Follow BeltwayBlips on Twitter
Steps Necessary for GOP Rebuilding
GayPatriot —
Glenn Reynolds is right. There is lots of interesting stuff today at the Next Right. A lot of it goes into great detail about a post I had planned for today.
I had intended to list the points I think the next chairman of the Republican National Committee (RNC) needs address and offer some thoughts on that race. The bloggers there go into much great detail, so in my list of where, I believe, the GOP needs works, I’ll, as appropriate, link their posts. Patrick Ruffini thinks we need do three things: Rebuild our infrastructure, Find our message, Find new leaders. I think it involves a little more than that. ...
Ideas: The beltway is the disease not the cure. Another way to steal from the European model
The Next Right —
Patrick and Matt, who I both respect and count as friends, get something completely wrong. Patrick wants to install an "Ideas Czar" and a "Republican National Policy Committee":
What we need is a policy arm independent of the existing policy infrastructure on the Hill that incorporates the best of what's happening in the states, on the Hill, and in the think tanks. A Republican National Policy Committee would be tasked with crafting a larger message that's bigger than just House Republicans or Senate Republicans, but that includes both and Governors as well. An RNPC would have de-facto last word on the ...
An Ideas Czar
The Corner on National Review Online —
[image] [image] NRO BLOG ROW | THE CORNER | ARCHIVES SEARCH E-MAIL PRINT RSS [image] [image] Friday, November 28, 2008 [image] An Ideas Czar [ Kathryn Jean Lopez ] Now that's the perfect job for Newt. 11/28 08:40 AM [image] [image] [image] © National Review Online 2008. All Rights Reserved. Home | Search | NR / Digital | Donate | Media Kit | Contact Us
Forget the Ideas Czar or Network: We Must Create Ideas Through Peer Production
The Next Right —
(promoted by Soren)
Patrick Ruffini recently wrote a piece arguing that the GOP needs an “ideas czar”, while Soren Dayton disagrees, insisting that, “The beltway is the disease not the cure.” Regardless of where you stand on this argument, both Patrick and Soren raise a critical, underlying point: the Republican Party needs a way to bring new, innovative ideas to the table if it wants to find its identity and ultimately achieve electoral success.
Ruffini founded the site RebuildTheParty.com, which specifically states that the Internet must be our #1 priority over the next four years. I ...
Pick our fights and move to the states
The Next Right —
My central insight in my recent disagreement with Patrick is that the creativity will take place in the states. While there will be some very important fights in Washington over the next 2-4 years, in particular health care, card check, and bailouts, another equally important fight will happen in 40 or more states over that time period. In the federal fights, our answer is likely to be simply: NO.
But at the states, something else will happen. Check out this map (click for a larger version), courtesy of the New York Times, via The Big Picture:
Our states -- and our municipalities -- are in ...
An Agenda of Equal Opportunity: The New Contract with America?
The Next Right —
I've promised this post several times to several people. Now it's finished. It's a little disorganized; feel free to smash it up.
Today's style section in the Washington Post features newly minted House Minority Whip, Congressman Eric Cantor. He seems to be decidedly undecided on what can move the GOP forward in upcoming election cycles:
On his nightstand, Cantor heaps prescriptions for his ailing party: "Comeback: Conservatism That Can Win Again," by David Frum, formerly a speechwriter for President Bush; "The Grand New Party: How Republicans Can Win the Working ...
Let Governors Lead the Way for the GOP
The Next Right —
Bill Kristol has mostly the right idea here:
That's why one has to be careful about what one wishes for. Republicans, newly liberated, need to resist calls to shackle themselves to prematurely announced agendas and already anointed leaders. This is the time for a thousand Republicans to bloom. Congressmen used to looking to the White House for guidance or approval--or fearing disapprobation--should show some healthy ambition and unleash their inner policy entrepreneur. Backbenchers need to come forward with heterodox ideas. There should be vigorous debate. Disharmonious disarray is in the short term much less of a danger than a ...
