Young Republicans of Rock Island County. Purposeful and graceful.
Congratulations to Young Republicans of Rock Island County (YRsRICO) for their organizational initiative and to those that helped and encouraged them without fanfare. All the “eyes” upon Scott County’s intense outreach efforts over the past nine months or so, to young voters, to minorities, to Catholics, to business, to the conservative base are getting a bit dry not wanting to blink in case they miss something.* Scan across the river and you will find a youthful something that is up and running.
We heard the YRsRICO representatives on WOC Talk Radio on Friday and were impressed. Taking the initiative to get a guest slot and be as enthusiastic, engaging and forthright as they were was impressive. Researching a bit further into their start-up we see that they not only have the expected (among social media enthusiastic youth) Facebook presence and “Twitter” but bylaws and a series of events and earned media already under their belts.
Their launch announcement appeared in several publications Argus-Dispatch and WQAD among others as did their debut event protesting Obama’s appearance in Galesburg earlier this summer, see here and here . This was in addition to a number of cross-linked stories referencing their activities.
We applaud their statement of purpose which includes this :
We, the Young Republicans of Rock Island County, establish this constitution in order to foster youth involvement in politics, to advance the cause of the Republican Party and its candidates, to promote right-of-center thinking in America and specifically in Rock Island County . . .
Now if their older but not wiser cousins across the river would come to understand that in practice a Party leadership has to educate, promote principles, articulate a reason for existing, more than “electing Republicans” or members of their club, with indifference to what candidates stand for. R Mall
*Update: Since the appearance of YRsRICO on WOC, which generated this post, an announcement was issued on the Scott County Republican Website of a “first” meeting Teen Age Republicans. When we were in high school in this area “TAR’s” organizations and Young Democrats were active clubs in various local high schools. The YRsRICO is an independent political club that extends to youths of up to forty years of age.
