Mullins getting the nod from party leadership
By JR Hoeft | Tuesday, May 26th, 2009 | PoliticsPat Mullins has received the endorsements of everyone next to Abraham Lincoln and Ronald Reagan for chairman of the Republican Party of Virginia, according to the Washington Post’s blog and Too Conservative.
Bob McDonnell, the Republican congressional delegation, and most of the House GOP have given their blessing to the Republican unit committee chair from Louisa County in his bid to remain party chairman after having been selected by the State Central Committee on May 2 and after former Chairman Jeff Frederick was removed by the same body just a month prior.
“The release of the impressive endorsement list must mean Mullins is worried about his rival, Bill Stanley, a lawyer from Franklin County who is backed by many Frederick supporters,” wrote Anita Kumar of WaPO.
That comment actually might have some merit, but it’s not entirely true. There is also a growing group of grassroots activists who are perturbed by the appearance that State Central and the GOP establishment is dictating this choice without so much as a discussion over who might be best for the party. Additionally, there are also those who have been impressed by the positive and effective campaign that Stanley is running.
“Some Frederickistas may see this as confirmation that Mullins is the “establishment” pick, and so therefore Bill Stanley is the “grassroots” pick, despite the fact that such a dichotomy is entirely fictional,” wrote VA Blogger
That may be true too, but the party sure has done a good job at perpetuating the myth.
One of these days, Republican leaders might figure out how to conduct effective public relations in the midst of internal dissent. Slamming the door on dialogue and being dismissive of an opposing opinion probably isn’t the best course of action.
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Conservative to the core; liberal with his opinion! J.R. has been involved in politics for over a decade and has worked on several campaigns in Hampton Roads. He has served on the Executive Committee of the Republican Party of Chesapeake and the Central Committee of the Republican Party of Virginia. He is also the director of “Blogs United” in Virginia. E-mail J.R.. Follow J.R. on Twitter.
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24 Responses to "Mullins getting the nod from party leadership"
A more accurate statement would be that the party hasn’t done a good job of refuting the myth put forward by Frederick’s supporters.
I might not have won that tough election battle in 1860 without Pat Mullins. I’m proud to support him for Chairman.
I would hardly call myself a Frederick supporter, VA Blogger.
If I can clearly see that here was no reason to select Mullins on May 2nd, which has invited these sorts of criticisms, others can see it too. And now for the elected officials to come out and endorse – the same crowd that called for Frederick’s resignation in late March?
It’s mind-boggling how much this is being bungled.
Again, Mullins will make a fine chair. But it sure as heck didn’t have to start out this way.
Well, JR, they had to pick someone on May 2nd. And given that its an election year, they didn’t pick a placewarmer.
This all brings me back to the question I raised on TC: if Virginia Republicans can’t rally behind Bob McDonnell and Eric Cantor, who exactly are they championing for office? Or has it reached the point with them where electing Republicans isn’t as important as who holds the power in an irrelevent party?
The “impressive” list on PM’s website is rather sloppy for such a great leader. Some names appear more than once and Louisa Co. Republican Committee’s own Secretary’s name is spelled incorrectly.
Not that it matters I guess.
I guess it doesn’t matter much either that PM’s statement on that website refers alot to not allowing elected officials to run the party………
It is interesting also to see Larry Pratt’s name on PM’s list. I thought Pratt/GOA endorsed Stanley.
VB,
Mike Thomas was doing…and still is doing…and outstanding job at preparing the party for the convention while Mullins is campaigning throughout Virginia and is out of town on personal business…at least that was what I was told as to why he wouldn’t conduct a podcast with BD.
All I am saying it that this course of action was unnecessary.
Jim
Unfortunately we had to pick a chairman. Read the party plan dude.
Pat is going like gangbusters for our party. He’s working on raising funds and building a unified team. I do complement Bill Stanley on his campaign but really in the end he doesn’t have the ability to raise funds and bring out the electeds in support of the party. Stanley will make a great chairman someday but not today and not in time to aide Bob McDonnell in getting elected.
I hate this insinuation that I haven’t read the party plan. Why don’t you read Bearing Drift more often to understand that not only have I read the party plan, but I have explained it.
I also have been consistent in saying that this selection by SCC was a mistake.
