Over the years, Mark and I have been asked repeatedly what we think about endorsements and we always say the same thing: Endorse Whenever Possible.
The only way that the county party structure gets any kind of say in how we are governed is in the endorsement process. If you want to make sure that government is smaller and more limited, you want to get involved with your county party and get them to endorse candidates who push for smaller more limited government. If fiscal conservatism is your thing, you had better make sure that your party has a say in getting candidates who take fiscal responsibility seriously on the ballot. Whatever your issue(s) is, the only way the party can help you and your community is if they endorse candidates who believe in the same things that you do.
WMD has always supported the position that the conservative movement must work within the structure of the Republican Party in order to regain its rightful position at all levels of government. To do that, we must support the best practices of the party system in order to achieve that goal. Endorsements typically open up resources to candidates who then have the ability to campaign even harder for our ideals.
Endorsements are a big part of making sure that we have strong viable candidates to take on progressive and liberal Democrats. They are a test of the organizational skills as much as a test of ideology and the successful candidate will be able to secure more endorsements including those of county parties.
Statewide, the knock on county party endorsements is that not enough organizations do them in order to really qualify as a "sense of the party" which is really just a matter of some parties choosing not to express their preference for any candidate. I ask these folks what the point of a party is if they have no preference in the candidate. I have never heard an explanation that is rational or logical but it usually has something to do with "party unity" which is a euphemism for "Do what we want and shut up." And who is "we"? They are the political establishment who have very nearly destroyed virtually everything "they" have ever gotten control of...
Why do I mention this now? Butler County is meeting tomorrow to discuss amending the by-laws to do away with endorsements. This is the WORST IDEA I have ever heard proposed in my days following the organization. Butler County is a real leader in this state and this proposal, if enacted, would strip the county party of its voice and take away the only real power that it has.
WMD stands OPPOSED to this proposed amendment to the by-laws of the Butler County Republican Party and encourages members to vote against it.
