Why the Homestead?
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Young people chose Democrats. African-Americans chose Democrats. Suburban voters chose Democrats. Middle class wage earners chose Democrats, and thought they’d be more likely to cut middle class taxes than Republicans. Hispanics chose Democrats.
So to reboot our Republican Party into a majority party again, we’re meeting at…the HOMESTEAD?
Far away from most of Virginia, well above the costs of the exact people we say we want to be active in the Party (it is a fundraiser, you know). Want to know how many people, the exact people who have either left the Republican Party or say that the Party left them can afford to travel to the Homestead and pop for a room during the Christmas shopping season.
The location of the advance used to rotate (we did an awful lot better back then, come to think of it).
Sure, the Homestead is nice. It’s very nice. It proclaims on its website to have played host to “Presidents and princes.” But for a Party stamped with the tag of the party of rich, white guys, isn’t our Advance too much of a playing to type?
And doesn’t a meeting in Hot Springs for a Party that needs a serious rebound from 3 years of electoral drubbings sound a bit too similar to billionaire Auto executives flying in private jets to Washington to ask for a bailout?
We’re going to need a full scale effort to turn our party around. Most of the nation won’t need to show results until 2010. We’re on the stage next year, friends. We have less than a year to turn this around. We should be broadening our tent and not basking in our selectivity.
Our usual leadership style of standing on the top of the mountain and expecting the voters to climb won’t work.
And the Homestead doesn’t make the mountain any smaller.
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Excellent post. As a College Republican who would have loved to beable to go, I found the costs very prohibitive. While this is an event for GOP activists, it should definately be affordable for the middle income people who make up the grassroots of this party.
There are those that agree with you, and some that don’t:
http://virginiavirtucon.wordpress.com/2007/03/01/the-rpv-advance/
Good points. And please get rid of the stupid name.
Freddie,
Who are those that wouldn’t agree?
Brian makes sense to me.
Some of the comments in the VirginiaVirtucon blog disagree.
This actually makes sense.
What have you done with the real Brian Kirwin?
Well gee Brain, you don’t expect the well paid lobbyists to have to rub elbows with the unwashed massed do you? Of course the GOP is only soliciting the views of those that can afford to price of admittance - it keeps all those pesky low rent bloggers away. Such annoying gnats - they are unwanted ants at the picnic.
Only Elites should have a real seat at the decision-making table when it comes to planning for the future of the Republican party, right?
Oh, this is sooooo revealing, isn’t it?
I agree with this first post. Most of my College Republican Club has declined to attend, on the account it costs way to much. It is fun to attend however.
When in the course of human events, specifically the last 20 years, you see decision after decision made that adversely affects the majority population, you have to ask yourself something; are our leaders stupid or are they evil?
Those are the only two choices, unless you prefer to think they are powerless to other factors…
The end of the cold war (IE the cold hearted cutting off of funding to a myriad of now terrorists groups that we employed to fight the Russians and now hate us because we failed to accomade them after they won us the Cold War), 9/11, the war in Iraq, the economic crisis, the handling of the 2008 election (both sides and the media), all were so horribly managed that the question I have asked is all too valid.
…and just so no one accuses me of saying we need to accommodate terrorists…
During the Cold War the United States through the CIA and particularly through Bill Casey funded covert operations in nearly ever country in the world designed to undermine Soviet Power. Wherever there was a Soviet insurgency we funded the government in power, wherever there was a Soviet backed government in power, we funded the insurgency. We also smuggled anit-soviet literature, printing presses, and printing materials into several European countries, notably Ukraine. After the end of the Cold War funding was severed and these groups left without any assistance from the country they were being paid to somewhat arguably fight for. Granted they were fighting for their country, but were we not to have intervened and then suddenly pulled out they would have enjoyed much more stable lives. Instead they gave us their all and got little to nothing in return except a ruined country. When it comes to Latin American countries this is especially troubling because in the early 1900’s we forcibly took control of most of their economies and several times overthrew elected governments.
Max, this is a post about the Advance being held at the Homestead, not the history of the CIA.
