Guest Post: Fixing the Baltimore City GOP
This is a guest post written on the state of the Baltimore City GOP by commenter VoxClamantis
Baltimore is a one party town. Registered Democrats outnumber registered Republicans by an overwhelming number and that will not change anytime soon. But my question is, why do Republicans have to make it so easy for them? Anyone who has ever been to a Baltimore City GOP meeting knows what I’m talking about. Although well meaning, this dysfunctional group of activists cannot get out of their own way. Here is a list of five easy steps the City Party can undertake to assert itself immediately and begin to build a greater share of the conversation. Once it has shown proficiency for these activities, it will have a foundation upon which it can build its activities:
1. Answer the damn phone: Sounds simple right, but anyone who has ever left a message on the Party’s phone knows that they don’t get returned. Of course, that is assuming the voicemail box isn’t full. Until recently, you couldn’t even leave a message because it was full all the time.
2. Update the web site: A web site is the communications hub for your efforts to engage and interact with current Party members, prospective members, and media. From the web site you push out content to Facebook and other social media applications. The best thing about web sites, Facebook, Twitter, and the rest: they are free. It won’t affect the budget and you can gain a national following, but you need to be engaged actively with new content.
3. Follow through on decisions: Too often an issue is raised or a decision made and nothing ever happens. Debates are fine, but make them time limited, force a vote, and implement the decision. It is tradition in politics that things go to committee to die, but in some instances issues/ideas are supposed to return. Not here. A subcommittee referral is a black hole from which nothing emerges.
4. Engage the media: There are only a couple reporters at the Baltimore Sun who cover local politics. Call them. Ask for a meeting. Explain the Party’s position on the issues they cover. Ask the reporter to come to you for comment. When possible give comment. It is a really simple formula. In the beginning the reporters might not include you, but it provides new content for the web site and social media channels to rally the faithful. Here are three issues in the last month upon which the Party could have provided comment:
· The city budget;
· The redistricting of the Council prior to census data being released;
· The culture of corruption that exists from the Mayor’s office to the cops on the street.5. Dump the chairman: Whoa, this rant just got serious. Yep, the Chairman may be a nice guy, but he is ineffective. The lack of basic on engagement on the above four issues has happened on his watch. Find somebody young and committed who understands how campaigns have changed in the last several years.
I hope the Baltimore City GOP will respond to this, but since it is posted on a blog supported by a Twitter feed, I’m pretty sure there is no one there who will ever see it.
I thank VoxClamantis for his honest candor on the state of the Baltimore City GOP. If a representative from the City GOP would like to respond, feel free to leave a comment below and let me know.
Maryland Blogs / Sites
- Augie "Citizen Watchdog"
- Baltimore County GOP
- Inside Charm City
- Maryland Business for Responsive Government
- Maryland Public Policy Institute
- Maryland Reporter
- Maryland Society of Patriots
- MD Conservative Action Network
- monoblogue
- Potomac Tea Party Report
- PVRC Blog
- Red Maryland
- Right Coast Conservative
National Blogs / Sites
- 2012 Candidates on Twitter
- Anthropocon
- Bearing Drift
- Moe Lane
- Musings – It's Zarf-tastic!
- Oddly Said
- Other McCain
- Pithy Title Goes Here
- Race42012
- Ramblings…
- RedState
- RightKlik
- Ruby Slippers
- Secular ProLife
- Sundries Shack
- The Quinton Report
- TORARADICALcom
Religious Blogs / Sites
- Catholic Coffee Talk
- Challies.com
- Coleen York
- Ed Stetzer
- Edgemere Baptist Church
- Just1Word
- SBC Voices
- Star Wars & Spirituality
- Tally Wilgis
- The 140 Bible
- The Girl On The Road To Self Discovery
- Thom Rainer
- TroyStouffer.com
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