way represent the mainstream KS voter. Whenever they all get together and draft a platform, it just reinforces the thought that the KSGOP is a bunch of kooks.
I'd say ditch platforms and other stupid ideas. Focus on reaching out to voters ... not scaring them away.
Let's all rally around the Founders, shall we???
RP is taking off, and it is not like the GOP has any other plan that will not end in utter defeat.
Let's all throw a Hail Mary toward the endzone and come up with a win of a historic, record setting kind.
Because business as usual is killing us.
Ron Paul is the only candidate who can defeat Hillary.
http://bjbrownsblog.blogspot.com/
Bryan,
I'm sure your former employer, Phill "I got my ass kicked in my own home county" Kline appreciates your sage political advice more than we do.
I'm glad you applied your brilliant grasp of strategy to his re-election campaign!
Nope, actually all of my sage advice was ignored. Even my pepper and paprika advice as well.
But thanks for asking. It is good to clarify that.
Now you go ahead and follow the media kings and give us Rudderless Rudy, and then watch your grand old party go the way of Senator Craig's sterling reputation.
Finally...something interesting on this blog!
So here's an 'idea' state party--- ELECT REPUBLICAN CANDIDATES.
In case you need to know how to do that: you might try raising some money that does more than pay your staff's exorbitant salaries. You might also work to get your party on the same page behind some broad based positive ideas instead of trying to focus on issues that only appeal to a few.
But maybe you don't want my 'ideas'.
Exactly right. None of this matters if we can't find candidates who can win. While Jenkins and Ryun wage very active campaigns in 2nd District, Nick Jordan is AWOL in the 3rd. He showed up to bow to the Kay O'Connor groupies at the Sunflower shindig and showed up on Shanin & Parks radio show but otherwise he has been invisible. Maybe he's following the wildly successful Kobach playbook; cater only to the conservatives (who will vote for him anyway) and ignore mods and independents. Lynn Jenkins is way more visible in the 3rd than Jordan is. He is really inept and should consider getting out of the way so a real campaigner could get in.
State senators like Jordan think that they're big deals. They're not. Nobody knows who they are.
Adkins dragged his feet to launch his campaign for AG. He thought he had it in the bag. He didn't. Dave Kerr thought he waltz thru a quick primary. He couldn't.
Basically, state senators are insiders. So, the politicos know who they are. But, the voters don't have a clue. I bet if you went door-to-door in Jordan's district you'd find that he has less than 50% name ID.
Sure, Jordan knows lobbyists and people in DC. But, he needs to get out and start talking to voters if he wants to go to Congress.
Jordan has the reputation of being lazy. I predict that he'll be a 40% candidate. And, I predict that if another Congressional candidate emerges, he'll have a tough time even winning primary.
If you have ideas for the Republican platform go to www.50ideas.com and submit your ideas.
Jenkins is working hard on her campaign and is willing to speak to any audience moderate or conservative. As a matter of fact several prominent conservatives have been helping her with fund raising.
Here's an idea for the KS GOP ... give the party back to the moderatess.
It's amazing. The best GOP chairman that we've had in decades is the Democrat Lieutenant Governor. Shallenberger and Kobach has been absolute failures.
What "prominent conservatives" have been fundraising for Lynn? Name names. We want names.
Names????? Not happening. I consider myself a conservative and have seen what lengths some "so called conservatives" will go to attack those who don't agree with them politically.
Funny how the great legislative conservatives ..... sell their values for money. If you want names there .... Tim Shallenburger - now working for gaming company..... Doug Mays who stopped gaming from even coming up for a vote as House Speaker and keep down school spending ... now is a lobbyist for casinos and school district 501
Nice work, you have just scooped me on a post I have been working up.
Oh well, I will still post it sometime over the weekend.
For both Mays and Shallenberger, conservatism wasn't a philosophy ... it was just a marketing strategy.
Both simply came into office when the conservatism was popular. They just wanted to ride the wave. Now, it's quite obvious that they didn't really believe what they were selling.
It continues today. House leadership like Neufield and Merrick could care less about the social conservative issues; conservatives control the House GOP votes so they just pander for leadership elections. O'Neal, Sigfried, etc. are same. They are all fiscal conservatives but generally marginilize the true believers like Kinzer, Landwehr, Kiegerl, etc.
carlos mayans was the one true conservative wichita has ever seen. carlos for governor!
I have a great idea!
Why don't we stop playing party uber alles and support Ron Paul to return the Republic to moral, fiscal and judicial sanity?
His messages are clear and clearly what every true conservative should be supporting.
See u-tube or my blog for details.
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