Just to avoid any confusion: when I spoke with Gio earlier this week, he was under the impression that yesterday was the deadline for party leadership candidacies. I subsequently learned -- and reported on my blog -- that the deadline is March 2.

I would like to see the new Chairman make an effort to make the Republican party a continuous part of people's lives, not just an organization that competes in the occasional election. I want to see Republican social clubs, bowling leagues, softball teams, wine tastings, hunting/fishing clubs, whatever cigar aficionados do for fun, etc. Everyone knows the Democrats, it's time Republicans got to know each other. It would also give the party opportunities to reach out to other communities and foster good will.

What about:
Making sure you have electable candidates?
Not supporting terrible candidates just because they where the same jacket?
Not hanging candidates out to dry after endorsements and anouncements have been made.
Helping with funding and strategic support for all statewide candidates not just a select group?

1. Nothing wrong with cleaning up the voting lists, but where's the evidence that dead people vote Democrat? Or is it just that almost everybody who LIVES in RI votes Democrat, so it stands to reason that they do so after death as well?

2. How about a set of guiding principles (like the Contract with America) that we can all rally around?

3. With legislative races, start by targeting a set number of weak incumbent Democrats and find strong candidates to run against them . . . and NEVER, EVER let members of the Dem. top leadership go unopposed.

why why why why why is there no mention of ideas or ideology?

hopefully that's addressed in points 7-10

The saying goes if you take a stand for nothing, no one will follow you - RIRA which a small but growing organization knows that having a workable platform and beliefs that you stay true to is what voters will focus on . . .America Signed on to the Contract with America and then put the Republicans out of office in 2006 because they lost their way and forgot about their base values and what the Contract promised - RIRA stays true to the Contract and we are not about an open tent - Why would a voter vote for you and support the RIGOP if the only thing different between you and the RIGOP and the Democrat is the letter next to your name?

Communication has never been the RIGOP's strong point. The deadline was originally intended to be Friday, but was moved. I rec'd an e-mail two days ago, as well as a letter in the mail Thursday from RIGOP stating that the deadline is now March 2nd.

My guess is that they still need bodies to fill the slots, or that the bodies that they've already dug up aren't the ones they really want.

I like Gio, and wish him no ill, so I hope no one takes this the wrong way. In regard to the above "10 point plan", exactly which party is it for again? That "plan" is much too generic. Parties need to stand for ideas --something to differentiate us from the other side. Simply obeying the law and observing expected ethics should be seen as partisan. Parties and people who don't stand for anything will tend not to attract anyone to their side.

Could we take some stands on, I don't know, ON SPECIFIC ISSUES perhaps???

Issues?

What issues?

I don't see no stinkin' issues.

Hi!
It is my understanding/impression the Governor is not necessarily endorsing Mr.Cicione.It appears to be like the ASSUMED Kerry King endorsement.Short of a statement by the Governor,I see no credibility in any claims he is endorsing a particular candidate.I have no personal issue with Mr.Cicione although Mrs.Morgan endorsement of him carries NO weight with me,but I would not hold that against him!
"Joe" White,Chair of the North Kingstown Republicans IS running for RI GOP State Chair and "Dave" Cote,Secretary of the Rhode Island State GOP IS running for First Vice Chair of the Rhode Island State GOP and that is a FACT!"Dave" is also Chair of the South Kingstown GOP.
Whomever is elected should be an obvious improvement over Patricia Morgan whose exit from the GOP State Chair's post is LONG OVERDUE and is MOST APPRECIATED!She won't be missed!I understand she did not have the Governor's support to keep her post.
Regards,
Scott Bill Hirst
Member,Hopkinton Town Council,1996-2004;.

Scott,

Without getting into specifics, while there is an exceedingly high probability that one or more of the individuals which you've indicated will be running for RIGOP offices, they may not necessarily be running for the specific ones which you have specified. You should likely know for sure, possibly as soon as Wednesday.

On a secondary note, the governor's silence as to endorsement/non-endorsement of particular candidates should tell you something -- this isn't over by a long shot.

Lastly, I've spent a considerable amount of time over the last several weeks conversing with a number of individuals over whether or not it's even worth bothering to run for any of the RIGOP offices. As I've said to others, it's like fighting over the last available first class cabin on the Titanic. However, there actually are some people in the party that do care about it's future, in spite of its history of self-destructive behavior by the insiders that still largely control it. If we just let people get "selected," as opposed to "elected," we may as well not even bother having elections, and just let all the positions be directly appointed instead. Personally, I like democracy.

Note to Will:

Insiders always control the party. this is because whomever wins becomes the "Insiders". Secondly, if you are attempting to state that there is this group of nefarious insiders who have been secretly controlling the party for years while keeping other out, then you are embarrassing yourself.

a look back over the last 10 years of the party chairmen and the executive committees will prove the fact that there has been NO consitent or powerful leadership to any great degree or effect. if there was the party would be in a different position.

so, insiders always control the party because when the "outsiders" get in they are magically transformed into those horribly insidious insiders. and drop the conspiracy theory rhetoric, for your own sake. it makes you look foolish and it cannot withstand even the least amount of scrutiny.

Hi!
There is a need to change not only the top players but also the script in the Rhode Island State GOP.
I may not always agree with Will but he is a worker.
There is a need to respect the "grass roots".The bigger issue may be this:How can someone like Patricia Morgan be allowed by presumably astute people politically to continue as State GOP Chair as long as she has?
Regards,
Scott

It's not clear from this or your five other posts, Scott. What do you think of Pat Morgan as Chairman of the Republican Party?

Ralph,
I appreciate your teasing!I know you do it in a good natured way.
Patricia Morgan has ZERO credibility with a number of Republicans.My own Hopkinton Republican Town Committee actually voted to ask her to step down months ago.The South County Republican Coalition breakfast meeting also voted to ask her to resign.This group is not formally organized.I was a supporter for both positions by these groups.
Patricia Morgan is highly petty.I even had a hard time getting guest passes to attend the 2004 Republican National Convention from her even though I paid the Rhode Island Delegation fee and was a sitting Republican Town Council member at the time.
She is not sophiscated enough to invite me in to discuss my concerns about the party with the 2004 delegate selection process.
Let me tell you what I saw in 2004.We put together a challenge slate to the 2004 Republican National Convention of at-large delegates and at-large alternate delegates.We lost but Steve Laffey agreed for his name to be on our slate and also Joe Scott.I know Joe has gone to the Democrats but I appreciate his gesture.Even Joe had a hard time being a delegate to the Republican National Convention and he was a sitting Republican member of the R.I.House at that time.I had a hard time being a delegate and I was a sitting Republican town council member in 2004 and was a George W.Bush delegate candidate in 2000 and 2004 in the Republican Presidential Primaries.
Regards,
Scott