Conservativa

Former Lt. Gov. John Hager, current RPV Chairman, and Del. Jeff Frederick are running for RPV Chairman, and both spoke at the YRFV Convention this past weekend. Mr. Hager spoke first, listing some achievments such as increased fundraising, but talking a lot about the future. For example, polls show that McCain is regarded very positively, and this is a great opportunity to grow the party. He is aware that the Democrats are very much targeting Rep. Thelma Drake, but she is ready to fight and win again. He took questions. The first was, how would he draw a contrast between himself and his opponent? Hager said, Continuity. Also he (Hager) is not running for any future office. Experience; and the full confidence of the McCain campaign. He stressed the need to do things to pay off continuously in growing the party.

Frederick spoke next. He claimed, without stating how he got the figure, that we are doing only about ten percent of what the Democrats are successfully doing. He emphasized the need to “empower the grassroots,” and that he doesn’t like the top-down approach we have had. He also stressed the need for a unified message, and that we should be telling people constantly the good things we are doing and beating up on Warner, Obama, and Clinton every day in our communications. Ted Brown asked “What can or should the chairman do to restore the brand?” and the answer was that the party shouldn’t make policies - it’s to get people elected. We need to put things in place to have a strong foundation, a strong plan, and get it implemented.

So much for the reporting. Here’s my take on the Chairman’s race. It’s good that there is a race, because competition is good, right? It makes people focus on what they mean to do, and that’s a good thing. But I am endorsing John Hager for re-election for Chairman, and here’s why.

1. Hager gets it - he realizes how perilous our recent losses and potential future losses are. (I’m not sure that “gets it” extends to everyone connected with the RPV, but it does hold for Hager).

2. Hager is understanding the importance of the new media. Listen to this excellent podcast from Bearing Drift of an interview with Chairman Hager. It’s a long interview, but well worth it. Thanks, J.R. Keep up the good work.

3. Hager has been around a while and, more to the point, has many good working relationships with the RNC and with party people throughout the United States. The Democrats badly want that veto-proof majority and are spending obscene amounts of money to get it. We need someone who knows the ropes, not just in Virginia, to help Republicans throughout the country.

Note: Shaun Kenney has also endorsed Hager. When someone who used to work for you still says good things like this about you after they have moved on, that’s a good thing.

4. Frederick’s not a bad guy, but I was not so impressed by his presentation at the Convention. First, especially as the questions went on, he rambled and had answers that were not so much to-the-point. Second, in a number of his answers, he had an inconsistency. Perhaps I was hearing it wrong, but I got the impression that he doesn’t want the RPV to take a top-down approach, but, he wants a loud, unified message; he doesn’t want the RPV to dictate to units but it wants the RPV to “be there” and to “empower” them.

I don’t know that he’s wrong - but I will say that from listening to him I did not get a clear idea of just what it was he wanted. And the fact that he didn’t get it across to me tells me he might not be so successful with the party statewide, either. Again, that’s my impression. If someone at the Convention got a very different impression, I will be glad to hear that.