Don Roach: How Will the Next RI GOP Chair Restore Credibility?

Wednesday, March 13, 2013

Don Roach, GoLocalProv MINDSETTER™

 

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Don Roach wonders if either Mark Smiley or Dan Harrop, candidates to lead the RI GOP, will really bring about the change they insist is needed in the party.

Last night, candidates for the RI GOP chair told me and the rest of the Cranston City Committee why we should vote for them to be the next chairman. The two candidates present, Mark Smiley & Dan Harrop discussed a number of items, agreeing that the party needed change. If I had a penny for every time a Republican leader in this state talked about wanting change, I’d be able to afford at least a Big Mac meal at McDonald’s. It’s a refrain that I’ve heard from every would-be Rhode Island Republican leader for the past decade.

Could Smiley or Harrop finally bring the change the party so desparately needs? Well, let’s find out and you decide.

Mark Smiley – Mr. PowerPoint

Mark Smiley is the Warren Republican Committee chairmen and he presented his plans via PowerPoint. His ideas ranged from building the “Farm Team” to remaining in office until there were enough Republicans to sustain a veto in the General Assembly. He added “our brand is our candidate and candidates are our brand” meaning that the quality of our candidates (or lack thereof) is one of the defining characteristics of the RI GOP. Finally, he talked about doing a webcast featuring different RI GOP personalities as a way to engage and attract voters and help introduce Republican political figures to the state.

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On the whole, I’ve got nothing against Smiley’s platform. If elected, he’ll focus on General Assembly candidates and not statewide candidates. I’ve often noted that the RI GOP’s love affair with statewide candidates has been its undoing time and again (see: Chafee circa 2006).

However, during the question and answer period Smiley gave a curious response when I asked him how he proposed to leverage high profile candidates such as Cranston Mayor Fung. Paraphrasing, his response amounted to this, “I’m going to focus on helping General Assembly candidates and if Mayor Fung calls me up and he needs something, I’ll make it a priority.” What I asked was how he planned to leverage high profile candidates and his response was what he’d do to help those same high profile candidates.

After being pleasantly surprised by some of Smiley’s PowerPoint presentation, I have to say that I found his answers to some of what I’d consider softball questions to be lacking.

Dan Harrop – Dr. Dan

Dan Harrop is not a novice to politics as he informed the crowd and is also evidenced by his prior run for mayor and work within the Providence Republican committee. Harrop touted his fundraising skillset and stated the the RI GOP Chair needs to be the chief fundraiser of the party. He went on to say that he agrees with many of the platform positions of his opponent but that he has the experience and connections to make them happen. He also favors the 0% sales tax and he stressed that more needs to be done to encourage Providence voters to come to the dark, I mean light side of the force and vote Republican. He said Doherty’s 2012 showing in Providence, if repeated, would lead to the same results. 

At the end of the meeting I told Harrop that I thought many of his ideas were good but that I’ve heard it before. He said that it was all about execution and I agree.

Will either candidate bring credibility to the RI GOP?

So those are the two candidates for RI GOP in attendance at the meeting hosted by the Cranston Republican committee. If you’ve read this far you’re either a Republican in Rhode Island, one of my family members (hi!), or perhaps are considering giving Republicans a try. Whichever category you fall into, the question is can either candidate bring about the type of change that will make the GOP credible again?

If I’m honest with myself and not drinking the Kool-aid, the answer is I don’t know. Smiley brings a lot of high-tech savvy but, as I said, his answers to particular questions seemed to quickly get him off his game and, as chair, we need someone who can think on his feet. Harrop has been around the block which gives him a lot of experience but he’s also been around the block.

It seems that no one, even yours truly, has not come up with a way to successfully wrest power from the Democrats in this state. Well, better stated, it seems that no one in the RI GOP is willing to do what it takes to wrest power from the Democrats.

Perhaps Harrop or Smiley can get it done. Time will tell. But, if I’m writing another story like this next year I would not be surprised.
 

 

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