BK is damn right on this. It is completely outrageous that Frederick and Byler would allow this to happen. Are people from VB supposed to drive 700 miles roundtrip to go to a stinkin’ meeting? Hold the darn meeting at an IHOP in Petersburg if that’s what it takes to get people to come talk about how to get the Party on the right track.
Frederick must go!
Hadn’t thought about the folly of setting such a meeting at the posh Homestead, in this particular year. Now that I have, I can see that whatever comes out of this confab will likely be mocked as further evidence the GOP is still wearing reality blinders.
The author of this post has hit a bulls-eye.
Those who do not learn history are doomed to repeat it. Hence why I made my point. I suppose you did not see the symbolic connection between having other peoples fight for our freedom and then leaving them dissarrayed after it has been won…
Funning you mention Byler when in fact it was Bruce Meyer that was in charge of this event, for the most part at least. Getting rid of Frederick will not do anything, the RPV will just be even worse run because we will have to have SC elect a new chairman who will clearly have to become accustomed to the job just as Frederick did. We need continuity in leadership and subordinates willing to work hard to convince their chairman and leadership what the right thing to do it, not simply say your wrong.
Amen, Brian.
Gee, even Brian might be getting a clue. I’ve been calling this the Hillbilly Hideaway for a couple of years now for good reason. News travels slow in the sticks, especially when it’s released as an overheard rumor by an anonymous source. This strategy has served the RPV well. By the time their real proposals reach civilization, the GA has already done the dirty work. Now the rank and file are finding that even having a sympathetic fellow traveler as chairman is not enough, the GOBs control the party.
Don’t take my word for it. Just read back through the past couple of weeks blog entries.
So instead of blogging and complaining
How about we have our own “Advance” in say Richmond perhaps
I am pretty serious about this perhaps some Saturday in January would work?
feel free to email me novamiddleman@hotmail.com if people would be interested
To be completely frank not exactly sure what we would talk about maybe it would be more of a blogger/commenter conference?
BTW, I’m getting a real time virus detection on the home page, but not the others. It’s identifying as a actns/swif.t trojan using a shockwave file. The acutal blog page with comments appears to be clean. Anyone else getting this?
Darrell - Only on the home page or the full blog page as well? If just the home page, it could either be the youtube video or the blogtalkradio plugin. Email me at jasonkenney@gmail.com with any info, I’ll look into it.
Brian, you are right on the money — a lower price should be available (even if less events are available for it). And, we should go back to rotating the Advance across the more populated parts of the Commonwealth.
Brian,
Sorry, I am going to disagree with you. If they had it at the Hyatt in NOVA again with the European “no showers” and no doors, I would have protested. You would not catch me in NOVA for any reason other than if I had to be there for a reason.
I always look forward to the Homestead, and take my hubby with me a day early. It’s a mini vacation for us combined with my political life.
The Homestead is like stepping back into another era, and is a wonderful escape from the grind here.
I am by no means rich, so I budget for it. The room rate of $139.00 is the same as Richmond Omni and less than the Richmond Marriott most of the time. There are other choices to stay a few miles away, like the Gristmill–wonderful rooms and breakfast for $110.00.
Sorry—you don’t get a decent room anywhere anymore for less than $100.00. There is no decent hotel or conference center to have the Advance that college students can afford anyway. You don’t attract working people in their 40’s to 70’s (the nucleus of the Party) going to a flea bag.
I can see the point of moving it around to be fair to everyone in the state, but wherever you have it, it won’t be that much less expensive than the Homestead.
Wow, you guys sound like Democrats whining & moaning about the cost of things…and the ” elitist” posh resort called the Homestead.
Republicans work hard, make money and party hard.
Why don’t you whiners join the planning committe for next year. I am sure they can use your help and your wise and sage advice about where to have the Advance.
I Disagree, The Advance last year in Arlington has horrible, The Advance is the only time I can afford to go to The Homestead, When you work your butt off during the election It’s great to go to a nice event like the advance and relax, The Homestead is an awesome Venue and I hope it remains the Permanent home of the advance. If it was held elsewhere I woul just skip it.
The Advance next year will be in Williamsburg. It will rotate around the state in the future.
[...] Over at Bearing Drift, Brian Kirwin takes on RPV for hosting this year’s Advance at The Homestead. Brian asks: Why the Homestead? [...]