Mike Thomas was acting chairman and could have been selected by SCC through the convention, dude.
I don’t deny Mullins capabilities and I don’t deny Stanley’s capacity as a future party leader – I think we all can see the handwriting on the wall.
But I will say this, I am going to be a whole lot more interested in who is running for District chairs for State Central in the future.
The bottom line is this – in SCC first major challenge after the Frederick removal, it had the opportunity to lead and to put this matter to bed. Instead, it decided to stoke the fire to keep it burning.
The failure here is totally on SCC. Not Pat Mullins. Not Bill Stanley.
If you wanted to support the candidates and have this blow over, SCC would have never selected Mullins as the chair on May 2.
Instead of Mullins coasting to a win on May 30, a lot of people are now going to doubt his ability to lead because of the actions of the SCC.
“Instead of Mullins coasting to a win on May 30, a lot of people are now going to doubt his ability to lead because of the actions of the SCC.”
And his affiliation with consultants running the campaigns.
I totally agree with JR on this one. They should have left Thomas in as Chairman untio the convention. This has simply created a situation most hoped to avoid another “insider” vs. “grassroots” battle. Of course those terms are meaningless in this mess, but they stick purely because of the machinations of SCC in this instance. It’s a self inflicted wound that didn’t have to be this way.
Jeff Frederick was incompetent? The SCC isn’t exactly providing a shining example of competence in handling this.
I’m not really concerned with who wins this. I’m just surprised that controversey is still brewing even after Frederick was shown the door.
According to PM’s interview this evening over at Shaun Kenney site, no blame laid on Frederick for the losses last fall. So I really don’t know why he was runned off (tee hee) nor why SCC picked PM to replace for less than a month before convention. Well, in all honestly I do kinda know why as do most here. Most seem to agree it was a mistake. Perhaps some have to learn the hard way. Will be interesting to see how it plays out.
What has the chairman done precisely for RPV since May 2?
Do these endorsements really matter? Hager had all these endorsements and still lost.
They may matter at some point like when their re-election comes up and their judgment (and possibly motives) are questioned as to why they would jump into this contest.
And by the way I think I counted about 4 Louisa Republican Committee members. Wonder where the other 84 are on this?
Everyone,
a few things. Maybe Mike could have stayed on but you know perhaps he has a personal life too. The man has served many more years to this party than most of us have been alive. Why didn’t Stanley’s backers put up a candidate against Pat at the State Central meeting? They could have.
As far as what Pat’s done for the party. YOU STILL HAVE A PARTY. Frederick all but bankrupted us. He couldn’t get his own momma to give him birthday money let alone a donation for us. Pat has already gotten donations coming immediately upon taking the job. Pat didn’t have to volunteer for a unpaid job when he has a full life enjoying his grandkids and working with the therapeutic riding association. No he choses to serve our party and in my mind our country yet again.
Another thing the party is a service organization. It exists to serve the needs of our candidates. We volunteer to be part of that organization as party members. So we are like a restaurant if you will. Well the chairman could be considered the maitre’d. Now the custormers of this business are the elected officials. Now as good pro business Republicans we all agree that customer satisfaction is important and the customer is always right. Our business’s top customers: Bob McDonnell, our Congressional delegation, and the Speaker of the House all say we want this guy.. Why in God’s name of running any successful enterprise do we say… NOPE NO WAY NO HOW… ITS NOT FAIR that you get who you want. What are we a bunch of fracking Liberals!!!!! You give the customer what they want. That is the first rule of successful business. Lets get behind Pat and WIN!!!!!
Lastly. Many of us have gone round and round about how we need candidates and knowledge to win in Northern Va. Why do we loose so much in NOVA… WHY whine WHY.
People Pat Mullins is one of the political fathers of the GOP grown in NOVA that we all lament and miss. Don’t you think if the man built a NOVA Republican machine once he very well can do it again.
This election if far far too important to keep running each other in the ground. Let’s check our own ego / political needs at the door! Lets get on board and be victorious!
