State of the Champaign County Republican Party

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State of the Champaign County Republican Party Address

Jason Barickman,  April 27, 2008

I want to discuss the Champaign County Republican Party in the context of where we are today and where we’re going.  To start, I think we need to recognize that Illinois Republicans face an identity crisis, and we need to quit pointing fingers at past leaders and acknowledge that its our job (not just me, or Sen. Brady or any individual person in this room) – but all of us who need to step up and move our Party forward.

 

We’re all representatives of the Illinois Republican Party, and if we’re going to move it forward, it’s going to be with everyone’s help – ask yourself, if it’s not you, then who?

 

For years there’s been a lot of talk about what it’s going to take for Illinois Republicans to pull their heads out of the sand and recognize that we have an opportunity to lead in this state.

 

For far too long, Republicans have thought the problems in our party stemmed from the struggle between those who did – and did not – view themselves as social conservatives.  The argument has been echoed in every political hall from Carbondale to Rockford.  It goes like this –there are those who believe a pro-life candidate cannot win in Illinois because we’re a socially moderate state.  That argument is contrasted with the idea that a pro-choice candidate cannot win in Illinois because they won’t have the support of the Republican base.

 

Perhaps to some degree both arguments have merit, but their logic is flawed – it creates a Catch-22 because neither scenario has us winning.  Unfortunately, our Party has spent numerous years arguing about these flawed theories.   The errors in logic are evidenced by looking at downstate Governor Jim Edgar and upstate US Senator Peter Fitzgerald.  How many Illinois voters do you know that wouldn’t support both of the pro-choice Edgar or the pro-life Fitzgerald for statewide office?  What if I told you they would be running against the likes of Mike Madigan, Emil Jones or soon-to-be-indicted Rod Blagojevich?

 

Rather than continuing the internal struggle within our party, it’s time for Illinois Republicans to acknowledge that we are facing an identity crisis.

 

References to the GOP and the Republican Party is nothing more than referring to a brand name. Branding is an attempt to create an impression that a brand associated with a product will have certain characteristics that make it unique.  It’s like this: My truck won’t break down, it’s a Chevy; he’ll be on the disabled list by the all-star break, he’s signed a deal with the Cubs; he’s a crook and likely to end up in jail, he’s an Illinois Governor. 

 

A candidate for elected office is the equivalent to a product.  These products need to align with a particular brand, and our problem is that our brand name has little to no positive identity.  We have a brand management issue.

 

Where pundits, elected officials and party leaders have gone wrong is that they have said that our brand management issue stems from a debate between those who are – and are not - social conservatives.  I think the real problem facing Illinois Republicans has been the struggle between conservatives and pragmatists.  On one end of the spectrum is the Conservative, often represented by the political activist, who adamantly believes in things like limited government, lower taxes and individual liberty.  On the other end of the spectrum is the Pragmatist, who too often in Illinois’ political past has taken actions that demonstrate that in their mind conservatism is nothing more than a belief – a theory that has no place in real world politics, and that government requires extensive compromise and deal-making.  A pragmatist strategizes on the best way to reach a solution, where a conservative first asks whether we should even have the discussion.  We all acknowledge that some level of compromise is necessary in government, but when it comes at the expense of our core beliefs or when our opponents’ contributors view our candidates as being so pragmatic that they pour money into their campaign coffers – then we’ve gone too far.

 

I think the problem with Illinois Republicans isn’t a struggle between those who are and are not social conservatives.  It’s a struggle by conservatives to re-define the Republican Party as a household brand name that is only attached to elected officials and candidates who subscribe to a core set of beliefs and constantly maintain the highest levels of ethical standards.  In other words, our pragmatic leadership in the past has blurred core differences between a Republican and a Democrat.

 

Whether it’s a tax increase, the purchase of a baseball stadium, the operation of a county-run nursing home, or our local governments taking actions for the so-called good of the people – Illinois Republicans must demand that our elected officials and candidates first ask whether – or to what extent – government should be involved. 

 

Illinois Republicans need to fix their brand name so that voters have a real choice.  To do so, we need re-define ourselves, and take our message to the voters. 

 

Here in the Land of Lincoln, home of the nation’s first Republican President, the Champaign County Republican Party has begun such an effort to show that we stand today for the same core values based on freedom and democracy that Lincoln first proposed.  Our Central Committee has adopted the platform sitting in front of you as an effort to reach out to the voters and explain who we are and what we stand for, so that the voters may view our brand name as being stronger than that of our competitors. 

 

Where party leaders once decried the loss of patronage jobs and what it meant to finding precinct committeemen and grassroots activists, your local party leaders have embraced the change.  No longer are we seeking people willing to knock on doors because their job depends on it – that’s the pragmatic approach of old.  Today we look for – and are finding – people who knock on doors, run for office, give money and spread our message because of the single, most powerful motivator in politics – they believe in our conservative message.

 

Whether its Obama at the top of the Illinois ballot or an Illinois Republican Party still searching for its identity, the road ahead for Champaign County Republicans has many challenges beyond our control.  However, for those things within our control, our future is bright. Local Democrats remain splintered and bitter with one another, while our party continues to regain its strength by remaining unified and focused.  We continue to recruit outstanding candidates and we have the resources available to exploit the Democrats vulnerabilities even when the odds – such as a democratic drawn county board map – stand before us. 

 

Our candidates are exceptional this year.  Let me ask you, what do a chemist, army national guardsman, entrepreneur and college republican of the year have in common – they’re the Republican candidates challenging incumbent Democrats for County Board this year. 

 

Overall, politics is a lot like sports. I’ve often said that there is nothing more difficult than recruiting our team of candidates to challenge incumbent Democrats. This year, we’ve recruited an outstanding team, and one that’s far superior to that of our opponents.  First of all, thank you to all of you who have stepped forward with a willingness to run as our candidate.  I truly appreciate the sacrifice you’re making for better government. 

 

Whether it’s a sports game or a political campaign, in the end, it’s often the team or candidate that wants it more that wins.  Brad Jones is already showing all of us how bad he wants to win.  When you truly grasp the efforts Brad’s making in his campaign – knocking on thousands of doors already - you realize that Brad’s done a gut check and he’s got what it takes to put him over the finish line. 

 

We’ve got the best candidates, and if you’ve not already written them a check, walked your block for them or asked them for a yard sign, you’re already letting the rest of us down.

 

We’ve had a terrific year – I’ve touched on our tremendous slate of candidates; we’ve filled our precinct committeemen slots, we’ve filled County Board vacancies along the way with people like Alan Nudo, we’ve slated an entire delegation of Champaign County Republicans to represent us at the Illinois Republican Party Convention; we’ve brought back Bill Black to continue to represent many of us in Springfield; but most of all, we stand ready, willing and able to mobilize this fall in support of each of our Republican candidates – whether running for President or the Legislature or county wide or the County Board.

 

We’re ready.  And we do so knowing what I continue to remind you — that all politics absolutely is local.  If we want to make a positive change and make the Illinois Republican Party the strength that it once has been and we want to make sure that Illinois Republican’s brand represents the core set of values and ethics that we believe it should…when you’re asking me how we can do that, I’ll look you right in the eyes and tell you my honest answer – we’re only going to do it with your help.  You need to look in the mirror each day and say, if its not you, then who is going to step forward?  We – all of us here today – represent the membership of the Republican Party.  It’s our Party.  Let’s make sure it’s also our brand.

Kristin Williamson @ April 29, 2008