Too Conservative: Rumblings at RPV?
By Shaun Kenney | Sunday, November 28th, 2010 | PoliticsFrom over at Too Conservative we find that RPV is chalking up $319K in debt as of mid-October:
Sure, Republicans won big statewide, but how and when are they going to pay this debt off? Especially when they have to abide by the federal campaign limits of $2100 per person? Between this and the ongoing financial mess at the RNC (including this one that Establishment Ken will appreciate – big spending on conventions), it sure does look like the Republican establishment is still hellbent on spending up a storm for thier own edification.
Of course, this didn’t go unnoticed by the Democrats at Blue Virginia. Last weekend’s $85/plate dinner at the Advance probably put a dent in this debt, but after seeing Kate Obenshain and RPV under Ed Gillespie and Charlie Judd pull RPV back from the brink and into solvency just to watch RPV slide back into six-figure debt right before the 2011 elections, this sure worries me.
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Shaun Kenney is the Chairman of the Fluvanna County Board of Supervisors, former Communications Director for the Republican Party of Virginia, and an active blogger since 2002. Shaun lives in Thomas Jefferson's backyard with his wife, six children, and a modest attempt at a farm in Kents Store, Virginia.
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10 Responses to "Too Conservative: Rumblings at RPV?"
As I understand it, a good chuck of the money that RPV owes is the result of issues left over from the Jeff Frederick era.
But I am as concerned as anybody else is – we need to wipe out that debt as soon as we can so RPV will be in a position to help out in the fall.
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Blaming J-Fred is a double-edged sword. True, the wreck that he left behind after destroying the best fundraising team RPV has ever seen wasn’t helpful… and believe me, it’s tough to recover from a dented brand and destroyed mail program.
But after having witnessed how Gillespie and Judd rebuilt RPV and turned things around first-hand in just a year, blaming Frederick for current woes only lasts so long. It’s been well over a year…
RPV needs a shot in the arm and a focus if it’s going to play any meaningful role in 2011 beyond it’s mailing privileges.
They could adhere better to conservative governance and get more money from individuals including Tea Partiers who showed they would contribute freely given the right attitude. If they don’t want to do that, they better exert themselves (including McDonnell et al) with the usual suspects, er donors. One thing is for sure: the Dems are not going to stop at doing anything. I suppose it’s a fantasy to think that Congressional Repubs will turn off the Fed spigot to the Dem interest groups in the states who launder the money back to the DNC and state committees.
I am not certain I have that much reason to care about the financial state of the RPV. The only time I have ever felt much incentive to give it any money is when we held a convention. Otherwise, what is the relevance of the RPV. If we are going to hold primary elections, what is the function of the RPV? Does the RPV uphold a set of core Republican principles? Whose? Anybody who shows up at a the polls during a Republican primary election? That is a very loosely defined “political party,” at best.
When I donate my money and time directing to the candidates I support or even to the Prince William Republican Committee, I at least know where my money might be going. If I donate to the RPV, I take a much bigger risk my donation will be wasted on candidates I do not support, Jeff Frederick or no Jeff Frederick.
As I mentioned in comments at TC, RPV did have $256,000 cash on hand, so it isn’t as bad as it seems, but DPVA had more cash on hand and exactly $0 in debt.
I might add that all this came to me from a little GOP birdie who was disgusted by Pat Mullins endorsement of Dick Black. A LOT of people are ticked at Mullins for that, and I can’t blame any other Republican candidate in the state for not expecting the same endorsement. Hell, if he’ll endorse the abominable Dick Black in a key battleground county like Loudoun, then he should endorse just about anyone. This is about the stupidest move Mullins could have ever pulled.
That little GOP birdie must have gotten around, because RPV’s fundraising efforts were the talk of the Advance.
If that was the talk of the Advance, the Advance was a waste of time.
From my post at TC:
The RPV maintains two separate accounts, Federal and non-Federal. Only Federal is limited. State offices and other non Federal expenditures are not. The FEC accounting is the Federal candidates and elections only, and donations are limited. But with some 200K+ on hand in this account, and debt of 300K+, and no Federal campaign activity on the immediate horizon, they have some time to raise the 100K to cover the account debt. Remember this FEC filing does not tell the whole story for the RPV’s finances. So to declare a “mess” is not fully reflective of the whole condition. But who knows, maybe it is. All I am saying is we don’t have the whole picture here.
Yes, the debt was in the Federal account- which was spent to help us beat well-funded Dem incumbents in three districts and nearly topple a fourth. Remember, outside groups tried to save Nye, Perriello and Boucher and especially Connelly. RPV was doing its job trying to elect those guys, and all the debt was to regular RPV vendors. Pat has done a fantastic job with RPV and the results show it- let’s not jump overboard with the criticism here.
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