“Another thing the party is a service organization. It exists to serve the needs of our candidates.” – Lee Talley
“Now the custormers of this business are the elected officials. Now as good pro business Republicans we all agree that customer satisfaction is important and the customer is always right.” – Lee Talley
I now understand why the grassroots feels powerless and disenfranchised. They probably felt the people of the party mattered and their opinion counted. Since it is all about servicing the elected officials and that elected customer is always right, everyone can just phone in their rubber stamps. Clearly if you aren’t giving Bob satisfaction, you have to go. Jeff Frederick, have you learned your lesson? As chairman in charge of serving, you clearly didn’t know your place.
Britt,
I’m just as grassroots as you are but I want my chairman and party officials to make sure our candidates get elected first and foremost. I serve the Party. I don’t want Pat Mullins or Bill Stanley to worry about me over any candidate getting elected. You cannot govern if you do not win! Of course winning is a foreign concept to yourself as a libertarian. I believe in the Republican agenda! Its not about me its about the party. No one matters over the agenda of the party. Not Bob, Bill, Pat, Myself, JFred, or anyone. Its not about us its about our vision of government. Its about people being given opportunity to live life as they see fit or to serve the liberal monarchy that is BIG GOVERNMENT. Thats what its about… not some liberal / conservative… establishment (yeah if Im establishment we are all going to hell) / grass roots pissing match. Its about can you get Republicans elected. Pat has done so. Pat has raised tons of money, Pat has built the party.
Alot of people love to quote principle and thats what matters.. what matters if getting our guys elected that best reach our principles period. Its not about being right and loosing with dignity. I want to make the other poor bastard loose for his party.
Britt,
You aren’t Republican. Your only interest here can only be to further divide. So I invite you to come on board and be a Republican and taste victory for once, or begone and back to your meetings in the back booth at the IHOP.
No one matters over the agenda of the party. Not Bob, Bill, Pat, Myself, JFred, or anyone. – Lee Talley
Ok, your tune changed a little. Perhaps you mispoke. I can understand wanting party candidates to win. I was afraid you were confirming what I was told that, the elected candidates run the party and were not products of the party that represented the party and the constituents.
Point taken about Libertarians but, in our particular area we have a strong group and we’ve moved far beyond an IHOP booth. I’ve been to some Republican Party meetings and I can honestly tell you that we have had some meetings that had more people than they had. We still haven’t won yet. Ya got me there.
Britt, it’s not that Libertarians haven’t won. They haven’t run!
One candidate ran under the Libertarian banner a few years ago, and it was like pulling teeth for him to get the angry old guys from the Libertarian Breakfast to so much as walk a neighborhood.
Britt, you’ve got a club. Nominate a candidate more than once a decade.
For one, I consider getting a Republican in the Governor’s Mansion far, far more important than Jeff Frederick’s ego.
Lee,
IRT your 11:42 p.m. comment…you missed the point again.
I think Pat Mullins is going to make an outstanding chairman, should he be elected. I don’t refute or disagree with any of your advocacy of Mullins.
That’s not the point of this post, though.
Quite frankly, the only reason Mullins came onboard early was so that he could start raising money. Plain and simple.
But no one at SCC bothered to do outreach to grassroots, let alone the new media. Once again, they allowed perception to trump reality, so here we are today talking about this nonsense instead of our candidates…exactly as I had warned on Apr. 28.
As for Mike Thomas…he has done a remarkable job of service. I am certain he could have continued his role as chairman for a few weeks longer. After all, from what I am being told, he’s not doing much different as first vice than what he was doing as chairman – preparing for the convention..
Let’s get real here…this was all about fundraising. If SCC had been transparent, we wouldn’t be having this discussion.
And, please, at least where I am coming from, this isn’t about Jeff Frederick and you know it.
Jim
Definitly know you were never on the side of JFred. Thats forsure!
I think our thoughts are meeting as we walk arround this tree of discussion here.
The number 1 and 1a job of any chairman is fundraising. The party had to be put back on sure footing first thing. Pat has done and is doing a excellent job in doing so.
Now as far as new media goes I can speak on this. I am on the new media committee with Courtland Putbreeze and Steve Albertson and many other stand up guys and gals. The new media plan for RPV is the next thing on the agenda after getting through this convention. You will see new media the likes of you have never seen before.
Look at how new media was used both pro and con in the JFred issue. 90% of the people on both sides of the argument were New Media committee members. Now imagine all those resources now coming together behind Bob McDonnell and our party.
I think we can all agree that Steve, Cortland, and the New Media committee all have done a terrific job.
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